He growled to her, and her smile grew wider as they stepped outside. Cece immediately zipped up her jacket as a fierce wind blew her hair around her face. “Holy crap, with that wind, I think it’s dropped ten degrees.”
She glanced at him. “You probably love this, huh?”
“Yep,” he said, making her laugh.
They made their way across the parking lot to where Ronin and Kat, Mal and Willow, Bishop and Ava, and Hudson and Rosalie were clustered near Bishop’s truck.
“Swear to God, Ava,” Ronin said as they joined them. “The guy was totally nude and swimming in the fountain.”
Ava laughed. “Was he arrested for public indecency?”
“Probably not,” Ronin said. “It’s Vegas…nudity runs rampant.”
“Great. Now Mal will never take me to Vegas,” Willow said, one hand resting on her belly.
“Nudity does not run rampant in Vegas,” Kat laughed as Ronin slung his arm around her waist.
“Everyone else already left?” Briggs asked Hudson.
He nodded. “Yeah, we’re heading out, too. Rosie just wanted to talk to Cece before we left.”
Rosalie smiled at Cece. “Let’s finalize our dinner plans for this week. I have showings on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, but we could do Thursday or Friday. Wait, I think that’s when my showings are… hold on, let me confirm.”
She pulled out her phone, and she and Cece moved a few feet away so the truck cab would shelter them from the bitter wind.
“You doing okay?” Hudson asked him in a low voice.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” Briggs said.
Hudson shrugged. “It’s gotta be tough not being able to touch your mate.”
“Cece isn’t my mate and -” Briggs stopped as a new scent hit his nose. There was a crackling sound, and he turned, twin growls escaping him and Hudson when they saw the woman standing at the edge of the parking lot.
She wore a long black cloak, and her dark hair was twisted into a bun on the top of her head. Her hands glowed a rich, dark red, and Briggs could see her mouth moving as she spoke, but the wind whipped the sound away.
Horror shot through him, and his bear howled in agony when red light shot from the witch’s hands and fire engulfed Cece and Rosalie. The fiery blast threw them across the parking lot, and Hudson’s voice shattered the cold night air.
“Rosalie!”
Briggs sprinted toward Cece. She was lying on the ground a few feet from Rosalie’s body, and his bear growled with rage and fear when, from the corner of his eye, he could see the witch raising her hands again.
“Cece!” he shouted as he dropped to his knees beside her. He yanked her into his arms and tucked her in tight against him, shielding her body with his own as the witch cast another spell. Flames surrounded them, but instead of hot agony, the flames were ice cold.
The fire flickered out of existence, and he was up and on his feet in an instant, cradling Cece against his body as he ran for refuge behind Bishop’s truck. There was another crackle of energy, and he instinctively ducked as a fireball smashed into Bishop’s truck, blowing out the headlights and making it rock wildly.
He dropped to the ground behind the truck, relief snaking through him when he realized Hudson was there with Rosalie in his arms.
“Is she burned?” he shouted at Hudson as another blast of flames lit up the sky and made the truck shake.
The others were behind the truck as well, and Ronin pushed past Mal and Willow to join Hudson. He studied Rosalie’s body as Hudson stroked her hair back from her face.
“She’s not burned. Is Cece?” Ronin asked.
Briggs shook his head. “No, I think Monroe’s protection spell saved them.”
“Rosie. Rosie, baby, wake up,” Hudson said. He patted Rosalie’s face gently, his entire body shuddering when Rosalie opened her eyes.
“Hudson?”
