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She’s clever. It kept me down there long enough to find my sanity, but she’s an idiot for even staying around me for long enough to do it. She should have left and went with the others. If I wasn’t planning to distance myself from her, I’d probably kick her ass for that reckless decision, even if it did save me from hurting anyone. Well, anyone still alive, that is.
Just as I materialize in my living room, I’m met by three pairs of eyes. “You’re back,” Karma says on a gasp, warily studying me, as Chaz and Dice look me over.
“It’s fine, Karma. I’m me.”
She relaxes as Dice smirks over at me. “You look like hell,” Dice says, his pun not particularly appreciated.
“Not now, incubus.”
“Too soon?” he asks coyly, and I flip him off like a juvenile because I’m too exhausted to come up with anything witty.
He snickers while Chaz gets up and comes over to me. “Sorry about knocking you into hell and all. No hard feelings?”
His teasing grin causes me to roll my eyes. “No hard feelings. It was the best place for me.”
“I need to call Kimber,” Karma says, reaching for her phone.
“No,” I say quickly, waving her off. “As far as she’s concerned, her part in this mess is over. In fact, all of you are done, so you might as well get on with your lives.”
Karma tilts her head as her brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean? Hell, it’s just getting started.”
“No. You wanted to free the slaves. You’re done. Kimber wanted to extinguish the rings. She’s done.”
I turn away, but Karma suddenly appears in front of me, halting my stride. Her short black hair seems to have been cut even shorter, and I stare at the marks on her neck. What the…
“We’re just getting started. Your brother is still out there. He’ll just rebuild the rings. Recapture the escapees. Or capture new ones. He’s after something, and he’s drawing power from his slaves. That’s why we all have these,” she says, motioning to the marks I’m staring at that are close to her ear.
“I never knew what they were doing, but they were taking our blood. I thought it was for science, but in the few days we’ve been back, we’ve been in contact with a few escapees. Apparently they’re using the blood to make themselves stronger or something. Gavin’s trying to achieve something. He’s after something. We have to get it first.”
I shake my head, moving around her. “No. We don’t. You’re done. My brother will shred you as soon as his eyes land on you. It’s suicide to think otherwise.”
“Then I guess we’re on a suicide mission.” My head drops back at the sound of that voice, and I turn to face the blue eyes of the stubborn girl I need to break up with.
“Not for you,” I mumble, dematerializing to move upstairs.
She’s there before me, obviously having used her portal, and she crosses her arms over her chest as she stares at me.
“You mad at me for tossing you into hell or something?” she asks while coming closer.
I take a step back, needing the space between us to remain.
“Nope. Not at all. I just think it’s best if this… us… doesn’t continue, and you know I’m right.”
She looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind. Apparently she has forgotten what the crazy version of me looks like.
“I don’t follow your logic, so get over yourself. We have shit to do.”
She takes another step toward me, but an invisible barrier blocks her path. She steps back, her eyes pained. “You’re serious? You’re seriously trying to dump me now? Why, because you have a dark side? Well get the hell over it. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself around you.”
I laugh bitterly while dropping my head back. “That’s just it, Kimber. You’re not. You stared me in the eyes and stayed instead of running like you should have. And my mother… what she did… Let’s face it, I’m cursed. I apparently can’t be with anyone because shit always falls apart at the seams.”
Her lip quivers, but she clears her throat and regains her composure. “No. You’re not cursed. And what your mother did, she did on her own. It’s not like you were there with her when she killed them or took me. If I’m not blaming you, then you sure as hell can’t blame yourself.”
Her defiance isn’t what I expected. I thought this would be easier after she heard that. I thought she would be happy I was ending this. I actually expected her to end it first. She has no idea how hard this already is.
***
KIMBER
