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I could only imagine how devastating it would be to find out that your mother and your boyfriend were both vampires and that your mother was playing for the wrong team. But to have her kidnap the love of your life? Not a good day by anyone’s standards.
“Savannah, maybe—”
“How could she do that to me, Ridley? How could my own mother take the boy I love like that? Just take him away from me after everything that’s happened? After everything I’ve been through?”
“Just remember that she’s not the person you remember.
She’s probably under the influence of some very powerful, very evil blood.”
“But I’m her daughter. How could she?”
I had no answers for Savannah. I simply sat quietly as she sobbed into the phone, heartbreak and betrayal gushing through the connection and fil ing the room in which I stood, several miles away. It was that sympathy for her that prompted my promise, a promise I had no way of keeping but one that I made nonetheless.
“We’l get him back, Savannah. I promise. We’l get Devon back for you.”
“Thank you, Ridley.”
She didn’t ask how, likely because she knew that my assurances were completely unfounded. But it gave her hope, as I’d meant for it to, and that was enough for the moment. Hope would stave off despair. Savannah had experienced far too much of that in recent days and I refused to let her suffer even more.
“I’l cal you later, okay? As soon as we can figure out what’s going on.”
“But how wil you do that? I mean, do you have any idea where they might have taken him?”
“No, but I think I know of a way that I might be able to find out.”
I looked at Bo and his expression told me that he knew what I was thinking and he didn’t like it one bit.
“Cal me as soon as you find out anything. Anything, Ridley, okay? Promise me.”
“I promise,” I said, injecting the word with as much optimism and conviction as I could manage. Al things considered, it wasn’t much. “We’l talk soon.”
After we hung up, Bo and I said nothing during what ended up being a protracted silence. It hung heavily between us, like an empty black hole surrounded by his disapproval and my desperation.
Final y, I offered my point of view.
“You know as wel as I do that this might have something to do with Sebastian’s plan to kil you. And Savannah’s been through enough. She needs our help. So does Devon.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he snapped.
“You know if there was another way, I’d choose it. But there’s not. You know there’s not. This is the only way.”
Bo’s lips thinned, his chiseled mouth straightening into a grim, tight line. He knew I was right. Stil , he didn’t like it.
“You stay here. I’l go wake Cade.”
Bo turned and strode angrily across the room. If there had ever been a doubt about Cade’s ability, it was likely put to rest in both our minds when Bo opened the door to find Cade standing patiently on the other side, thick arms crossed casual y over his wide chest.
“You need me,” Cade stated, his deep voice scratchy.
He didn’t phrase it as a question because he had no doubts. It wasn’t real y him rubbing in his ability and his usefulness. It was Cade simply stating a fact, stating a conclusion that he’d come to in his own precognitive way.
Bo said nothing, simply turned sharply away from the door to come and stand at my side.
“Ridley thinks you might be able to help her—”
“Find Devon,” Cade interrupted. “I know. And I can.”
Bo and I glanced at one another. Cade’s round-about reiteration of his integral role in Bo’s destiny only seemed to further aggravate Bo. Unfortunately, Bo’s comfort had to take a backseat in this case.
“How does it work exactly?”
“For me, the visions just come unexpectedly. But for you, I’m not sure. Try focusing on what it is that you want to know.
I think that might help.”
“Okay,” I agreed automatical y, already wondering if I could manage to concentrate that ful y, that completely while drinking delicious human blood.
“Where would you like to do this?” Cade asked in a very considerate way.
“It doesn’t—” I began, but Bo interrupted abruptly.
“Not here. Anywhere but in here,” he ground out.
“How about—”
“And not your room either,” Bo said, not even letting Cade finish his suggestion.
“The living room then. Is that platonic enough for you?”
Cade’s eyes sparkled with a devilish light, but Bo didn’t appreciate his teasing. He nearly growled in his displeasure.
“Can you heal like we can? Because I’d be happy to test your resilience.”
Cade merely smiled. Amazingly, even in the face of Bo’s blatant threat, it was an unconcerned smile, almost amused.
“Shal we?” Cade asked, looking at me and tipping his head toward the door.
He led the way down the hal to the den area just off the kitchen, what he’d referred to as the living room. As we trailed him, I could plainly smel his growing desire. It made his blood smel sweet and musky. My body’s response was the burning in my throat and on my tongue and the extension of my fangs.
By the time Cade had stopped in front of the sofa and stretched out ful length upon it, I was having trouble control ing my urges and my thoughts. As I eyed the heavy pulse in Cade’s throat, I was nearly consumed by the remembered taste of his rich blood on my lips.
“Ridley!” Bo cal ed sharply, grabbing my arm to restrain me from going after Cade right away. “Focus. Remember what you’re trying to find out. Focus on Devon.”
Although his voice penetrated the al -consuming throb of Cade’s heartbeat as it rang in my ears, I had to struggle to assimilate what he’d said and make the necessary adjustments. When I’d managed to form a couple of coherent thoughts, I turned and nodded to Bo. Reluctantly, he released my arm, al owing me to approach Cade.
As I knelt in the floor, crouching in front of him, I glanced up at Cade’s face. It was etched with a blatant desire that only exacerbated the trouble I was having concentrating. Thus far, feeding had been so thoroughly comingled with sexual passion I wasn’t quite sure how to separate them now. And though Cade was no Bo, I felt his desire for me like a tangible thing.
“Do it,” Cade croaked, his voice thick with his own kind of need and want.
