Page 114 of Bones

Anger tightened his features as he headed straight for me. I didn’t back down, cower, or flinch. I knew I didn’t have to.

Deke would never hurt me—even if he did look murderous.

Sure enough, his touch was firm but tender as he cupped my cheeks and pulled me to him, his mouth covering mine in a rough kiss. We were both panting by the time he tore himself away, but he didn’t release me. He plastered my body to his. “I thought you’d be at the cabin.”

“When you didn’t return, I loaded Victoria into the truck and drove here.”

“Spiffy suit,” Juno said. “You’ve been gone for five years.”

At his flare of panic, I put my hand to his chest. “It’s been five days.”

“This is exactly why I said you shouldn’t return to Maine,” Nate put in.

Denny wrapped her arms around him. “No one likes a know-it-all.”

“But I do know it all, my little hellion. Yet no one wants to listen.”

Other than a quick glare at his brother, Deke ignored everyone but me. “To me, it felt like hours, and even that was too long to be away. I’m sorry, my one.”

“They let me know time passes differently there. I’ve been okay.”

He tilted my head up. “You were terrified.”

“That must’ve been when her fiancé grabbed her,” Juno not-so-helpfully filled in.

“He’s not my fiancé,” I rushed out.

At the same time, Deke’s face darkened, and his quiet voice still seemed to echo. “Hetouchedyou? I will rip his head from his body.”

“Too late.” Denny lifted her hand. “Already dead and dusted.”

“But if you want your bits to remain outside of your body, heed my warning.” Juno jabbed a finger toward the kitchen. “Donotmake Aurora a frittata.”

He blinked, completely lost, but that didn’t stop him from agreeing. “Of course not. She hates them.” He scanned me again like he didn’t trust I was okay. “We’re leaving.”

“There’s much to discuss,” Nate started before sighing. “Tomorrow.”

“Victoria—”

My words were cut off by Juno. “Lea has her and Tom. Have fun releasing some of that pent-up… magicks.”

Her lovely cackle faded along with the room. When everything sharpened again, we weren’t at the cabin, Stellan’s house, or even the truck I’d left parked outside of Juno’s.

We were in some woods.

Still breathing heavily from the thrill ride, I turned.

And what little air I had in my lungs was pushed out in a scream.

“It’s okay,” Deke reassured me. “It’s just a monument.”

“Where are we?”

“An abandoned cemetery.”

That’s not ominous.

I scanned around us. “What if someone was here? If they saw us? Do you know the kind of unhinged conspiracy theories you could’ve created online?”

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