Page 48 of Broken Shadows

Rosa arches a brow. “Can we die while we’re in Hell?”

Ezra shrugs nonchalantly. “No, because you need to die before you go. Do they teach humans nothing?”

She slaps him on a toned forearm, right on the face of a crying stone angel tattooed there, and he feigns pains. “I mean is there any other way to go there? I’m not killing myself.”

Lorcan’s grin widens. “I can do the killing if needed.”

“He’s joking!” I say before it escalates. At least I hope he is. “We can go through one of the gateways to Hell.”

Aiden slowly stands. “Gateway? Where?”

“Hellam, Pennsylvania.”

“Aptly named,” Rosa jokes, although I notice a bead of sweat collecting on her forehead, and Ezra snickers.

Aiden hisses a breath between his teeth and professes, “You all have fun with that. I’m going to head off to Mexico or some Caribbean Island.”

“With what money?” Ezra questions.

Aiden shoves his hands into his sweatpants pockets. “Uh, I don’t know. I guess since you’re all dying, I’ll just sell this place.”

Lorcan’s chair screeches back as his tattooed knuckles land on the table. “You fucking try it. You sold your soul to me first, Valet, or have you forgotten. Just because we are allies doesn’t mean your servitude is over.”

Aiden’s mouth forms a perfect ‘o’. “Evie said—”

“I agreed to let you go, but there was no contract. I am not required to do anything.”

I place a hand on Lorcan’s arm, pulling him back to sitting. I forget sometimes how angry he can get with all that power contained behind those untamed eyes. “You did promise, but…” I add before he can lose it again, “perhaps we can add another layer to the deal. That you remove it on the condition Aiden goes to Hell with us.” I look at Aiden and sigh. “I wish we could cut you free, but the truth is you’re in danger on your own. They’ll never stop hunting you because they know you were with us at The Order.”

Aiden pauses for several seconds, then throws his hands in the air. “I’m not swimming through any lava pits and God help you all, if there are any clowns there, I’m out.”

Ezra rolls his lips in and Lorcan snickers.

“There are, aren’t there?” Aiden asks, and I shake my head, as if I’m the authority on it. “Look, I’ll make sure there’s a contract this time. So you can be free.”

Rosa shrugs and points at Lorcan. “It has to be better than spending a lifetime attached to him.”

“She’s right,” Ezra says to Aiden. “I’ve had Lor at my side for centuries and it’s a fate worse than dying in a lava river.”

Aiden’s face blanches. “Lava river? You’re kidding, right?”

Rosa grabs my hands from across the table, ignoring Aiden’s freak out. “It’s a good plan.”

“I wish you didn’t have to come. That I could keep you and Gomez safe.”

“You are.” Her smile widens, although I detect a flicker of fear in her brown eyes. “Besides, it’s not like we have any other choice. We’re not safe here anymore.”

I close my eyes, clenching my fingers as she releases my hands. I hate that I dragged her into this. I only hope Ezra’s little crush means he’ll actually focus on protecting Rosa in Hell. Although, going by the type of person he is, it doesn’t seem likely.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Evie

Lorcan’s hands land on my hips as he comes up behind me.

I lean further out the open window and take long inhale of the cigarette, the cherry glowing red. I hold the smoke in my mouth before inhaling when Lorcan spins me around and brings his lips to mine, parting them with his tongue.

He sucks the smoke from my mouth and into his, pulling away to exhale the white puff. “Everyone’s asleep.”

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