Page 104 of Claimed
“No, she was smiling.” Ruin frowns. “Why?”
Swearing under my breath, I dive back into my room and shove my feet into my boots.
They crowd the doorway.
“What, Caine? What happened?”
I start to the balcony door. “I told her I was going to stay in Miami until we found the cases.” I stalk out into the warm air as the city continues to thrum.
“We have orders, Caine. We have to leave—”
I whirl on Ruin. “You have orders,” I snap. “That is her fucking freedom, Ruin. Her chance to be free. To be with me. Did you really think I was going to walk away from that? From her?”
He stands in silence, his expression clouded, dark.
“Would you?” I ask. He flinches. “Would you fucking walk if this was Lilah?”
“No.” That one word is ground between his teeth. Like brittle ice.
“Then don’t expect me to,” I tell him. “I’m at peace when she’s near. For the first time in fifteen fucking years, my demon magick didn’t rise. It was sated. Calm. Do you understand what that means?”
“In ways you will never know,” he rumbles. Normally his words would puzzle me, they would make me think. But right now there is only Onyx.
“Can you find her?” he asks.
I glance over the city. “I know her emotions now. I should be able to get close.”
“Then go. Find her and go somewhere safe.”
I look at him. “You want us to run?”
He shrugs. “You went after her, that’s all I know. What you do when you’re out of my sight is up to you.”
There is no emotion on his face, no sign of anything I understand.
“The cases?” I ask.
“I can’t touch them, Caine. The team can’t.”
Markus failed.
“We have to be out of town by noon. That’s less than twelve hours from now.” He walks toward me. “There will be a private jet at MIA. It departs at noon exactly for Chennault. If you aren’t on it, Markus will declare you rogue. You understand?”
I nod. “I know.”
“I can’t offer you aid, Caine. I can’t send the others with you. If you aren’t on that jet, you are officially out of my hands and off the team.”
His words fall like lead into my gut.
Only hours before, I felt like everything was right in my life. It was as it should be. Now, Onyx is gone and I’m going to lose the only family I have ever known.
But I can’t let her risk everything alone.
I can’t loseher.
Not now.
“I get it, Ruin.”
