Page 151 of Lover Forbidden
The pair of them got right into it, aggressions misdirected. Meanwhile, Shuli stared upward and just froze in place. Every drive in him was screaming that he needed to get to Lyric, he needed to save her, and meanwhile, that pair oflessersthey’d been tracking headed for the back door into the building—
Lyric screamed.
Instantly, the dam broke. L.W. up and dematerialized, and Rhamp—too distracted by emotion to be able to ghost out—leaped forward into a run and started shooting at thelessersup ahead. His suppressor killed most of the noise, but his aim was crap. As bullets pinged off all kinds of things, Shuli hauled his own ass and added some lead of his own.
He managed to drop one slayer, but the other hit that rear door with a key and a panic scramble.
Into the lowest level of the building it went.
As Rhamp rushed up on the downedlesser, the male had the presence of mind to palm one of his daggers, and do a dispatch on the move. Then even before the flash of light and burst of sound faded, the guy was at the back door—
Shuli yanked him away by jumping on him. “You don’t know what’s in there! We need to call for backup—”
“Lyric is in there,” the fighter spat. “You remember, the female you’re in love with. Get with the fucking program—”
Rhamp settled the argument by shooting the back lock and ripping open the steel panel. Left with no choice but to protect his buddy, Shuli jumped through the jambs and covered left, while Rhamp covered right.
The slayer who’d penetrated the entry was wounded, but still up on its feet: Little drops of foul-smelling black oil dotted the concrete floor, disappearing into the elevator.
Rhamp didn’t even blink. He wheeled around and took the open stairwell.
Shuli followed again.
In perfect coordination, they hit the steps two at a time, bolting around each landing as they hit ’em. And Shuli told himself this was going to be fine. They’d dealt with shit like this before.
Really—
Fuck.
When they got to the fourth floor, there was no question which way to go. He could scent alesser, but there were no drops of bloodon the carpet. Didn’t matter. Lyric was the point; they could get to the wounded slayer later. Clearly of the same mind, Rhamp took off running once again, and as he let out a whistle—
From out of nowhere, something stepped into their path.
A little old lady in an apron with a tray full of food.
Rhamp nearly mowed her over, and then, as a chaser, he pointed a gun at her head.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—” Shuli barked.
Just as L.W., for reasons that couldn’t be explained, came down the stairs from up above, even though he’d no doubt tried to dematerialize into the apartment itself.
Yeah, this was going justgreatfor their first night out.
As Lyric tried to process the words she’d just heard, she stared at the paled-out, snow-eyedlesserwho’d shut them all in together. Going on some kind of reflex, she put her palms forward, but in her fucked-up head, she couldn’t tell if she was trying to stop the slayer or Dev—or what had just been said.
Father.
Father?
And if she needed any confirmation that this was not a dream, this was in fact a terrible, living nightmare, it was the look that Dev gave her, his hooded, oddly colored eyes grave, his expression a tight mask—
It all happened so fast. Dev jumped on thelesser, grabbed it by the head, and jerked the skull around with such violence, the crack of the spinal cord was like an axe going through hardwood. Then he dropped the body off to the side and wheeled around to her.
Moving back until he was against the door, he fanned his hands as if he were holding out the whole world from them. Meanwhile, across the way, cold air entered the apartment, riffling the drapes, stealing all the warmth out of the space.
Or maybe the latter was the shock wave that was running through her body.
“I was going to tell you.”
