I was loathe to see a cloud of displeasure push the peaceful tranquility from Bo’s face.
“Is there something else about me drinking from Cade that you don’t like? Something you’re not tel ing me?”
For a fraction of a second, I thought I saw evidence that I’d struck a nerve, but it was gone so quickly it made me doubt that I’d seen it at al .
“I just don’t like it. That’s al .”
I nodded, studying his face. It gave away nothing.
“Wel , if we have any hope of stopping Sebastian, it has to be done.”
“I’m stil not convinced that it’s the only way.”
“Wel , as soon as you think of another option, just let me know,” I said sitting up. “Until then, this is the best source of information we’ve got.”
I knew Bo couldn’t argue. We’d found Devon hidden in an abandoned mine because of what I’d seen with Cade’s blood. There was no doubt in my mind that Cade was right about this being the way to stop Sebastian. If Bo stil had reservations, I had a feeling they were rooted in something else, maybe something he just wasn’t wil ing to tel me.
I slid off the side of the bed. “Come on,” I said, holding my hand out to him. “Let’s change clothes and get this over with.”
With a put-upon sigh, Bo took wrapped his fingers around mine and we set about changing into less burned and tattered attire. Once that was taken care of, we went out to the living room together.
Only it was empty.
“Did Annika come back with you?”
Bo’s smooth brow puckered the tiniest bit.
“Yeah. I guess she went to get some rest,” he said a little too nonchalantly.
“Did something happen?”
Bo shrugged his wide shoulders and shook his head, again leading me to believe there was something he wasn’t tel ing me.
I debated the wisdom of continuing to pry, but that little green monster poked his ugly head up and the words were out before I could stop them.
“She wants you back, doesn’t she? You two had a thing before and she wants you back.”
“Ridley, don’t—”
“Bo, I’m not saying that you feel the same way, but at least be honest with me about it.”
Bo tipped his head to the side, his lips thinning. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it, but I wasn’t letting him off the hook.
When I raised my eyebrows in question, Bo ran a hand through his hair like I’d seen him do a hundred times.
“Yes, I think we were involved in some sort of…
relationship, but it’s over and there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“But you’l agree that it seems that she wants you back, right?”
Bo rol ed his eyes, hating that I was forcing him to admit something he’d rather just ignore.
“She knows that we’re together,” he hedged.
“But she wants you back regardless.”
Bo sighed.
“Ridley—”
“Just admit it, Bo. She’s trying her best to get you back.
Excluding me, talking about the good old days, it’s a classic female maneuver.”
Bo smiled at that, reaching out and winding his arm around my waist.
“It is?”
“Yes,” I snapped.
“Have you done things like that before?” he taunted.
“No,” I said imperiously. “I’ve never had to.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes.”
Bo threw back his head and laughed at that, a sound that flooded my body with a warmth that seemed to radiate from my heart.
“I love you. Did you know that?”
And just like that, my pique was gone, washed away by the reminder of the love we shared. It was moments like those that made me realize I had nothing to fear from Annika, despite her conniving ways. Nothing could touch our love.
Nothing could hurt it, kil it, change it. Al that was happening around us seemed only to make it stronger and I felt sil y for thinking otherwise.
“No more than I love you,” I countered.
“Ah, I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” he said, brushing his lips over my cheekbone and the tip of my nose before kissing me lightly.
Just as he drew me into his arms for a deeper kiss, a low drawl interrupted the moment.
“Are you ready now?”
It was Cade. He stood at the edge of the living room, looking sleepy and tousled. He also looked very much like a model in his sleep pants and nothing else. He had to know that coming to me bare-chested in front of Bo was not a good idea.
“You couldn’t get dressed before you came downstairs?”
Bo snapped.
“I tried to get her to feed earlier, but she refused. She told me to go to bed so I did. She woke me up. Not my fault she’s stubborn.”
Yawning, Cade ambled into the living room, stopping in front of the sofa to stretch. I couldn’t help but admire the way the muscles moved beneath al his tanned skin, but stil , he wasn’t Bo.
To my right, Bo made a growling sound.
“What do you mean she woke you up?”
Cade shrugged, casual as ever.
“She needs my blood. I don’t know how I know. I just do. I can feel it.”
Glancing at Bo, I could see that he liked that answer even less.
Cade moved to come around the couch and sit down, but Bo stopped him.
“There’s no reason for you to get too comfortable. This won’t take long. She only needs information, not feeding,”
Bo smirked. “She can get that from you standing right where you’re at.”
I resisted the urge to rol my eyes, although I couldn’t deny that it thril ed me just a little for Bo to act so blatantly jealous.
Instead, I schooled my features to be careful y blank and unaffected as I approached Cade.
He gave me a lop-sided grin and held out his arms. I knew he did it just to needle Bo and it worked. I heard another growl sound from behind me, low and threatening.
I stopped just out of reach of Cade’s arms and I breathed in. I did it before I even realized what I was doing, but that one smal lapse was al that it took.
My eyes found the tick at the side of his neck and I felt the rise of my thirst in response. My throat began to burn in that painful y familiar way, prickling like it was squeezing tight around a bal of thumb tacks. I felt the tingling in my gums and knew that my fangs were making their way out for chow time. I also knew that if I looked at myself in the mirror, I’d see pale skin and light, milky green eyes, eyes that spoke of a thirst that would never be completely quenched.