LITMIR.BIZ

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can take you,” Bishop growled. “I can end you.”

      “Thought we were supposed to be working together like good friends and business partners.”

      “Still up for debate as far as I’m concerned. They shouldn’t have sent you.”

      “Too bad. They did. Deal with it.”

      I’d been a half second from running in the opposite direction, but froze in place at what I’d just heard.

      “You’re a—an angel?” My voice sounded pitchy.

      Bishop’s gaze shot to me and he took a step toward me. “Samantha …”

      I held up a shaky hand. “Don’t come any closer or I’m going to scream.”

      He stayed put, his jaw tight and his fierce gaze focused on me.

      On my bedroom wall I had a framed poster of an angel by a fantasy illustrator I really liked—it showed a peaceful, beautiful being of light. If anything, I would have guessed Bishop was a demon, like Kraven, from every horrible thing he’d done so far. Seeing him again had knocked every bit of confidence right out of me.

      But those blue eyes of his—they were every bit as beautiful as they’d been last night and able to capture me with just a glance in my direction. It was impossible to even attempt to breathe normally at this point. “If you’re an angel, why are you working with a demon?”

      His lips thinned. “It’s a long story.”

      “Yeah, a really long story.” Kraven was studying me again. “Why’s she so different?”

      “I don’t know.” Bishop kept his attention on me. “There’s something special about her. When she helped me with her touch—”

      “Exactly what was she touching that was so memorable for you?”

      “Watch your mouth.”

      A smile tugged at Kraven’s lips and he leered at me in a way that made me feel naked. I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest. “You’re a mystery, gray girl.”

      “Her name is Samantha,” Bishop growled.

      Kraven rolled his eyes. “If this is going to work, you really have to loosen up. Like, seriously.”

      My mind reeled and my stomach twisted from all of this—from what I was feeling to what I’d just been told flat out. I couldn’t deny that I hungered for something I couldn’t name, and my cravings had been getting worse every hour since Stephen had kissed me on Friday night. When Colin had gotten too close, I’d wanted to kiss him so much that I’d practically attacked him in the hallway. But I hadn’t. I could control it. I had so far, and I’d continue to do so.

      Kraven’s smile returned and he moved closer to me again. I froze as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “You know, you’re kind of cute. Maybe I won’t kill you if you make it worth my while.”

      “Get your hand off me,” I snapped as my fear turned to anger. I grabbed his hand.

      Electricity crackled down my arm. Kraven gasped in pain and staggered backward. I stared at him with surprise.

      “What was that?” he managed to ask.

      Good question. What the hell just happened?

      Bishop glared at him. “Just stay away from her.”

      He frowned. “She zapped me.”

      “That’s impossible.”

      “I didn’t just imagine it. She did.” His grin slowly returned, and he eyed me with that hatefully amused expression. “Curiouser and curiouser.”

      For a second I was reminded of when I’d first touched Bishop and the vision had slammed into me—zapping Kraven had felt that powerful and that uncontrollable. My skin still tingled from the shock I’d given him, as if I was slowly recovering from sticking my fingers in a light socket.

      “Ignore him,” Bishop said, throwing a look of pure disdain toward the demon. “Samantha, I had to find you again. After what you were able to do last night, I … we need your help.”

      “You need my help? You have got to be kidding me. I want nothing to do with you.”

      His gaze shadowed. “You’re different from the other grays—I don’t know why or how. But you are. How you found Kraven last night … there are others. I need you to help me find them before they’re lost forever.”

      My ponytail had come loose from the elastic and I redid it firmly. I liked Bishop’s voice; it was smooth and deep and it made me shiver. I hated that I liked anything about him, after everything I’d learned. “I want both of you to leave me alone.”

      “I know you’re confused, but this is important.”

      Emotion lodged in my throat, making it hard to talk without sounding choked. “You’re the one who’s confused, because I don’t care what’s important to you. I hate you, whatever you are. And I want you to stay away from me.”

      His gaze began to grow cloudy, like when I’d first met him. He pressed his fingers against his temples. “I don’t know what else to say right now.”

      My heart twisted. Damn it. I had an urge to touch him, to make it better since I knew I could, to erase that pain from his handsome face. But I held myself back. “Say goodbye. You were more than ready to say it to me last night.”

      “Hey, Samantha!” Carly shouted. “What are you doing out here?”

      My head whipped toward her. The shield making us invisible must have disappeared. I turned to look at Bishop and Kraven again, but they were gone.

      Just like last night, they’d vanished into thin air.

      “Hellooo? Earth to Samantha!”

      I composed myself and hitched my shoulder strap higher, and then walked toward her, willing myself to stop trembling. “What are you doing tonight?”

      “Me? Nothing. Why?”

      I bit my bottom lip. “I want to go back to Crave.”

      Carly crossed her arms. “Why?”

      “I want to see Stephen again.”

      She gave me a guarded look. “Are you sure about that?”

      “I am.”

      “I just thought … after the other night …” She frowned. “You’re not interested in him anymore, are you?”

      I gritted my teeth. “Oh, I’m interested, all right.”

      I was interested in getting to the bottom of what had happened to me and how I could fix it as soon as possible. And Stephen Keyes damn well better have some answers.

      chapter 6

      I’d burned all day with the need to get back to Crave and confront Stephen, but now that I was here I’d started to doubt myself. I guess I’d focused on my plan—weak though it was—as a way to keep from thinking too much about what had happened with Bishop and Kraven.

      I wasn’t convinced that I was some sort of soul-devouring monster now. No way. I was still me, nothing had changed that. But something was wrong. Really wrong. And I had to fix it.

      “Are you even sure the jerk is here?” Carly scanned the floor looking for him.

      “He told me he’s here every night lately, even weekdays. He’s taking a break from school right now, that’s why he’s back in town.”

      “Doesn’t he live near you?”

      “Two doors down.”

      “We could have gone there to check.”

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