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He kicked the around the small room There wasn’t a visible exit aside from the place he’d entered, but this had to be the way Fabian had said so, and those vauard frozen chunks of e of triuave He pushed harder and it fell open co a narrow staircase

Spade quickly recovered asthe down the stairs At the bottom, another door beckoned He tensed If a trap waited for him, it was behind that door But in all probability, so was the person he sought

He kicked open the door and dove into the room

Chapter Twenty-seven

Denise chewed on as left of her fingernails as she looked up at the sky Was it lighter? Or was that a trick of her mind?

Spade had said he’d be here by dawn She didn’t have a watch, or she would have been obsessively checking the ti claimed not to have one, either Lyceum, who drove a second boat nearby, said the same Denise didn’t believe either of the her nails and staring at the sky onceHer stoo below and relax?" Bootleg offered "There’s a nice bed in the lare Denise threw hi if her lover and her friends were alive or dead Didn’t he realize nothing short of a concussion could oing with them, Denise lashed herself for the dozenth time Yet here she was, safe while everyone she cared about was in danger Again

"Mon a"

Both vampires stared at the purplish sky Denise did as well, but she couldn’t see anything aside fro at the side of the boat Was it Spade and the others? Or someoneshe had before so thudded behind her Denise whirled around with a little screa?" an English voice asked

She didn’t have a chance to gasp out a reply before Spade’skiss He picked her up, ht Hisher moan of relief as she ran her hands over him Safe Solid Whole She couldn’t ask for more

"I have a present for you," he murmured once he broke off the kiss and set her down

Denise looked behind Spade, ht of Cat and Bones, bloody but upright, Alten, Ian, and another auburn-hairedback the rush of ram, a red-haired man on the other side "Give me power like yours," the red-hairedyou want"

And now here he was, in the flesh

"Nathanial," she whispered

His head jerked in her direction, hazel eyes widening "You know ht bloke Wicked difficult getting the sod," Ianhi Nathanial before he fell

"Wait, who are you people? Why did you take me? How do you know my name?" Nathanial demanded hoarsely

Denise was struck speechless When she first saw him, she’d been overwhelmed by relief Despite the incredible odds, Nathanial was here, so her ordeal with the brands was almost over! But face to face with her infamous relative, she was suddenly uncertain Should she treat hi Raum had done to her and her fa him to the demon who’d branded both of them? If only he didn’t seereedy, heartless figure fros, this would be so much easier

"Take him belo," Spade told Cat

Then he turned Denise away fro her relative below "I s to waft fro," Spade said low "That man made his bed It’s merely time for him to lie in it, and if the situation were reversed, he’d offer up your lovely arse to Rauic uilt Spade was right Nathanial willingly made his deal with Rauht look harmless now, but he was just like any other cri the cri the tiet Nathanial So had Cat and everyone else She wouldn’t let herself repay the," Bones stated "Ian, you, Alten, Bootleg, and Fabian go in Lyceum’s boat Head east We’ll head west If Web seeks to chase us, he’ll have two trails to follow versus one We’ll meet back up in Vienna"

Ian ju the, everyone!"

"Mates" Spade’s voice was thicker "Thank you"

"Yes, thanks, to all of you," Denise said with heart-felt sincerity

The rest of theoodbyes and then Lyceum sped his boat off in the opposite direction that Bones aimed theirs Denise watched until the other boat was nohorizon, then she turned to Spade

"I’ht I was so worried"

Denise stepped back fro at the rips in his clothes along with the crimson spatters He hadn’t just risked his life; he’d also killed for her today

"Is Web?"

"Still living, sadly," Spade replied with a shrug "No matter He won’t risk open hen he can’t declare a reason for it"

"You look knackered, Denise," Bones called out from the upper deck where the helet some rest, Charles"

A slow smile spread across Spade’s face "What a brilliant idea," heto slide his h her was more than a physical reaction Denise wanted Spade to make love to her, but that wasn’t all she wanted She also wanted to wake up with hih with his shook her Spade had become so important to her so soon What if he didn’t feel the same way about her?

And then there was that other ht want to shower first," Denise said, shivering at the flick of his tongue under her ear "I’d offer to join you, but it’s so sh ticked her "You can alatchagain"

She was confused, then understanding blooh, infinitely more wicked "I wanted you to watch, so I stoot into the shower Didn’t you wonder why the light was on? It wasn’t for me, I can see in the dark And then I kept the water cold so the glass wouldn’t fog"