Page 50 (1/2)

One single thought and the luceria would fall from her neck She’d be free, but he would die He’d placed his life in her hands His trust

There was only one way she could repay hi to kill theured out the truth sooner She wished she’d known hiether before now

She wished she could have loved hi to die for your people?" she asked him

"Yes," he said without hesitation

"So ahtly in understanding, then closed in grief Final Absolute He gave her a nearly ih with her plan

Someone new came into the motor home, but Lexi didn’t turn away from Zach to see who it was

"They’re ready," she heard Jake say behind her

"Enough of this," roared Hector "Get your ass outside People are waiting"

Lexi ripped her gaze away froive ood-bye," she told him

"No, I’m not"

"What can it hurt, Pa?" said Jake "There’s nothing she can do to stop this Give her ato save"

Lexi looked at him then, startled by the unexpected support Jake’s left eye elling shut, and a dark bruise was for on his cheek So that was the sound she’d heard over the phone Hector had hit his

Hector crossed his ar Say what you’ve got to say with an audience or not at all"

Lexi nodded and rushed forward, kneeling on the ground next to Zach While she was down there, she pulled the kitchen knife from her shoe, her movement hidden by the voluminous folds of the Windbreaker

She reached around hi him hard, and slid the knife between the ropes She didn’t have tiht have cut him, but that was all she could do It wasn’t

Zach’s eyes gloith eh their link, co to change that"

The tears she’d been holding back since the rabbed her outside the walls of Dabyr broke free and slid down her cheek, hitting the navy Windbreaker with a soft patter "I love you, too," she told hi it more than she was able to express in the few brief seconds they had left together

More than anything, Lexi wished that barrier between them wasn’t there, so he could feel her love for him the way she could his She wanted to bathe hienuine

"I can take off the luceria If it will be easier on you that way" She wasn’t sure how long he’d live after she’d taken it off, but it ive him a few more days, hours even She didn’t want to rob him of any of them

"No I don’t want you to be alone I’ll be there with you to the very end"

When she died He hadn’t said it, but they both knew that hat he’d h the thing, she could feel him She could feel his love, his comfort "I don’t want to be alone, either"

"We’re ether," he whispered, his tone fervent "I still believe that I’ll find you Somehow, I’ll find you"

Lexi believed hi as paltry as death stand in his way "I’ll be waiting," she said; then she kissed hiainst hers that she wondered how she could have ever thought he’d meant her harm She squeezed every bit of her love for hi hih," said Hector "It’s tio"

Chapter 24

Hector led Lexi to the center of a caravan, athering of Defenders left her stunned She’d never seen so ether in one place

"They’re all here for the show," said Hector as he led her by the ar people "We’ll be able to see the fireworks from that hilltop over there Gonna be quite a spectacle"

"You’re wrong about these people, Hector Theyto blow his ass to hell "You’re going to be sorry you were too thick-skulled to listen to reason"

"That’s the brainwashing talking Don’t worry You won’t have to suffer er"

No She wouldn’t Still, she had a few more mohts rode in, that was the only thing that had even a chance of saving her "There are human children in there Did Jake tell you that?"