Page 33 (1/2)

A few of Dekes’sparty and the firehouse as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing I wondered if they aiting for their boss to stroll out of the dancing fla tireat beyond, Randall Dekes was already getting ripe and toasty in hell

Vanessa spotted Jo-Jo and Victoria and ran across the lawn to the way, so they didn’t see me step out of the shadows behind the Fire elemental

But Donovan did

The detective had noticed Vanessa running out of the corner of his eye He turned his head to follow her movements - and that’s when he saw me His eyes widened, and he did a double take, just like he had that night in the Sea Breeze e’d first seen each other again

His mouth dropped open, and he blinked and blinked, as if his eyes were playing tricks on him, as if he couldn’t believe that I’d soiants, Dekes, and the fire He should have known by now that I always came back - nonext, for that old, faust to fill Donovan’s face at the knowledge that I was still alive and kicking and that I hadn’t met theconflicted and disappointed as he had when I’d shown up on the hill above Tobias Dawson’s coal mine, relief filled Donovan’s face, and he did a- he s, beautiful ss that shocked the hell out of me It was the smile I’d expected to see that day outside the coal mine; it was the smile I’d hoped to see a dozen times before It was all that and soI’d ever wanted fro behind him, so I headed in that direction Donovan hesitated, then took a few steps toward me, then a few more, then a few more still, until he’d walked halfway across the lawn - , and neither did I

I stood there awith his black hair and bronze skin and working , lean body Despite the sht, I could somehow still smell his clean, soapy scent, the one that used to appeal to me so very azes locked, gray on gold

Desire gliaze, more desire than I’d ever seen him show before - desire for me For the first time since I’d been in Blue Marsh, he let me see just how much he wanted me, maybe just how ing They were all tangled together in the sharp planes of his face, along with other, softer e at all the things I’d hoped to see, all the things I’d thought he’d never feel for me - ever

Finally, Donovan held out his hand toquestion I knew that if I took his hand, if I wrapped ers in his, he’d kiss h his fiancee was less than a hundred feet away

I stared at his outstretched hand Once upon a ti to have Donovan look atnow The old feelings rose up in my heart then, all the electricity that had sparked and hummed between us, all the desire we’d felt toward each other, all the delicious things we’d done to each other the few tiether

I stood there, and I reht on past hi, heading toward the others, heading toward Owen

"Gin?" Donovan called out behind , and I didn’t look back

A few seconds later, Bria spotted lee and pointed me out to the others They all ran in htfeel of it, and the rush of e point Owen put me back on my feet and rained kisses down onmy lips with his I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back twice as hard

I didn’t look at Donovan, and I didn’t give hiht Not once I didn’t need to Not now, not ever

Dekes’s ht The island’s fire departone by the tihters could do but stand there with the rest of us and watch theVanessa’s words and encouraging the flames with a smile

The Blue Marsh Police Department arrived as well Donovan stood off to one side of the yard, talking with severalsome story about what had happened, while Bria stood behind hi to the conversation The higher-ups in the department had already come out in full force to make sure that all the i’s were dotted and all the t’s were crossed, since Dekes had been one of Blue Marsh’s leading citizens Of course, the po-po didn’t know about the had been part yet, but they would when the ashes cooled and they found whatever was left of Dekes’s body in the library

While aited for things to calm down, I filled the others in on my battle with the vampire and how Vanessa had helped me defeat him Vanessa crouched down on the lawn a few feet away, her ar up Both sisters stared at the burning ot the impression that if they could have, they would have blasted the structure again and again with their Fire and Air ic to make it burn that roup of cops and ca with Owen, Finn, Sophia, and Jo-Jo

"So what’s Donovan telling theas leak getting out of control, exploding, and causing the fire with the added unfortunate consequences of Dekes and several of histrapped and burned alive by the flaate and all the bodies with bullets in them?" Owen asked "Especially the ones outside?"

He jerked his head The giants that Finn, Bria, and Sophia had killed on their way inside the noed again "Donovan’s claiiants wouldn’t stand down and forced hi the four bodies Gin and I left in the pool at the Blue Sands on the va about infighting aot out of hand"

Well, that was a rather convenient way for Donovan to clear his case, but I wasn’t going to co at Bria and me in connection with those deaths For once, the detective was actually doing

"I don’t think anyone will be too concerned about Dekes, his men, or how they really died," Bria added "The folks the vaone So will the other power players on the island, since his death will let therab a little more of his empire for theain"

Eventually, Vanessa helped Victoria up to her feet, and the two sisters drifted over to us Victoria still looked frail, weak, and ashen, but Jo-Jo had claiht in a feeeks now that Dekes wasn’t around to continually suck out her blood and ic anymore

Vanessa walked toward me, her arm around her sister’s sli back for us If I could have spared you what Dekes did to you in the library last night and again today, I would have I hope you know that"

I wavedher concerns "You tried to warnthe press conferece It was my own fault that I didn’t listen to you But I think things turned out okay in the end, since the bastard is burning in hell right now The question is where will you two go? What will you do now that you’re free of hiht that far ahead I’ure out how I can put clothes on our backs and find us soh I hate this place with every bone in my body, I almost wished that the mansion hadn’t burned At least then I’d have soet back on our feet"