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With no time to waste, Daemon scooped er affected by the onyx, I felt the biting wind sting my cheeks as he picked up speed Seconds later, he was buckling er seat

"I can do it," I ers around the metal

He hesitated as he saw my hands tremble and then nodded In a heartbeat, he was behind the steering wheel, turning the key "Ready?"

When the belt clicked into place, I leaned back against the seat, out of breath The onyx had done more than block the Source I felt like I’d cliht strapped tofull throttle, especially after the ad job on Will

"You could leave me," I realized then "You’d be faster…without me"

Daemon’s brows shot up as he eased the SUV around the Du you"

I kne badly he needed to get to the office building--to Dawson "I’ll be fine I can stay in the car and…you can just do your zippy speed stuff"

He shook his head "Not going to happen We have tiunned it out of the parking lot "I’ second, okay? We have time" He brushed the dark waves off his forehead with one hand, his jaw clenching tightly "When I got your e about your ht maybe you were already at the hospital in Winchester, so I called and when they told h ht the worst--I thought they’d gotten you And I was ready to tear this whole daot the text froht"

My chest ached While I’d been panicking in that cage, I hadn’t had a chance to really consider Dae, but now I knew those hours must’ve been pure hell for him, a flashback to the days after Dawson’s supposed death My heart wept for hilanced ateast If we didn’t get pulled over for speeding, it would be a h?"

I nodded instead of speaking because I had a feeling hearing et to hi wheel "It’s been years since I saw it"

"Did you knoould do that?" Keeping my voice low took awayassi probleh, when I first saw it I just never saw it in that capacity--on bars and chains And I didn’t knoould affect you the sa a deep breath It had been the worst pain I’d ever experienced I iery without anesthesia Like theto break free, bouncing off one another Like being ripped apart froht of anyone else suffering like that caused my stomach to twist They controlled Luxen like that, the ones who caused probleination to think that was how they’d be controlling Dawson…and Blake’s friend And they’d had Dawson for over a year and Chris for how e with the onyx Hours that would linger with me until I took my last breath, but it was only hours, while others had years, most likely In those hours, parts of my soul had darkened…hardened There’d beenthat, I couldn’t even fathom what it had done to others--to Dawson

Anxiety thru like that Caged and in pain with no end in sight--the hopelessness that would eventually creep into him, the pain that would shape him into a different person I couldn’t live with that

"Kat?" Concern clouded his tone

Those hours, the knowledge I’d gained frooing from someone who hated confrontation to soht…and to kill Lying to those I cared about had become second nature when I’d been a pretty honest person before Sure, it was to protect the I was bolder now, braver Parts of ed for the better, too

And I kneithout a doubt I’d kill to protect Daemon and those I loved without a moment of hesitation Old Katy couldn’t fathoray-- I needed him to know "Blake and I aren’t very different"

"What?" Dae like that son--"

"No I a to protect Chris He betrayed people He lied He killed And I get that now Doesn’t et that now I…I would do anything to protect you"

He stared atin the air between us and then sunk in I wasn’t sure if what I’d become was a better version of e how Daemon looked at me, but he had to know

Daeh mine He remained focused on the dark road as he pressed our hands to his thigh, keeping the like him, because in the end, you wouldn’t hurt soht call"

I wasn’t so sure about that, but his faith in ht tears to my weary eyes I blinked them back and squeezed his hand Daeht call" if soht call" when the two DOD officers caught us at the warehouse