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"Yours will," he assures ive it some time--some are just a little bit slower than others"

That’s ironic, considering how fast I am But I nod "Why didn’t you just say this in the first place? I’ve been worried about it"

He takes a deep breath, struggling for words "There’sOnce you start returning to your north and speed, your fighting skills"

Every part of"So I’ll becoht anyht," he "

"So I’ll lose round, eyes wide "I’ll lose everything"

"It’s not as bad as it seeet used to it In fact, you o of my hands and stands "I’h to know you’d take it hard I , you know More than any other Bellator"

"Is that why the vae when ain?"

"No That I was honest about No one, at least as far as I know, has ever walked with them like you do" He pauses "Kayla, I think we should keep that a secret I mean, you sa Dominic reacted to it--he tried to kill you over it"

No he didn’t He tried to kill her That’s what I should have said at the otten the worry offthe secret deeper away

"We need to get out of here" Aiden changes the subject as he peers over the table through a crack, staring out into the street "I think whoever’s tracking us is gone, for noay"

"You never said who’s tracking us" I move to the side of him and peer out "Or do you even know?"

He pauses, like he was hoping I’d forget "The ones who decided not to let their hearts start beating again

Myyou just told me"

"No it doesn’t" He backs away frouys, they just chose not to"

"Ho do they keep it fro?"

"I have no idea," he says, but I’ because the inside of hih, is you wouldn’t want to be like them"

My eyes narrow "Like who?"

"Hopefully, you won’t have to find out"

He doesn’t say anything else and I consider throwing hi hi, but the winking of darkness warns us that it’s tiht?" I ask "In here?"

He darts off for the back of the store, which is a torn up kitchen with shelves that hang crookedly across the faded walls and pots rusting away on the chipped tile floor He ru out whatever he co hiht," I assume

He pulls out a can of food and shakes it "It’s as good a place as any"

I glance around the deserted store, which is siuess so … but I think it her Like s around in the bottoht not go looking for us up there, but they will"

"They as in the ones without the heart beat," I say "The ones like me"

"They’re not like you" He snaps a cupboard shut "Your heart will beat again I knoill"

I squat down beside him "What are they like? These half-vampire, half-human’s? Do they have a na?"

"They’re killers, Kayla That’s all that’s i intensely "They’ve killed soainst his chest and his hands shake, upset

"Did they kill someone you know?" I soften my voice

He blinks the pain away and stands,for?"

His eyes light up as his hand reaches inside an open drawer "For these" He holds up a box ofon starting a fire? Because the streets have plenty of them I’m sure you could borrow"

He shakes his head and puts theto cook us dinner," he says, already heading into the other roo oing on Aiden is setting up a few chairs, like we’re for Then he heats up two cans of food over a small flame in the middle of the floor where he builds a s out of the other, scooping the food out with his hands

"So how long until you forgive me?" he asks and scoops out a bite of food

I take a s I’ve ever tasted "Forgive you for what?"

He chews on his food "For lying to you"