Twisted

Words she’d probably said to herself—or Riley had said to her—after her own father had broken her heart. Aden held her, letting her comfort him as only she was able, breathing her in, loving her scent, his mouth watering for a taste, not letting himself have a taste or think about tasting, not letting himself bite her but simply luxuriating in what she offered. Finally he calmed the rest of the way, and so did Junior.

Aden, please, Julian was saying.

Julian. His friend. Whom he would help, no matter the destruction to himself. He kissed Victoria on the temple, settled her on the couch, grabbed the paper, read it and stood. As he closed the distance between himself and Tonya, his hand fisted, crinkling the words. This was supposed to work?

He crouched in front of her. “Look at me, Tonya.”

She obeyed without hesitation.

Will this work? Julian asked. This has to work.

Aden wasn’t sure what his father had proposed, something so simple, so easy a freaking caveman could do it—too much TV?—would do anything more than embarrass him, but he said, “Tonya Smart, your heart is your own. Your soul is your own. Love may whither, love may die, but your truth will set you free.”

She blinked down at him.

Why hasn’t anything happened? Julian again.

“She’s still drugged,” Victoria said. “Maybe that’s preventing her from showing a reaction.”

“Fight your way from the drug’s influence,” Aden said, and just as before, she obeyed. Not because she’d been told to obey him, but because he’d used his vampire voice.

Her gaze cleared of that glassy sheen, revealing the shadows churning so violently behind them. A scream ripped from her, her entire body bowing, shaking her chair, then hunching over. She shook, she moaned, she writhed, her fingers gnarling.

Aden backed away from her, unsure how to help her.

Make it stop, Julian begged.

“I can’t.” All he could do was watch, horrified, as those shadows seeped through her pores, rising from her, enveloping her in a dark mist and screams, so many screams, echoing through the room.

Her screams? The ones she’d trapped inside herself, every time the spell forced her to do something against her will?

Aden returned to Victoria—and the movement must have scared the shadows or something, because they shot up and out, disappearing through the ceiling. Leaving silence, such heavy silence.

Tonya sagged against her seat, slid to the floor and lay there panting. She was drenched with sweat, tears pouring down her cheeks, her skin flushed a deep red. “I…he…oh, dear Lord!” Sobs racked her entire body as she curled into herself.

Victoria slipped forward and reached out. Tonya caught the motion from the corner of her eye and reared backward.

“Don’t touch me! Get out! Get out of my house! I hate you. I hate you all. I hate him. Hate, hate, hate.” The sobs intensified, nearly choking her.

“Julian…Robert,” Aden said. “Is there anything you want me to tell her?”

A pause. Then, No. She wouldn’t listen now, and besides, I don’t know what I’d say. I don’t love her as I once did, I just couldn’t let her rot in the prison Daniel had built for her. She’s free, Julian said. She’s really free, and that’s all that matters.

With every word, his voice had become softer, quieter.

He was leaving, Aden realized, fighting a cry of his own. Just like that, without any other warning. Don’t go. I’m not ready. He held the words inside himself. No reason to burden Julian with them. “How—how much time do you have left?”

Not long. A whisper now.

Victoria linked their fingers. “Aden?”

“Come on.” He was shaking as he led her out of the house. He could have teleported them, but he was too emotionally messed up and wasn’t sure where they’d land.

Cold air blustered around him, a storm clearly brewing. The sky was gray, the clouds bulky. The scenery fit his mood perfectly. He got them to a thick crop of trees before he dropped to his knees. “Julian?”

Still here. And I want you to know… I love you, Aden. Weaker still.

“I love you, too.” So much.

Thank you for everything. You were a great host, and I will never forget you.

Once again he wanted to shout, Don’t go, but he didn’t. He’d just lost Joe—not that he wanted to be a part of Joe’s life—but to lose Julian, too? Here and now, like this? His eyes were like twin coals just pulled from a fire.

“You were a great friend to me.”

Julian, Elijah said, sad and happy all at once. Aden understood. He was sad for himself but happy for his friend. We will never forget you, either.

Dude, Caleb said. I knew you were the one with the comb- over.

Julian laughed. I love you, guys. Even when you were being a pain in my ass.

Caleb was the one to laugh this time. You might want to rephrase that. You don’t have an ass.

“I’m going to miss you,” Aden said softly. His chin trembled so violently, he barely got the words out.

Would it be gay if we attempted a four-way hug? Julian asked.

Yes, Caleb answered. How about a mental slap on the back, instead?

Another laugh, this one so weak Aden had to strain to hear it. Yep, even when you’re a pain.

“Just…if you see her, tell Eve we said hi.”

I will.

I bet she’s a babe, Caleb said, his amusement gone. Like everyone else, he was fighting with his emotions.

Julian snorted. I can’t believe this is goodbye for us. Can’t believe I’ll never see you again. Never hear Caleb being perverted, or Elijah bringing down the party or you Aden, the most honorable, loving person I’ve ever met, finding his way into the light. I’m no psychic, but great things are in store for you, my friend. I know it.

The burning migrated to his cheeks, a wet tide, unstoppable. “We’ll see each other again.” Believing otherwise would kill him.

I love you so much, Julian said again, and then, just like that, he was gone. Aden felt the absence of him all the way to his bones.

Another goodbye he hadn’t been prepared for.

He remained just as he was and let the tears flow. Victoria wound her arm around him and cried with him. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed.

When they both quieted, she whispered, “Let’s find Riley and Mary Ann and go home, Aden.”

“Yes. Home.”

THIRTY-ONE

“WHAT DID YOU DO to yourself?”

They were the first words Mary Ann had heard her father say in weeks—or what felt like an eternity—and she knew they were a precursor to all kinds of trouble.

She sat in the passenger seat of his sedan. He’d bailed her out of jail, or whatever. She wasn’t really sure what had happened, only that she’d been cuffed, driven to the Tulsa P.D. headquarters downtown, stashed and