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“Same as all of us.” He glanced around at our crew, Crimson Crows’ closest circle, as if he were reiterating the fact, then he heaved out a worried sigh. “She’s got the opening today.”

A surge of protectiveness flooded my chest. Bulging and throbbing and compressing the words into what amounted to a command. “We can’t take that from her.”

“I know,” Silas immediately agreed with a clipped nod, though dread filled it.

“There are gonna be fifty Crows all over that place. Dude might be an idiot, begging for death, but I’m betting he’s smarter than that. But if he’s not, then we can all have a little fun with him out back.” Brody shrugged with a cocky smirk.

Phoenix rumbled his agreement, satisfied by the suggestion.

“Yeah, probably won’t be a safer place in Crimson Creek than at the store tonight. At least for her.” Silas’s voice cracked with the aggression.

“Good,” I said, the single word more choked than it should be.

Riddled with what I shouldn’t feel.

“We’ll get him, brother,” Silas promised as he reached out and squeezed my shoulder.

Fuck me. Could I feel more like a piece of scum?

After I’d sworn that I’d never break an oath to him again? After what I’d done?

“Hell, yeah, we will. Asshole is gonna meet the devil. You know, me.” Easy arrogance rolled off Brody as he gestured at himself before he turned on his heel and started back in the direction of Elena’s apartment.

Phoenix grumbled, making his own claim, and strode off behind Brody. Big bodies stomping through the forest, cutting through the trees, bushes, and vines.

Silas started to walk, too, though he stalled when he realized I wasn’t moving. He looked back at me from over his shoulder. Concern cleaved into the lines on his face.

“You can’t beat yourself up over this, Trev. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. Kept her safe when that monster was loose. He didn’t get to her. Didn’t touch her. That’s all that fucking matters.”

Guilt constricted, and I had to stifle the confession that wanted to break free.

Yeah, but I did.

And there was no fucking mercy or forgiveness for that.

FORTY

ELENA

“Yeah, baby! It’s time to get this party started!”

I shouted it like I was a bro and was getting ready to throw a kegger.

I stood on The Crimson Apple Boutique’s porch where I’d been waiting impatiently for my family to show up for the grand opening.

And it was kinda going to be a kegger since five Crows had set one up out back, pilfering it from the bar across the street, while I was going for something a smidge fancier inside.

Champagne and appletinis.

Silas had finally pulled up in their new black Suburban, and Brinley had immediately jumped out of the front passenger’s seat.

“Brinley in the houuuuuuse!” she hollered back as she shimmied her bare, toned shoulders.

She started to scramble her way toward me on her sky-high, black peep-toe heels, basically tiptoeing in these tiny steps so the spike wouldn’t dig all the way into the gravel that made up the parking lot.

She wore a white minidress. Super tight. Her wild brown curls flying all around her.

Her new tattoo on the inside of her left arm claimed, Your heart will know, in a pretty script.