Yet again the Daimons had taken everything from her. Only this time, she couldn't blame her sister.
She could only blame herself.
Sick to her stomach, she didn't know where to go or what to do. Aimless, she found herself back at Nick's house, walking through the gate and then the back door.
How do I tell Dev's family what I let happen? They would be crushed. All of them...
Nick stopped her as she reached the bottom of his staircase. "Where did you go?"
She ignored Nick's question as she stepped past him.
"Sam?" Nick snapped. "What are you doing?"
Numb, she couldn't think straight. "I need to be alone for a minute."
Or a millennium.
I just want to die.
She stumbled up the stairs, wishing Stryker had killed her too. How could she have ever been so stupid as to trust a Daimon?
Her heart breaking, she opened the door to her room and froze.
No way...
Was it possible?
She blinked her eyes in disbelief as she saw Dev standing near her bed.
It couldn't be.
"Dev?"
He was looking around as if he was as dazed as she'd been in Kalosis. "How did I get here? I swear I'm not stalking you, Sam. I didn't--"
Laughing, she launched herself at him and wrapped her body around his while she kissed him over and over again.
Dev staggered back as Sam assaulted him. He'd expected her to be mad for his breaking her "space," but there was nothing even remotely angry about her giddiness as she kissed him senseless.
Yeah, the woman was nuts. But as she rained kisses over him, he was getting harder by the minute and forgetting why he wasn't supposed to be here with her.
"I thought you were dead."
"Not yet."
She squeezed him so tight, he could barely breathe. "I'm so sorry if I hurt you, Dev. I'm so sorry." But for someone apologizing, she got more aggressive as she shoved him back onto the bed and pinned him there under her body.
Then she gave him the hottest kiss he'd ever had in his life.
But he wasn't playing this. As much as he hated doing it, he shoved her back. "I'm not your yo-yo, Sam. And you're not going to play head games with me."
Sam swallowed as she saw the fury in those precious blue eyes she'd never thought to see again. "I don't want to bury you, Dev. I don't. I love you and it terrifies me."
Those words hit him like a vicious punch to his gut. "What did you say?"
"I love you."
He cupped her cheek in his hand as he stared at her in disbelief. Those were the three words he'd never expected to hear from someone he wasn't related to. "I don't want to live without you, Sam."
Tears glistened in her eyes. "I haven't been alive in over five thousand years. Not until some bear made a smart-ass comment about my bad driving and followed me home."
He bristled under her accusation. "You invited me."
Her smile blinded him. "And I'm inviting you in again."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I know this is fast, but--"
A loud knock on the door interrupted her. "Clothes on, people, quick," Nick said from the other side of the door. "Buckle up, buttercups. We have incoming and it's about to get bloody."
Chapter 20
Dev opened the door to find Nick in the hallway, dressed for battle. "What's going on?"
"My Spidey sense is off the radar. There's a massive demon migration and it's charting a course straight for us. Since I don't want my house destroyed, I vote we take it where we're least likely to be seen and where we have an advantage."
"And that would be?" Dev asked.
"The St. Louis Cemetery. This time of night, it'll be closed and empty."
Sam shook her head. "I can't go there. I'll get possessed."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Better you than my house."
"I thought you had it shielded?" she shot back.
"I do, but this--"
A loud pop downstairs cut his words off.
Nick cursed as he stepped back and tilted his head. "Looks like we waited too long. Gird your loins, people, join the fight." He vanished.
Dev sighed irritably. "That's so not what I want to do with my loins right now."
Sam laughed. "Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of your loins later. Right now, we fight."
By the time they reached downstairs, Ethon, Chi, and Nick were standing with their backs to each other. Sam could hear the demons scratching, trying to break the shield around Nick's house.
She looked back and forth between Chi and Ethon. "What are you two doing here?"
Ethon winked at her. "Nice seeing you, too. Thanks for the gracious welcome."
Chi ignored him. "We came in at sunset to help guard you and Nick."
"Thank you." Sam turned to Nick. "Where's Ash?"
Nick curled his lip. "He's not welcome here and I refuse to have him in my home."
Dev looked at him like he was crazy. "Is that good idea given what we're facing?"
"My vote is double hell no," Ethon said, swinging his sword around. "But I think we can handle them."