“I love you.” Anne slipped into his arms, kissed his cheek and then Shane’s.
“Hurry back to us.” He pulled Anne close, kissing her deeply.
Adam noticed Sid and Slade take a step closer to make sure Anne would not lose her composure. She didn’t. She kissed her son on the cheek before holding Jill’s hand tightly. Adam’s eyes briefly met Jill’s and Jill’s thoughts filled his head. This isn’t going to happen. We will not allow that bitch to separate half-breeds from their loved ones. I’ll die first. He totally agreed.
*******
Angelina watched Adam nod at Jill before everyone went their separate ways, getting into cars. Lana and Sid took the other woman, Janie, who had been turned, while Jill walked with Anne, Slade following them. Feeling more alone than she ever had in her life, Angelina was at a loss. Feeling she had no other choice, she started to walk away from the place that had pretty much ruined her life as she knew it.
“Where is your family?” Adam’s voice so deep and strong came from behind her.
Stopping, Angelina turned, her eyes automatically going to his. “I’m sure my dad is on the road and my mom…” she shrugged, “well who knows.”
Anger surged through his body. “Did someone call them?”
Angelina ignored his question. “Thank you, Adam.” Her eyes searched his before she turned to walk away.
“Thank you is all I get?” He stopped and turned her toward him. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Angelina leaned toward him, just as lightening filled the sky followed seconds later by rolling thunder. “Thank you very much.” A teasing smile tipped the corner of her lips, yet it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
A voice that would haunt her for the rest of her life screamed her name, but Angelina didn’t look, didn’t flinch.
“Angelina!” Robert’s voice called out as Damon and Duncan led the three men to vehicles. “Angelina!”
“Shut him the fuck up or I will!” Adam called out to Damon and Duncan, turning to glare over his shoulder until the men were shoved into the SUV; the doors slammed shut.
Even though Adam looked away from her, she continued to stare where his eyes had been. An overwhelming sense of loss caused a single tear to roll down her cheek. She tried to hold back, yet more followed its path. Unblinking, her eyes remained fixed on what felt safe and familiar and that was Adam. He was the reason she had stayed strong and hadn’t given up.
Seeing her tears, Adam reached for her hand. “Come on.” He led her to the car. “I’ll take you home.”
Digging her heels in, Angelina shook her head, finally blinking. Her focus on Adam didn’t waver. “Not unless you believe me.” Another loud crack of lightening flashed over their heads, but Angelina stood, unwilling to budge.
“Believe what?” Adam still held her hand tightly. Rain fell in sheets, completely drenching them in a matter of seconds.
“That I had no choice.” Angelina was glad for the rain; it hid more tears that swamped her eyes. “I had to make you believe that I was happy.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Adam said again, trying to pull her to his car and out of the rain.
“It does to me.” She pried her hand away from his. “It kills me to think you believed I just threw the love I had for you away, like you meant so little to me.”
Adam didn’t say anything for a second. He raised his head to the sky, letting the rain pour down on him. “What do you want from me, Angelina?” He finally lowered his head. “I don’t know what to say.”
Angelina jumped as Anne came up beside her. “She lied to keep me alive.” Anne stood in the rain, Jill behind her. “I was in the next room with a gun held to my head. They said even being a half-breed, a bullet pointblank to the head would kill me. She was told one word of warning to you or anyone would be my death warrant even if it saved her.”
“Anne, you need to get out of this rain.” Angelina nudged her toward Jill. “You don’t have to go through this again.”
“You saved my life, Angelina and everyone will know it.” Anne wobbled slightly, but Slade, who had followed closely behind them, caught her before Adam could, holding her steady. “Knowing that one of us would be turned, we had a plan, a plan to fight. Their being human, we had a chance to overpower them, but they fed us little blood and drugged us to the point of being too weak to hardly walk.”
“Please get her back in the car,” Angelina pleaded with Slade.
Before Slade could ease her back, Anne grabbed Adam’s arm. “We found ways to talk, from under the door until we were caught. Then we each made a small hole in the wall that we talked through.” Anne’s eyes spoke true. “She always talked about you. You are what got her through our nightmare, just like my husband and son got me through mine.”