Page 58 of Take

I GOT UP FROM THE table when Jasper disappeared down the hall with Holden. The Scar, Guise, had been saying something about his Talde and what they do, but I’d been focused on Jasper and hadn’t heard a word he said.

“He’s leaving,” Guise said.

That got my attention. I abruptly looked at him, casually sitting back, his long legs stretched out, ankles crossed. “Leaving? Where?”

He shrugged, glanced past me and gave a subtle nod. I turned and Holden stood looking at me, his expression solemn with the edges of his mouth pulled down and half-lidded tired eyes. I felt the slow spread of unease.

“Jasper?” It was all I could manage at the moment with my throat tight and fear skidding into me. I didn’t want to care, but I did. I didn’t want to go after him, but my legs were already running in my head.

Guise got up.

Holden approached.

“Tell me.” I directed my words at Holden.

“He’s gone after Drake.”

My heart crashed through its protective barrier and dropped to the pit of my stomach. “No.” I shook my head. “No. He can’t.” Drake would kill him without a second thought. He was an ancient, his abilities ten times stronger than a regular Scar. And now he was a vampire with the unquenchable thirst for blood. His cruelty knew no bounds and I had the scars to prove it. A slow precision to his method of destruction in order to break you to his will. He wouldn’t just kill Jasper—he’d rip through his mind and take every morsel he could use against him and then torture him until he got what he wanted.

And in this case it was me.

I’d done everything I could by remaining quiet and alone at Xamien’s. I’d made myself invisible, kept to myself. Hid my abilities from the Scars so there was never a chance Drake would hear about me. Discover where I was.

Never kill anyone I cared about again.

But it wasn’t enough.

I did what my mom wanted. I did what I was supposed to do and never healed his Ink. They didn’t die for nothing. For six years I survived Drake. Finally free of him, I had to stay hidden so he’d never find me again and kill more people.

But Jasper found me. He’d dug and dug until he unearthed the trapped emotions and I finally felt—alive. And I liked it. I liked fighting with him; I liked feeling the heat between us. I liked the teasing and the lightness in my chest whenever he was with me.

Jasper did that.

I felt something.

Holden’s large hand slid into mine and gave a reassuring squeeze, before letting go. “What are his chances?”

My breath locked in my throat and I couldn’t swallow as my throat tightened with the words. “There isn’t a chance.” Tears welled up in my eyes and my throat tightened. “And Adrian is right,” I said. “I’m too dangerous alive.”

Holden abruptly grabbed my shoulders. “No. Not an option. We’ll find another way.”

I stiffened my spine and raised my chin as I let the cold rush over me. “There’s me.”