Page 55 of Tainted Blood

I feel her press her face into my chest and nod.

Twist. Turn.

Right. Left.

I take each corner like I’m on fucking rails, but I didn’t come this far to lose her now.

We spill out into the courtyard, moments before a final, deafening explosion sends the turrets of the castle caving inward. After that, I don’t stop until I reach the front archway.

Through the haze, I see an outline of black fatigues approaching. I feel their footsteps vibrating up from the ground.

“Carrera!” Grayson reaches me first. “Jesus Christ.” His face is a rare mask of fury when he sees the state of Thalia. “Give her to me.”

“Fuck you.”

I know I should hand her over, but something inside me won’t let her go. Can’t let her go.

“What are you going to do?” he snaps. “Crawl back to America?”

“If needs be.”

I’ve walked through fire for Thalia. I can walk a few more steps.

“Get in the back.” He guides us toward the nearest SUV. “We’ve given half of Italy a firework display tonight. I’ve delayed the emergency departments for as long as I can.”

Before I can swing inside the vehicle, RJ comes storming up to me. “Jesus fuck! You crazy, bastard. Don’t ever pull that shit again!”

“I don’t plan to,” I say bleakly. “Where’s Lola?”

He nods to the SUV behind us.

“I need to see her.”

Thalia’s out cold as I lay her down gently on the backseat. Grayson leans over and fixes a portable oxygen mask over her face. “This will have to do until we reach a hospital. Go check on your sister. Do it fast. We need to move.”

Following RJ over to the next SUV, he opens the rear driver’s side door, and for the second time tonight my heart comes close to stopping. My baby sister is unrecognizable. Her petite body is riddled with bite marks, open wounds, and bruises.

“Chaparrita?” I murmur, leaning over her to cup her cheek. “I’ve come to take you home.”

Lola barely opens her eyes. She’s mumbling out incoherent words, wheezing as she thrashes her head back and forth. “Rosalia,” she rasps, one word breaking through. “Where’s Rosalia?”

Beside me, I feel RJ stiffen. “Rosalia, who?”

“Leave her alone, RJ. She doesn’t know what she’s—”

But he’s already pulling me out of the way, his huge arms braced on the doorframe to block me out. “Rosalia who, Lola?”

At his sharp tone, Lola’s eyes flutter open. She doesn’t answer, but something passes between them.

White knuckling the doorframe, he turns to an approaching Grayson. “The American girl. What does she look like?”

“Long hair. Dark. Hard to tell much—”

“Which SUV?”

“Last one.”

Grayson slides me a look as RJ sprints off down the line of vehicles. “What the hell was that all about?”