Page 55 of White Hot Kiss

Geoff, whom I never really saw moving around the house since he seemed to live in the control room, turned to me. His shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back, revealing broad features. When he smiled, there was a dimple in his chin. But he wasn’t smiling now. “He’s out with Danika and Jasmine. They took the twins to the park with another male.”

The bitter burn of jealousy was quick to rise, and so wrong, but it crept over my skin anyway.

Geoff’s acute eyes missed nothing. “We’ve called them, and they are returning immediately.”

Casting my gaze to the carpet, I could only wonder and cringe at what Geoff caught on his cameras. If anyone knew everything, it was him.

“Layla?” Abbot’s voice drew my attention, and I glanced up to find him standing before me. “You’re positive the possessed said nothing to you?”

I shook my head as I watched the clan leave to find and question demons. Petr stopped briefly, his eyes narrowing on me, and then he was out the door, following his father. Only Geoff remained. He stood by the door, arms crossed. “No. I don’t think it was capable of talking. It had a...” I trailed off, shuddering as I remembered the jagged hole in its throat. “It couldn’t talk.”

He knelt down, his gaze exceptionally sharp. “And this Seeker who pretended to be a Poser, it didn’t say anything?”

My head jerked up. “No. I mean, I think it said ‘gotcha’ but I can’t be sure. Why?”

Abbot looked over at Geoff, who muttered something under his breath.

“What?” I said, clamping my hands together between my knees. “What’s going on?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and stood. “I think it’s time that you stop tagging.”

I started to protest, but Geoff tipped his chin up and spoke over me. “It’s obviously no longer safe for you or the clan, Layla.”

Déjà vu smacked into me, and my heart stuttered. “I didn’t get hurt—neither did Morris, not really. He doesn’t have to pick me up anymore. I can—”

“Within a handful of days, you’ve had a Seeker, a zombie and a possessed come near you. There is no such thing as a coincidence when dealing with demons. One of them almost made it to our compound, Layla.”

An image of Roth popped into my head. “Why...why do you think the demons are coming around me?”

There was a stretch of silence and Abbot said, “It appears they may have discovered your ability.” He paused, looking away. A muscle popped in his jaw. “There can’t be any other reason.”

I couldn’t really place it, and maybe it was just a bad case of paranoia, but I had a hard time believing that was all Abbot knew. There was surely more he wasn’t willing to say.

“It isn’t safe for you right now.” Geoff came closer, stopping beside Abbot. “If the demons have caught on to what you can do, you can’t tag. It’s too dangerous.”

“I know how to defend myself. Zayne taught me.”

Abbot scoffed. “Whatever my son has taught you isn’t enough to face a demon Hell-bent on taking you out, child. You no longer have the element of surprise, which is all you had. And you know that.”

I wanted to argue, but dammit, he had a point. I knew my limits, but it didn’t make any of this suck less. I slumped back against the supple leather of the couch.

“We’re going to find out what’s going on, Layla.” Abbot’s voice softened by a degree. “I know how important it is to you that you help in this war, but right now, I can’t afford to be worried about your safety. Honestly, I should pull you out of school.”

Fear seized me, and I shot to my feet, ready to beg and plead. “Please, Abbot, don’t do that. Everything is okay at school. I’m safe there and—”

“I didn’t say I was going to do it. At least not right now, but I don’t want Morris driving you anymore. One of the clansmen will.”

And that was that. I was deemed pretty much on lockdown unless I was at school or one of the Wardens was with me. Which was sort of ironic considering there was an Upper Level demon in my bio class, but now I knew beyond a doubt that if I shared that little ditty, I would end up homeschooled. Part of me understood the precaution.

I went upstairs, leaving Geoff and Abbot to do more of the hushed-conversation thing. Just as I kicked open my bedroom door, I heard the twins’ excitable squawking coming from the foyer. Turning around, I prepared myself for the sound of bounding footsteps, for Zayne to rush me and check me over for injuries I didn’t have. For him to pull me into one of those mammoth hugs that made everything feel better.

Male voices boomed from downstairs, one of them Zayne’s. Anger deepened his voice, and his father’s matched his. They weren’t arguing, but I heard Danika’s soft tone intruding, and then their voices lowered.

I waited.

There were no footsteps coming up the stairs, and the voices trailed off as they moved farther into the house, most likely underground.

A sigh escaped my lips as I stood there, still waiting for Zayne, but he never came up the stairs. He never came.