Page 53 of Midnight Kiss

I glared at the text.

Three dots appeared as she typed another one. “And I’ll tell you, Alexander, I’m not going to take your precious Emily to bed. I’m going to tear her limb from limb and take great pleasure in it.”

“You should have joined Sanguine Nox.”

“I’m just saying, if she won’t give me the book then she’ll die. And I have a feeling she won’t give me the book.” Cassia’s texts were a mockery. “How is she feeling tonight? Still sick?”

I’d been right about her meddling.

Instead of responding, I navigated to my text thread with Haldren.

“I have it.” I hesitated, and then sent the text through.

Cassia had been moving in the shadows behind my back. I had no choice but to do this.

“I have a meeting with Cassia in four minutes.” Haldren’s text was as clipped as always. “If you have it, I need to see proof.”

This was bad.

If I sent him proof, I would have no choice but to take the book, and taking the book might condemn Emily. No, it would definitely condemn her. But there had to be another way around this.

I shut my eyes for a second.

Another text came through.

“Two minutes.” From Haldren.

I snapped a picture of the book then sent it to him. “I told you,” I said. “I have it. I’ll be on my way back to the coven shortly. I have to make sure there isn’t an ambush waiting outside.”

I waited for the response, hating myself and the situation.

“Good. I’ll see you soon.”

“Cancel your meeting with Cassia,” I said.

“It’s already been done.”

I let out a breath and leaned back against the sofa cushions. The comfort was lost on me, and I stared at the accursed book like it had attacked me.

So much trouble for such an idiotic thing.

A thing that had made Emily sick. That had embroiled us all in danger and pain. I hadn’t asked to fall in love with a mortal, and I certainly didn’t want to murder people needlessly. I wanted …

But after this, I wasn’t sure anymore. That deep desire for revenge was still there, but there was more to it now. Emily was involved, regrettably.

I gritted my teeth and took the book from the coffee table. Emily mumbled in her sleep so loudly it was audible. I went to open the book, but another sound stopped me. Waking her would stop me from removing the book, and now that I had sent the text, I had no choice.

I had to remove it. A part of me desperately wanted to read it, but touching the pages would wake her. I placed the book back on the coffee table, went to check on Emily, and then dialed my contact.

“Hey, big boss man, how are you this fine evening?”

“Julius, I need your help.”

“Music to my ears,” Julius said, and crunched something on the other end of the line. “You caught me in the middle of my midnight snack. Carrot sticks. I’m on an orange kick. Everything orange. Carrots, oranges, orange Jell-O, which is not the best by the way, orange?—”

“Too much talking. Listen to me, Julius, I need to remove the book from the woman.”

“What, it’s inside her?”