Page 71 of Midnight Kiss

Michael ground his teeth so hard they squeaked. “Fine.” He let the door swing open.

Emily lay on the sofa on her side, one arm hanging over it, fingertips brushing the floor. Morgan sat in an armchair nearby, her eyes wide, shaking her head repeatedly.

“This is insane,” Morgan whispered. “Insane.”

“Emily,” I said.

“You lied to me,” she said, and those beautiful cerulean eyes punished me with the pain in them. “You took the book.”

“I had to do it,” I said. “This is bigger than either of us, Emily. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not sorry,” Mike spat. “You?—”

“Stop.” Emily sighed. “Just let me talk to him, Mike. Can you just give us some privacy?”

Michael grunted then helped Morgan out of her armchair and guided her out of the living room. I had no doubt he would linger nearby, listening in on our conversation out of fear for Emily’s life.

A part of me appreciated that, even though I was the one who had doomed her.

“I thought that removing the book and returning it would be the key,” I said slowly. “I made a copy. I was going to bring it back to you.”

“Then where is it?” she asked. “Where’s the book?”

“I can’t give it to you.”

She scoffed.

“Emily, if I give it to you, I have reason to believe that it will kill you instantly,” I said.

“What does that matter?” Emily asked. “You clearly haven’t cared about me at all, have you? Have you?”

I couldn’t answer her. If I did, it would give her false hope. Because whether I liked it or not, Emily and I could never be together. Guardian or not, she would never be mine now that the U.C. wanted her, and even if she could be, I did not have the space in my cold, heartless chest for her.

“Emily.”

“There’s my answer. I’m an idiot, and you are— You’re a liar.”

I took it like a punch. I didn’t flinch, even though it hurt. It was true. No matter how much I didn’t want it to be. It was true. “I’m going to try to help you.”

“Don’t.”

“Emily, you need to know what’s going on. You of all people. The book is slowly killing you from afar, and I’m trying to find a solution. If I can find it, I’ll tell you.”

“Don’t even bother. Mike is helping me. He’s talking to the people in his organization, so I don’t need you to offer me some pity olive branch because you feel bad about what you did. Or maybe it’s because you want to manipulate me again. I don’t care. I don’t want it.”

“Listen to me,” I said. “Please.”

She opened her mouth to argue then closed it again.

“I don’t want you to die, Emily,” I said. “And I will ensure that it doesn’t happen, but returning the book will end in your death. I am going to find a way to put a stop to this, but until then, there are worse things for you to be concerned with.”

“Such as?”

“You are a target for vampires now. You are—It’s complicated, but you are attracting vampires because you are irresistible to them.” What good would it do to tell her she was a Guardian? The more time I spent here, talking to her, the closer we drew to her death. I had to make this quick and leave. I had to find a way to save her for good.

“Irresistible.”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve always thought you were special, Emily, but?—”