Page 90 of The Devil's Dilemma

I struggled to my feet and was swept up into his arms.

“Take him to the basement.” He spoke to Conrad but nodded towards Freddie. We both knew what happened down there. We’d been lucky to get out with our lives, but Freddie wouldn’t be so fortunate this time around.

“Will you make it quick?” I couldn’t stand the thought of my best friend suffering, despite what he’d done. I had no clue about his relationship with Joel. Had it been one-sided? I supposed we’d never know now. Joel was dead, and Freddie would follow him shortly.

“I’ll do what’s necessary, but first I need to check out that wound and make sure you’re okay.”

I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. The bond was still here, even stronger than before, and I could tell it was almost complete.

Hopefully, this meant I didn’t have to go to the basement with him. I dreaded watching him carry out Freddie’s punishment.

Instead of taking me to the bedroom, Dante marched into the bathroom and sat me on the toilet seat.

“Let’s get these clothes off you so I can take a better look.” He knelt beside me, carefully removed my shirt, and poked his finger through the very obvious hole, then cast it to the side.

“Un-fucking-believable.” His fingers lingered on the wound. It didn’t hurt at all. “There’s nothing there. A small blemish, that’s about it. It’s less than it was a few minutes ago.”

He sat back on his heels, a thoughtful look on his face.

“What’s wrong? Why do you look like that?”

He shook his head. “It can’t be, can it? Explain to me what happened when you got stabbed.”

“It fucking hurt.”

“What else?”

“I think I died. I saw Momma again. She told me it wasn’t my time, and then all I could hear was you.”

“I mean, it’s plausible.”

“What is? Stop talking in fucking riddles and tell me what’s going on.”

“Okay, I’ll try to explain in the simplest of terms for my benefit as much as yours.”

“I’m listening.”

“Freddie stabbed you right through the amulet, and you died. I’m sure of that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen Calista. You saw her last time you died.”

“When you killed me.”

He rolled his eyes. I was never going to let him forget that for as long as we lived.

“Yes, all right, when I killed you, but you saw her then too, and I think when you died today, the ‘hit,’ if we can call it that, was nullified. As far as it was concerned, the deed had been done. You died, and that’s why everyone disappeared.”

“But why did I come back?”

“Because as Calista said, it wasn’t your time. She sent you back, and here’s where it gets weird. I think you’re immortal now, and that’s why there’s no mark.”

“Don’t even think about killing me again to check out that theory.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, but I think it’s true.”

Where did I even begin unpacking that little nugget? But dying had taken it out of me, and right now, I was falling asleep sitting here on the toilet.

“Come on, get into bed and sleep. You need to recuperate, and I’ve got some things to take care of.”

“Can’t you stay with me?”