If he didn't move now, it'd be much too late.
Reaching past her, he caught the coil he'd tied to the bed and looped a slipknot over her hands, locking her in place. Breathing hard, he had to pull back or risk losing himself in the taste and touch of her.
The image of her spread out beneath him beat at his resolve. He wanted to touch her, feel her skin next to his. He wanted to ravage her body and take her heart captive as she had his.
He wanted to prove his love for her.
Then he met her gaze.
The condemnation in her eyes shot his stomach to his knees. As he watched, she turned her head and gazed at the wall in silent mutiny.
"This is the only way I could get you alone where you wouldn't run." With a hand on her jaw, he turned her toward him. She jerked away and mumbled something he was sure wasn't very complimentary before returning to her fascination with the wall.
Ruman heaved a sigh. No matter how much his body clamored to take hers, he resisted. He could make her crave his touch, but he wanted a lifetime with her, not a few stolen moments. If they didn't talk now, they might not get another chance.
"Kelly told me some interesting stories from your childhood." Beneath him, her body twitched, and he knew Kelly had spoken the truth. Caly had no intention of sharing her past with him.
That stung.
He levered himself off the bed to put distance between them. With desire riding him hard, the maneuver did not go pain free. Being unable to touch her tore him up inside, the ache lingering in his mind like a phantom. He couldn't go through the rest of his life missing part of himself. Missing her.
"Did you know Brie's falling in love with Jarred? Can you sense it?" He couldn't look at her, because if this didn't work, if he didn't convince her now, he had nothing. "No matter how she looks at the situation, she can't find a solution. How can a demon hunter and one of the damned find love?"
The situation was so like theirs, his heart hurt. He didn't know if he deserved her, deserved a chance to make a life with her here, but he damn well was going to try. "They are complete opposites. He is human, she's a demon. Can they live together, love and fight together? Or is the world really that cruel."
He clenched his fists to hide the tremor in his hands and lifted his head to see if his words were getting through her thick skull. Those vivid green eyes he loved so much were focused on his face.
She was listening.
Some of the tightness that had gathered in his chest eased a fraction.
"What about us? You were ready to toss us away over a misunderstanding. Where does the trust start and end? Will I wake to find you gone, unable to make peace with yourself for loving a demon?"
He rubbed his chest over his heart at the possibility of her loving him. Anger demanded he shake sense into her, but he knew nothing could change her stubborn hide unless she wanted it badly enough. "I would die for you and not because of the curse. But most of all, I would live with you for as long as we're allowed. I want to spend at least one lifetime with you."
A rusty laugh escaped him, the sound painful to his own ears. "We're both part demon. We might curse it but it could also be a gift. We'd have more years together than an average human, lifetimes to love one another." He gazed down at her, each beat of his heart piercing his chest with hope.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs and a harsh knock filled the silence. Jarred's voice drifted through the door. "There was an attack in town. It's all over the police scanners."
"We'll be down shortly." Ruman never took his shattered gaze away from hers. He bent and loosened the restraints, his touch light, barely a breath of air on her skin before he disappeared.
She tried to rip off the rag to tell him to stay, but he had already gone.
Releasing the rest of the bonds, she brushed her hair away from her face, unable to stop her hands from shaking. Each breath made her chest ache, the back of her throat hurt. The life Ruman described was something she wanted so badly she could see it perfectly in her mind.
That he would choose to stay with her thrilled Caly. However, Oscar had taught her early that life was rarely fair. The dream Ruman had for them was beyond cruel. He waved it in front of her when he knew it would be impossible. When he saved her life three times, he would be gone. It didn't matter what either of them wanted.
He was giving her time, but she didn't want time.
She fell a little bit in love with him when she first saw him as a statue. Now it was only worse. She'd rather have him where he belonged than trapped forever in a statue because she screwed up.
Her knees quivered as she stood, and she forced herself to act. "Let's go."
Jarred's perusal was all business. After confirming for himself that she was fine, his eyes softened with concern. Caly averted her face and headed for the stairs. A breath of relief escaped her when he followed her without asking any questions.
She thought of Jarred and Brie together and it made sense. Brie would help him heal, but she never thought they would fall in love, not after all the warnings Jarred had given her for allowing Brie and Ruman to stay.
"Caly?"
She winced at his tone. When she looked at him, his lips tightened.
"I hope you know what you're doing." His grumbled words faded as they exited the barn.
So do I. They moved in tandem toward the house, people milling about the yard, ready to depart. Her gaze darted about the crowd, but she couldn't find Ruman anywhere. She wanted to search for him, but their conversation had nowhere to go with their future so unsettled.
Caly did what she always did. She ignored what she wanted and did her duty. Kelly had Caly's weapons prepped. Buckling the various metals to her body, Caly did her best to conceal them from the average passerby.
"Was everyone in on the plan?" She concentrated on her task knowing too much emotion would be visible on her face.
"Huh?" Kelly spoke around a Little Debbie snack she was busy inhaling.
"Did everyone know what Ruman had planned?" She glared at Kelly then cursed herself at the gleam in her friend's eyes. She'd revealed too much.
"Planned as in a surprise? What happened?" Kelly smiled and leaned forward. "I want the details, girl."
Heat infused Caly's face, whether in embarrassment at being snatched from her own house or at being tied to a bed and actually succumbing to his seduction, she didn't know.
"Ah, come on. I'm your best bud."
Caly narrowed her eyes and asked a question of her own. "So why is it that you told him about my past? That was private. If I wanted him to know, I would've told him."
Kelly lost her smile and straightened. "No you wouldn't. You didn't tell me. I had to learn about it through Cunningham. And you sure as hell wouldn't have ever told him." She brushed off the front of her jeans. "The man is as near to loving you as anyone I've ever seen. The way he watches you with those dark, sexy eyes of his. Hmmm, girl." She waved a hand in front of her face. "If my man looked at me that way, you wouldn't see us for days." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Heat warmed her body at the memory of being kissed senseless, the focus solely on her pleasure. "He doesn't-"
"And whether you know it or not, I think you're falling hard for him, too." Chin high, Kelly met her gaze as if daring her to deny it. "I love you but sometimes you can be an ass."
Caly snorted. "You don't think he's already figured that part out?"
Kelly smiled, and Caly released her breath as the tension between them broke. "Just don't go behind my back again."
"You know me."
Caly closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping. "At least try to restrain yourself next time."
"The troops are ready." David slipped a hand around Kelly's waist but directed his comment to Caly.
"Then let's get going." Securing the last knife, Caly nodded and moved toward her bike, glancing around for one last glimpse of Ruman.
Chapter Thirty
The police and news crews were long gone. The nip in the air barely registered as Caly ducked under the yellow police tape. Moving into the grove, she shoved away the unease that screamed at her to hurry.
Then she realized what bothered her the most. She couldn't sense Ruman watching her from the shadows. To make matters worse, she missed his licorice scent and his nearness.
Ruman was alone at the house. She wouldn't put it past him to do something stupid, like try to protect her at the cost of himself.
They also had a conversation to finish. When she nearly tripped over the edge of the sidewalk as she imagined that discussion, she pulled herself back to the task.
The park was unused except by dedicated joggers. Other than questionable lawn maintenance, the city had long ago abandoned the upkeep.
She signaled for the team to move forward, and they methodically searched every inch of the ground, every blade of grass and piece of gravel for clues.
"Anything?"
Caly shook her head. "Blood. If there was anything else, the police took it."
David nodded, his body primed for an attack. "The police suspect more than one victim." He spared a quick glance at Caly, a grim look in his eyes that didn't bode well for the victims. "There were no bodies recovered."