CHAPTER ELEVENShe spent the night in Lu’s bed, because she didn’t want to be alone. It was a new thing to feel lips without fists and her hair pulled without hatred.“Renan is going to come for me, you know,” she told him. She traced his ribs, found a couple that stuck out farther than they should have. Broken how many times? Maybe one day she’d ask. Most likely she wouldn’t get the chance.“Think I’m scared of him?”Lu had one hand under his head, the other around her. She watched as he studied the ceiling, and it was beautiful. Beautiful plaster, beautiful lighting. Funny how he’d never noticed it before.“I’m just telling you, Lu. He doesn’t like to lose things.”“You’re not a thing.”She sighed. Sat up and pulled his T-shirt on. “You’re the only one who seems to think that.”“Once you think it, everybody else will follow suit.”She padded to the window and looked out. Highway. A gas station with a fast food joint inside. So unlovely.She wanted to stay here forever.“Te

CHAPTER THIRTEENLu drove, and Montessa sat quietly, playing with his First Kill knife, which had now become her First Kill knife, as well.Finally, he broke the silence. “Doing okay?”“Yes. Thank you.”“No problem.”He remembered stabbing his father, over and over and over, that primal sound he had made, the sweet, unfamiliar-now-familiar feel of flesh and bone and muscle give, give, giving under the blade.“It was that good,” Montessa said. It wasn’t a question.“It was. Yours?”“I’m still processing.”“Of course.”He drove through most of the night without a word. His knee jiggled. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Lu was afraid he’d lost her.They pulled over, and both crawled into the tiny, built-in bed together. He wrapped his arms around her, and she threw her leg over his, her arm over his chest.“Just a little warmer, please?”The room heated up immediately. She heard the currents of electricity and fire zipping through his veins. Any more heat and her

CHAPTER FIFTEENHer nightmares started that night.She washed off as best as she could, but could feel Emmanuel’s blood seeping into the cracks of her hands. It was as if her skin was no longer waterproof, and the blood soaked through into her body.His ham hands hit her hard in the eye socket, and she screamed.“Shh, baby. I’m here.” Lu had his arms wrapped around her, but it still wasn’t close enough.“I’m cold,” she said, and he warmed the air around them. Warmed the little built-in bed. Warmed her heart when he pressed his lips against her neck.“Go back to sleep.”She dreamed of Emmanuel’s freakishly large hands clutching at his throat while his blood spurted. The cut wasn’t clean. The cut wasn’t sure. She felt the larynx grind under the blade of the First Kill knife. Sickly. Gristle. The high-pitched shrieking, squealing, screaming that was Emmanuel. He had been human before that, but after her botched murder, he had become a stuck farm animal. A screeching pig. So much me

CHAPTER SEVENTEENShe opened her eyes and moaned. Her body hurt. Felt broken. She turned and looked behind her. The gas station was in flames, the hottest of fireballs. Lu’s truck was burning as merrily as everything else.“Oh, Lu. What did I do?”She crawled to him, lying bloody and unmoving on the pavement. His shoulder was soaked with blood, and he had cuts on his beautiful face, but she ran her hands over his arms and legs.He seemed whole. He seemed unbroken.“Baby? Baby, wake up.” His eyelids fluttered, and then he was on his knees, trying to stand up. Montessa put a hand on his arm. “Stay still, baby.”“We need to get out of here.”“I’ll get us a car. Sit tight.” She stood up and ran to the road nearby. “Help!” Montessa screamed, waving her hands above her head. “Help me, please!”A small, white Honda stopped. A man leaned over, rolled the window down.“There’s a fire!” Montessa said, and pointed at the blazing gas station. “I just made it out, and my friend is hurt. Ca

CHAPTER NINETEENLu had a present to give his new bride. Something special and wonderful and deeply, deeply horrifying.“Wake up, darling.”She murmured and snuggled closer into his side. She had branches and weeds tangled into her hair like wedding flowers.“Montessa. Wake up. Today is a new day.”She yawned and stretched and sat up. Looked around with eyes still bleary from sleep. “Lu? Where . . . ah, I remember. We slept outside last night.”They had. Several yards back from the beach, across a small freeway, up in the tree line with a few scattered rental houses here and there.“Did you sleep sweet?” he asked.She popped her back, winced. “I slept sweet. How’s your shoulder?”“Stiff, but not bad. The salt water hurt like a dickens last night, but I think it helped.” He grinned, kissed the makeshift wedding band on her finger. “It really does heal everything.”Montessa stood up, and helped Lu to his feet. Brushed her hair out with her fingers and made a face.“I’m a mess,