Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
There it was.
He’d cut through to her truth.
“I do believe in you.”
“Perhaps.” He pulled away to smooth her hair back from her face, expression tender. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t terrify you.”
Echo didn’t know what to say.
Her issues were just one more reason this extraordinary, loving male should move on.
As if he read her thoughts again, he pressed a quick, hard, determined kiss to her mouth. “I’m not going anywhere, Echo Payne. I am going to stay by your side, even if it takes you centuries to stop being afraid of what’s between us.”
28
“Margaret Lancaster?”
The human female whirled, reaching for her handbag.
Echo wondered briefly if there was pepper spray in it. Or a weapon of some kind.
But Margaret, her mother, paused when her gaze locked with Echo’s.
They stood in the underground parking garage of the commercial building on Lombard Street. Margaret was an executive assistant in an investment firm there. Conall had made a fake call to Margaret’s work phone pretending to be the fire department informing her of a fire in her apartment building. He’d requested she come immediately.
Really, it was just so they could get her alone in the parking garage.
Niamh, Rose, and Fionn were using their fae gifts to deter anyone from interrupting their interaction.
Echo’s birth mother was an attractive blond in her late forties. Still poised and beautiful, immaculately put together in her suit and high heels.
“What do you want? I’m in a hurry.” Margaret took a step back as if she sensed what Echo was.
Maybe she did.
After all, she knew vampires existed.
Shaking off the nervous riot of butterflies in her belly, Echo stopped before her, cataloguing their likeness. It was uncanny how similar they were.
Margaret’s eyes widened, seeing it for herself. Tears of disbelief filled her eyes. “Ella?”
Echo sucked in her breath. The name that was on her birth certificate. “It’s Echo now,” she replied softly.
Margaret’s knees buckled and Echo reached for her as she fell to the ground, tears spilling freely as she sobbed, “No, no, I thought you were … you’re dead! You were dead!”
She tried to soothe her, quiet her, but her birth mother started to scream, “You’re dead!” over and over again. Echo stared helplessly into the shadows where her companions waited.
Fionn stepped out of the darkness and pressed a hand to the top of Margaret’s head. Her eyes rolled, and she slumped into Echo’s arms, unconscious.
They had only a few hours before they needed to be at Margaret’s apartment. The sun would set soon. With no other choice, they’d brought an unconscious Margaret back to Fionn’s townhouse, and Echo waited nervously with Elijah at her side for the woman to wake up.
“She’s so fragile,” Echo whispered hoarsely. “Emotionally. Mentally. She shattered right before me and I haven’t even told her the worst part.”
“Maybe you don’t,” Elijah offered. “Not right now. Not when you need to be in a good headspace for what we’re about to face. Maybe you just tell her that you’re protecting her from William.”
Echo contemplated this and wondered if he was right. Maybe the whole ugly truth could wait until after she’d dealt with William.
Margaret groaned from the bed, and Echo sucked in a breath as her mother’s eyes fluttered open. Elijah threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed.
“What?” Margaret sat up too quickly and moaned, her hand going to her head. “What happened?” Her gaze locked on Echo and realization dawned. Her lips trembled. “It wasn’t a dream?”
“No.” Echo released Elijah’s hand and stepped forward to sit tentatively on the edge of the bed. “My name is Echo, and you’re my birth mother.”
“Ella.” Margaret looked seconds from breaking down like last time. “How? How!”
“William stole me from you. Raised me as his daughter. I only found out you existed a few months ago. I know what he did now.”
Margaret shook her head, her fear so big it seemed to expand into the entire room. “You … is he … you know what he is, then?”
“I know what he is. And because I know what he did to you … to you, to my father … I’ve done something to betray him. In revenge, he’s coming for you.”
Her terror was so strong, it reeked from her. Echo’s guilt was unbearable.
“I won’t let him,” Echo assured her. “That’s why you’re here in my friend’s safe house. We’re going to your apartment and we’ll take care of William. Once and for all.”
“Safe house. My flat … I don’t understand.” Margaret’s gaze moved to Elijah and she tensed, squinting. “I kn-know you. You’re …” She looked at Echo. “He’s Elijah Webb. What is going on?”
Echo hadn’t even thought to ask Elijah to mask his face with illusion. “He’s a friend. He’s going to help me take down William.”
“You’re alive.” Margaret suddenly reached out to her but pulled her hand back nervously. “I thought you were dead. I thought he’d killed you both.”