Page 82 of Twilight of Embers
“Cáel. Knox,” she squeaked.
“Sorry I didn’t call. It was kind of crazy.”
Delaney shook herself out of her stupor. “Did you hear that three guys were murdered?”
“Uh, yeah.” My body started to tremble as the memories hit me.
Cáel wrapped an arm around me, glaring at Delaney.
She gulped, taking a step back. “Hey, Knox. How are you?”
He tried to smile at her, but it came across as more of a grimace. “Good.” He turned quickly to me. “You okay with me packing your closet?”
I nodded. “That’s fine. There’s a duffel at the bottom there. You can just put everything in that.”
Delaney’s brow furrowed. “What are you packing for?”
I worried my bottom lip. “I’m gonna stay with the guys for a bit.”
Her jaw went slack. “You’re moving in with them?”
Knox winced at her shrill tone as he hurried to put clothes in the bag.
“Just for a little while. I’ve been having a hard time sleeping and studying in the dorm, and they have extra space.” Not entirely a lie.
Redness crept up Delaney’s throat as she struggled for words. “You can’t do that.”
Cáel let out a low growl. “Of course, she can.”
“What about your parents? They don’t care that you’re moving in with a bunch of guys?” she demanded.
I met Delaney’s stare. “My parents are dead.”
She flushed a deeper shade of red. “Well, I’m sure the university can’t be crazy about this. There are rules.”
I loved that she didn’t say a thing about my parents. All Delaney cared about was the fact that I was going to be in close proximity to the guys she wanted for herself.
Knox dropped the bag with a loud thud. “Hayden’s an adult. She’s free to live wherever she wants. And we want her with us.”
Delaney swallowed hard and then glared at me. “Well, don’t think you can just come back here. Once you’re gone, you’re gone. I could use a single anyway.”
So much for a tenuous friendship.
“No problem,” I mumbled, crossing to my desk to gather my books. I’d see about picking up extra shifts at the diner once all the craziness passed. There had to be a studio in town I could rent for cheap.
As I grabbed my bio textbook, I frowned. A ripped sheet of paper stuck out of the book. As I pulled it free, my blood ran cold as I took in the boxy scrawl.
THEY CAN’T HIDE YOU FOREVER.
41
HAYDEN
My hand shook, my whole body following the action. Cáel and Knox were by my side in a flash.
“What is it?” Knox demanded.
I handed him the note.
