Dark Solace Read Online Free PDF

Devon asleep in his crate. I told Theo I loved him many
times. There were so many other things I wanted to say if this was
the last time I saw him, but I couldn’t say any of them, because I
needed to be strong for him.
    At nightfall, Theo dressed in dark clothes,
loaded his gun, and strapped on his body armor.
    I looked at him a little skeptically. “Will
he have armor, too?”
    “We’ll probably take it off,” Theo said,
seeing my look. “Usually this type of fight is hand to hand, with
no protection, just a knife, sword, or a whip.”
    I hugged him hard suddenly, and he hugged me
back. “I won’t be back before one, Sar. Don’t start to worry until
three at least. And if you don’t want to wait alone, call Tears,
and he’ll wait here with you.”
    I couldn’t do that. I had to wait for Lash to
call my cell. Otherwise there would be a phone record Theo might
someday see. “I’ll be waiting with our son,” I said, as confidently
as I could. “Be careful.”
    Theo kissed me and left. I watched him back
out and drive off, hoping the transmitter was working. Lash hadn’t
told me to flip any switches on it, not that there had been any
obvious ones.
    As I watched his tail lights fade, a lone
headlight powered on in the gloom of my barn’s long shadow. Then
came the noisy growl of a Harley as a small dark figure astride a
black motorcycle sped off into the night after Theo.
    Lash was holding up his end. I’d better
decide what to do about Devlin to hold up mine. But what to say
when I showed up at Hayden tomorrow? Dev would be suspicious. It
had been too long to just say I missed him, though that was true. I
couldn’t tell him I longed for him, that I hadn’t been able to wait
another day. It had to be something good. Devlin’s ego would be
crushed to hear his best friend had bribed me to take him back. He
had to buy what I told him completely. That would be easiest if I
told him what he wanted to hear most. But was offering to take
another Oath really what he wanted?
    That line of reasoning brought me to the
question that had bothered me for a while now: why had Devlin made
me take an Oath that he had broken so casually? He’d gone to so
much trouble to claim me as his own. Maybe it was the old reason of
philandering men everywhere: he had simply thought he wasn’t going
to get caught.
    To Hell with trying to plan, or write any
kind of script to say. I’d just go tomorrow night and tell Dev I’d
give him another chance. And that if he screwed up, it would be the
last one.
    * * * *
    The hours passed by like years. I watched
some movies, but couldn’t keep my mind on them. I lay on the couch
with Devon sleeping on my lap, dozing fitfully for minutes at a
time. I’d wake, straining my ears, sure I’d heard a sound. But it
was never Theo.
    Finally, near one in the morning, my cell
phone rang. I answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
    “Theo’s alive, Sar,” Lash hissed.
    I sank down to the couch, so relieved I let
out a sob.
    “He beat Robert, killed him,” Lash continued.
“It’s over. He’s taking his time now with the remains, making a
mess to photograph before he incinerates it. That’s good. He
shouldn’t be challenged again for a while.”
    “Thank you.” I said, thinking Lash had made
out like a bandit. “I’m glad you were watching—”
    “I did more than watch,” Lash hissed. “You
were right to take our deal, Sar. Must be supernatural intuition
from all that demon blood in your veins.”
    Ice water went down my spine. “What are
you—?”
    “There were others lying in wait at the old
machining shop. Ten weres in all, all with full body armor, and
automatic weapons. They were getting into position as Theo and
Robert were stripping off their armor for their fight.”
    “The Harvesters?”
    “Yes. Satar was there, leading them.” Lash
paused a half second. “It was hard killing them all quietly, but I
don’t think Theo noticed anything. I paid Titus to give me some of
his