Face hot, I snatched the bag from his hand. "We'll revisit this topic again."

"Sure, next millennium." He stood and scooped me up. "Or two."

"Put me down. My parents will freak out."

"I'm sure they've been watching us since we pulled up. And as far as they're concerned, I've earned the right to carry you like this. Besides, it's going to take you hours to be yourself."

"Then how am I going to explain what happened? I utter the word souls and they'll send me straight to the crazy house."

"They wouldn't dare. I'd fight them. Reveal my true self to them before I let that happen." He walked to the front porch, effortlessly taking up the steps. Instead of entering the house, he sat with me on the porch swing. He rocked gently.

"What do you mean you've earn the right?" I asked.

"Your dad and I talked the other night. I passed with flying colors."

"You discussed me at a bar with his annoying cronies?"

Echo chuckled. "They all had a question or two, especially the old geezer whose perfect son is supposedly waiting for you to finish high school before he can pop the question. How come you've never mentioned Captain America? Where exactly is he stationed?"

"Uh, Echo. Stop the swing." I got off his lap and the contents of my stomach threatened to spew out. I raced to the door and burst into the house. Luckily, Mom wasn't in the kitchen. Unluckily, the scent of freshly-baked pie was in the air. My stomach rolled. Dad was in his writing cave and mumbled something that sounded like "you're home" without looking up.

I slapped my hand over my mouth and raced to the downstairs bathroom. Echo was right behind me and held back my hair. He even wiped my face down with a wet towel when I was done.

"Is she okay?" Dad asked from the doorway.

"I'm okay," I said quickly, not wishing to explain. I rinsed my mouth, but it wasn't enough. I needed to brush my teeth and use a mouth wash several times. The nausea didn't go away despite the fact that I'd thrown up. It was as though the dark energy was still trapped inside me.

"I'll take her upstairs, sir," Echo said and swept me into his arms. I couldn't protest with Dad watching me with worried eyes.

"It's probably something I ate," I reassured him. "You didn't have to carry me," I added in a whisper so only Echo could hear.

"I love carrying you, doll-face. If I could, I'd put you in the inner pocket of my coat and take you with me everywhere."

My face warmed when I noticed Dad staring at us from the foot of the stairs. Had he heard Echo? Probably. As soon as we reached my room, I wiggled out of Echo's arms and rushed to the bathroom to barf again.

"Is a possession by a dark soul always this bad or is it just me?" I asked, allowing him to help me to my feet.

"I'm hoping this was because I brought up Captain America," he teased, probably trying to change the subject. I threw him a disgusted look.

"I'm serious, Echo," I said, squeezing toothpaste on the thistles of my toothbrush. "I need to know what I'm getting myself into. Is it always this bad?"

"It's worse if they possess you."

I frowned. "Then I have to find a way to either deal with the effect or stay away from them."

"I vote for number two," Echo quipped. He leaned against the doorframe and watched me brush my teeth.

"Isn't that taking the coward's way out?"

"No. It's self-preservation. No one will blame you if you choose not to deal with them or souls altogether."

I'd blame myself. Frowning, I finished with my teeth, stared at my reflection, and cringed. I looked like crap.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about with Captain America. Jason is a great guy, but he never had a shot. Besides, my heart belongs to you." I walked to where Echo stood, kissed his cheek, slipped past him, and headed straight to bed.

He followed, lifted his new phone, and snapped a picture of me.

"What was that for?" I asked, adjusting the pillows beneath my head.

"A memento."

I tried to glare at him, but failed. I closed my eyes. "You can't be serious. I feel and look like hell."

"You could never look like her. Half her face is a shriveled corpse." I opened my eyes when I felt the soft fabric of a throw blanket covering me. It was the same one I often used on him when he dozed off on my chair or on top of my bed.

"Thank you."

"You look cute," he said, grinning, "but utterly beaten down. I'll text you the picture every time you want to help a dark soul. What's your phone number?"

I was too tired to argue with him. Seconds after I gave him my number, my phone dinged.

"Now you have my number. I'm off to find your dark soul, and hopefully, he'll lead me to your attacker."

"Dev is not my dark soul. He's your best friend."

"That waits to be seen. Text me whenever, but don't bother when I'm in Hel. I hear the connection sucks."

Now he was trying to be funny. "Find Dev and let's close his case." I liked that. Every soul I helped now would be a case. I snuggled under the cover and closed my eyes.

"Do you need help with this?" Echo asked and once again, I opened my eyes. I saw what he was studying. It was the box the doctor had given me. He must have carried it from the car. Heat flooded my face.

"Go away, Echo," I said.

"Don't throw away the instructions. I want to read them, too."

"No, you don't." I pulled the covers over my head.

He pulled the covers down, planted a kiss on my lips, and smirked. "There's nothing about you that doesn't interest me, doll-face. See you tonight."

A thought occurred to me, but he was already gone. He'd used the portal. How the heck was I going to explain his disappearance to my parents? Maybe they wouldn't notice. I reached the bottom drawer on my chest and pulled out a bag of Twizzlers.

Mom knocked nearly an hour later and poked her head into my room. She frowned, and I wasn't sure whether it was the fact that I was alone or the Twizzlers.

"Your father said Echo was still up here."

Time to fake ignorance. "He must have slipped out while I was asleep. Blaine probably picked him up."

"I must have missed them while I was in the barn, and your dad is fast drafting a new story," she said and smiled. When Dad was in his fast drafting mode, he became very absentminded. "How are you doing?"

"Better. Must be the mystery meat at school," I said. I'd already thought up all excuses and that was the one she wouldn't question.

"Oh." She still looked worried, until her eyes fell on the box Echo had left on my nightstand. What had she thought? I had morning sickness? The doctor has explained I could only use the ring when I had my periods. "How did the visit with the doctor go?"

"Very well considering the crazy questions she asked."

She chuckled. "Count yourself lucky. In my day, they did pelvic exams and pap smear tests. The metal contraption used was enough to scare a young woman from wanting contraceptives. I'll let you rest."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Do put that away, sweetheart," she said, staring at the Twizzlers. "All those artificial colorings and additives are not going to do your stomach any good."

I was finishing my bedtime ritual when a cool breeze swept my room. Since I'd left the lights on, I didn't have to worry that it was anyone else. I poked my head out of the bathroom to see Echo entering my room.

He was still dressed for reaping, which said he wasn't staying. "How did it go?"

"He's gone underground again." He leaned against the doorway and watched me finish with my teeth. This was becoming a habit. "Finding a dark soul when it doesn't want to be found is a real pain, but I'll find it. No one attacks you and gets away with it."

Somehow, I knew the evil dark soul would be a priority with him, not Dev. I walked to where he stood, reached up, and stroked his cheek. He looked like crap.

"You haven't slept in days, Echo, and you look it. You need to rest."

"I will once I get the soul who tried to hurt you."

Arguing with him was hopeless. There were other ways to make him stay. "Do you want something to eat from downstairs? Mom baked your favorite Dutch apple pie, and we have whipped cream. Homemade." I didn't wait for an answer. I knew I had him. "Be back in a few."

The light under the door meant Mom was upstairs. She was probably reading. Dad was still writing and didn't look up. He really didn't notice anything when in the zone. I opened the fridge and removed a pie.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, making me jump. Maybe he wasn't as absentminded as we'd like to think.

Our eyes met. "Better."

"We missed you at dinner."

"I was out and doubted I could hold down anything." And now I was cutting a giant slice of pie. "I'm starving now."

"Your mother left you a plate. It's somewhere in the fridge."

I made a face. "I just want some pie, Dad. My mouth still tastes funny."

He nodded, and I sighed with relief. "Cut me a slice of that too, sweetheart."

I carried his piece of pie to his desk first and dropped a kiss on his temple. "Night, Daddy."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." I added extra whipped cream on Echo's and almost made it to the stairs when Dad added, "I still can't believe I missed Echo earlier."

Okay, he definitely had us fooled. Nothing escaped him. Echo would have to rune him and make him forget. "I was asleep when he left. So unless he disappeared into thin air, I'm sure he came through here."

"You two came in your car, and I don't recall hearing a car pick him up."

This could get crazy fast. "Blaine probably picked him up, Dad. You know how that car of his moves. The engine hardly makes a sound. I've decided I'd love to have a car like his when I graduate," I added, hoping to distract him. "Sleek and beautiful. The engine purrs instead of roaring."

Dad chuckled. "Foreign cars are expensive, and your mother would not like it. You know how big she is on buying American."

"Dad, I drive a Sentra," I reminded him.

"That was bought used. It doesn't count."

"Does too. Goodnight, Daddy." I escaped upstairs and found Echo pacing.

He was wired. I could always tell. Worries about my father became secondary. I put the pie on my dresser, pulled off Echo's gloves one at a time, and threw them on my bed. I pushed him on the chair and straddled his lap. A sensual smile curled his lips as he reached down to stroke my thighs. My pajamas left a lot of skin exposed.

"Behave," I warned, cutting through the pie.

"Mensies?" he asked.

I paused in the process of feeding him. "How can you tell?"

He smirked. "I just know. And FYI, I don't mind," he said.

"You're disgusting." I put the piece in his mouth before he could say anything else.

He grinned as he chewed and wiggled his brows. "It makes things even more intense."

Now I was curious. He was always promising me something kinky, piquing my interest. And he always delivered. I shoved more pie into his mouth, so he wouldn't distract me. When he finished the pie, I put the hair brush in his hand, stood, and faced forward.

"I know what you're doing," he said.

"I know. I love the way you brush my hair." I closed my eyes as he ran the brush through my hair.

"I'm still leaving, doll-face," he whispered.

He was the master of the obvious. "I know that, too. Stay with me a little longer." I got up and crawled under my covers. I knew he'd follow. He stayed on top of the covers, boots and all, slipped an arm under my head, and pulled me closer. I interlocked our fingers and closed my eyes. I couldn't sleep.

"Echo-"

"Shh. Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

He fell asleep first and didn't wake up even when I pulled off his boots, loosened his vest and shirt, and covered him. He looked so peaceful asleep. So vulnerable.

I turned to switch off the light when I felt it-the dark soul that had attacked me. It wasn't close enough to make my skin crawl, but I felt it. My first reaction was to wake up Echo. Together, we could take care of the soul, once and for all. But how could I? He was exhausted.

I reached under my bed for the poker. All souls, regular or dark, could be dispersed. The rod in my hand, I shifted and smothered a scream. Dev stood on the other side of the bed.

"What are you doing here? Echo came looking for you and couldn't find you." Echo stirred, and I instinctively placed my hand on his cheek to calm him down.

Dev touched his lips as though warning me to be quiet. Then he pointed outside.