Bone Gods

don’t ever want to fucking talk about it, and I don’t have the fortitude to make myself do it right now, so please don’t look at me like that.” He passed his fingers through her hair before wrapping them around her shoulder. “I’m fucked. I went down the rabbit hole and I know it. I can’t believe you’re even here.” He sighed, chest jumping. “You have every right to bloody hate me.”
    “Jack.” Pete sat up, and looked at him. “Stop it. Right now.”
    His eyebrows drew in. “What?”
    “The fucking pity party,” Pete said. “We’ve all been desperate, Jack. Yes, you fucked up. But that doesn’t give you the right to decide whether I hate you or not. That’s for me. And I don’t. So change the fucking record.”
    Jack stared at her for a moment, then pulled her into a kiss, harder and longer than she would have thought him capable of in this state. “What the fuck did I ever do to deserve you?” he mumbled against her lips.
    “Shit,” Pete said, and did smile then. “You’re just fucking lucky.” Jack let her go, stroked her face.
    “Tell me what’s wrong then, luv. I’m here. I’m not going. I want to talk, about you at least.”
    Pete put her hand over his, curled their fingers, held them in her lap. She allowed herself to contemplate for one moment if this turned out all right. She could have a baby, and have Jack. Have him accept what had happened and stay, rather than pulling his usual act of vanishing when things got the slightest whiff of a commitment about them. They might not be in love, or even on firm ground with one another, but they could work this one thing out. The third time could be the fucking charm.
    Or he could run off as usual, leave her alone and pregnant with the Black growing around London by the day, and her bargain with Belial hanging above her head like a crushing weight. He could call her a slag or a whore, he could shout, and tell her it was all her fault.
    She could have the baby and be no better than Juniper and Connor, one disappeared and the other so present he nearly suffocated her.
    Jack could relapse and use, and be the same junkie father she’d seen a dozen times over on the Met: sad-eyed kids, no money, no sort of life.
    She and Jack could be a lot of things, Pete realized. But she wasn’t psychic, and she couldn’t see the future, and she didn’t bloody want to. It would be her stupid choice, and Connor had at least given her that much. She could step up, and she could make it when it counted.
    Pete squeezed Jack’s hand and moved closer to him on the bed. “Good,” she told him. “Because we’ve got lots to talk about.”

St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by
    CAITLIN KITTREDGE
    BLACK LONDON SERIES
    Street Magic
    Demon Bound
    NOCTURNE CITY SERIES
    Night Life
    Pure Blood
    Second Skin
    Witch Craft
    Daemon’s Mark

Acclaim for Caitlin Kittredge’s
Black London series
    “Takes supernatural shadows to the next level. Kittredge knows how to create a believable world, and her fans will enjoy the mix of magic and city grit.”
    — Publishers Weekly
    “Crackles with conflict and perilous magic … For those who love their urban fantasy hypnotically treacherous, this book’s for you!”
    —Romantic Times BOOKreviews
    “ Street Magic jumps right into non-stop supernatural action, taking urban fantasy fans on a wild ride.”
    — Darque Reviews
    “This is a dark, visceral read that sucks you in and doesn’t let you up for air. That is part of my intense love for this series … It hit all my buttons: ghosts, magic, demons, cemeteries, England, moors, fog, supernatural creatures, ancient deities. The way things ended, I am seriously anxious to see what is happening next. Go out and get this!”
    — Night Owl Romance
    “Sensual and empowering.”
    — Romance Junkies
    … and the Nocturne City novels
    “ Pure Blood pounds along hard on the heels of Night Life , and is every bit as much fun as the first in the series. With a gutsy, likable protagonist and a well-made fantasy world, Pure Blood is real enough to make you think twice about locking your doors at night. A swiftly-paced plot, a growing cast of solid supporting characters, and a lead character you can actually care about—Kittredge is a winner.”
    —Jim Butcher
    “I loved the mystery and the smart, gutsy heroine. ”
    —Karen Chance, New York Times
    bestselling author of Claimed by Shadow
    “A non-stop thriller laced with a ferociously deadly menace. Count on