Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103719 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103719 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
As the silence stretched on, she glanced up at one of the ceiling fixtures, which was out. How many half-breed symphaths did it take to change a light bulb? Answer: None. Because they’ll just manipulate an army of humans to do it for them. Or vampires. Or Shadows. Or…
Wolven, a voice in her head whispered.
No, we’re not going there, she thought to herself.
“Are we done yet?” She motioned over her head. “You finished checking I’m okay, or shall we stand around for another hour while you diagnose me with shit I already know about—”
“Xhex.”
“Yup.” When nothing else came back at her, she shrugged. “What you got? Come on, I have work to—”
“You can’t be out killing our kind. Humans? Fine. Messy, but you know the drill—”
“Excuse me?” Xhex lifted her brows and leaned in a little. “What the hell are you talking about.”
“I got a call about another piece of your handiwork. I don’t need it, and neither does anyone else. You keep dropping Trez’s patrons around Caldwell and it’s going to land on Wrath’s front door. I don’t give a shit if they’re getting silly—”
“Stop right there.” Xhex put her dagger hand up. “I have no clue what you’re talking about, and you better get your facts straight before you come in here and start throwing around unsubstantiated accusations—”
“The victim’s eyes are missing.”
“So? Maybe he was an organ donor.”
“Xhex. I warned you in the spring—”
Raising her voice, she mowed over the convo. “I’m in charge of security here, not corporal justice. If someone fucks around, they’re tossed and that’s where it ends as long as they don’t go stupid on me. What happens outside this club isn’t my problem, and people can find their graves just fine without my help.”
“Please don’t do this.” Rehv shook his head. “Don’t try to lie to me.”
Okay, if this were anyone but him? Talk about losing eyes. Limbs. Internal organs…
“I’m not doing this.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You can just read me for confirmation—”
“I would, but your grid is fracturing, so there’s nothing to fucking read, Xhex.”
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
Rehv’s voice softened. “I warned you this spring, but like you don’t know what’s happening to yourself? You need to be honest here, and not with me.”
April’s little funfest of nightmares and mental scramble came back like a bucket of chum hitting her head and dead-fishing down her entire body: She instantly remembered all those days of waking up in mid-panic, not knowing where she was or who she was with.
That fucking lab. Even after all these years, it was still with her. Then again, if someone was used as a pincushion by a bunch of humans in white coats, it was hardly the kind of thing anybody “got over.”
“I have no problem being honest,” she said. “What I don’t like is somebody crashing my party when they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”
“You never followed up on that contact I gave you—”
“The fuck I didn’t. I agreed to meet the guy. I went up to Deer Mountain. I sat at that summit, in the middle of the night, and he never showed. Afterward, he never answered my messages and I haven’t heard from him again—so unless you have Dr. Phil on speed dial or any other bright ideas, will you quit making it like I’m falling apart—and, once more with feeling, I didn’t fucking kill anybody tonight.”
Rehv rubbed the top of his head, his broad hand passing over the stripe of hair. As he switched his cane from one hand to another, he looked like someone he loved was dying in front of him—and the show of emotion was so shocking, it dimmed her pissed-off a little.
“Fine,” she muttered. “I was feeling rough back then, but the mood just drifted off—and I will take this relative peace and quiet, thank you very much.” She shrugged, then glanced over her shoulder. “Ask the boys around here. Like, tonight, some a-hole was hitting on a woman in the bathroom, and I just kicked his ass out. He hadn’t crossed any physical lines with my patron, he was just a leech. And you know what? When he swung at me? I didn’t even nail him in the nuts—I’m about to give myself a tolerance sticker.”
“That’s the male who was killed. Someone saw him here in the club—and knew you kicked him out.”
“So maybe they stabbed him.” When Rehv frowned, she threw up her hands. “Look, what do you want me to say?”
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the thumping backdrop of the club the soundtrack to all the tension.
“I even gave someone directions to the fucking bathroom,” she exclaimed. “I’ve turned over a new leaf, and if you don’t believe me, that’s on you. Talk to John Matthew. I’m not waking him up in the middle of the day anymore, I’m not—why am I doing this. It’s not my job to make you feel better about where I’m at.”