Pretty Painful - K.A Knight Page 0,44

tying it off so at least I’m not flashing everyone.

“Come on, little one.”

She takes my hand as I pull her back to the waiting man.

His eyes pop when he spots her, but a narrow-eyed look from me has him hurrying to the back door and opening it for us. I let Dabria get in first, my eyes locked on the man as he cranes his neck, trying to catch a glimpse. “I wouldn’t,” I warn, making my voice deadly.

His eyes instantly snap to mine and he cowers, racing back to his front seat as I slide in the back and slam the door. “Warehouse,” I bark, leaning back and pulling Dabria into my arms as the man starts his car.

“Got it, you sure you don’t need to go to the cops or something? I have a phone,” he offers, glancing at us in his mirror.

“No, warehouse,” I reply bluntly, and I look down to see Dabria smiling and shaking her head.

“We are meeting a friend there, he’s a cop,” she lies. “They tracked our car to that location.” She gives the man a sweet smile and he relaxes, returning it before he speeds away.

She cuddles into me in the back of the taxi as we hurry through the city. I stare out of the widow, my eyes wide at how much it has changed and how quickly the humans have advanced.

“It’s all changed,” I whisper.

She follows my gaze. “Yes, maybe for the better?”

I nod, sitting back in the leather seats as the man expertly weaves through traffic. Dabria takes time pointing everything out and answering all my questions until by the time we get to the warehouse district, I feel like I know the city again. The driver pulls over at the curb, giving us a view of the warehouses surrounding us in the dark of the night. I don’t sense anyone close by and the places look deserted. I slip from the taxi, watching as Dabria leans into the man.

“I’m sorry, we have no money. Think of it as your good deed for the day.” She grins before getting out.

I hear the man swearing as he peels away, his tires squealing, leaving us alone here. Sniffing at the air, I catch the scent of gasoline, bricks, and rubbish, but under that I smell blood.

“This way.” I wrap my arm around her as we walk along the first two warehouses, circling around the back and walking down an empty road until we come upon a gated warehouse, which looks deserted, but there are some cars parked inside the lot.

“I smell a lot of blood here.” I sniff again, my eyes narrowing at the conflicting smells, it can’t be.

“What is it?” she asks, obviously picking up on my thoughts.

“Let’s get inside,” I growl, even more confused at what my senses are telling me.

Ripping through the flimsy metal, I hold the hole open for her and she slips through, with me following after. I head straight for the door I see at the side of the warehouse, with Dabria on my heels, her hand on my back. The door is partially open already, and a waft of death and blood hits me square in the face. Dabria must smell it too, because her hand tightens on my back, but she doesn’t say anything, following my lead.

Kicking open the door the rest of the way in, I surge inside only to freeze. Well, shit.

Blood and bodies litter the ground, men in black with weapons at their sides tossed around like ragdolls.

“Mishal?” she hisses.

I look over my shoulder to see her fangs have dropped and her eyes are glowing, and I follow her gaze to see her glaring at one of the dead men.

“Know him?” I query.

A flash of his face laughing as he hurt her flashes through my mind and I growl, turning back to the body. Picking him up, I rip him apart piece by piece, flinging him away so that she never has to look at him again. In fact, I do it with the others as well, not wanting any of them to hurt her with her memories. When I’m done, I stand in the middle of the bloodbath and look back at her. She’s grinning at me and I glance down to see the blanket has come free and my skin is coated in blood and gore.

“Thank you.” She blows me a kiss and I nod as we head deeper into the building, finding body after body.

I give them