Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,30

silver band around the base. Then, after applying my makeup—heavy eyeliner and a smoky lid that brought out the green of my eyes—I zipped up a pair of stiletto ankle boots. I had more practical ones at the office, but I wanted those two Fae bitches to stare. Morgana’s crow necklace hung around my neck, as it always did, and I added large silver hoop earrings. As I stood back, I realized I looked hot. I seldom thought of myself that way, but today I was smokin’.

As I descended the steps, the smell of bacon wafting up from the kitchen made my stomach rumble. I entered the kitchen to find Angel making bacon and eggs and toast, and she had already pulled me a quad-shot latte.

“Morning, sunshine,” I said. “What do you think? Will Saílle and Névé find me acceptable?”

She grinned. “You look good enough to eat. Just make sure neither one gets any ideas and tries to nibble on you.”

I snorted. “Not likely. I’m still a tralaeth in their eyes and I always will be. But I want to make their jaws drop.” I held out my arms and twirled, almost twisting my ankle. “Fucking shoes. I swear, how do women wear these on a daily basis?”

“You wear platform boots and you wear heels when we go clubbing.” Angel handed me a plate and my mug.

I carried them over to the table. “I know, but I usually don’t go over three inches for dance shoes, and platforms and chunky heels are a lot easier to walk in.”

She laughed. “Well, you could go change instead of bellyaching.”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Fine, I’ll quit whining.”

We finished breakfast and headed for my car. I drove Angel to the garage where she picked up her car—fixed and ready to go—and we drove the rest of the way separately.

The morning was hazy, with a thin line of clouds trailing across the sky, but it was sixty degrees already and promised to be another warm day. While waiting at a light, I asked my phone what the forecast was. The weather was shaping up to be sunny for the next three days, then a streak of rain was coming in with slightly cooler temperatures.

The warm weather had brought people out in droves, and there were bicyclists on the road. I carefully wove around them, cursing at a couple who decided they could ignore the traffic rules. But both Angel and I made it to work without hitting anybody, so I chalked it up as good enough.

The parking garage was almost full, but we lucked out and found two spaces near the front. I hated walking through the dark garage in the evenings. Even though I could easily handle a number of attackers, someone with a gun could shut me down pretty fast.

Angel and I met up at the door and headed across the street and down half a block. During inclement weather, that half a block was a long, wet, run, but today it was beautiful and lovely, and made for a nice stroll. We passed Pain, who was jiving to a beat that his buddies were playing. He was breaking a hip-hop rhythm to the upbeat blues song, and he was really quite good. We stopped to watch as he finished.

He doffed his hat and with a flourish, bowed to us. “Ladies, how you doin’?”

“We’re good,” I said, pulling a couple dollars out of my purse and dropping them in the open guitar case. “How’s Shayla?” I looked around, but didn’t see her.

“Shayla contacted Rayan’s House for Women like you said and they took her in. I can’t thank you enough, Ember. Shayla needs someplace safe for now. I can’t know where she is, but we’re texting and talking and I hope to have a place for her soon.”

I paused, wondering whether to say what was running through my mind. Finally, I decided to just go ahead. “She and the baby are going to need a stable place after the child’s born. Pain, what are you guys going to do? The baby can’t live out here on the street, or in a flophouse.”

He ducked his head, staring at his feet. Then, with a sigh, he shrugged. “I know. I’m lookin’ for work. I’ve got a lead on a couple retail jobs. It would help if I had a reference.” He gave me a winsome look, grinning.

I groaned, but pulled out my card. “Here. Use me as a reference. But don’t you