Grace pushed her hard enough that Faith had to back down several steps before she could regain her balance. “I love you. Tell Adare I love him, too.” She slammed the rock door shut. Adare had said it locked from both sides, and she didn’t think anybody had told Faith the combination She waited, hovering in case she had to reason with her sister, but nothing happened. No sound came from within, either.
Considering there was no doubt Faithie was pounding on the door, the lair must’ve been nicely soundproofed. Good.
Grace turned to run into Adare’s room to find a weapon when the front door burst open, splitting into several pieces. A man stomped inside, and it took her a second to recognize him. It was Brian but not really Brian.
He was still tall and slender, but his eyes were purple and his hair long and black. His face was stark white, but his features were the same as before. Had he been wearing a wig and contacts?
Bobbi stepped up behind him, smiling. “There now. See? I told you we’d be right in.”
Grace’s knees wobbled, her mind reeling as she gaped at Brian. “Bu-but you’re a Kurjan!” She shook her head, trying to see the good-natured friend she’d thought he’d been, but instead a monster stood before her. “I don’t understand. I saw you in the sun. You spent a lot of time in the sun.”
“Yeah. Things have changed.” His fangs dropped, sharp and yellowed. “Surprise.”
Chapter 36
Adare sat on the park bench, watching the sun sparkle off the snow in every direction. A walkway stretched between his bench and a rushing river that was going so fast it hadn’t iced over completely. Not even the birds were out. The storm from down south hadn’t reached Denver yet.
He kept his body relaxed while his mind was on high alert. The place was isolated enough that it’d be a great trap.
He took his phone from his pocket and speed dialed the king.
“Dage Kayrs,” the king answered.
“Hey, King. It’s Adare O’Cearbhaill. Do you have any news on a hit out on Ronan or me?”
Dage was quiet for a moment. “No, why? Are you being shot at?”
“Negative. I’m fairly certain we just walked into a trap and was wondering if you could provide any intelligence.” He leaned down and pulled his gun from his boot.
“No. The demon and witch nations have decided to stay with the Realm for now, and the shifter nation wouldn’t set a trap. They’d come at you head on, and my sources say they haven’t voted on that possibility yet.” Papers shuffled as Dage did something on the other end of the line. “If it’s a trap, it must be Kurjan and Cyst.”
“Not possible.” Adare looked at the deep blue sky and bright, albeit weak, sun. If the Kurjans were dumb enough to attack on a sunny day like this, they deserved to fry.
“Okay. Well, good luck.” The king disengaged the call.
Adare spoke into his earpiece. “I think he’s starting to like us a little.”
Ronan snorted. “Whoever was supposed to pick up the money is an hour late, so I’m thinking it’s humans who got stupid. Let’s go talk to that Bobbi and find the sister and boyfriend. This has fucked-up humans written all over it.”
“Agreed.” That didn’t mean the baby was safe, however. Adare had looked at a few of Grace’s pictures, and the little girl was a cutie. They had to save her. He couldn’t break Grace’s heart by failing, and he couldn’t stand the idea of an innocent little toddler being hurt. He stood and tucked his gun away before slinging the backpack full of cash over his shoulder.
He loped down the walkway to meet Ronan, who’d taken point from behind a tree. “Have you heard from Benny?”
Ronan shook his head and settled his gun back beneath his jacket. “No, but he’s not the best about checking in.” He clipped his knife back at his thigh. He looked at the backpack. “You and Benny just store millions in your lair?”
“Stop calling it a lair, and yes, we store millions. Sometimes it comes in handy.” Adare lengthened his strides, wanting to get back to Grace. “Do you believe in love?”
“Sure. It’s fundamental.”
Adare frowned. “I don’t see you skipping through meadows and singing sonnets.”
Ronan chuckled. “Love hurts a lot more than that, my friend.”
The breeze lifted, tossing powdery snow over the walkway. And the scent of moldy lemons. Adare’s head jerked up, and he