She squeezed my shoulder, then walked away, leaving me feeling warm deep inside. I might have lost my real mom, but in very many ways, I still had another.
"I'll send you the address," Rhoan said. "Meet me there in twenty minutes."
"Will do."
I hung up, then grabbed the last sandwich as I stood.
"To repeat myself, be careful," Riley said, her expression concerned.
I smiled grimly. "As Azriel has already noted, I've lost more than enough blood for one day. I'm not intending to lose any more."
"I don't think it's your intentions she's concerned about," Quinn noted.
I half smiled, then walked around the table, kissed them both, and said, "I'll be fine. I won't do anything stupid. I promise."
And I hoped like hell it was a promise I could actually keep.
* * *
The address Rhoan sent me was for a small house in Campbellfield. It was off a busy main street, on one of those long blocks that had been subpided years ago, with a second dwelling built at the back. That was the one we were interested in.
I sat on a brick fence on the opposite side of the road. The rumble of trucks and cars going past was so damn loud that the clatter of a helicopter overhead was almost lost to it. The air was an unpleasant mix of exhaust, rubber, and the various scents coming from the fast-food shops down the road, and my nose twitched against the need to sneeze.
I glanced at my watch. We still had a couple of minutes to wait, and frustration swirled through me. It was tempting—very tempting—to just head in myself, but I'd promised Riley to be careful and that wasn't exactly careful-type behavior. Besides, I wasn't at the top of my game right now—in fact, a gnat could probably overpower me with very little effort. I needed sleep, and I needed more food despite everything I'd already eaten. But most of all, I needed the bad guys to be sensible and give me a break.
And seeing as I couldn't control them in any way, shape, or form, I guessed the sensible had to come from me.
I sighed wearily and leaned against Azriel's shoulder. He didn't move, didn't react, didn't wrap his arm around me and pull me closer, but the skin-on-skin contact was still oddly comforting.