Rocky tossed Tao his car keys and coat, then strolled across the room to kiss my cheek. "It's really no hardship when the basketball finals are on, you have the biggest TV screen ever made, and there's a fridge filled with beer."
"God, basketball," Ilianna groaned, her gaze meeting mine as she crossed her arms. "The things I suffer for you two."
I grinned. "I promise I'll bring back ice cream."
"Then I shall suffer in silence." Her quick grin faded a little. "Be careful out there, won't you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a general be careful, or an I-see-nasty-stuff-ahead be careful?"
"General." She frowned. "I think."
Tao rolled his eyes. "Ris, let's move, or she'll be here all night deciding."
I pulled on Kiera's coat and swapped shoes, then shoved mine into a large bag that also held my purse and a change of clothes for when we investigated the Phoenix club. Then, with Tao's hand warming my back and lightly guiding me, we headed out.
As we drove off in Rocky's beat-up SUV, I flipped down the vanity mirror and checked the road behind us. No cars discreetly pulled out to follow us from a distance. The ruse had apparently worked.
Even so, I didn't change my features until we were five minutes away from Wintergreen. This change was always the easier one. The burn of energy filled the car with heat as it reshaped my features.
"God, that is a stomach-churning sight," Tao commented, glancing at me once I was done.
"You don't have to look." My arms trembled as I shucked off Keira's coat and changed into my own shoes. Then I pulled some lipstick out of my purse and tilted the mirror so I could quickly redo my lips.
"It's sort of hard not to." He shuddered. "At least our shift magic has the decency to hide the process."
"Just as well, considering it's a whole-body change, not just a facial one." My stomach fluttered as he began to slow down, and I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. It had been a while since I'd had a proper date, and I really did hope this was just that. That it was nothing more than a coincidence that he happened to walk past as those men attacked us.
I undid the seat belt, then leaned across and kissed Tao's cheek. "Have fun at the club. I'll meet you around the corner at eleven."