The building where our parents were.
As the first tear falls from my eyes, Carlisle shakes me harder, blocking my view as he moves his body to be completely in front of me.
“Not here. Not now,” I hear him say, though it still sounds like he’s at the other end of a tunnel speaking at me. “Don’t cry. Not here. We can’t let anyone see us weakened.”
Ingrid is batting tears out of her eyes, helping Kendra up, as Ezekiel slowly pushes to his feet.
Hollowed out, I meet Carlisle’s gaze again, steeling myself, turning cold like we need to be, even as my heart breaks behind the shield of ice.
“Phillip Jenkins,” I whisper, knowing exactly who is responsible for this.
Ingrid takes a step closer, her jaw tensing as she meets my gaze and adds, “Will die.”
CHAPTER 1
MAYA
Six months ago…
One hour ago, I was in my apartment and settling down for a night of binge watching movies with pizza, beer, and popcorn after just getting settled in Halo.
Now? Now I’m the girl who’s freaking out and hiding in the back of a big SUV, and I’m the girl who is silently begging an unknown guy to let me stay hidden as he glares at me with cold eyes, a tense jaw, and indecision in his posture.
This entire thing went south faster than expected.
I guess that’s obvious, given my current predicament.
Scars line this guy’s face, and he looks freaking terrifying with that glower in those icy eyes too pale to be called blue. They’re almost a light gray, creepy but also intriguing.
But for some reason, I also feel safe in his presence. Because I’ve lost my mind, most likely, and am desperate to feel as though I might be safe again.
I’m so screwed if he doesn’t let me stay hidden.
His muscles flex as he finally shuts the back door, not saying anything to anyone as he hides me from sight. He stays close, letting me see him through the side glass, even as I stay as close to the ground as possible.
I have no idea where we’re about to go. I have no idea who he is. But right now, that tattooed bad boy with scars is my favorite version of a dark angel, because he may very well be saving my life.
CHAPTER 2
AXLE
She’s staring at me with those eyes that scream for help while her lip trembles. Fuck my night. Why is there a girl hiding in the back of our ride?
Then a sick feeling tightens my core when I realize why she’s probably hiding. Fury rides through my veins as I shut the door on her, concealing her from sight, when I hear the fast approaching footsteps of our prospective clients.
I shouldn’t have opened the door, but I heard a noise. Now all I want to do is put a bullet in Lathan for what he might have done to her.
“Did you assholes see a girl run through here?” Lathan asks, wiping some coke away from his nose.
Junkies. We don’t do business with junkies.
“Nope,” I lie, absently noting how Snake cuts his eyes toward me.
“Fuck!” Lathan roars, slamming his fist against the punching bag in his massive garage that is in the middle of no-damn-where. “Find her!” he yells to three guys who run into each other in their haste to follow orders.
“It’s like watching the Stooges,” Snake muses from my side.
“It’s like watching junkies,” I grumble. “Thought someone vetted them.”
“Herrin set this up,” he says with a shrug.
We watch as Lathan goes on a tantrum, kicking shit, punching random things, and finally throwing things around.
“We need to head out,” I yell to Lathan, who doesn’t even acknowledge me.
“No way are we fucking doing business with them,” Snake says quietly as Lathan actually flips over a table. “Ever.”
“Definitely not,” I agree, but for an entirely different reason.
“Find her!” Lathan roars again.
“You know she’s in the backseat, right?” Snake asks.
“Yep.”
“Just checking.”
He goes to get in on the passenger side, while I take the driver’s seat. This was a waste of two fucking hours of my life that I’ll never get back. Herrin is sure as hell going to hear about it, too.
As soon as we’re out of the garage and halfway down the street, Snake addresses the stowaway.
“You owe him money or something, girl?”
A heavy breath comes from the backseat, and some of the tension eases out of my shoulders. I hadn’t even considered that she might be a junkie—even though she doesn’t look like one. My mind immediately always goes to the worst thing that would leave a woman cowering in fear.
“No,” she says from the floor very quietly.
That has the tension notching back up.
“Start talking if you want to keep riding,” Snake goes on.
She blows out a heavier breath while the rustling sound behind me lets me know she’s getting up. My eyes stay on the road instead of glimpsing at her as she makes herself comfortable in the backseat.