Nightfall (Devil's Night 4)

I was pretty sure she wasn’t angry with me, since we’d all been naked in the same room night before last, but that didn’t mean we were friends.

Yet.

The Jeep drove off, the sounds of the city behind me filling the air as horns honked in the distance, and pedestrians passed me from the left and right.

I looked down at my ring and couldn’t help the smile at how it suited me perfectly. Like I’d always worn it.

Heading toward the shop entrance, I smoothed back my hair, pulled tightly into a high ponytail, and slipped my hands into my pockets to ward off the chill in the air.

After I’d gotten off the phone with Erika, I’d logged online and canceled my credit and debit cards, since I had no idea where my wallet dropped after I was taken in San Francisco. Then, I transferred some funds from my bank there to the nearly empty bank account I still had here and went to a store and bought clothes to get me through the next few days.

Thankfully, I didn’t need replacement glasses, because Will had thought of that. Now I could see Martin if he were coming for me, which he hadn’t yet, strangely. I’d gone to the bank and shopping, all under the protection of Micah and Rory, of course, but it was like the jail break had never even happened.

Was he coming for us? Was Will ready?

I opened the door and stepped inside, the place appearing empty as I drifted around all the displays. I stepped into the dressing room, seeing Erika on the riser in a gorgeous gown of silk and sequins, the bodice tight and the sweetheart neckline complementing her body perfectly.

Her hair fell down her back as she looked at herself at all angles, and I inched in, seeing Winter speaking quietly into her phone as her fingers trailed over notes in her lap. I squinted, seeing the tips of her fingers move from left to right as she spoke.

Kai’s wife slouched in a white cushioned chair, tapping away on her laptop. Where was Alex?

I cleared my throat. “Um, hi,” I finally said.

They all looked up, Winter stopping her talking and turning toward my voice.

Erika spun around, her blue eyes bright. “Hey.”

She was gorgeous—almost regal in how she wore the gown.

I walked in, approaching her as I gripped the phone in my pocket that Will had given me. I was kind of tempted to run. I didn’t do well in groups of women. Erika Fane intimidated me, even in high school, and she was two years behind me.

She stared down at me, and it took a moment to square my shoulders and hold her eyes.

“So…” she said, trailing off.

So…

But she just kept staring at me.

Jesus, what? My cheeks warmed, wondering if it was the train car sex, me sending her friends to prison, or me breaking Will out of jail last night that I was going to get grilled about first, but then she took my hand and looked down at my engagement ring, her own snowflake diamond setting gleaming in the light.

She was going to tell me I wasn’t good enough for him.

She was going to tell me they couldn’t trust me.

But instead, she asked, “You happy?”

Am I happy?

Confusion, and then relief, hit me, and then…a laugh filled my throat, and I couldn’t keep it bottled up. I let out a chuckle, butterflies filling my stomach.

“That’s all I wanted to know,” Erika said, smiling at me. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

Well, that was easy. She gazed at me with her warm eyes, and I heard the other two say ‘congratulations’, as well.

“We’ve never been properly introduced.” She held out her hand. “Erika Fane. You can call me Rika.”