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It’s a true sanctuary. Aurora has outdone herself.
I stand there, frozen in guilty wonder for long moments before shaking myself from my reverie. Mr. Fluffikins still sits on the bed’s multitude of pillows, and with my eyes on him, I sink into one of the cozy armchairs bracketing the fireplace.
Suzy did this for me.
And I’m keeping alive the woman who killed her friends.
The next night, I’m impatient, in a hurry to get back to Scarlett, to formulate our next move before Hadria’s patience runs out.
The ride to the abandoned farm seems to take forever, my thoughts a tangled mess of loyalty, duty, and desire.
I kill the engine as I pull up in front of the barn, taking a moment to collect myself. What am I doing? This thing with Scarlett…it’s dangerous. It’s unfair to her.
I need to quit it. Quit her.
But as I push open the barn door and see her, all my resolve crumbles as soon as Scarlett’s face lights up with a genuine smile. “Hi!”
Before I can think better of it, I’m making a beeline for her, pulled by an invisible force I can’t resist. I take her in my arms, my voice husky as I ask, “Is this…okay?” Scarlett’s answer is a nod, her eyes darkening with desire. I lean in, take her lips in a deep kiss that threatens to consume us both.
I’m in trouble.
But I have no idea what to do about it.
I pull away and let her know about the industrial complex where Grandmother might be hiding out now. Scarlett is agreeable to a recon exercise, so—despite the fact that I’d rather ride that sweet mouth of hers again—I put business ahead of pleasure and we head out to take a look.
The soft, occasional crunch of gravel underfoot is the only sound as Scarlett and I slink through shadows toward what is very carefully made to look like an abandoned warehouse complex on the outskirts of Chicago. A rusted chain-link fence surrounds the perimeter, a story of neglect told in the peeling paint and overgrown weeds.
But I’m not fooled. I catch the telltale glint of high-tech security cameras mounted at strategic locations, surveilling every angle of approach.
Grandmother might be on the run, but she’s not sloppy.
And neither are we. We’ve been able to keep out of their view up until now, I’m pretty sure. I signal Scarlett, and we’re about to split up to covertly case the area when everything goes south.
Fast.
I sense something rather than see it, and whirl around just as a figure rockets out of the dark towards me.
A knife cleaves through the space where my face was an instant before. I duck and spin, landing a solid kick to my attacker’s midsection. They double over with a guttural grunt of pain, staggering back a few paces.
“Mine!” Scarlett hisses, and I back up as I more clearly take in the threat before me.
Take in the snarling wolf mask obscuring half their face.
Ariadne.
Scarlett steps up beside me, practically quivering with energy. “This kill is mine.” She’s earned it, too.
I step back, giving a mock bow to the two of them. “Ladies. I’ll leave you to it.”
Ariadne lets out a scornful bark of laughter. “I’ve been waiting for this day, little girl,” she singsongs at Scarlett. “I’m going to gut you in front of your girlfriend.”
I open my mouth to protest about the G-word.
And then I shut it again.
Scarlett’s already responded by slipping into her defensive fighting stance, hands raised, body taut. Good girl. She’s going to see what Ariadne has, draw her out before attacking herself.
She smiles at her opponent. “Then bring it on…bitch.”
