Page 96 of Dark Surrender

“I’ll call her,” I offer, knowin’ he doesn’t want any part of getting Kali involved in something that will put her in direct danger.

“Yeah,” he grates, violently hitting a turn signal.

“She can meet us at the cabin.”

A grunt.

Staring out the side window, I make the call.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Iris

Something’s wrong.

Kali answered a phone call and walked out of the boutique we’re shopping in. She’s pacing out front of the store.

Standing beside me, Cell stares at Kali with concern. Glad it’s not just me. Till pulls her phone from her back pocket, frowns at the screen, then makes eye contact with Cell and notches her chin at the exit.

Message received, loud and clear. We meet Kali out front, who pockets her phone, takes one look at me, sighs long and hard, and waves for us to follow her. Down the street to a brick alleyway, she checks the coast is clear before whispering, “We’ve got a job. Dark called.”

“Where?” Cell asks just as quietly.

Kali grips her crystal necklace. Concern etches her features. “He won’t say. But I’ve got half an hour to find as many sisters as possible who aren’t already on jobs to ride with me to the cabin.”

“Not it,” Cell announces, head shaking back and forth in a whole lot of hell no.

With the ghost of a smile, Kali rolls her eyes. “I know that.” Her attention swings to Till, who’s leaning against the brick wall of the alley. “Not you either.”

Till bobs her head as if she already expected she wouldn’t be included. “Call Sola,” the brunette suggests.

“I’ll do it,” I blurt out of nowhere, without even thinking about what any of this entails, but it can’t be much different from what I’ve done before.

Cell’s giant eyes round in horror, and she opens her mouth to argue, but I cut in before she gets a chance.

“In case you forgot, I’ve been doing this for more than half my life.”

“This is not the same thing.”

Ignoring my friend, I focus on Kali. “I’m in. Brief me. Get me up to speed.”

“But you want out,” Cell argues, and she’s not wrong. I do want out.

“I’ll get out after this,” I vow, but Cell, doing what she does best, doesn’t back down.

“Irissss.” My name leaves her lips in an unhappy hiss.

Refusing to let Cell decide for me, I focus on the woman in charge. “You need women. I’m a woman.”

“Sounds like a solid plan to me.” Till clasps her hands together. “But Sola needs to be invited.”

“Her men won’t allow it,” Cell argues, crossing both arms over her chest.

Ignoring Cell, Kali nods at Till. “I’ll call.”

Then that’s that.

The walk back to Kali’s Jeep is thick with tension. Cell’s pissed, Till’s unaffected, and Kali is in boss mode. When Kali drops them off out back of Dark Delicacies, and I hop into the front seat with her, she connects a call to Sola through Bluetooth.