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“Yes.” Grabbing her hand, I led her to the waiting vehicle, and we climbed in the back.

The driver glanced at me in the rear-view mirror. “Smart bringing those with you, I hear the Fae showed up in town.”

CHAPTER 29

Brittney

Kiam stiffened beside me. “Fae?” He asked.

The driver’s eyes glowed red as he peeked over his shoulder at the two of us. “Yeah, just rumors but there’s unrest in the atmosphere.”

“Where’d you hear that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice natural and normal. My heart was pounding in my chest and my hands trembled in my lap. Shit was about to get real.

Kiam stroked his chin with a finger and rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb. My pulse slowed slightly, but my brain stayed buzzing. I almost didn’t hear the driver’s reply.

“On the streets, in the clubs. Just the normal shit talking people do.”

My hand was squeezed before I could ask another question, and I got the message loud and clear. If we said too much, asked for too many details, that would raise suspicion and draw attention. I leaned back and twisted my head to look out the window.

It didn’t take long to make the drive through the desert. The sun rose, spreading golden light over the red-tinged landscape and the next thing I knew, we had entered the enclosed city.

Some of the landmarks, I recognized, and then I saw the small diner where I’d met Carmen. “What about there? Can we stop? I’d like to see Carmen,” I said, nudging Kiam.

“We won’t be stopping there,” he calmly replied.

The diner was almost behind us as our car traveled down the road. “Why not?”

I stared at him, burning a hole in the side of his head, until he answered me. “They’re gone,” he finally answered. He’d taken out his cellphone and was tapping away at the screen, messaging somebody.

The car parked beside the curb. “What do you mean, ‘gone’? How are they gone?” I asked as he tucked the device away again.

Kiam paid the driver and we got out of the car. “Brittney, they set you up. That is unacceptable.”

I didn’t know what to say. After seeing the Kakian demons arranged like grotesque lawn decorations, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. For some reason, Laurent and Carmen had seemed more human to me than the GQ hit squad. Laurent’s glowing eyes aside, of course.

“You killed them.” The realization hit me as I followed Kiam down the sidewalk.

He gave me side-eye. “Of course.”

“That’s kinda weird,” I said.

He whirled around on me, incredulous. “Really?”

“No. Yes. No, it's not. Oh my god, I don’t know.” I threw my arms up in the air. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m about to try and kill a couple fairy-asses and I’m weirded out by you killing... okay, that’s what it is.” I paused when I realized what my discomfort was. “I thought she was my friend, she seemed so nice, and then it turned out she sucked.”

The woman had betrayed me after giving me water and inviting me into her home and providing me with food and clothing. I thought she genuinely cared. She hadn’t given me any reason to think otherwise and now she was gone.

Kiam slowly stepped closer, his eyes darkening. He stopped a couple inches in front of my boots and gazed down at me. “I’ll kill anyone who threatens or hurts either one of us, I don’t care who they are or what they once were. Cross me and they’re dead.”

Blowing out a breath, I swiveled on my heels, scanning our surroundings. I didn’t know what I had been expecting, Carmen’s death just never occurred to me, I suppose. Even though she was already dead.

“When this is over, I want to try and make some friends that won’t try to set me up,” I remarked. “Do your friends have girlfriends? I’m assuming they would be women I can trust.” While I knew he wouldn't introduce me to any I couldn’t, I’d be much more careful.

Kiam took my hand and we started walking. “Yes, you’ll meet some of the women eventually.”

“All right, cool. Where are we going?” I asked. We had stopped outside the club where Adrian and Leander first approached me.

Kiam held the door open for me. “This is as good of a place as any.”