disappearing red taillights. Alone in the dark, the urge to walk away from her, Kayden and Tag, and their expectations beckoned. Too many memories, too
many emotions kept knocking me off kilter. I wanted to scream, crawl into a hole, rail at a perverse universe that stole my sister, my best friend, and my parents. But I made a promise to make the monsters pay, so for now, as long as it
got me what I wanted, I’d play by the rules.
And what I wanted most right now was Ellery’s blood. As for afterward?
Well, I’d just have to wait and see.
I took my time heading back to the cabin. Slipping inside, I found Kayden sprawled on the couch, Tag once again in the chair. The low drone of a sportscaster’s voice played in the background. Locking the door behind me, I made my way down the short hall. I stepped into the dining room and they both
looked up.
“You good?” Tag asked.
“Yeah, just tired.” It wasn’t a lie. Exhaustion curled around me. “I’m going
to crash.”
Wishing the guys a quiet good night, I headed to the second bedroom. As I
prepared for bed, the images in my head made me yearn for a stiff shot, or five,
of whiskey. I tried a warm shower, flipped through a battered paperback, and tried some meditative breathing.
Nothing worked.
In the end, I grabbed my pillow and slipped back into the now deserted
living room. Curled up into the corner of the couch, I turned the TV down low
and let the late-night chatter chase away my nightmares.
CHAPTER 10
Downtown Phoenix was a sharp edge mixture of glass and steel, with
pockets of dark, fetid poverty. Sometimes the bright sunlight would
briefly illuminate the invisible homeless before the shadows swallowed them up
again. The corporate drones moved along, completely oblivious as their wireless
worlds consumed them. Sadly, the scene was a familiar one.
Different city, same picture.
Kayden wove his way through the maze of one-way streets, guiding us
deeper into the graffiti-enhanced neighborhood. Checking out our unsettling
surroundings, apprehension curled along my skin. Eyes hidden behind dark
lenses, Kayden frowned. “Nice neighborhood.”
“Guess drug dealing doesn’t pay as good as it used to.” Despite my flippant
answer, I wondered how anyone survived in this urban jungle. Neighborhoods like this ate people for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Slowing down for a shot-up stop sign, he gave me a quick once-over. “You
carrying?”
I propped my left foot against the dash and tugged my jeans up, just enough
to flash the modified ankle holster fitted to my boot, my nine-millimeter tucked
inside. “Making you bench-press the couch wasn’t for kicks.”
His lips quirked, and I dropped my leg.
His voice was droll, “Tell me you have a conceal and carry permit.”
It wasn’t like Arizona required a C&C, but… “We promised Delacourt we wouldn’t call for bail.” I kept scanning the economically ravaged collection of
homes. “However, I’m not feeling particularly optimistic right now. We’re going to stick out like sore thumbs.”
He didn’t answer.
I continued watching the streets. We passed a dark-haired little girl and boy
playing in a dusty, barren front yard and a frustrating sorrow seeped through me.
I must have made some kind of noise because Kayden asked, “What’s
wrong?”
I turned away from the depressing view. “Nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing.” He waited a beat. “Spill.”
Chewing my lower lip, I tried to put what it felt like seeing those kids playing in the dirt, knowing if anyone would get it, he would. We both stood witness to the same things during our time overseas. “Those kids, they remind me of the ones in the villages over there. Trying to play in a world where danger
can come from around the corner. It’s just hard to see here. There, it was…” I trailed off, knowing ‘normal’ shouldn’t fit.
“Unfortunately, it’s normal here, too.”
And that’s what bothered me. Even though I avoided the news on general
