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“How’s Lace?” Kylar asked.

“Single.”

Kylar gave him a sheepish look. “That’s not why I was asking.”

Darien smirked. “I don’t care, Ky. That was a long time ago, and we’re both over it.”

Kylar merely grunted. He filled the glass with ice, the clatter of the frozen cubes causing a small, dark shape on top of the fridge to stir.

“Shit,” Darien chuckled. “Don’t tell me Roman has a Hob too.”

Kylar peered at the top of the fridge. “That’s Itzel. She likes to sleep during the day, but she’s noisy as fuck at night. If you’re here for a good night’s rest, I’d consider a hotel if I were you.” He poured the whiskey and took a swig. “Everything okay back at home?”

“Not exactly.” Darien sighed. “I didn’t come alone.”

That made Kylar freeze, his long, dark fingers tightening around the glass. “You didn’t bring Travis, did you?”

“Of course not. But—” He glanced at the doors. “I need to leave, but I’ll be back in a bit. You’ll still be around?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good—I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

20

The Desert

STATE OF WITHEREDGE

“Pull over,” Shay said. “I need to go pee.”

They’d been driving for just over four hours, and Shay had been holding her pee for nearly two. She’d hoped for a bathroom with toilet paper and proper plumbing, or at the very least an outhouse, but once they had left the small community of Foxhill, the land had turned into endless desert. No businesses, no houses, no people, and no bathrooms. The land out here was every shade of gold and russet, the vegetation sparse, the wildlife even sparser. Aside from some lizards and what she swore was an armadillo, there was no sign of life out here, at least not from the viewpoint of a vehicle.

That vehicle rolled onto the shoulder of the road and came to a gradual stop in a cloud of dust.

Shay reached for the door handle, her bladder about ready to pop, but froze before she could pull it open.

She eyed Roman over her shoulder. “Turn off the car,” she said.

Roman squinted. “Why?”

“Because I’m scared you’ll drive away and leave me here while I’m peeing behind that bush.” She pointed at the shrubbery nearby.

There was that jaw tic again. It was either his jaw or his eye—his face never seemed to get a break when she was around.

Shay fought the smile pulling at her mouth.

“Do you want to know how angry you make me, Cousens?”

“Don’t tell me, you’ll hurt my feelings.” She gave him exaggerated baby-eyes.

He smirked, but he clearly wasn’t amused. “You’re so full of it. You act like you’re this sweet, innocent little thing who’s all scared and woe-is-you, but I remember what you were like in that alley. You can conceal your emotions.”

Damn, he was good.

“You’re cunning,” he went on. “You’re a liar and a thief.”

“Thank you.”