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Roman was the only person who stayed put. Staring Travis down as if he’d spat in his face.

“Are we really going to argue right now?” Travis kept his voice low.

Roman stepped closer. Held up a finger between them. “You stay in this hospital and you don’t leave until we get back. WithDad on a rampage to find Pax, he’ll be all over you too if he finds out you’re back in town.”Rampagedidn’t even begin to sum up the lengths Don was likely going to in order to find Pax. And Travis had to admit it made him nervous thatDariencouldn’t even handle Don. The fact that he’d shattered his hand…leaving him passed out on the ground…

Don could have killed him. But, for whatever reason, he hadn’t.

Travis swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’ll be fine.”

Roman lowered his hand, his eyes burning like black fire. “You better be.”

18

The Coffee Corner

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

“Get whatever you want,”Darien said from behind her as Loren scanned the selection of premade sandwiches and wraps in the glass-paneled display case. With the massive Devil looming at her back, she wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t visible from behind at all.

The Coffee Corner was on the ground floor of the hospital. Upon seeing her serpent tattoo glowing red through the rips in her suit, Darien had insisted on stopping for food before heading out. But it was so chaotic down here, Loren found it difficult to focus enough to read the tiny labels listing the ingredients on each item.

“Did you read the sign?” a female voice squawked over the din.

Loren looked up to see the employee—half-wolf—peeking over the display case with sunset-colored eyes, her tied-back hair in a net.

“What sign?” Darien asked.

She grabbed the sign on the counter—the one that said CASH ONLY—and spun it around so they could see it better. “Cell service is still down, so our machines aren’t working. We can only accept cash.”

He cursed, scanning the crowds behind him.

Ivy was already there. “Here.” She handed him a twenty.

“I’ll pay you back,” he said, snapping the folded bill open. She didn’t even acknowledge him before walking away, still as upset with him as she was with Loren. “What do you want?” he asked Loren.

“A turkey and cheese panini, please,” she said to the worker. “And two chocolate chip cookies.”

The wolf grabbed the panini from the case and bagged the cookies with tongs. “Anything to drink?”

“A cola, please.” She needed as much sugar and caffeine as she could get, or she just might drop dead before they made it to Roman’s.

“Anything for yourself?” she asked Darien as she grabbed a bottle of cola from the cooler.

“Same thing my woman’s having,” he replied, not bothering to look at the selection. The way he saidmy womanmade Loren blush, and it took everything in her power not to look at his face.

Darien paid, and the employee slid their items across the counter.

“Are you okay if we eat in the truck?” Darien said as they navigated the crowds. People moved when they saw the Devil coming.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” It was more than fine—she was eager to get out of here. To get someplace safe and sleep for fourteen hours.

The others were waiting for them by the sliding glass doors. They walked through those doors the minute Darien prompted them to do so, Ivy waiting just long enough to take what Darien was carrying. Loren followed her through the doors, Darien on her heels?—

And sucked in a gasp as a bitter wind slapped her in the face, freezing her to the bone. Flakes of snow floated through theparking lot, looking more like clumps of ash beneath the pitch black sky.

It had gotten even darker while they were inside.

“It’s a zoo out here,” Roman said, breath fogging before him. It absolutely was.