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And then she stepped out the door for what would probably be the very last time.

Darien was right there waiting for her. He had his black leather jacket on, a duffel and backpack slung over his shoulder. A rebellious strand of hair hung in his face, the end of it nearly reaching the tip of his nose. The urge to smooth it back—to take any excuse to touch him—was so strong, she had to curl her free hand into a fist.

“Ready?” he asked her.

She nodded, and he motioned for her to walk in front of him.

“I’m beginning to think you just want to look at my butt,” she said as she squeezed by, getting so close she swore the air crackled with sinful energy.

Sure enough, when she peeked over her shoulder she saw his gaze pulling upward, confirming her suspicions that while her butt may not be the whole reason he was guarding her back, he was indeed enjoying his view.

“My eyes are up here, Darien.”

His pupils flared, nearly eclipsing the steel-blue of his irises. “Even when we’re fighting, your ass is mine.”

She gulped, blush spreading through her cheeks. “Except for when I say it’s not.”

Darien’s mouth settled into a firm line, and that potent gaze of his rapidly darkened—not with the Sight, but with claim. As if he were daring anyone to take what was his.

He broadened his strides, getting so close he almost bumped right into her. She swallowed a squeak as he warned, “Keep walking.” His deep voice made her shiver, his breath warming the hair on the top of her head as he bent down. She was already moving faster, her body one big chill as he added with a husky whisper, “Or I’ll spank your ass so hard, you won’t be able to walk for a week.” He straightened to full height, still matching her step for step.

The thought of being spanked by those hands of his liquefied her core. She knew he could sense it—her arousal. Even through the talisman’s protection, she couldn’t hide her feelings from him, not when they were this close.

And even when their world was crumbling around them, her body still went completely crazy over him. Gods, she was so pathetically obsessed with this man. She was going to have a hell of a time putting distance between them. She already was.

The others were waiting downstairs—jackets and shoes on, suitcases at their feet. Jack was staring out the window by the door looking miserable, Lace looked conflicted and stressed, and Arthur…Arthur looked like he needed a very long nap and a fresh ice pack. Loren felt bad for him—he was far too old for this much excitement.

“Who’s driving?” Darien asked, taking two sets of keys out of his pocket. He looked like he already knew the answer, though, and was likely asking simply to be polite. With Jack still recovering from his concussion, and Arthur looking like he was one step from the grave, the answer was obvious.

Lace came forward. “I am.”

“You can take the truck,” Darien said, keys jingling as he tossed them into her outstretched hand. “Follow us and stay close.”

30

East Yveswich Industrial Park

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

Shay watchedfrom a distance as Simon and Trey herded the kids into a seedy warehouse. In order to see them from this distance, she had to use her Sight. While Paxton’s aura was hidden by a talisman, Eugene’s was visible, his colors so prismatic, especially when compared to Simon and Trey’s.

Her blood was surging—not just with adrenaline, but also with the line of Stygian salt she’d sniffed a minute ago to help her focus and curb the splitting pain returning to her ribcage. If she stood a chance at getting those kids out alive, she would need all the help she could get.

Suddenly, Tanner leaned forward in his seat and peered up at the sky. “Do you feel that?”

She did. It was a subtle shift in energy—undetectable by mortals. It skittered across her bones and made her arm hairs stand on end.

Before she could ask him what, exactly, it was, he said with unmistakable awe, “The cell towers are working.” He frantically patted his bodysuit, his eyes bright with hope that was quickly crushed. “Oh no.” He sank in his seat.

“What?”

“I think those assholes took my phone.” Of course they had—he was Tanner Atlas. He could do a lot more with a phone than most people. He quickly searched the truck—the glovebox, the dash, the space under his seat, the storage pockets in his door. Shay did the same on her side, and when they both came up empty, he cursed. Nothing about tonight was easy.

“If the cell towers are working, I bet you they’re already messaging Donovan,” Shay said.

If Donovan got his hands on the kids, there was no way of knowing where he’d take them after that. The city was being evacuated, so it was only logical to expect that Donovan would be leaving soon, too, until it was safe to return to his empire of shit. He just needed his kid first.

Shay unbuckled her seatbelt. “Wait here and keep watch. I’ll go see if I can find a way in.”