Page 37

A fter Suha left, Evie and Jace took a walk to Druid Hill Park along with Kyler and Beau.

“Should be safe enough,” Jace said. “The night fae won’t be out on a sunny summer day—their skin’s too sensitive to light. And Corban’s gone to ground.”

“And the day Savonett gets past the two of us,” growled Beau, “is the day I slit my own throat.”

So the four of them headed up to the surface.

The way out led through the big shed. Evie had only caught a glimpse of it last night, but now she could see it was filled with motorcycles and a car with most of its insides removed.

There was a huge workbench at one end, and a mix of human tools and those which looked like they were quartz-powered.

Kyler’s eyes bulged. “Wow,” he breathed with a reverence usually reserved only for his favorite games.

“Sam’s the mechanic,” said Jace, “but we all like to mess with engines.”

“Sick.” Kyler ran a hand over a cobalt-blue fuel tank. “If you need any help, just yell.”

“I will.” Jace opened the outside door and inhaled, testing the air. “Seems clear, but wait here a minute.” He moved forward. Evie was reminded again that he was part cat. There was something very feline in his walk—loose and easy, each step precise, graceful.

Beau ambled out behind him. He tipped his head back and inhaled deeply. “No sign of Savonett or a night fae,” he agreed.

Jace nodded and motioned to Evie and Kyler to join him. Kyler and Beau walked on ahead, leaving her and Jace to follow.

Evie couldn’t get it out of her head—she was part fae and she apparently had some kind of Gift. An amplifier, whatever that was supposed to be. But it felt right—she’d felt the heat in her hands and had somehow known she was helping to heal Jace.

When Suha had offered to get her training, she’d lit up inside—until she’d realized she couldn’t accept. Jace hadn’t said anything, but when she’d refused, he’d removed his hand from her back.

But he must know this was only temporary. He’d said himself they didn’t mix.

She sighed. What she really wanted was to talk this over with Fane, because if it was true that she was part fae, why hadn’t anyone told her?

Jace had said that speaking a fae’s name attracted their attention, but it hadn’t worked to call Fane in the past, except maybe that time right before her mom died. Still, as they walked down the driveway, she turned to Jace and deliberately said her dad’s name aloud.

“Do you think Fane could help me?”

He raised a brow. “Your dad?”

“Yeah. Fane.” She repeated it a little louder. “I have some questions—like what kind of fae am I? And why the hell didn’t I know?”

Jace slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe he’s trying to protect you. If you’re mostly human, you don’t want to be in the fae world. You’d be at the bottom of the food chain, powerless against the stronger fae. And those pricks eat their young.”

Her mouth twisted. “Or maybe he doesn’t want to admit he has a mixed-blood daughter.”

He tightened his grip but didn’t say anything. She winced inwardly, recalling his niece Merry was in a similar situation.

She blew out a breath and set Fane from her mind, because when had he ever come when she needed him?

Meanwhile, it was a gorgeous day and a hot-as-hell guy had his arm around her.

If she was only going to have these few days with him, then she was going to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment from it.

Jace’s neighbors were seated on their marble stoops, chatting to friends and enjoying the morning sun.

The houses were small, each on a tiny piece of land, but they were neat and well-kept.

Everyone they passed called out a friendly hello to the two fada.

Jace and his den mates were clearly well-liked.

A tiny girl in a pink dress with her hair in tight cornrows pelted down the sidewalk, her mother a few yards behind. “Up, Mister Jace.” She raised her arms imperiously.

“Chantelle.” He released Evie and swung her into his arms. “How’s my girl?”

“I los a toof.” She pointed to the space where one of her front teeth used to be. “Mama says the toof fairy is gonna bring me a dollar.”

Jace smiled at her mother. “Morning, Kari.”

“Morning,” she returned and then shook her head at her daughter. “Chantelle, don’t bother Mister Jace. He’s got visitors today.” She gave Evie an apologetic smile.

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Evie said.

“Good,” said Jace, “because me and Miss Chantelle are old friends, aren’t we?” He dropped a kiss on her small rosebud of a mouth.

Chantelle pursed her lips and kissed him back. “See, Mama. He likes it.”

“Hmm,” he said with a wink at Kari. “Which little girl I know likes to fly?”

“Me, Mister Jace!” shouted Chantelle. Jace chuckled and tossed her gently into the air. The child erupted in helpless giggles as he caught her with large, sure hands. “Again, Mister Jace! Please.”

He tossed her up and down a few more times before shifting her to his hip with the ease of a man used to kids. And right then, a piece of Evie’s heart broke off and landed at his feet. He was just so damn adorable, this tough, inked shifter with a tiny girl in a pink dress clinging to him.

Evie gulped and looked away. Jace pulled her close with his free arm and introduced Kyler and her to Kari, before handing Chantelle back to her mom so they could continue on their way.

Evie slid an arm around Jace’s waist while the other two walked ahead. He slanted her a sheepish look. “Those are my tenants. Chantelle’s dad isn’t in the picture, so I help out where I can.”

Evie pressed a kiss to his jaw. “You’re my hero.”

“It’s nothing.”

“No,” she said. “It’s something. Trust me, I know.”

He squeezed her shoulders. “I’d like to pound some sense into your dad.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t do any good. Some men just aren’t meant to be fathers.”

“I can’t understand it. Cubs are so fucking precious.”

“That’s what I think.” Their eyes met and she looked away, afraid of what he would see in her face.

He’s not for you .

Suha had warned Evie away from him in the nicest possible way, pulling her aside to murmur, “Promise me you won’t hurt him.”

Evie had drawn back, affronted. “I won’t.”

“Not intentionally, no.” Suha’s dark gaze was knowing and a little sad.

“But Jace—he’s a dominant male, and so you might think he can’t be hurt.

But he can. You’re special to him, Evie.

The Darktime left him different. He was always a serious kid, but losing his sister—that ripped him to pieces.

He was so dark for a while there that I thought we might lose him.

An earth fada can will himself to death.

The quartz—we use it to heal ourselves, but it can be used the opposite way. To turn on ourselves.”

Evie had swallowed.

“But he came out of it. It helped when they found his niece.”

“He told me about her.”

“He did?” Suha’s delicate black brows had winged upward. “That proves my point right there. He feels something for you. Just—don’t hurt him.”

Evie had glanced at where Jace was arguing basketball with Kyler and Beau. “I wouldn’t,” she’d said.

Suha had moved a shoulder. “If you don’t want him, say so now. Don’t let it go any further.”

Now Evie pressed a hand to her breastbone. Because maybe she would hurt him. But if she did, it wasn’t going to be one-sided.

Jace glanced at her. “Everything okay?”

She rose on her toes and kissed him. “Yeah.”

The rest of the day passed in a happy blur.

They walked with Jace and Beau to the park and around Druid Lake, and then headed back to the den, where they sprawled out on the grass drinking iced tea under a big maple.

Beau remained standing, one arm propped on the wooden fence that circled the backyard, relaxed but alert, his deep brown eyes continually scanning the area.

The men got into a conversation about motorcycles while Evie pillowed her head on her arms and gazed up at the rustling green leaves.

It had been a long time since she’d just laid on the grass without anything to do.

Jace traced a finger down her jaw to the hollow of her throat. “Sleepy?”

“Mm.”

He nuzzled her ear. “Take a nap if you want. I’ll be keeping you up tonight.”

Her lips curved. “Is that a promise?”

The answer was a sexy growl that made her abdomen tug.

Sam woke up and wandered outside, yawning. Jace sat up and murmured something to him, and he nodded. Before she knew it, the tiger had his head deep in her car’s engine, and when she objected that she couldn’t pay, he’d shrugged a big shoulder.

“I’m not asking for money. I need something to do, and I’m sure we have some spare parts in the shed.”

“But—”

“Let him,” Jace said. “The man’s a genius with engines, and he really does like to play with them.”

“All right,” she said, “but I’m making dinner tonight.”

“Works for me,” was Sam’s reply. “I’ll trade a few spark plugs for food anytime.”

Kyler joined him, and the two of them spent the rest of the afternoon with their heads under the hood, joined an hour or so later by Horace. There was a lot of shaking of heads and muttering, but by the end of the day Sam literally had the engine purring.

Zuri appeared with Tigger in the curve of one arm.

He set the cat down and took over for Beau on guard duty.

To Evie’s amusement, Tigger stalked around the perimeter of the backyard as if he were on duty too before settling on a branch of the maple.

Meanwhile, Horace and Beau went out for groceries, and a short while later Suha, Adric and Marjani showed up with beer and wine.