“Wow, you really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you?” Disgust curled her lip. “I thought you were stronger than that.”
Whatever I said would sound like some excuse, a scripted line. The more you denied something, the more it rang true. “I won’t convince you with words.” I stood back up. “I can only hope time will show you the truth and change your opinion.”
“You might as well kill me now, because no matter what, I will never choose the fae over my kind. Never!”
“I hope you’re wrong about that, Hanna.” My lips pinched together as I moved for the door. “I really hope you’re wrong.” Your life depends on it.
Stepping out the door and moving a few steps down the passage, I suddenly was no longer just in the underground base. I also was in a room. A space I knew well... the smell of sex and body odor filled my nose. Low flickering fire bulbs disguised the wear of the run-down bedroom of the whorehouse.
Warwick stood by the window, his back to me.
“You are playing with fire. Nothing good will come of this.” Kitty’s voice jerked my head to her, near the door. She was reserved and elegant, wearing a gold dress with a slit up to her hip, matching heels, her hair curled, and her lips painted bright red.
“You don’t think I fucking know that?” He growled, his hands gripping the sill until I heard wood crack.
“We have lived many lifetimes, brother... I’ve never seen you like this. She has changed you.”
Fury flexed his back muscles; a strangled snarl hummed from his throat.
“Why are you even here then?” Kitty shook her head with frustration. “Go back.”
Warwick stiffened, and I knew he sensed me, his head whipping around, his piercing eyes landing on me.
Fury twitched his eye, his head wagging slightly, speaking out loud to me. “I should have known you’d still find me no matter how much I blocked you.”
Kitty peered around, her brows furrowing, not understanding the sentiment was meant for me.
I didn’t speak, feeling his resentment and anger searing into me, but something else was there he wouldn’t let me reach.
His eyes slid to Kitty. “You know what? I changed my mind. Ask Nerissa to come with friends... have her bring the English girl.”
“Rosie?” Kitty asked.
“Yes.” His eyes met mine.
Like he knifed my chest and placed a bomb between my ribs, pain exploded through me, freezing me in place as parts of me splattered in pieces.
“Warwick...” Kitty’s tone held warning.
“I’m a paying customer, aren’t I?” he growled.
“You are a fool.” She lashed at him, slamming the door after her.
He didn’t respond, only stared at me, his jaw set.
“Fuck you.” I could barely get the words out. “Don’t bother coming back.”
Cutting off the link, I shoved up my walls, blocking him from reaching me.
My chest heaving, I leaned against a cold cement wall, feeling like my lungs were caving in on themselves. Fighting the urge to cry, I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood.
Knowing he was with Nerissa and others was bad, but him purposefully adding Rosie sliced to the bone. She was my friend. He wanted to hurt me on purpose. To make it clear to me on what we were to each other. We fucked, and that was it. Don’t get attached.
Leaning over my legs, I inhaled ragged breaths, trying not to collapse under the sensation of betrayal... again.
What did you expect, Brex? The legendary Wolf would be yours? He was a good guy? That he cared about you? Then you are the one who is a fool.
One night of hate sex didn’t mean we were together. We weren’t anything besides connected by this stupid bond. Our feelings were probably not even real. As Hanna mentioned, men were “drawn” to me, not able to fight it.
Not their choice.
It wasn’t me they wanted; it was whatever I was.
Clamping down any feelings I had for him, I shoved all the pain away. It was how they trained us for the field, to compartmentalize and continue on with our mission. It was how I dealt with losing my father.
I had one mission now: finding the nectar. The clock was ticking, and I had no real leads. The only option was going back into the book.
Something in my gut warned me the book was no different. It was drawn to me too.
And some day, it might not let me out, locking my mind in there forever.
Chapter 17
“You look like shit.” I strolled up to Ash, forcing a smile on my face. My attention darted briefly over to where Birdie was now watching Caden. He shifted in his sleep, telling me he was slowly stirring from unconsciousness. It was a relief that he was rousing, but at the same time, I was scared for him to wake. To face my best friend as a prisoner.
“Thanks.” Ash yawned, sitting back in the chair, scouring his face. Exhaustion left darker rings under his eyes. His hair was knotted, covered in grime and blood, and he could still do a photo shoot. It wasn’t fair how gorgeous these guys were.
“How’s he doing?” I leaned over Luk, brushing his blond hair off his forehead, his skin hot and sticky.
“Better. I think he made it through the worst of it, but he’ll still need more time to heal. There were some close calls. He’s a tough kid.” Ash looked down at Luk before his gaze went to me. “How are you?”
“Fine.” My response sounded honest, but his lids narrowed, his head slanting.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” My pitch went higher than I wanted.
“Fuck.” Ash tipped his head back. “What did he do?”
“Who?” I deflected.
His eyes leveled with mine. “You can’t lie to a tree fairy. We sense and feel everything. And you forget I know Warwick.”
“It’s nothing.” I kept trying to dig in, more for me than Ash. I needed to stay focused.
“Where is he?”
My mouth opened about to say I didn’t know, but I let out a breath. “Kitty’s.”
His brows went up. “Why is he there?”
I shrugged, staring at the floor.
“Brex?”
“He’s at Kitty’s.” Swallowing, I kept my voice steady. “As a ‘paying customer,’” I quoted with my fingers, repeating Warwick’s pointed statement.
“Faszszopó!” Dickhead. Ash hit his leg, bolting up, anger clenching his jaw. “He is such an idiot.”
“He can do what he wants.”
Ash gave me the same leveled look again. “Don’t give me that... you two... everyone alive, hell even the dead, can feel it. You guys are—”
“We have a link,” I inserted. “Doesn’t mean we have to be together. We don’t even really like each other.”
“Please.” He let out a laugh, cutting sharply in the quiet room, his head shaking. “What bullshit. Warwick knows it too—that’s why he’s being an asshole. He doesn’t handle emotions well. I mean, at all. Believe me, I’ve known him a long time. How he is with you—”
“It doesn’t matter,” I cut him off again, the feelings I was trying to stifle fizzing back up. “I’m not here to talk about him.” I tugged at the ends of Opie’s handiwork, brushing the braids over my shoulder. “I need to go into the book again.”