Page 165 of Sun-Kissed Fangs
Evie was sitting by a support beam, right next to it. Chained and handcuffed, she glared at the redheaded man grinning down at her.
“Well, isn’t she feisty?” Booker ruffled Evie’s hair, and she flinched away. Maya gripped the knife tighter. “Figured the Chains would have broken her in more by now. That fiend has kept this one for a while, from what I’ve heard.”
“Shut up, Book,” a young woman said. She had a bloody gash over one eyebrow.
Booker laughed. “Why? I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“No, but you’retalking. It’s an annoying noise.”
“Forgive me for trying to lighten the mood. It’s like a graveyard in here.”
Maya glanced around the room. Five people in total, not counting Evie. With the exception of Booker, all of them were either sitting on the floor or slumping against the walls.
She bit back a curse. She couldn’t take that many, especially not in an open space. But that fact became a lot frailer when Booker tilted his head, looking at Evie with a hungry shine in his eyes.
“I always like me a woman after a fight,” Booker said. “I don’t even mind if they struggle. Makes it more fun.”
The pull in Maya’s chest was almost painful. Everything in her wasscreamingto keep going. To find Harper,now. But if she left, she had a feeling Booker wouldn’t stop at disgusting comments.
And the warehouse wasn’t well lit.
The woman with the bloody forehead scoffed. “Keep it in your pants for once. We’re not supposed to hurt her.”
“I won’t. If she does what she’s told.” Booker grabbed Evie by the chin and leaned in close. “I can be really nice to you. Or really mean. Which will it be, sweetheart?”
Evie scowled at him. Her hands were shaking, the handcuffs clinking.
Then she spat him in the face.
Booker reeled back, shoving Evie to the floor. Everyone looked towards him as he cursed and wiped spit off his mouth.
Maya vaulted through the shattered window, not making a sound as she darted for a shadowy corner and crouched behind a stack of wooden planks.
“What the fuck!” Booker shouted. The woman with the bloody brow snorted.
“I don’t think she likes you, Book. Seems she has decent taste.”
Booker spun towards her, turning away from the back of the warehouse. Maya melded into the darkness and slinked behind the makeshift throne.
Evie was only a few feet away now. Her green eyes were filled with anger, except when they darted for the door near one wall in the warehouse—the one leading to the adjoining building. Then, they filled with fear.
Maya clenched her jaw.Please give me a quick fucking opening.
“What’s your problem? All of you, frankly.” Booker made a wide gesture at the room. “So we had a setback. Big deal. We can’t just quit because things got a little difficult.”
“Alittledifficult?” The woman pushed off the wall she was leaning against. “That was a goddamn bloodbath! The squad I was in got cornered and then picked apart by Chains fairies of all things. All that snow fucked us. We were blind and upwind from them, so we didn’t know they were there until they were already on our asses.”
“Don’t be a bitch about it,” Booker said disdainfully. The woman glared at him.
“I stuck with this pack because I believed in it. Even when we got out of the city and Jackie’s people showed up, promising protection, I stayed. Despite basically no one else doing so. But then, instead of pulling back, Kieran orders us to run straight into enemy territory, risking all our lives just so he could pick up his precious fucking human.”
She threw her hands in the air. “You know what? Screw this. I’m out. I should have been out a long time ago. Kieran may have the right idea on some things, but he’s clearly lost it.”
She marched out the warehouse exit, slamming the door behind her. A few seconds later, the other three people followed suit.
“You’re all fucking weak!” Booker yelled at the closed door. Maya turned her knife in her hand.
That’s right. Stay in here, you disgusting piece of shit.
