Page 73 of Bitter’s Sweet

“I need to tell Mercy where I’m going.”

“She knows.”

“I need to tell her myself.”

Another thing Razor likely stole from her. The ability to speak for herself.

I step back. “Then tell her.”

Sweet studies me like she expected a fight and doesn’t know what to do with the absence of one.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t make it weird.”

“You said please earlier.”

“Temporary condition.”

“Is there medicine?”

“Whiskey.”

“That explains a lot.”

I watch her walk to Mercy. Watch Mercy cup her face with both hands and say something that makes Sweet’s eyes shine. I can’t hear the words over the festival noise, but I don’t need to. Mercy has been a blade and a shelter longer than I’ve been alive.

Sweet hugs her, quick and hard, then comes back to me. Not smiling this time. Ready.

That hits me somewhere I do not appreciate.

Nevermore waits near my truck, arms crossed, face grim. He looks at Sweet, then at me.

“Hyde’s locking Mercy down. Scarecrow and Crypt are moving her upstairs. CSI pulled the tracker information.”

Sweet’s eyes lift. “Can he see where I’ve been?”

“Maybe,” Nevermore says.

Her hands curl.

I want to hurt somebody.

“Then he can see where Razor has been too,” I say.

Nevermore glances at me.

“Some of it,” he says. “CSI says cameras caught Ravenfork scouts on two of the same roads her car traveled last night.”

My attention sharpens. “Meaning?”

“Could mean Razor is moving with them. Could mean he uses the same roads because he’s Ravenfork. We don’t know yet.”

Sweet looks between us. “The men watching your festival and Razor following me aren’t the same thing?”

“Not exactly,” I say.

Nevermore picks it up. “Ravenfork is sniffing around club business. Razor’s fixation on you looks personal. Problem is, Razor belongs to Ravenfork, so personal and club can start stepping on each other real fast.”