Blind Salvage: A Rylee Adamson Novel(24)

“Like kids off to summer camp,” I said, crossing my arms to block the snap of cold wind. Crystal backed the caddie out, and Pamela and Alex waved to us. Shit, it felt like we were sending babies off into danger to save another baby. I had to force myself not to run out and stop the car, to call them back. In my head, I knew Eve needed them, and that I needed to be here to deal with the psycho father Charlie sent our way. Motherfucker was going to get a piece of my mind, and maybe even a piece of my sword before this was all said and done. Splitting my team up was not something I wanted to do. It just felt wrong. Yet there was really no other choice for me at this point. Liam was right; we had to do things this way, at least this time.
Liam moved up beside me, his chest so close to my back I could feel the heat radiate off him, but he didn’t touch me. “Summer camp in the dead of winter, with werewolves, witches and Harpies. Sounds like fun to me.”
I didn’t fire anything back, just watched the caddie disappear into the frosty cold night. With no one around, Liam slipped his arm over my shoulders, and I turned and slid mine around his waist.
“They’ll be fine,” he said, squeezing me gently to his side. I pushed away from him, the moment of solidarity gone in an instant.
“Don’t say shit like that, you don’t know they’ll be fine. That’s not how it works in our world. People die all the time. This isn’t a movie where the good guys always miraculously pull through.”
He growled, low and under his breath. “What, do you want me to say that they’re going to get themselves killed?”
My feet stilled, the loose gravel underfoot shifting even though I’d stopped moving. “You know what, just don’t say anything. Can you manage that?”
The main door to the bar slammed, and Dox took a single step toward us, then froze. “I thought you two were getting along now.”
“We are,” we said at the same time. I drew in a sharp lungful of cold air, the bite of it along the back of my throat cooling my anger a little.
“I’m just being a bitch,” I grumbled.
Dox laughed. “You worry like a mother hen. It’s kinda cute.”
I punched him on the arm as I passed and headed into the bar. “I’m not fucking cute.”
Liam followed me in, and as he passed Dox, said, “Mother hen?”
Dox shrugged. “Well, I didn’t want to go with the more obvious mother bear. No need to encourage her bad behavior.”
The two men laughed together and I kept my back to them so they couldn’t see the smile that crept across my lips. No need to encourage them ganging up on me.
I stepped up to the bar and slumped onto one of the stools.
Doran emerged from the shadows and slid into the seat beside me. “Good to see you’ve kept your humor intact.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Dox, I thought you said you cleared this place out?”
The ogre grunted as he stepped behind the bar. “Daywalkers, they’re like every other species of vermin. You think you got them all, but you always miss one.”
Doran pressed a hand to his heart, batting his eyes. “You wound me. But even if you had tried, I would have stayed. I have a message for you, Rylee.” His green eyes darted away from mine, unable to make contact. Crap, we’d done this dance before. Everything in me tensed. It seemed that lately, Doran was my messenger boy, and none of the news he had for me was good. I didn’t like it.
“She sent you something for me?” She being my little sister-turned-psycho-vampire, Berget. I was just guessing that she was the one with the message for me. Who else would Doran have contact with? Louisa and the other shamans would just contact me through Dox. They wouldn’t use Doran. I really didn’t want any messages from Berget. Like as in pretty please leave me the hell alone.#p#分页标题#e#
“I did not see her, but yes, she sent one of her messengers to me. She wants to make peace between you and her.” He did make eye contact with me then, and in them I could see the fear that I would take her up on her offer. Not likely after everything he’d told me.
I snorted, let the interior tumbling of my emotions continue while I did my best to keep my face smooth. “You mean after she tried to have us killed, and didn’t succeed, she wants to make nice? Play in the sandbox together like one big happy messed up family?”
Doran shrugged and slid closer. I put a hand on his chest, keeping him at arm’s-length, my eyes flicking to Liam. Doran was a touchy feely kind of guy. Though I didn’t actually care, Liam would. “That’s close enough, thanks.”
“She wants to hire you to Track for her. The money is considerable; you probably would never have to work again. Could go pro bono for every other salvage for the rest of your life.”