Ryder reached across to me and I met him halfway. A slight ease entered my being as he laced our fingers together. I wasn’t alone in all of this; there were others to watch out for me and my family, and that in itself was a huge gift.
“It will be okay, Charlie,” Oliver said. “Deliverance tend not to target their own kind. They focus the hatred straight at the Hive.”
I nodded, and as he turned back to give me a confident, perfect-teeth smile, I managed to return the gesture. His words did make me feel a little better, and if I stayed away from them and my family hid out for a few days, hopefully Deliverance would never think to use them against me.
Chapter 9
The next few days passed by agonizingly slow. I wasn’t allowed out on calls, and no matter how hard I snooped I couldn’t find out where they were keeping the little girl. For the most part I was back on “who is the mole?” duties, trying to figure out who in the Hive was a backstabbing, lying piece of shit. I had about eight thousand suspects, and no reason to wipe even one of them off the list. Every single vampire was there on principle now, except for Lucas. I would give him the benefit of the doubt until he did something which revoked that trust.
After dinner I was sprawled across my couch, about to die of boredom. Jayden, Oliver and Markus were in the kitchen, talking about something dude-like—cars, I think. Jayden was probably trying to figure out how to drag his man into his bedroom for some private time. As much as my BAFF loved my new bodyguard detail because Oliver was often in the apartment, it also sucked because the enforcers were always on duty. No time for fun.
At the knock on the door I sprang up and dashed across the room, flinging open the door to find Ryder standing there dressed in his gym clothes.
Boredom fled. Along with saliva in mouth and clever words in brain.
“Want to go for a rooftop run?” he asked.
Hells yeah I did. Wasting no time, I dragged on some sweats, laced up my shoes, and waved goodbye to the boys. Jayden was flashing me his eyebrow and hip waggle, so he was very happy about this change in circumstances.
It took five minutes, but then we were out of the building and on the roof. The second the cool night air hit me, clearing away some of the funk I’d been in, I knew this was a good idea.
Ryder took off down the track and I followed, focused on the large swollen moon. I’d always found something so mesmerizing about the moon, especially when it was full. Its light seemed to highlight the beauty around me, remind me to stop and take a second to appreciate everything.
After a few laps, I heard the doors open and nearly stumbled over my feet when I saw the little vampire girl walk out. Following her was a stern-looking redheaded vampire.
Ryder caught my arm and we slowed as the pair walked out on to the track. The girl had headphones on, but when she saw us she took them off.
The redheaded vamp found the closest wall and got to the really important business of relaxing against it. “You have ten minutes,” she told the girl with a thick Russian accent.
The young girl gave a single head nod and then began to jog. I sped up next her.
“No,” Ryder whispered.
I shot him a death glare that hopefully conveyed how closed my legs would be if he kept trying to order me around. He lifted both hands up in a placating manner, before backing off me a tad.
“You like running?” I asked, turning back to the girl.
I couldn’t halt the sadness and anger which welled inside of me. She looked depressed. Her alabaster skin was shining in the bright moon, but her eyes were downcast, stress lines fracturing her perfect features. No child should have stress lines.
Of course she was beautiful, with short brown hair naturally curled into tight ringlets, smooth skin, and a thin athletic build. The vampire virus was working in full effect. But it was still wrong somehow, like looking at a weird doll.
She wet her lips before answering me: “I used to run and like it but now I don’t know what I like.” Even her voice was low and sad. “You don’t smell like a vampire, but you’re a girl?” For the first time a sign of actual interest crossed her solemn face.
I nodded. “I’m an ash, a special one-of-a-kind girl ash … and I can help you.” From the corner of my eye I could see Ryder was reaching for me again. Clearly I was overstepping the safe boundaries he was trying to keep me in.
With a burst of speed, I moved out of his reach again. The girl kept pace, and as she stared longer at me, her eyes started the silver pulsing thing. “Your blood smells really good,” she whispered, blinking a few times, her face falling. “Which is totally gross.”
Dammit. I was curing this girl or I would die trying.
“What room number are you staying in?” I pressed her, knowing my time was short.