Forget About Midnight (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #9)

“She chose the Feds over you multiple times. She tried to arrest you and backed up Briggs when he came to kill you. She does something good for you once, and it gets her in deep shit, and you’re the one who has to bail her out? Fuck that.” There was more fire to his temper than usual. I was reminded that he too was suffering the effects of our separation.

“She’s my sister, Arys. My blood. We were kids together. We giggled together at night when we were supposed to be asleep and snuck a peek at presents on Christmas morning before our parents woke up.” My voice cracked as a flood of childhood memories burst forth. “And then we were bitten by the same wolf and separated. The fact that we were reunited at all is amazing. She put her job and her life on the line to protect me. I can’t leave her there to suffer.”

Arys’s jaw clenched. He’d never liked Juliet. Though I understood why, his disapproval wasn’t going to change my mind.

“You can’t trust Briggs,” he said finally. “He wants you, Alexa. He wants you inside that building so he can get inside your head and turn you into a weapon.”

He sounded so certain. Briggs was capable of what Arys claimed. I didn’t doubt it. “Did he tell you that?”

“He didn’t deny it. When it comes to you, he doesn’t want to hinder what you are. He just wants to use you for his own gain.”

Jenner nodded his agreement. The two of them had faced off with Briggs. Maybe I hadn’t been there, but I knew they weren’t lying.

“I don’t trust Briggs. But I still have to do this. For Juliet.”

“Goddamn you’re stubborn, woman.” Arys’s snide tone didn’t match the concern in his eyes. He didn’t have to tell me that he was hurting. I could feel it. Arys wasn’t used to having things spin out of his control.

“So we’ll figure this out,” Shaz spoke up. “We’ll plan for a betrayal by Briggs and hope we don’t have to use it.”

Jenner made a big show of stretching and did his best to look bored. “Should I cancel my flight? Stay a while longer?”

“No,” I spoke quickly, before Arys could. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s best for you to get back to Vegas.”

We all knew what I wasn’t saying: Kale needed to leave sooner rather than later, if that was his choice. His continued presence would just complicate things further.

I exchanged a look with Arys, who had the decency to drop his gaze in a show of guilt. He wasn’t sorry though. It wasn’t in his nature.

“What time does your flight leave?” I asked.

Jenner glanced at Arys. “Eight o’clock. I booked it as early as I could after sundown to make sure I get home well before sunrise. When you were talking to Briggs, I booked a ticket for Kale online. Same flight.”

All three of them were staring at me, awaiting a reaction. I couldn’t say for sure, but I thought Shaz was holding his breath. I wanted to lash out at Arys and shout at him for being such a selfish ass. This wasn’t the time or place for that.

With fists clenched, I said, “I’ll turn myself in after that flight leaves. Nobody is to speak a word of this to Kale.”

Arys scowled at the mention of Kale. Shaz’s expression was blank, but the way he stiffened and the sudden disgust that trickled from him spoke volumes. Their shared hatred for Kale caused me to recoil. I shrunk back against the car, feeling around for the door handle.

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Shaz reached to grab my arm but jerked back as he second-guessed the motion.

Everything had changed. I felt it then, like a slap in the face. Like the fucking elephant in the room. I had changed, and now so had my connection with everyone else. It was disheartening.

“Yeah, I think I am. I’m not ready for this. Sorry, guys.”

I cast my gaze over the parking lot, lingering on a group of giggling young women near the door. I’d gone from opposing the blood bordello to becoming the madam of it and, tonight, an attempt at being a participant. Everything was so fucked up.

“You can’t keep avoiding us, Alexa. The three of us need to talk.” Arys stood there with his hands in his jean pockets, looking perfectly restrained.

I might have believed that once. I knew him now. He was trying to tread lightly, but he wanted to throw down and let me have it for leaving him hanging for a week while I ran amok with Kale. He probably deserved to do it too, as did Shaz. But I wasn’t up to having them make me feel like shit for my poor choices right then.

“Not here,” I said. “Somebody killed one of Dayne’s wolves. So I had to make an example of someone to keep my alliance. It would be pretty shitty if anyone saw the king and queen having this awkward moment out here.”

“Are you running back to Kale then?” Shaz asked, a challenge in his tone and pain in his eyes. “Every night that you’ve been with him, we’ve been waiting for you to come to your senses. Is that ever going to happen?”