“What were you doing out past curfew?”
I blew him off and kept staring out the window, wishing I had the power to shut him out entirely. How the hell was I supposed to know about a curfew? It wasn’t as if I’d experienced anything in the last century. Besides, I had my own set of problems to think about—namely finding Disco and delivering the message from Zagan. It was the only thing that would end the bargain between them and ensure the vampire I’d fallen in love with wouldn’t pay the piper in spades. I had to take this one step at a time or run the risk of losing my goddamned mind.
Anger surfaced, a fire inside my chest. Maybe that was Zagan’s intention all along—to have me freaking out and caught up in something I couldn’t control.
The rotten bastard.
“What were you doing out past curfew?” Carter repeated.
“You know what?” I tilted my head back against the seat and peered in his direction, looking him in the eye. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. So why don’t you drop me off at the next stop and we’ll call it a night?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. You should have stayed safe and sound where you belonged. Now we have to take you with us. It’s protocol.”
“Protocol, huh?” He didn’t so much as nod, gazing at me in a manner that made my skin crawl. “Fuck me sideways,” I muttered and leaned forward, pressing my head against the brown leather seat in front of me. When I got home, I knew the first thing I was getting. A tattoo on my forehead that said, “Your ticket to insane shit stops here.”
“I wouldn’t say that any louder, if I were you.” His gray eyes darkened, and his voice deepened. I glanced at him and he said, “Someone might try to give you exactly what you’re asking for.”
“It wasn’t an invitation.”
He moved across the distance and rested his hands on the seat directly next to my leg. I felt my hair part when his face brushed the strands. He whispered thickly into my ear, “Then keep it to yourself.”
I settled in and kept my big fat yap shut, fuming silently—and safely—instead.
The view from the window didn’t lift my spirits. The landscape was as dead as the people I saw on a routine basis. In fact, I saw several of those along the way too. The spirits we passed watched the bus as it drove by, likely sensing my presence. Their faces didn’t tell me much, but their ravaged bodies did. Some had died in ways I didn’t want to think about. I could only guess as to what had transpired to make things so bad.
The entire city was a dead zone.
The driver turned right on Prospect Park West, and my eyes bulged in shock. The reality of my situation hit me hard and fast. I was seeing the buildings that were only a concept during my century. Prospect Village had reached its completion in my absence. It was impressive, even on the darkened street, and I was fairly certain the contract on the leases had expired by now, leaving plenty of room for new tenants.
The bus took a sharp turn around the corner and I ducked instinctively, thinking the roof of the bus would rip off due to the short parking floor of the building. We barreled into the area without incident, driving into a dimly lit garage. I latched onto the seat in front of me as the driver maneuvered the large vehicle. He slammed the brakes and tossed the bus into reverse. After he’d pulled in to the area he’d chosen, he put the vehicle in park. The bus veered back and forth before going still. The sounds of shuffling feet echoed inside the enclosed space. I looked to see the men filtering out the back door.
Carter stood, and his broad body blocked the walkway. He stared down at me, studying me quietly for a moment. He hadn’t bothered speaking to me after our initial chat. It was cool, I didn’t miss the conversation. I only wanted to get the hell off the bus—at some other location preferably.