The Shadows

In the silence that followed, s’Ex let out a vicious curse. “I do not approve of any of this between you two. But you know how to close things up after he leaves.”

And on that note, the executioner stalked off, his black robes undulating behind him.

It was so strange, iAm thought as he was left alone with the female. He was two feet from the escape he needed, but he couldn’t seem to move.

“Can I see your face,” he heard himself say. “Before I go.”

When she didn’t respond, he reached out and ran his hand down the fabric that covered her head and trailed down her shoulders. “I have to see what you look like or you’re going to haunt my days.”

He had a feeling she was going to do that anyway.

“I . . .” Her voice trembled. “I do not know.”

iAm nodded and felt like an asshole. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.” He gave in to an impulse and bowed at the waist to her, as if she were so much more than a servant. “Thank you again.”

Pivoting, he strode through the open doorway.

“Tomorrow night,” she blurted. “Will you meet me?”

He froze, one foot in and one foot out of the Territory. “Where.”

“I do not know. Somewhere. Some . . . how.”

iAm frowned, and thought of where he’d found Trez on the mountain between the s’Hisbe and the symphath colony. That cabin still had to be there; the damn thing had been a hundred years old when Trez had taken shelter in it.

And shit knew Rehv wasn’t using it anymore.

“Do you know Black Snake Mountain?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Halfway up the east side, on the Lightning Strike trailhead, there’s a cabin. I’ll get there first and light a fire inside. You can dematerialize from here and find the light. Meet me there at midnight.”

He could imagine her chewing on her lower lip as she hemmed and hawed.

“I will never hurt you,” he vowed.

“I know.”

“I have to go.” He stared at her so hard, trying to see under those robes. “Think about it. I’ll be there and I’ll wait an hour. If you don’t make it, I totally understand.”

She wasn’t “important” in the eyes of the s’Hisbe, but still, females were right to be cautious, no matter their station when it came to leaving the Territory.

Especially if they had no relative power.

“Good-bye,” he said before turning away and falling into a jog.

Moments later, when he dematerialized, he knew he was never going to see her again. And yet, even though that was all but a given, he was going to be at that place on the mountain tomorrow evening.

On time.

Guess even cynical virgins like him had romantic streaks.

* * *

When Trez and Selena finally made it out of the downstairs lavatory, it was a helluva lot later than midnight. In fact, as he checked his phone, he was surprised to find that it was three a.m. They’d blown a good three hours in there.

He couldn’t think of a better way to pass the damn time.

People had obviously started to come home for the day, voices drifting out of the billiards room.

“. . . rounds of bullets!” Hollywood was saying. “Like it was raining lead!”

“My poor mobile clinic.” Manny’s tone was less than enthusiastic. “Maiden voyage and look what happened to the goddamn thing.”

Well, at least those two had gotten home safely. Jesus, he hadn’t even thought about them, and how egocentric was that?

“And this asshole tells me there are no police,” V cut in. “For the evac. Unbelievable—I walked into a convention of those badges.”

Trez put his arm around Selena. “You want to join the party?”

“We need to tell our part!”

Kissing her on the forehead, he led her across the foyer and through the archway into the land of pool tables, sofas, and a wide-screen big enough to host a drive-in movie.

“Check it, we made CNN,” someone said as that TV flared to life.

Sure enough, up on the tremendous screen, security cam footage of the Mercedes going Die Hard through that lobby was on an endless loop. Then came a statement from a police officer who was involved in the chase. And a witness from somewhere or another.

Trez nodded a hello to Rhage and Manny. Lifted his palm to V and Butch. Sidled up with his female next to Z and Bella.

“Lot of coverage,” somebody else said ruefully.

“Shit,” someone else answered.

Even Selena’s excitement got dialed down quickly, as if seeing for herself what everything looked like made it all very real.

When the vestibule’s inner door was opened, Trez was dimly aware of a cold draft shooting into the room. And then a moment later, a hand landed on his shoulder.

As he twisted around, iAm was behind him.

“Oh, hey, man.” He went to embrace his brother, only to recoil. “What the fuck is that smell?”

“New hand wash at work.”

Trez followed through on the hug. “Get rid of it. Makes you smell like a little old lady—what is it? Lavender?”

“What happened to the Merc? The thing’s banged to shit.”

Trez pointed to the screen. “That happened.”

iAm focused on Selena instead, tracing her profile and dress with surprise that he covered quickly.

“We went on a date,” Trez blurted.