“How the hell did you come across that?”
“On accident?” she said with a shrug. “There was a riot. We escaped and fled up two floors and found it when we were hiding.”
“We?”
“Everett and I,” she clarified.
“Motherfucker.”
“I just wanted to know if it belongs to Elle?”
“Well, it’s a side business I was running out of Five Points, but we relocated it somewhere safer shortly after that riot. Elle has some of it. I have some of it.” He shrugged.
“That’s an interesting side business.”
“Hey, it’s hard to make money on the streets, and blood is no different than drugs or sex. It all sells.”
Well, she couldn’t argue with that—but it did leave her with a lot of questions. If Everett was working for Visage when they found the blood bank at Five Points, had he reported it? He had to have known it would have been of interest to them. She had so many questions about Everett’s behavior—his friends’ distrust and hatred of vampires, his knowledge of Elle, his interest in her rebellious photography. How could a man like that also work for Visage? How could he have betrayed her?
She sighed and decided it would continue to be a mystery. She needed to focus on the present anyway. Getting Laura a wedding dress and dealing with Penelope.
Gabe turned them down an alley and parked the truck in an underground garage. “The store has been cleared, and paparazzi have been removed from much of this area, but it’s never a guarantee with those fuckers. Wear this hat,” he said, tossing it to her and one to Laura as well. “Keep your heads down.”
They all hopped out of the van. Gabe ushered them into an elevator that shot straight up to the ground floor and opened up on the opposite side into a deserted corridor. They walked partway down the hall to a back entrance, and he slid a key into the door. It popped open, and Reyna and Laura both hurried inside. Gabe glanced once more down the hall before ducking inside and locking everything back up.
Reyna yanked the hat off her head and breathed a sigh of relief. She hated this sneaking around. She could tell by Laura’s expression that she didn’t like it, either.
They were standing in the back room of the bridal shop where dozens of gowns in various states of unpacked took up much of the space. There was a corner for a seamstress to work, a small shipping and receiving area cluttered with boxes, tissue paper, and tape, a door to the owner’s office, and a second one to the boutique itself.
The boutique door opened, and Gabe immediately thrust himself in front of them. In strode a shrewd-looking woman in her early thirties wearing a slim-cut black dress.
“Olivia,” Gabe said with a grin. “Good to see you.”
“Gabriel,” she said with a tight-lipped smile. “I wasn’t aware you would be joining us.”
“Just here for the delivery.” He gestured to the two women behind him. “Olivia, this is Reyna and Laura. Olivia is part of the cause.”
“Indeed. Now come along, ladies,” Olivia said, clapping her hands twice. “Let’s get you inside. I hear we have a bride we’re shopping for?”
Laura grinned like a fool and joined Olivia. They immediately began chatting up a storm about the impending wedding.
Reyna nudged Gabe. “Heartbreaker.”
“As if I’m the only one.” He disappeared back through the door.
Reyna hurried to catch up to Laura and Olivia, only to be stopped by none other than Penelope Sky herself. Reyna swallowed and tried to remember that she needed to be nice. Nice and happy and appreciative. Penelope had gone out of her way to help set this up. Without her, Laura never would have gotten to pick her own dress.
“Hey, Penny,” Reyna said, forcing a smile on her face. “Thank you so, so much for doing this for Laura. It’s super nice of you. I know both Laura and I really appreciate it.”
“Oh, it’s just you,” Penelope said with a frown. “I thought Beckham had come back, finally.”
“Gabe said there was a change of plans.”
“Yes.”
Reyna waited, expecting her to elaborate. “What happened?”
“Don’t you already know?”
