He cringed when he looked at the blood-red foliage. It was all wrong. “Mind if I just look around for a minute?”
Her gaze darted to the front window and then up at the clock on the wall. “They said a band of snow showers is moving in soon. I want to get home before dark.”
“No worries, ma’am. I’ll be quick.”
Adam turned on his heel and studied the flowers inside the cooler, most of them roses. As he moved around the room, he approached a bouquet he couldn’t take his eyes off of—one he knew would make an impression. “Do you think you can sell me these without all the purple flowers?”
She weaved around the tables and collected the vase of white daisies. “I can do that, but the price will be the same.”
Adam didn’t concern himself with bargains anymore. People had to eat and earn a living, so as long as he wasn’t being swindled, he paid what was on the price tag.
After the lady plucked out the purple flowers and added a few more daisies to fill in the gaps, she emptied the water out of the vase and carefully wrapped the stems before rolling up all the flowers in cellophane. Adam didn’t need the vase, and Silver had plenty lying around.
While the woman counted out his change, he took the flowers and carefully tucked them inside his pack.
“I had to cut the stems down a little so they’d fit,” she said, handing him a few bills and small change. “I just don’t know. Daisies can be so fussy. Good luck, and merry… happy holidays.”
“Merry Christmas,” he said, heading out the door.
The icy wind assailed him, and flecks of snow stuck to his neck. He slid on the warm helmet and cursed under his breath, wishing he’d worn something more waterproof than his brown leather jacket. Then again, he hadn’t planned on taking this little detour.
Adam started the engine and eased onto the road. Snowflakes were sticking to his visor, and every so often he’d swipe his arm over it. He really needed to break down and buy a car, but man, nothing beat the freedom of a bike on the open road. Even out in crazy-ass weather like this.
When he finally reached Silver’s building, he pressed his finger against the thumbprint scanner, and the underground garage door opened. Adam was on the approved list for garage access only; he didn’t have permission to enter the building.
After parking his bike and setting the helmet on the back, he headed toward the doors and buzzed Lucian’s apartment.
No one answered. Then he tried Levi.
“Come on. Someone answer,” he grumbled.
When no one buzzed him in, he rang the intercom in the family room downstairs. While he waited, Adam kicked the sludge from his boots and dusted off his jacket. His jeans were saturated, and he wasn’t sure if he could feel his legs anymore.
“Yes?” a bright voice answered.
“It’s Adam,” he said, uncertain to whom he was speaking. “I’m in the garage.”
The door buzzed, and he went inside a stairwell that led up to the ground floor. He reached a door and waited patiently. This one had a retinal scanner.Justus and all his top-secret shit, he thought to himself. It amused him—took him back to the days when he and his buddy Knox used to break through security systems like this.
When the door swung open, Adam was greeted by a fetching woman in cowboy boots and a knee-length blue dress with tiny white flowers. Sadie’s blond hair was wavy and unkempt, and she had an untamed beauty about her that made him think of wild mustangs.
He leaned his arm against the doorjamb. “Life treating you well, Kitten?”
She smirked. “Come on in, Scratch. You’re just in time for the ceremonial raising of the tree.” Sadie spun on her heel and strutted away with a carefree swing in her step. “You should just see what—”
“Sadie?”
She quietly turned and centered her eyes on his. They were a milky green with flecks of orange, something Adam noticed every time he saw her. Sadie Cross was the baby of the family—born human and given up at birth to be raised outside their world. It was common practice among Chitahs, but fate had brought her back into their lives.
Maybe Adam had a little something to do with that.
Years ago, Adam had made a private agreement with Novis to offer her immortality as a Mage. He was certain her brothers wouldn’t protest if it meant not having to watch her age and die, but they factored little in his decision. Adam had fallen in love with Sadie nearly the moment they met but kept it a secret. Novis agreed that after her thirtieth birthday, he would offer her immortality even though there was no guarantee she would accept. Adam’s agreement with Novis had to remain secret or else Novis would rescind his offer. Novis felt it was important that Sadie not be influenced and that her decision was one of free will and not a condition of love.
So Adam backed off from pursuing her. He didn’t want Novis to change his mind, thinking Adam was seducing her into their world. Despite how he felt about her, it was the right thing to do.
There was still a chance she might choose to remain human, and that possibility terrified Adam. Maybe unrequited love was the best way to protect his heart. Her friendship was enough, and besides, a gem like Sadie could never love a man like him anyhow.
Adam pulled off his backpack and unzipped it. “I got these. I don’t know if they’re still alive anymore, so you might want to put them in some water.” He handed her the plastic-wrapped bouquet of daisies.
