As much as I hated taking Shepherd’s Jeep Wrangler without permission, Christian had insisted we needed a vehicle with traction to maneuver the slick roads. It wasn’t the smaller model but a special edition four-door with a hardtop and extended cab.
He could literally run over Wyatt’s car with this machine.
“What happens when we get there?” I asked.
Christian’s fangs lengthened. “Let me do all the talking.”
I yanked a few loose threads from a hole in my jeans. “Should we tell Viktor what we’re up to?”
“He created teams for a reason. We don’t even know if this Mage is the same man who murdered the poor lass.”
“He ran from me.”
“Maybe he just caught a whiff of your perfume and the desperate look in your eyes.”
As soon as we pulled up to a light, the engine died. Christian turned the key, and it started up only briefly before dying again.
“Oh, for feck’s sake. We’re out of petrol.”
“Are you sure?”
“These new cars have too many gadgets, but I know the sound of an empty tank.”
I sighed and stared at the road ahead. Maybe it was a sign.
“How’s your leg?” he asked.
“Better. We had about fifteen minutes of sunshine this morning. I didn’t want to run downstairs and miss it, so I climbed out a window and healed myself.”
Christian turned a few switches and finally pulled out the keys. “We’re walking from here.” He gave me a scrutinizing look before searching the console and glove compartment. He tossed one of Wyatt’s hats on my lap. “Put your hair in that.”
“Why?”
“You’ve never been to the Bricks?”
I looked around at the empty streets. “Is that a bar?”
“No. It’s a place rife with danger and out of the higher authority’s jurisdiction. Put on the hat and look unassuming.”
“I’m not sure if that’s possible.”
When we got out of the Jeep, Christian locked the doors and patted the hood. “Nice knowing you.”
“No one’s going to steal it without gas,” I pointed out.
He unwrapped a lollipop as we crossed to the sidewalk and stuck it in his mouth. “They’ll strip her down like a two-dollar hooker. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“So why am I wearing a hat? Is that the law in Munchkinland?”
“Because you look like a girl.”
I chuckled. “So without a hat on, I don’t? That’s quite a compliment, Mr. Poe.”
He pulled the stick out of his mouth after biting off the candy and tossed it into a trash can. “You have a tough look for a woman. The coat hides your breasts and—”
“Vagina?”
“Don’t be daft.” After yanking the oversized hat down and covering my eyebrows, he lifted the collar of my coat to shield my face. “Keep your head down. If you think juicers are a problem in the parking lots, you haven’t seen anything yet. This neighborhood isn’t used to beautiful women outside of the powerful untouchables.”
