“Aye. Just one.” He brushed a lock of hair away from my face. “I might have seen a phoenix.”
I laughed. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I! Flew right over those Vampires and burned them all up. On my word.”
“Okay, Poe. That was your last chance. If you drop any more bombs, that’ll be it. I just want anything of importance out on the table. If you’re sneaking off to help the homeless or eat donuts, I don’t care. We both know the secrets that matter. I don’t want anything else coming between us. No matter the risk.”
“No secrets. Well, there’s one more. But I can’t tell you.”
I stared daggers at him.
“Trust me, it’s something good. I just can’t spoil the fun.”
I took a deep breath and sighed. “What now?”
“We track him.”
I shook my head. “If it’s been two days and you haven’t found anything, he’s long gone by now. He might have left the city.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain of that. I had a wee bit of fun torturing the bastard. If there’s any spite left in him, he’ll be coming for me.”
“We need to get back to the taco place.”
His lips twitched. “Did I miss something?”
“Viktor hired a Gravewalker to come in and kick all the ghosts out so Wyatt doesn’t go insane. He’s been looking pretty bad lately.”
“Aye. Caught him running down the hallway a week ago in nothing but his underpants.”
While Christian snuffed out the candles and grabbed his coat, I stepped outside and searched the trees for Houdini. There was no trace of him, and I knew he wouldn’t have stuck around for long. Was he hoping whatever was behind this door would split Christian and me apart? Or did he want to see if I would partake? I’d spent the past year believing that Fletcher was out there somewhere, maybe waiting for another opportunity to strike. All this time, Christian had kept me safe.
This was a convoluted mess, and I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Fletcher might run, yet he might be so incensed by his treatment that he would come after us. And what if he went after my father?
I picked up the phone and dialed his cell.
“What’s up?” Crush answered.
I blew out a breath. “Just checking in.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’re not at work are you? The roads are a mess.”
“I got tire chains.”
“I can’t do this with you right now. I might swing by your house later. You better be there.”
“Are you shittin’ me?”
I ended the call.
Once inside the truck, I reclined my head to process everything. I couldn’t keep yanking my father out of his life to protect him from my enemies. Fletcher wouldn’t be the last, so where did it end?
Christian lifted his Ducati over his head as if it weighed nothing and set it in the back of my truck. When he got inside, he held my hand, and we stared at the concrete structure for a long time. This moment changed everything. I could no longer go about my life as before. Fletcher would come, sooner rather than later. He wasn’t a man who took shame very well. And I knew firsthand how rage could fester until it became all-consuming.
“Your da can live with us,” Christian finally said.
“No, he can’t. Viktor doesn’t run a boarding house. Crush isn’t gonna like getting dragged out of his house every time I think he’s in danger.” I hit the steering wheel. “Fuck!”
