looking like a stable girl. It would make more sense.”
“And I said drop it,” Ryan warns him, his voice becoming hot.
“Like a pro?” I ask, shocked.
But then I wonder why I’m shocked. How else are they meant to explain me? Where have I been hiding if not inside a stable? I’ll cause more of a stir walking in looking like this, like I don’t owe anyone anything, than I would waltzing in naked. I’m definitely not doing that, that’s insane and I’m pretty sure it’s so far outside my comfort zone that I’d vomit from the stress, but it’s something to consider.
I quickly strip off my jacket, carefully peeling it over my aching arm.
“Hold this,” I snap at Trent, throwing the jacket in his face.
It falls away to reveal his feline smile, his eyes watching me in the dark.
“Joss, you don’t have to change how you look,” Ryan says, sounding tired.
“Yes, I do,” I tell him, pulling my t-shirt up over my head.
I don’t have anything on underneath but a thin tank top and a sports bra, but it’ll have to do. My education on sexy comes from 80’s movies but I somehow doubt fluffing my hair and wearing neon spandex is what I need to blend in these days.
“You need to eat more,” Trent says, pointing at my side. “I can see your ribs.”
I snatch my coat back from him, wincing as pain shoots up my arm.
“If I had more to eat, I’d eat it. Back off me.”
“You’re not taking good care of your girl, Ry.”
“I would if she’d let me,” Ryan mutters.
He’s staring down at me as well. Mostly at my chest.
“Alright,” I growl at both of them, “eyes forward and hands off. Let’s go get this over with.”
We move under an overpass, crumbling and decrepit. I hurry as I always do going under them, worried that they’ll choose that moment to dissolve down on top of me. To trap me as easy pickings for… well, just about anyone, living or undead. I shiver at the thought of all the enemies I have out there, a fair portion of which are in this building looming in front of me. It’s stupid to be here.
The building is two stories of good condition that screams someone lives there. The exterior paint is badly chipped and faded, but broken window s are carefully boarded up and the surrounding areas are barricaded and secured. It’s a long building stretching out onto a pier over the water of the Pudget Sound. I’ve fished there before. Not by this building, obviously, but hidden farther north away from The Hive and the Colonies nearby. I can see them now. The stadiums are just south of us, also glowing faintly in the night sky. All of them so shamelessly broadcasting where they are and what they have. Hardly a care in the world.
I hate all of them.
The inside of the building is dark as far as I can see, but Ryan doesn’t hesitate to walk right up to the door and knock sharply. It doesn’t take long for a small square in the door to pop open.
“What?” a voice asks gruffly.
Ryan puts his face to the hole. “I’m here to see the Boss. He asked for me.”
“You’re not here to fight?”
“No. Just business.”
“That’s a shame. Slow night.”
“Not my problem,” Ryan says, his tone dead.
I hear a muffled chuckle as the square slams shut. Bolts are unlatched and eventually the door swings open. There are lights on inside but not much. The entire entryway is cast in black shadows, including the bouncer at the door, and I hesitate as all of my survival instincts scream at me to run the other way. Nature and numbers. They don’t lie.
Ryan steps inside, not bothering to look back to see if Trent and I are following him. Trent nudges me subtly with his arm, falling in step behind me as I stumble forward. I keep moving, my muscles jerky with the tremors running through them. I probably look like one of the junkies. Someone itching for a fix. Better to look like an addict than a coward.
We come into a large open area with high ceilings and exposed beams. The remnants of a
“And I said drop it,” Ryan warns him, his voice becoming hot.
“Like a pro?” I ask, shocked.
But then I wonder why I’m shocked. How else are they meant to explain me? Where have I been hiding if not inside a stable? I’ll cause more of a stir walking in looking like this, like I don’t owe anyone anything, than I would waltzing in naked. I’m definitely not doing that, that’s insane and I’m pretty sure it’s so far outside my comfort zone that I’d vomit from the stress, but it’s something to consider.
I quickly strip off my jacket, carefully peeling it over my aching arm.
“Hold this,” I snap at Trent, throwing the jacket in his face.
It falls away to reveal his feline smile, his eyes watching me in the dark.
“Joss, you don’t have to change how you look,” Ryan says, sounding tired.
“Yes, I do,” I tell him, pulling my t-shirt up over my head.
I don’t have anything on underneath but a thin tank top and a sports bra, but it’ll have to do. My education on sexy comes from 80’s movies but I somehow doubt fluffing my hair and wearing neon spandex is what I need to blend in these days.
“You need to eat more,” Trent says, pointing at my side. “I can see your ribs.”
I snatch my coat back from him, wincing as pain shoots up my arm.
“If I had more to eat, I’d eat it. Back off me.”
“You’re not taking good care of your girl, Ry.”
“I would if she’d let me,” Ryan mutters.
He’s staring down at me as well. Mostly at my chest.
“Alright,” I growl at both of them, “eyes forward and hands off. Let’s go get this over with.”
We move under an overpass, crumbling and decrepit. I hurry as I always do going under them, worried that they’ll choose that moment to dissolve down on top of me. To trap me as easy pickings for… well, just about anyone, living or undead. I shiver at the thought of all the enemies I have out there, a fair portion of which are in this building looming in front of me. It’s stupid to be here.
The building is two stories of good condition that screams someone lives there. The exterior paint is badly chipped and faded, but broken window s are carefully boarded up and the surrounding areas are barricaded and secured. It’s a long building stretching out onto a pier over the water of the Pudget Sound. I’ve fished there before. Not by this building, obviously, but hidden farther north away from The Hive and the Colonies nearby. I can see them now. The stadiums are just south of us, also glowing faintly in the night sky. All of them so shamelessly broadcasting where they are and what they have. Hardly a care in the world.
I hate all of them.
The inside of the building is dark as far as I can see, but Ryan doesn’t hesitate to walk right up to the door and knock sharply. It doesn’t take long for a small square in the door to pop open.
“What?” a voice asks gruffly.
Ryan puts his face to the hole. “I’m here to see the Boss. He asked for me.”
“You’re not here to fight?”
“No. Just business.”
“That’s a shame. Slow night.”
“Not my problem,” Ryan says, his tone dead.
I hear a muffled chuckle as the square slams shut. Bolts are unlatched and eventually the door swings open. There are lights on inside but not much. The entire entryway is cast in black shadows, including the bouncer at the door, and I hesitate as all of my survival instincts scream at me to run the other way. Nature and numbers. They don’t lie.
Ryan steps inside, not bothering to look back to see if Trent and I are following him. Trent nudges me subtly with his arm, falling in step behind me as I stumble forward. I keep moving, my muscles jerky with the tremors running through them. I probably look like one of the junkies. Someone itching for a fix. Better to look like an addict than a coward.
We come into a large open area with high ceilings and exposed beams. The remnants of a
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