I laughed again. “You don’t have to worry about me ever picking Alaska.”
Ren kissed my cheek. “Thank God.”
My smile faded from my lips. “Are you nervous about tonight?”
“Be stupid not to be.”
“True.”
Ren was quiet for a very long time and then he said, “I know.”
My breath caught. Instinct told me what I needed to know without asking. He was talking about Kyle, and I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like I thought Ren would never find out, but I hoped I’d make it twenty-four hours before he did.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I couldn’t let you do it. I couldn’t do it, but he could not live. He would come after you—”
“Don’t apologize.”
I started to turn in his embrace. “But I should, because I didn’t tell you. I should’ve—”’
“I know why you didn’t tell me.” His voice held a rough edge. “Wanting to leave him alive was foolish.”
“It wasn’t.” I drew in a shallow breath. “And it was. I mean, I get why you wanted to let him live. Maybe it would prove to the other members we hadn’t betrayed them, but he would’ve kept coming after us. He would get more of us killed.”
“You’re right. And it would’ve been me to put him down. That son of bitch would’ve made sure of it, because he knew—yeah, he knew it would get to me.”
“That’s why I couldn’t let that happen,” I admitted quietly.
He was silent for a moment. “You made sure that I didn’t . . . I didn’t have to carry his death on my shoulders. Thank you.” He curled a hand around my chin, tipping my head back. He kissed me. “Thank you, Sweetness.”
I really had no idea what to say to that. None whatsoever. But then Ren tightened his arms around me again and held me tight, blocking out the coolness in the air.
Right then and there, I sent a prayer up to whatever god or gods were listening that this meeting with Daniel went the way we needed it to and that it wasn’t a trap.
Because if it was, I didn’t plan on dying tonight. I didn’t plan on seeing Ren or Faye or Kalen die tonight. That meant we’d be doing the killing, and I didn’t want that either.
But I would if I had to.
Chapter 27
Ren and I arrived in the Gaslamp District of San Diego thirty minutes before we were scheduled to arrive so we could scope out the area. Faye and Kalen were also with us. We couldn’t see them, but we knew they were there. All of us were armed, but our weapons were well hidden.
I immediately understood why Daniel had picked this place. It was out in the open and teeming with people. The bar and restaurant-lined streets reminded me of the French Quarter.
“Would’ve been cool to check some of these places out,” I said, happy when I smelled charbroiled hamburgers and my stomach didn’t revolt.
Ren’s hand tightened around mine. “We should come back when this is all over. We could use a vacation.”
I smiled, liking the sound of that—the idea of making plans. It made me feel like there was a future to look forward to. I started to tell him that, but Ren spoke again.
“There.” He cursed under his breath as he pulled me to the side, out of the middle of the sidewalk. “Daniel is already here. And he’s not alone.”
“What?” I was not at all surprised that Daniel had done just what we had, which was to arrive early as an attempt to control the situation. I followed Ren’s gaze, and it took me a moment to find Daniel.
He was sitting in the center of a bench, his arms hooked around the back and his long legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles. To a stranger, he looked like a normal guy, out enjoying the cool night. Behind him was Miles Daily, the man in charge if Daniel was to go down.
My shoulders tightened. I never knew where I stood with Miles. He was older than me, maybe in his thirties, and completely unreadable.
“Can’t blame him for not coming alone,” Ren said. “And I doubt they are the only two here.”
I scanned the little park area, but just because I didn’t see any familiar faces didn’t mean that every person and every couple I saw wasn’t an Order member. They could have us surrounded by the dozens, and we wouldn’t know since we didn’t know any of the San Diego members.
Looking up at Ren, I squeezed his hand. “You ready?” I asked.
My gaze trained on where Daniel sat as he nodded. I stretched up and kissed his lips. “Let’s do this.”
Ren let go of my hand as we crossed the street. My heart was thumping in my chest. I doubted that they’d try something in such a public spot, but I’d been wrong before.
“Hey,” Ren spoke first, hopping up on the sidewalk. “Long time no see.”
Daniel and Miles looked up and over, but I knew that they had been aware of our approach before that moment. “You guys are early,” Daniel said.
“So are you,” I replied.
“Thought you were coming by yourself.” Ren’s gaze flickered over Daniel’s second in command. “How are you doing, Miles?”
Miles lifted his chin. “Can’t complain.”
If both of them were here, I wondered who was running the New Orleans branch. I was about to ask that when I stepped under the street lamp, but I didn’t get the chance.
The men saw me, like, really saw me.
Daniel’s lazy sprawl changed in an instant. He pulled his legs up and sat straight, his eyes widening. For the first time in my life, I saw a reaction in Miles. His mouth dropped open as his gaze flicked over my face.
“You should see the ears,” I said, having left my hair down.
Miles snapped his jaw shut.
“What in the hell?” Daniel exclaimed. He looked like he was about to stand, but couldn’t move.
Ren started to step in front of me, but I lifted my arm, stopping him.
“I look different. I know. It’s a long story.”
Daniel stood then and took a step toward me. I could feel Ren tensing. “How?” Daniel asked, voice gruff. “How is this possible? You couldn’t have gotten—”
“It’s more of a recent thing.” I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with their intense scrutiny. “And I will tell you everything, but I think . . .” I glanced over at Ren, who looked like he was seconds from making sure they were staring at someone or something else. “I think we should start at the beginning.”
“Yeah.” Miles’ expression smoothed out, becoming unreadable. “I think you need to do that.”
So that’s what Ren and I did. We told them everything, starting with how I figured out I was the Halfling, how the Prince was able to capture Ren and me, and how we escaped. I even told them about the forced feedings and that it was a fae who had helped me escape. We told them how I had been attacked and how I had been healed.
It was Ren who explained that in a low voice. “I made the choice. It wasn’t Ivy’s. If it was, she would’ve never agreed to it and she wouldn’t be here right now.”
Daniel looked somewhat awed when he sat back down while Miles had no change in his expression at all.
“He saved my life—feeding saved my life.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I wasn’t okay with it. Ren was right. I wouldn’t have agreed to it, and I was pissed at him, but I would’ve done the same thing to save his life. That’s why I . . . I look the way I do now. It made the part of me that is halfling stronger, but I’m still Ivy.” I lifted my chin as I said the last words. “Who I am hasn’t changed.”
“Kind of hard to believe that when I’m looking at you, seeing that you’ve changed,” Miles said.
“Just because she looks more beautiful than she did before, doesn’t mean she isn’t still the kickass Ivy out there fighting the good fight,” Ren interjected.