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I spotted the tunnel entrance, and I rushed forward, brushing the leaves and debris off it. Pax came up beside me and rolled the lid to the side, revealing the tunnel I’d traveled through so many times.
“Does it feel like you’re coming home?” Viggo asked, cocking his head.
“No,” I answered honestly. “Project Hope never felt like a true home.”
I dropped into the tunnel, landed hard on my feet, and then moved forward. Zan jumped down next, followed by Viggo and Pax, who all landed much more gracefully than I did. Without waiting, I ran my fingertips along the wall as I strode through the narrow passage. After a couple of minutes, I hit the end and reached around, trying to find the rope so I could haul myself up.
“How the hell do you get up there by yourself?” Viggo asked. “That can’t be easy with human strength.”
“Usually there’s a Clover up there, waiting to help. But in a pinch, we can open it,” I said, my stomach knotting painfully. It was the ultimate betrayal that I was talking Clover business with vampires.
“I’ll go first.” Zan’s voice came from right next to me, and then he moved away. I couldn’t see anything, but I heard him as he climbed up the rope. A few moments later, a crack of light appeared as he pushed open the lid. He peered through the small space before heaving it off the rest of the way. Viggo handed me the rope, and I gripped it, hauling myself up. The rope bit into my palms, and once I neared the top, Zan’s hand came into sight. His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled me up the rest of the way.
“Zan,” I hissed when he didn’t let go, and I fell on top of him once I was out of the hole. He ignored my struggles when I attempted to untangle myself from him. “We need to get out of sight. Now isn’t the time to mess around.”
He chuckled. “No one’s around. I’m listening.”
Pax appeared next, and once I was free from Zan’s hold, I glanced around. There were no windows facing this way, making it the perfect place for the tunnel. Viggo grumbled something under his breath as he situated the lid back over the hole.
“All right,” Pax said in a low voice. “We’ll meet back here in one hour.”
My eyes snapped to him. “We’re splitting up? Why?”
“You and I will find Tim and Jill,” Viggo told me. “Zan and Pax have something else to do.”
I whipped around to look at Zan. “You never said anything about something else.”
“You didn’t ask.” Zan’s face revealed nothing. “This is Kane business, Kali. Something you don’t need to be involved with.”
“Business against humans,” I breathed out. “I won’t be a part of it?—”
“You’re not,” Zan cut me off, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the closest building. “You’re here to help with Tim and Jill. You want us to entrance them, right?”
I jerked a nod, not trusting my voice. Anger rushed through my veins, and I bristled when Viggo came to my side, and Zan didn’t seem particularly pleased about it either. All three of them were Kanes, yet I felt more uneasy about being with Viggo than with Zan.
“The twins can’t go together. They’ll draw too much attention,” Zan said gruffly, answering my silent question. “We’ll meet back up soon.”
Zan backed me up until I hit the rough brick wall, his palm landing next to my head, his other hand landing on my hip. I didn’t move a muscle when he leaned in until his lips were a breath away from mine.
“I won’t be long. Don’t get yourself into trouble,” he murmured.
I raised an eyebrow. “It’s you three who are going to get into trouble. I could sneak around this city for days without raising suspicion.”
He grinned. “Worried about me?”
“Of course not,” I snapped.
Zan didn’t respond, giving me a long look before he backed up and slunk away with Pax, going toward the middle of the city.
“Where are they going?” I asked Viggo as we began walking down the side street.
“They’re not going to hurt anyone,” he said with a sigh. “We’re looking for something.”
“For what?”
“I know where Tim and Jill live. You said that Tim worked in the cafeteria. Where is that?” he asked, fully ignoring my question.
I pointed to the left. “Two streets down. Jill helps with the daycare, but usually in the evenings. She’ll probably be in the bunker right now. If they’re even in the city.”
