Kaison tilts his head, probing me with a private, sultry gaze. “Nothing to do with the multiple orgasms and fantastic fucking?”
I shrug one shoulder and work to suppress the smile that threatens to validate everything he’s saying. The pressures of finding the Ember of Midnight and uncovering the truth about my father seem so far away right now.
“Pumpkin spice is the way to a girl's heart, but it’s possible the second best way is, in fact, via some fantastic fucking. I think I read that in a book once.”
Kai looks hungry, and not for food. Heat sweeps through my body. Only the barest hint of fear zips through me at the idea he might be thirsting for my blood. The way I’ve started to trust him so fast it’s scary.
I push the martini over to him, hoping it will keep his thirst at bay.
“Do vampires live forever?” Snow asks, breaking our private moment as she reaches for the third martini. “Like are you actually in your twenties, or do you just look that age while you are hundreds of years old?
I bring my martini to my lips and sip on the perfect cozy cold concoction that heats my belly immediately with pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If only Midnight had more pumpkin spice and less a-hole bloodsuckers, it might be my perfect haven.
Kai laughs, looking down at the creamy, light orange liquid that I sprinkled cinnamon on top of. “Midnight fairies age at anormal rate until we hit our mid-twenties or early thirties and then it slows down from there. So, I will likely live hundreds of years if I keep in good health and don’t get assassinated by silver or stake.” With that, he cheers Snow and then sips the liquid.
A spew erupts from Kai's mouth. He turns his head away from Snow just in time so as not to plaster her with his mouthful. “Gah, that is disgusting.” He smacks his lips and pushes his tongue out as if he can rid himself of the taste.
Unfortunately, while Kai avoided hitting Snow, he sprayed Berkeley fully across the face. The room collectively sucks in its breath. Even I wait to see if Brex will massacre Kai on the spot.
“Oh, sorry, man. I didn’t mean to get you like that.” Kai grabs a napkin to dab his own dripping chest.
The tall wolf shifter stands, the stool scraping loudly across the floor.
“That’s it,” he growls. “You’re uninvited to the wedding.”
“No, you're not,” Red assures Kai. Without missing a beat, she hands a fresh bar towel over to Brexley who is too busy glaring at Kai to clean himself.
“Even if you were uninvited, you’d obviously just come as Cinder’s date,” Snow pipes up.
“Oh my gods.” The distressed voice distracts me before I can respond.
“Goldie?” I prompt when I see her eyes glued to her phone, brows furrowed with concern. She’s even extracted herself from Ted as she takes in whatever she is reading.
“That guy, remember the one who fucking assaulted you?” Goldie’s nostrils flare with anger at the memory.
My stomach sours a little. “Yeah.”
Her big brown eyes turn up to meet mine. “They found him dead.”
Chapter 32
Welcome to my Dark Side
CINDER
The news hits me like a sucker punch to the gut. It wasn’t just my attacker, there was another man too.
Snow rushes over to look at Goldie's phone, but I remain rooted to the spot. I feel Kaison's gaze on me, heavy and searching.
I know. I know it was Kaison.
A part of me is relieved, grateful even. That entitled fucker can't hurt anyone else now. But another part, the part that clings desperately to the tattered remnants of my morality, knows that murder is wrong. No matter how justified.
“How was he killed?” I ask, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. Suddenly, I’m staring down at an empty martini glass. When did I down the whole thing?
“They don't know yet.” Goldie shakes her head, scrolling for more information. “He was totally mangled and left in a dumpster.”
I meet Kaison's gaze, steeling myself for what I might find there. Remorse? Regret?
