“He’s not even that good,” he went on, sharper now. “He doesn’t even know what he’s fucking doing half the time.”
He leaned toward me, pointing ahead as if the track were still in front of him.
“He doesn’t even understand basic aerodynamics, Rack!”
I just kept driving while he got it all out, but I had to admit, he wasn’t wrong.
Manshu had strength, presence, and just enough backing to stay relevant, but skill or brains weren’t part of it. Not the kind Calix respected.
Calix shifted again, leaning back as the frustration settled into something quieter, more controlled. He always needed a rival, someone to play the push and pull game with, but not one like that.
My thoughts drifted back to the track, catching on something I hadn’t meant to hold onto.
Her.
Dark hair tipped in red. Tattooed roses trailing down one arm. Manshu barked orders behind her as she made quick changes and adjustments to make the car run smoother, faster. The hat she wore didn't hide herself like she had probably intended.
The human girl from that night. I could still remember the way she had felt in my arms, and that… confused me.
I hadn’t meant to notice, but I did, and now a pit was forming in my stomach. I didn't like it.
“Did you see her?” I asked before thinking.
Calix stilled just enough for me to notice.
“His pit. The human girl.”
There was a brief pause before he answered.
“I saw.”
His voice came out flat, colder than before. His gaze shifted to the window, but his hand clenched once in his lap before he forced it still.
That was enough. Neither of us bring it up again.
The club came into view a few minutes later, lights pulsing through the walls, music spilling out into the street. The line of supes wrapped around the building, bodies pressed together as they waited to get in.
Parking the car, we got in the back of the line, and I kept my sigh to myself. If we were going as ourselves, we’d already be in the club and comfortable in a booth.
Not standing in line, sandwiched between a few fairies in front of us, flapping their wings in our faces, or the troll behind us, breathing down our necks like he was going through an asthma attack.
Calix leaned out the side, something having caught his attention, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. Only disturbed air was left in his wake.Damn vampire speed.
Closing my eyes in frustration, I exhaled and tapped my watch. The tracker blinked to life, his signal already moving. I stepped out of line and followed.
The noise faded as I turned the corner. The crowd thinned, then disappeared entirely, replaced by something quieter.
A half hazard wooden sign hung overhead, Rokwood Bar. A few bodies scurried down the sidewalk and ducked inside. A human bar.
I knew a few of these still existed in our territory, and it made sense with the supe club just around the corner. It was a place where humans who were too nervous around supes yet still curious hung out. Later in the night, if any supes were looking for human companionship, I bet this was the first stop on their list.
Taking in the worn-out exterior, I approved. Of course this was where he went. It was the kind of place people passed without noticing unless they were looking for it.
I pushed the door open, and the smell hit first. Roses and motor oil. The kind I’d smelt before.
As my eyes swept the room, I caught sight of her immediately. The human girl who wore red like she owned it.
Her and her blonde friend from the Track were standing next to the bar. She had her arm out, blocking her friend from going forward. My eyes traveled to the ground where her friend was pointing, her voice sharp, to a human man rolling on the floor, clutching himself with both hands.What the hell happened there?
