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This restaurant, the meal, the good time we were having . . . It was right.

I leaned forward, and reached for his hand, taking it in mine. His skin was warm and soft, his nails glossy. I folded my fingers around his. “Zee, listen to me. There’s something you need to know about me. It will change everything, but I think it’s time⁠—”

“Zodiac,” an English-accented voice declared behind me.

Zee’s gaze clung to mine a second longer, then skipped away. “Not now . . .” he whispered. He was right, this wasn’t the time. He eased his hand away, and stood. “Kris! What’s it been, a year?”

“I’m surprised Seb let you out to play, Zee.”

My heart raced. I’d almost told him. I still wanted to, but also . . . didn’t. There was too much at stake. But I could trust him, I was certain of that.

“Change in management,” Zodiac was explaining. “Kris, this is Adam, my partner.”

I pinned a polite smile to my face and turned to look up at the fae. Kris and I were about the same in height and build. His pretty face was undeniably fae, with high cheekbones, elegant eyes, and tapered ears poking through pin-straight white hair, cut diagonally and sloping toward his chin. An expensive looking watch glinted on his wrist and his shoes gleamed in the sun.

“Adam Vex, right?” Recognition flashed in his eyes.

“Yeah. Have we met?”

“I’ve heard about you and the Sex Hotel.”

“Oh, uh. That’s not its name⁠—”

“You’re one crazy human. Sorry about leaving you guys here. Downtown traffic was rough. Let’s chat out back.” Kris pushed through the back door into a bright, stainless-steel kitchen. “So, Zee, what’s brought you out to fae territory?”

I heard the puff of air. Zee hissed, and spun on his heels. “What—” He reached over his shoulder, then swayed. His eyes rolled and he dropped.

“You should never have come here, Zee,” Kris said, casually watching Zee collapse.

The kitchen doors swung shut behind me. I spun, saw two tall figures loom from either side of the doorway. The puff of air from a dart gun accompanied a sharp sting in my neck. “Ow.”

Another dart struck, then another. The room spun, its edges wobbling, and I dropped.

“Three darts. I’ve never had to use more than two before.”

“Do him again, one more won’t hurt.”

“It might kill him.”

“Meh, not our problem.”

The fourth dart stung my ass. “You are going on my . . . Bad People . . . list . . .”

CHAPTER 8

“Adam? Kitten? Baby? Lover?”

The world rocked, see-sawing in and out of focus. I saw purple eyes, then nothing, then a swathe of pretty flowers, and nothing.

“Kitten. Don’t die. Wake up.” A warm hand patted my face. “Adam, Adam, fuck.”

I blinked, and found Zee’s face an inch from mine.

“Hey, hey? You good?” he asked.

“Ugh.” I raised my hand and tried to rub the blur from my vision.

Zee scrambled off me, but stayed crouched at my side with his wings out, shielding us. “Thank fuck. I’m too pretty to die alone.”