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“You’d better watch out, or I’m going to recruit you.” I throw her a smile.
“You’re a pretty good actor yourself. Darling,” she adds with a giggle.
I drum my fingers on my thigh as the last of my adrenaline spins out. I’m still furious with Dante. The idea of him touching Ven makes me about lose my mind. What is it about her that makes me feel like this? “Of course, now we have to not only find Luciana, but also somehow get you out of your deal with Dante.”.
She frowns. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. One thing at a time.” We reach the highway running along the coast and Ven turns north. “So, what exactly is the Night Guild?”
I’m not surprised she doesn’t know. That’s kind of the point. “It’s a criminal organization that puppeteers a lot of crazy shit around the world. But the leader, or leaders, are unknown.”
“Unknown?” Ven’s frown deepens.
“They go to great lengths to keep whoever runs the show a secret. Usually, crime bosses love being in the limelight. They get off on the fear they instill. But for some reason, this group stays in the dark. Thus the name.”
I’ve always been fascinated by the Night Guild, and I feel a thrill of excitement to have a chance at discovering the wizard behind the curtain. But I also need to make sure Ven knows what she’s getting into.
“This is big, Ven,” I say, glancing over at her as she drives. “I know Luciana is a good friend, but are you sure you want to go down this path?”
She doesn’t look over at me, but I can see the steely resolve in her gaze. “She was there for me in my darkest time. I won’t abandon her in hers.” Her jaw flexes. “Now, how far is it to Naranjo Beach?”
I’m impressed with her steadfastness. She’d gone head-to-head with Dante, and now she’s willing to go up against the Night Guild. Is there anything this little witch can’t do?
“Four hours, maybe?” I respond.
“Well, let’s hope the Jeep can get us there.”
Two hours later, the hunk of metal is dead on the side of the highway. On a stretch of coastline with practically nothing around, naturally.
“Fucking fuck,” Ven hisses, smacking the steering wheel.
She gets out, forcing me to crawl over the seat after her. We walk around to the front of the Jeep, and she lifts the hood.
“Are you a mechanic, too?” I ask with a grin.
“Oh, shush,” she says. “Maybe I am.”
She twists her red hair into a knot at the base of her neck and leans over the steaming engine. Her skin is dewy from the humidity in the air along with the heat from the engine. Raising a hand, she shoots a jolt of magic into the engine. Then she walks around to the driver’s side and tries to crank it again. Nothing.
“Damn it,” she growls.
At that moment, the sky opens up and it begins to rain, thick, warm drops that soak us instantly. “Do you have a top for this thing?” I ask.
She shoots me a death glare and crosses her arms over her chest.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Do you have a solution, then, Ryder?” she snaps.
I point down the shore to a rocky outcropping not far from where we are. “Let’s go see if we can find an overhang. The rain should pass soon.”
She looks reluctant but nods. We dash down to the sandy shore and toward the rocks, which tower a couple dozen feet over the beach. They jut out into the water, leaving us only a short length of rock to explore without wading in and getting even more wet. Luckily, there’s just enough of a slant to one part of the rocks that it provides a tiny crevice out of the rain. I slide into it, Ven on my heels.
We have to huddle close together to avoid the downpour. I do the chivalrous thing and rotate so Ven is on the inside, and my back is to the outside. She presses up against the stone and I face her, just a couple inches from touching her chest. Her hair is plastered to her face. As is her dress. I’m trying my hardest not to stare at her cold, perky nipples through the wet material. She shivers, which does not make things easier.
“What are we going to do?” she asks. “We’re only halfway there.”
I shrug. “I’m pretty much the world’s best hitchhiker. We’ll catch a ride once the rain stops.”
“I’ll bet you are,” she says, but I notice she doesn’t include the customary eyeroll.
