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What the hell is going on here?
Salem waved at me as I jumped out of my window and approached her car. It wasn’t as nice as Alek’s car, but it fit her personality. I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.
“I don’t suppose you know what Alek wants?”
She took a sip of her energy drink and started driving. “With my brother? Who knows.” I stiffened. “Look, I know you have a deal with Alek. Our father’s an asshole.”
I let out a long breath. “He told you about the deal?”
Salem nodded. “Yes, and I think he’s a complete prick. If you want me to kick his ass, just say so.”
I laughed. Salem was very different from her cryptic, menacing brother. I instantly felt like I could trust her, which was very rare for me. Besides Natalie, I trusted nobody.
Trusting people would get me killed. My mother had drilled that into my brain for the last twenty-two years.
“It hasn’t been too terrible yet,” I said. “Other than the blood bonding, which was very strange.” My shoulder throbbed at the memory. “Besides, I guess Ididagree to it.”
“Well, if you change your mind and you ever want me to kick his ass,” she said, glancing at me from the driver’s seat, “you know where to find me.”
Her car was exactly as I expected, with empty soda cans littering the once-beige floors.
I fought back my smile. “Do you know where we’re going?”
“I do. But I’ve been specifically told not to tell you.”
“Oh good,” I muttered. “More surprises.”
For about twenty minutes, Salem drove us through the city and into the suburbs. I had left the city more times in the last few days than I had in my entire life. Something about it felt so freeing, like there was an entire world left for me to explore.
I sat in that feeling for the rest of the drive, trying not to let my mind wander to the fact that I had missed out on so much in my life.
After a while, Salem pulled into a dirt parking lot. “We’re here.”
I glanced around, looking for some hidden building or anything at all that would be important, but besides one other car in the lot, it was entirely empty.
Salem pulled her car up to the other one, which happened to be a blacked-out Porsche. I didn’t know a lot about cars, but I did know that was an expensive one.
Alek opened the door and stepped out.
“Are you coming with us?” I asked Salem.
“Nope. I’m just here to drop you off.” Salem watched as I drew a long breath. “Look,” she said, lowering her voice, “I know you don’t trust him. You have no reason to. But if he swore he wouldn’t hurt you, he meant it. He likes people to think he’s all large and dangerous, but it’s just an appearance.”
I wanted to believe her. I really did. But the knot of nerves in my stomach told me otherwise. “Thanks, Salem.”
As soon as I was out of the car, she drove off.
“Hello to you too, sister,” Alek sighed as we watched her speed away.
I took a breath to calm my nerves. “You summoned me?” I asked.
Alek nodded, leaning against his sleek car and crossing his arms over his chest. He wore the same all-black outfit, only this time, he added a pair of black aviator sunglasses.
“I have a mission. I figured you might want to join me.”
“What makes you figure that?”
“I don’t know,” he started. “But the fact that your mother is out of town and you seem to never get out of the city is a pretty strong hint. You seem like someone who could use the thrill.”
