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“What?” Kat’s response was instant, her head darting around, searching for whatever caused my reaction. She looked at me, following my gaze to the two men. “You know them?”
“Not really.” My gaze stayed intently on them. “But I know what they’re after.”
Her head jerked to me.
“Those are the guys from the pub.” I nodded at the two men. “They’re the ones I overheard talking about the nectar.”
Of all the places in all the towns, Tiger and Hammerhead were standing only feet away in this one. A link to the nectar.
“I think we just found our break.”
Cooper was tall enough to see above most of the crowd, his head nodding, telling me the men were coming our way.
“Keep your distance,” I whispered to Kat.
“Croygen,” she snapped, my head turning to her. “I’m a cat-shifter. Iknowhow to stalk prey without them knowing. I can do it in my sleep.” She placed her hands on my chest. “Now shut up and calm the fuck down. I got this.”
Shit. Was it bad that I was turned on by her remarks?
She slipped out from the cart, trailing the two men who were loaded down with stuff, not paying attention to their surroundings, oblivious to who shadowed them.
We couldn’t let them out of our sight. They were our only clue as to where the nectar might be.
It took everything I had to wait, to let the men drift out of view. Cooper and AB stood out too much around here, their golden hair recognizable. And there was a very slight possibility the men might recall me from the pub.
Like Kat, I had a talent for disappearing easily, blending in with my surroundings and almost vanishing in front of your eyes. It was how I got out of many sticky situations when husbands came home while I was in bed with their wives.
Five minutes later, Kat was back, slinking up beside me.
“That was fast.” I nodded to Cooper and AB to join us. “Did you lose them?”
“No.” She frowned at me, waiting for my friends to circle in. “They’re staying in a room above a bar. Third floor, on the corner.”
“Bar,” Cooper repeated. “Good chance they’ll be drinking there tonight?”
“Hopefully, and leaving the room unguarded.” I hoped it would be that easy. Otherwise we’d have to do it when they were asleep. “We get in, take note of everything they have. Maps, documents, pictures. Anything.”
“Easy enough.” Kat tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Uh. Did I say you were going?”
“Uh, do I care?” she countered. “What don’t you get? I’m a cat. Why do you think we’re synonymous with thieving? I know you’re having an issue seeing me as a competent woman.” That wasnotwhat I was having trouble seeing her as. “But I became the pirate PIB for a reason. Maybe this is hard on your ego, but I’m amazing at what I do. So stop being an egotistical jerk and get over yourself.” She slammed into my shoulder, stalking by me, leaving the three of us.
“I really like her.” Annabeth curled her arm around Cooper’s, both of them nodding in agreement, grinning like fools.
Cooper was loving that I just got my ass reamed. “Think someone got put in their place.”
“Shut up,” I mumbled, tramping back to the ship as their laughter followed me.
The problem was I didn’t disagree with them.
Chapter 20
Katrina
The night brought even more people to the streets. The craving to block out life came with a plenitude of vices: drinking, gambling, sex, drugs. It was gifted to you everywhere here. The fae had fewer restrictions on sin, and humans and fae alike were drawn to it. Except there was definitely a divide here. The poor man’s area and the rich’s. The elite fae stayed away from the dock, protected in the clean, upscale gambling establishments in the wealthy part of the city, while the disadvantaged stayed in the seedy zone.
Slinking through the stacked, dirty, cramped lanes full of shops with apartments above, the smell of cooking spices and mystery meats wafted through the confined streets.
