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He shrugged. “Bill Dryer is a con artist and a liar. He’s also a shuttle pilot, but right now those first two things matter more. You wouldn’t have come if he’d told you that he wouldn’t take you back tonight.” He pointed at the sky. “It’s not the rain. Who cares about that? It’s the layer of electricity. See it?”
I followed where he pointed. Sure enough, a whole layer of the sky lit up again and again in strobing electrical pulses. “Will that stop when the storm clears?”
“No.” He shook his head. “We’re lit up like that for the next six weeks. We call this the quiet time here. If you’re here, you’re here until that goes away.”
I covered my mouth to stop my scream, but I was unsuccessful. Panic and dread braided themselves through my chest, restricting my ability to breathe, to think. “No. I can’t be here for six weeks. Why did he let me come? Why?”
“Bill? He needed what you paid him to get drunk, most likely. He’s not one of us. He’s like you, so he can actually get drunk. Anyway, he got you down here just in time, and now you’re stuck.”
I sunk to the ground, my legs finally giving up. I had enough money to eat maybe one more meal. I had nowhere to stay, and even if I didn’t eat with what little money I had, I wouldn’t have enough for even a night’s stay anywhere.
Not getting home meant others would die. What was I supposed to do?
Redhead walked toward me. “What’s your name?”
He knelt so we were eye-to-eye. I swallowed. “What would you like my name to be?”
That was what I always said to the men who came and were granted time with me. Most of the men liked it. It flew from my lips with practice, like a muscle memory.
“No. Try again. Real name. What is it?” He held my gaze.
I sighed as another burst of thunder hit. “My name is Raven. I don’t have a last name that I remember, just Raven.”
“Okay, Raven. My name is Gunnar.”
I blinked. “Weapons and tech.”
He smirked. “So Amias had things to say, did he? Yes, that was and is my specialty. Who were you to him, that you made a trek like this with no one to help you at the worst possible time? Were you his lover? His wife?”
“Not me.” I laughed. I kept having to deliver them news. “He was my best friend. My person. He was married to my brother, Stone. They’re both dead now, and without them, there is no one to help me in the world anymore. They’re gone. They were it. I am Clarke’s property, and right now, I’m lost. Look for me in a week, since I’ll still be sitting here.”
He put out his hand. “No, you won’t. Come on. We have a lot to talk about. You’re coming back with me. If he was married to your brother, that would make him your family. For most of my life, Amias was my brother. Clearly, there were years that I didn’t know him. You can tell me about those years, and I’ll tell you about mine with him. He saved my life many a time. The least I can do is watch out for his family for six weeks. It’s the least any of us can do.”
The last part seemed like it wasn’t directed toward me. It might not be. The enhanced could hear lots of things I couldn’t. Sometimes they had conversations we couldn’t even hear.
Almost as soon as he spoke, the blond man arrived. He carried a sweatshirt with a hood in his hand. Gunnar tugged me to my feet, and the blond man put the shirt over my head, placing the hood over my hair.
“I’m Mace,” he said in a low voice. “I’m really good at killing people. Sounds like you already know that.”
With no choices—not that I ever had any—I followed them back to their bar. I’d delivered Amias’ note and doomed myself in the process.
2
MY NEW HOME…FOR NOW
Their leader opened the door when we arrived, nodding at me as I came close to the door to the bar.
“I’m Crew,” he said, and although I already suspected his name, it was nice to have the official introduction. “Let’s put her in the guestroom, the one next to Amias’ old room. It’s clean.”
Mace nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
They led me through the bar to a door that opened to a set of stairs. I hadn’t known they lived above the bar, but it was a huge space. I counted six bedrooms as we walked down the hall. From the outside, their bar seemed deceptively small.
I rubbed my face as the first shiver hit me. The cooler air sliced through my wet clothes, clacking my teeth together before I clamped my jaw.
“It’ll be okay.” Mace touched my back. “The hot water will help.”
I blinked, surprised. “You have hot water?”
