Page 13 of Shiny Things

“Ouch. That hurts, Elias.”

“You’re full of shit. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Eli, I’m serious. Let her simmer.”

“That sounds like a horrible idea.”

“Trust me.”

“Yeah, whatever. I won’t bother her tonight.”

I did honor that request too, but it didn’t stop me from flying over under the cover of darkness and leaving a golden chain with a charm on it on her front door.

Kim

Chapter 5

I groaned when the alarm went off. It was too early. I hated morning shifts, but lately they were providing me with good tips so I couldn’t turn them down.

I still felt bad for bailing on Gia for the dinner shift last night, but I needed a break. That kiss was still plaguing my every thought, and I hadn’t slept well because of it.

“What are you doing to me, Elias?” I groaned.

It didn’t take long for me to shower and dress for the day. I skipped breakfast, planning to grab something during my shift. Gia let us eat one meal per shift for free, which was a nice perk of the job. If I managed to work all three shifts—which several days I did, despite her protests—I didn’t have to worry about buying food at all. Of course, that just meant there was rarely more than leftovers in my fridge.

Being early for once wasn’t a bad thing, but as I walked out of my front door, I tripped over something and cursed under my breath.

Sitting down on the top step I looked back and saw something shiny.

“What is this?” I muttered to myself.

I picked it up to examine it more closely. My heart stuttered as I looked at the gold necklace in my hands.

“Elias,” I whispered wiping a tear from eye.

It was a beautiful necklace with a heart-shaped charm with two ravens flying together as one carved into one side.

I sighed. He was relentless, but this was certainly a new step in his pursuit of me.

When Gia came over to check on me after he apparently freaked out that I hadn’t immediately returned to work, she had tried to reason with me and suggested we just let our birds meet and see what happens.

I wished it could be that simple, but in my experience, nothing in life was that easy. Because, what if he was right? Then what? I didn’t want to know without a doubt that he was my one true mate when I still couldn’t have him.

He had expectations weighing him down. They were important to the Flocks and to the entire Congress. Taking me for a mate would be a disaster and possibly hurt his future. I loved him enough to think of him and not just myself.

Of course that wasn’t something Elias wanted to hear. He was a man used to getting his way. A girl like me should be thrilled he even paid attention to me. But when we were together, status didn’t matter. I didn’t see him as a Davenport and me as a Grimes. None of that mattered to me, and it didn’t seem to matter to him either. But I knew there were plenty of others that would have lots of things to say about it.

Openly being with Elias as more than just the diner girl he occasionally flirted with would put a target on my back. People would talk. His own mother would be furious. And I knew that a few people that I respected would disappoint me with their reactions. I wasn’t ready for any of that.

My dad had always told me to hold my head high and be proud of my heritage. But right now, when I knew that the biggest obstacle between me and what could truly be unbelievable happiness with him was my stupid name, my heritage, it was hard.

Pushing all my thoughts and worries away, I put on the necklace and forced my legs to start walking before I chickened out.

I knew that wearing the necklace would send a message to him . . . the wrong message. But I couldn’t stop myself from putting it on anyway. Carefully, I tucked it beneath my shirt and picked up my pace seeing as I was late for my shift.

When I rounded the last corner, I saw flashing lights in the parking lot. I gasped and took off at a run. I could see smoke bellowing from the kitchen windows. Sensibility should have told me to stop and not go inside, but I wasn’t thinking as I ran into the burning building.

From the front I could hear someone ordering an evacuation of the building. Everything was in chaos.

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