Page 51 of Destined to Fight

“She will be in danger as a human in an Arcane establishment.”

“If you do not allow her to go with you, she will sneak after you and try to listen in, making herself more obvious than if she just went in with you,” Fabian said, in a tone that implied Kade should know that already.

“Jesus Christ, fine, ye can go.”

Kelly squealed, somewhat quietly, beside Kade.

He raised his voice slightly to make a point. “Ye will listen and do what yer told while we are there.” His statement was followed by a rather stern glare.

“Okay, okay. I’m going to ask some questions, though.”

Kade didn’t reply, clearly exasperated by Kelly’s independence.

Fabian chuckled at them.

—

When the SUV pulled up to the house, they all got out and grabbed their things.

Kelly glanced at the house, momentarily in awe, and then set her excitement aside so she could join Kade. She set her things inside the door and ran back out before she was distracted.

She was surprised when Kade took the driver’s seat of the SUV and waited for her to get in. “You can drive?”

He laughed, and she suddenly wondered what brought her to ask. “Dinnae worry, lass. I understand why ye would ask. Aye, I can drive.”

Fabian hopped in the back seat, and they were on their way.

Kade drove them into one of the most popular areas of downtown Dallas, right into the heart of Deep Ellum.

As they turned onto Elm St, they hit traffic and the SUV slowed to a crawl. Kelly took up one of her favorite pastimes and watched people as they walked down the street. Christmas lights adorned lamp posts and businesses; couples walked in the brisk air cuddled up together, holding hands. They all looked so happy.

Except for that one couple. Yep, she was pissed. Red wine, meet $500 jacket. Kelly wondered what had happened. Did he hit on another girl at the bar? Or had she caught him there on a date? Sadly, Kelly would never know.

They turned down a side street, and Kade parked in a space that didn’t really look like a space.

Kelly opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.

Kade led them around to the front of a small shop with a cute little sign that read “Deep Ellum Chocolate Shop.”

The shop appeared to be closed, but that didn’t stop Kade from walking in. Kelly looked back at Fabian, raising an eyebrow in question. He simply gestured her forward, and she followed Kade.

An extremely small woman appeared behind the counter and flashed a bright white smile at them. She reminded Kelly of that nerdy woman in that kids’ movie. The one about the superhero family. She couldn’t think of the name, but she could see that little woman and her cute bob haircut and giant glasses with absolute clarity.

“What will ya have?” the woman asked.

“Oh, come now, Thelma, ye ken what we’re here for.”

“Keegan MacCabe, you know the fucking rules.” She raised her eyebrows at him in the way a teacher does right before a student tries to pull a fast one.

Kelly did her best to hold in her laughter as a four-and-a-half-foot woman gave the giant Scottish vampire next to her “the look.”

Kelly couldn’t stop herself—she ended up giggling like a schoolgirl.

Then she got the look from the giant Scottish vampire. For some reason, that shut her right up.

Kade looked back at Thelma and seemed to steady himself before speaking. “Do ye have any immortal gobstoppers?”

Kelly raised an eyebrow at him. “Um, isn’t it…”

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