Page 90 of Us Deadly Few

“Why are you dressed so nice?” Serene asked warily as he straightened.

Spade sputtered, glancing down at his tuxedo. “Do they not dress like this in Apollo?”

“No.”

“Hmm. That’s odd,” he muttered, picking up the lamp.

“Aren’t you worried about getting your clothes dirty down here?”

“I have plenty.”

“And you’re sure no one will see us coming in?”

“Positive. The soldiers avoid the sewers, and our boys have a distraction planned to draw any spare Dealers away from the grate.”

“What kind of distraction?” she warily asked.

Spade paused, a faint glimmer of mischief twinkling in his gaze. “Something bloodier than chips.”

Khalani and Serene exchanged worried glances, while Brock simply grinned.

As they continued the long journey down the tunnels, Khalani gradually got used to the horrible smell of the sewers. An achievement she wasn’t jumping for joy over.

Just when she was about to ask how much further they had to go, a faint light appeared ahead. A large circular opening with interlocking bars loomed at the end of the tunnel.

Something was on the other side.

“We’re here,” Spade declared.

Winnie’s grip tightened around Khalani’s arm.

They quickened their pace, boots splashing against the dirty water. But that wasn’t the only sound. As they neared the barred opening, a deep bass of music reverberated through the air, growing louder with each step, thumping against Khalani’s chest.

Unfazed, Spade crept up to the bars, looking both ways with a sharp eye. He handed the lantern to Brock and pulled a set of keys from his back pocket.

Spade quickly unlocked the chain around the bars and carefully pulled the gate inward, revealing a hidden underground city.

“Welcome to Hermes.”

16

Humans never rid themselves of savagery.

They simply hid it better.

Khalani stepped through the gate, her senses immediately on high alert as she looked around. They were in an abandoned alley, flanked by brick buildings on either side.

A rocky surface loomed overhead, at least a mile up. In the distance, a deep beat rumbled, and laughter echoed through the air. Her muscles tensed when several figures raced past the end of the alley, but no one seemed to notice their wide-eyed group.

Winnie jumped at the resounding bang behind them as Spade closed the iron bars to the sewer. He slid the keys into his pocket.

“Listen carefully,” Spade instructed. “I’ll lead you to one of our safehouses where you’ll stay for the night. It’s not far, but your outfits are very conspicuous and will attract attention. Fortunately, at this hour, most people are either at the casino or too drunk to stand straight. So keep your heads down and stay close behind me.”

Khalani took a deep breath, trying to calm her frayed nerves as they followed Spade.

They took a right turn at the end of the alley, emerging onto a vibrant cobblestone street. When she lifted her gaze, her blood pressure spiked, and Serene’s mouth formed anOnext to her.

“Wow,” Winnie whispered.

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