Page 53 of Wicked Little Tricks

“And he would risk making an enemy out of every devil in the city?” Sebastian asked.

The elf shrugged. “I’m just a messenger. I’m not here to judge the sagacity of his plan.” She looked at me again. “Don’t bother trying to find your roommate during the day. You won’t be able to.” She lifted a hand before I could speak. “And I don’t know where they are keeping him. Do you really think they would tell me?”

I shut my mouth. “We’ll be there, but I have a message for you to take back in return.”

She waited for me to continue.

“Anyone that harms a single hair on Braxton‘s head is dead.”

“And will you be the one fulfilling this threat?” She glanced at Sebastian.

I ignored the doubt in her tone. “You bet your ass I will.”

She smirked. “I would love to see it. I’m Elena, by the way. I hope I see you again,alive.” She turned and walked back out the door.

I looked at Sebastian. His jaw was tense with anger.

“Don’t tell me you’ve actually developed a fondness for my roommate.”

He glared at me. “Ivan knows the rules. He knows the hierarchy. He will pay for this insubordination.”

“And here I’d thought maybe you had actually grown a heart.” I walked past him toward my bedroom.

“What are you doing?” He asked to my back.

I stopped in front of my room. “I’m going to get a change of clothes, then I’m going to make a few calls.”

“You plan to hand yourself over to save your roommate?” he asked.

I lowered my chin, my eyes on my doorknob. “I plan to get him back through any means necessary. Whatever it takes. You can help me, or not. Just don’t get in my way.”

I turned to see him smiling like a cat that had eaten a canary. “And here I had been worried you would run to the Bogs in fear.”

“Not this time. Are you going to help me, or not?”

He stood perfectly still in my little kitchen, entirely out of place. “What will you offer me in return?”

“Vengeance on Ivan for his insubordination?”

His laugh slithered down my skin. “Very well. Prepare yourself and make your calls. I will wait.”

I shut the bedroom door behind me, then slumpedagainst it. Ringo had slipped into my room without me noticing, and now perched on the foot of my bed.

“You shouldn’t go to the vampires, Eva.”

“You know I don’t have a choice. And they don’t want to kill me. They just want me to find my mother and hand her over.”

He huddled down around himself, puffing up his fur. “But you don’t know how to do that.”

I didn’t. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to even if I could. I wanted answers from her, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want whatever the vampires wanted from her.

Or I supposed it was whatever the mysterious offerer of the bounty wanted. That was the real person ruining my life. The person who allegedly had the Realm Breaker, and was offering it in exchange for my mother’s life. I would find them if I could, but first thing was first. I had an annoyingly cheerful werewolf to rescue.

I tightly laced my boots,fighting the slight trembling in my hands. If those vampires harmed Braxton…

I couldn’t even think about it. He had been a part of my life for so long. Once my mom left and took my memories, we had moved into the apartment next to where he and his mom lived. We had become fast friends, and when my dad died, they took me in.Braxton was the closest thing to family I had. And the only person who remembered my dad, at least for those nearly three years. I was glad his mom had moved out to the country. She would kick my ass if she knew I had gotten him into trouble.

I tensed at a knock on my door, but that would be Sebastian, not Braxton. I was just so used to it being Braxton.

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