Page 54 of Bite of Sin

He chuckled. “Good luck finding mine. Go home, Kali.”

He turned and walked away, leaving me in the street. Even if I couldn’t see anyone, I was sure there was someone lurking close to follow me back to the hotel. Which was exactly where I started heading to, because I had nowhere else to fucking go.

I was so tired. Of the lying. The constant worry. Having to sneak showers and put on the lotion. I’d been slowly coming up with a plan to get out of the city just to get a note to Tim, and I was going to need supplies if I couldn’t get Warner free before I ran out. And I needed to tell them everything about Amaros and new vampires.

I shook my head, forcing out the thousands of things that could go wrong if I made a mistake. What was the worst that could happen? I got caught and killed? Or tortured for information? They’d do that when they found out I was human anyway. No, I needed to get a note to Tim right away.

Chapter22

Kali

Icrouched in my hiding spot, my heart thudding much too loudly. Most of the vampires were already heading inside since sunrise was minutes away. The place I’d chosen didn’t have any windows pointing this way that I could see when I scouted it out. I stared at the end of the street that was blocked off like all the other routes that led out of the city. But this one didn’t seem as inaccessible as the others. I’d been studying it for the last three nights after leaving Impulse, and I was sure I could get over the high wall of debris without it tumbling down. At least I hoped I could.

I reached into my leggings’ pocket, making sure the folded napkin was in there. I’d found a pen in the hotel, and I’d written down everything I’d learned. I just needed to get it to the tree so Tim could find it. Maybe he could help me and Warner get the hell out of here if I wasn’t able to. I had a knife in one boot, a stake in the other, and a hammer I’d found in my hand. I was wearing a hoodie with the hood up. If a vampire did spot me, I hoped I could conceal who I was.

The sky continued to lighten, and I sucked in a large breath. Zan’s face popped into my head, making nerves skate down my spine. If he found out about this, I was so fucked. But I was running out of options. My lotion was running out, and I had no idea how I could get Warner out. I knew where Gia kept the keys to the cages, but I was never alone at Impulse. Even with my gun still hidden there, I didn’t have a chance.

I scanned the area again, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Staying low to the ground, I kept myself pressed against the wall as I made my way down the street. I stopped in front of the makeshift wall, instantly finding what I was looking for. There was a crushed-up car at the bottom of the pile, and the inside was filled with smaller things. The front window was already cracked, and I tapped the hammer against it, testing its strength. It splintered a bit more, and I cringed when I hit it again. The sound wasn’t even that loud, but to me it was deafening.

From the information I pulled out of Dee, most humans here kept to the vampires’ schedule. Which meant they should all be inside by now except for the ones who were guarding the open street. But that was at least half a mile from here, and they wouldn’t be able to hear it. Both buildings surrounding me had nothing inside them, and from what I could tell, no vampires resided in them. But even if they heard it, there wasn’t much they could do to investigate now that the sun was up.

I hit the window for a third time, and it finally shattered. Using the hammer, I knocked out the rest of the glass before grabbing the first thing I could reach. The car was full of random shit, and it took me much longer than I wanted before I even made a dent. The entire time, my heart was racing out of control, and I knew there was no way I could have gotten away with this at night. Not when vampires roamed the city.

I climbed inside, throwing more stuff behind me so I could make my way through the car to the other side. Sweat began trickling down my back, a reminder that I hadn’t been keeping up with my workouts. In Project Hope, I trained every day to stay in shape. There wasn’t much I could do here while cooped up in a hotel room all day.

The other window came into view, and I let out a cry, seeing trees beyond the glass. I hurried up, shoving the last two things out of my way before grabbing the hammer again. The window was still intact, and I swung hard, listening to the glass crack. I hit it again and again until it finally busted. Swiping the glass shards again, I awkwardly climbed out headfirst, landing on my hands. I crawled out the rest of the way, and the second I was back on my feet, I bolted across the wide road toward the trees.

With my chest heaving, I darted behind a huge tree trunk and sagged against it, letting myself calm down for a moment. Then I peeked around the tree, looking back at the city. I didn’t see anyone in the windows or any humans moving around outside. I stared, the taste of freedom surging through me. This could be it. I could walk away and leave for good. I’d find a way to cut off the necklace and run far away.

But I couldn’t. Not when Warner was still trapped.

With a sigh, I pushed off the tree and began walking. I had at least a two-hour walk there and back, meaning I needed to make sure I hurried. Even though I had much longer than that until the sun went down, I needed to make sure I got back by nightfall to get to Impulse.

I kept my head on a swivel, watching my surroundings warily as I trudged on. I didn’t need to worry about vampires right now, but I was still wanted by PARA, and I knew they scouted these woods during the day. Which was why I’d brought the knife along with the stake. Although one little blade wouldn’t do much if I came across a group of men.

After a while, I finally heard the river, and my emotions slammed into me like a wall. I raced forward until I stopped at the edge of the river. I watched the rushing water while letting myself get lost in memories. This place was my first happy place when it was my turn to finally leave Project Hope for a day run. Tim had wanted us to get familiar with the area, so Warner and Helena and I spent hours walking around. Then we just lay at the edge of the river, listening to the water. It was the first time I’d ever felt truly free. It was when I’d made the decision that I wouldn’t spend the rest of my life in Project Hope.

“Fuck,” I breathed out.

Tears filled my eyes, and for once, I let them fall on my cheeks. I didn’t have to hide out here. There were no vampires watching my every move. It was just me. Alone. I swallowed a sob, thinking of Helena and Lisa. They were gone. Warner was knocking on death’s door being trapped inside Impulse. I was toeing that same line until I could find a way to get out.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but I finally stepped away, heading back into the trees. The sun filtered through the leaves, and I welcomed the warmth. The window in my hotel room didn’t open, and I couldn’t chance wandering out in the daylight in that city.

I rotated between jogging and walking, trying to get to the spot faster. It felt good to move—to run—after being cooped up at Impulse every damn night. I stopped a few times to drink some water, and after a couple of hours, I finally spotted the tree. Excitement hummed in my veins when I stepped up to it and reached into the small hole that was in the trunk. Until I swept the leaves out of the way and realized there was nothing in there. I bit my lip, my body feeling heavy with disappointment. Tim had said he’d leave something in two weeks, but I was hoping he’d be able to do it earlier.

I carefully pulled the napkin out of my pocket and read it again. I listed everything. That the Kane sons were here. That humans lived with vampires. I explained everything I could about how the city operated. That Amaros had property somewhere. That the vampires were trying to get into Project Hope. I’d written small and still filled the entire front and back of the napkin.

I hesitated for just a second before I put it deep in the hole and then covered it with leaves again. Kissing Zan flashed through my head, and I grumbled under my breath. I was going to have to forget about that, and fast. He was a vampire, and he was clearly planning something against humans. I shouldn’t feel a shred of anything when it came to him. This was about survival, and there was no way I’d sit back and let them try to take over human cities.

I slowed my pace while walking back, knowing I had plenty of time before nightfall. The sun was high in the sky, and I slipped out of my hoodie, only walking in my bra and soaking up as many rays as I could. For once, I wasn’t tense. I was still keeping an eye out for soldiers, but it was a million times better than being at Impulse or the hotel. Guilt filled me for having a moment of peace while Warner was stuck in a cage. But leaving that note was essential, and I’d gotten it done.

The sun was lower in the sky by the time the highway came into view, but there were still a couple of hours of daylight left. After pausing and pulling my hoodie back on, I sprinted across the cement, hating that I was in plain view. I skidded to a stop in front of the car, grabbing the hammer I’d left behind before crawling back through. My pulse thudded as I hurried and shoved some of the debris back inside to cover the hole I’d made.

Creeping through the two streets was giving me the most anxiety because I wasn’t out of view from buildings here, but there was no other way to get back to the hotel. I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the side door still cracked open like I’d left it. I peeked through the narrow opening, making sure the hallway was empty before kicking the rock out of the doorway and stepping inside. A smile tipped up my lips as I made my way back to my room. Until I opened my door and saw someone sitting on the small desk.

My heart dipped when Pax’s head snapped up, his glare focusing on me.

I hesitantly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me. “What are you doing here?”

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