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to have to do this again if they realize that the statue wasn t destroyed.
Nick shifted from foot to foot and ran a hand over his stubble.  I ll fix the air bag, he said, apparently
deciding I was going to get my way.  And the NOS, he added.
Suddenly I was a lot more nervous.  Are they watching? I asked, meaning the Weres across the street.
Jenks made a soft chirp of a whistle, and Jax came out of hiding to land on his shoulder.
 Yeah, Nick said, head down.  But from the conversation Jax has been catching, they think I m
modifying the NOS tanks in case I need to leave in a hurry. He swallowed to make his Adam s apple
move.  I rigged it to explode on impact, but I ll disengage that too. I ll set up a button for you to push
after you get out.
Jenks looked at Ivy, then stood up, heading for the door.  We ve got four hours. I ll make sure it s not
going to explode until you want it to, he said.
Nick s expression clouded.  I know what I m doing.
 Jax? Shoulders hunched, Jenks never slowed down on his way to the door.  Come on. You should
know how to rig a radio signal.
I felt better knowing Jenks was good with explosives too. Nick jiggled on his feet, looking as if he
wanted to give me a hug but knew better, then followed Jenks out. The door opened, and I saw three
street Weres across the way, yawning as they leaned against their little tricked-out car with wax paper
cups of coffee in their grips. It had been cold this morning, but they looked warm enough now that the
sun was high, and sun glinted on their bare shoulders and multiple tattoos.
Ivy scowled at them before looking at Nick s retreating back.  If Rachel gets hurt, you won t have to
worry about Weres killing you because I ll find you first, little thief.
My gut clenched. She would go along with it. It was done. I was going to be with Peter when Jenks
plowed into us.  I ll be fine, I said, feeling my pulse quicken.  Between the air bag and the charm, it will
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be like I m riding in God s arms.
The door closed behind Nick, Jenks, and Jax, the slice of afternoon sun vanishing as if it had never
existed. Ivy turned, bare feet silent as she limped to her room.  What if God wants you home early?
Thirty-two
Awitch, a vampire, and a pixy walk into a bar,I thought as I led the way into the Squirrel s End. It was
early, and the sun had yet to set when the door swung shut behind Jenks, sealing us in the warm air
smelling faintly of smoke. Immediately Nick yanked it open to come in behind us.And there s the punch
line.
Ivy s lips were pressed tight as she took in the low-ceilinged room, scanning it for Audrey and Peter. It
was Friday night, and already busy. From across the room, Becky, our waitress from before, recognized
us and waved. Ivy responded with an empty look, making the woman go uncertain.  There, Ivy said,
nodding to an empty table in the darkest corner.
I unzipped my coat and shook my new bracelet from Kisten down.  You re an Inderland ambassador,
I said.  Make an effort.
Ivy turned to me, her sharply defined eyebrows high. Jenks snickered as she forced the edges of her lips
to curl upward. She had put on some makeup, seeing as we were out here for a last supper kind a thing,
and she looked more predatorial than usual in her leather pants, clingy shirt, and boots. She and Jenks
had ridden over in Kisten s Corvette since she wouldnot get in the van with me, and she smoothed a
hand over her short hair to make sure every strand was in place. Drops of gold glittered from her lobes,
and I wondered why she was wearing them.
It was obvious she wasn t happy about Nick driving the truck into me, but her logic told her my
emotionally charged modifications wouldn t only make it more believable, but logistically easier. Relying
on Nick had us both worried, but sometimes intuition had to take a backseat. That was when I usually
got in trouble.
 They aren t here yet, she said, showing how worried she was by stating the obvious.
Jenks adjusted the collar of his jacket to hide his tension with a smooth casualness.  We re early, he
said. Unlike Ivy, he was handling the stress well. He smiled at the women turning to look at him, and
there were quite a few jostling their tablemates elbows and pointing him out. Running my eyes over
Jenks, I could see why.
He was still an eyeful at six-foot-four, especially now that he was acting his size. He had on his aviator
jacket, and with his sunglasses and one of the Were s caps turned inside out, he looked good damn
good in an individualistic, innocent sort of way.
 Ah, why don t we go sit? I suggested, becoming uncomfortable at the giggles.Whoo-hoo! The
Inderland nymphos are here! Who brought the pistachio pudding?
We pushed into motion, and Ivy snagged Nick s elbow.  Get some water for Rachel and an orange
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juice for me, she said, her white fingers gripping him tighter than was polite or necessary.  Just orange
juice. I don t want anything in it. Understand?
Nick jerked out of her hold. He never would have managed it if she hadn t let him. Frowning, he shook
his cloth coat out and went to the bar. He knew he was being gotten rid of.
Nick fit in well here, and it wasn t just the human/Inderland thing. The bar was replete with skinny
women in skimpy outfits, chunky women in skimpy outfits, women who never let their glass hit the table
and looked old before they should in skimpy outfits, and men in fleece shirts and jeans who looked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]