“Or whoever was driving Silas Ravenwood’s truck grabbed her,” Nox snapped. “Did you think of that?”
Link frowned. “Are you sure it was Silas’ car?”
“Everyone knows that truck,” Sampson said.
Link stopped walking. “I’m the one who killed Abraham Ravenwood, not Rid. His psychotic grandson shoulda taken me.”
“Finally we agree on something,” Nox said.
Link’s expression hardened. “You can stop actin’ like you’re a big hero. The way I see it, we both let her down. At least I’m man enough to admit it.”
Nox’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t the one behind the wheel.”
Link stepped forward, moving closer to Nox. “You might as well have been.”
Nox’s hands curled into fists. “You have no idea how much I wish I was. Then I could’ve done something. Unlike some of us.”
Sampson stepped between them. “You two can fight it out after we find her.”
“After we find her, I’m taking her somewhere safe where you’ll never see her again.” Nox didn’t take his eyes off Link.
Link barely kept himself from punching the guy in the face. “I’d like to see you try.”
“And I’d like to beat the crap out of you both. Unfortunately, as Mick Jagger would say, you can’t always get what you want.” Sam shoved them both. “Now move.”
Link didn’t care if Lennox Gates had saved their lives at Sirene. As far as he was concerned, the guy was still a tool. Another piece of Underground club trash who was too rich and too slick for anybody’s good. Not to mention the other thing.
A tool who spent the last few months tryin’ to steal my girlfriend. Who only wants to find her so he can steal her again.
If she’s even still alive.
Link tried not to think that way. Especially since now the three of them were holed up in a diner off the highway, doing their best to figure out a way to find Rid before they killed each other. Only exhaustion had prevented it from happening so far.
The three of them—four, if you counted Lucille—had searched the woods for hours, looking for any sign of Ridley, even though the odds seemed pretty high that Silas or one of his thugs had taken her.
Or her body.
That was the part no one said out loud.
The situation sucked.
I suck.
Link didn’t have to say that out loud, either. He pushed the fries he’d never consider eating around on his plate. Mortal food tasted like cardboard, another downside of being a quarter Incubus. Not that he would’ve been able to eat at a time like this. “You really think Silas might have her?”
Nox didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared into the coffee cup in his hand.
A bad sign.
“If she’s still alive,” Nox said finally.
“Don’t say that.” Link started to lunge across the table, but Sampson caught him. “Don’t ever say that again. She’s alive. We just have to find her.”
“Your ring—” Nox stared at it.
“Is busted.” Link glared.
“Grow up,” Nox shot back. “It’s called reality. We let him take her.”
Link lunged again, and Sampson picked him up by the scruff of his neck, as if the hulking hybrid was a harmless kitten.
“We don’t know anything for sure yet.” Sampson hauled Link back down to his seat. “And I’m not sure Ridley Duchannes ever let anyone do anything. So let’s all relax. We’re not gonna figure this out if we can’t work together.”
The bells on the door of the diner chimed and Necro and Floyd walked in, scanning the restaurant. Sampson had called them as soon as he’d sat down. The girls had been laying low in a crappy Motel 6 outside Brooklyn, waiting for Sam to rescue Nox from Silas’ thugs so the band could head out to LA as planned. When Sam called to tell them about the accident, Link’s bandmates hadn’t wasted any time getting there.
Floyd’s stringy blond hair swung over her shoulders as she searched for Link. When she saw him, her face broke into a thousand pieces, like she was about to start smiling or sobbing. Link couldn’t tell which. She practically ran toward their booth, in her holey jeans and faded Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon concert tee, and caught Link around the neck in a huge hug. “You okay? We were so worried.”
Link squeezed her tight. He knew Floyd still had a thing for him, but at that moment, he was so happy to see his friends that he didn’t care. At least she didn’t blame him for everything that had happened, like some people.
Myself included, he thought miserably.
Someone coughed, and Necro stood behind Floyd, flashing Link a pierced smile. Her short blue faux-hawk seemed bluer and her futuristic leather jacket looked even more Mad Max than usual. Maybe everything was a little sharper after you’d dodged death.
“Hey, man.” Link reached to hug her, but she held up her fist instead.
“Pound it,” she said, smiling.
Same old Nec. Thank god they’re here.
Necro squeezed in next to Sampson, across from Link and Floyd. Nox was sitting on the other side of Sam, and the Darkborn took up more than his share of the booth.
“That was fast,” Sampson said.
Necro nodded. “Hopped in the first cab we could find.”
“A fifty-buck cab ride. Don’t act like we don’t love you.” Floyd turned red as she stumbled over the words.