They were eye to eye. “You know damn well I did my duty over and fucking over.”

“But not when it counts.”

“You’re wrong. When it counts, I’m doing the right thing.” Ren stepped back as the chair righted itself. “We’re not here to talk about what I was supposed to do. How did you know where we were?”

Kyle spit out more blood. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Language,” Ren murmured, letting his arms hang at his sides.

The leader of the Elite laughed, and it sounded wet. “What information do you think you’re going to get from me? You and I both know how this is going to end.”

I glanced between the two. “How is this going to end?”

Kyle’s upper lip curled. “He’s going to kill me.”

Looking at Ren, I waited for him to answer and when he didn’t, I decided it was time to step in. “Okay. Let’s get this train back on track. Do you know the Prince has found another halfling?”

A muscle flexed along Kyle’s rapidly bruising jaw. “No shit.”

“So, did it ever occur to you that if the Prince was en route to San Diego for another halfling, that maybe I wasn’t on board with getting pregnant and ushering in the end of the world as we know it?”

Another moment passed. “Doesn’t change what you are or the danger you present.”

I exhaled noisily. “Okay. I’ll give you that. But why do you think we are heading to San Diego? Don’t you dare say to join up and meet with the Prince, because I might just punch you, and guess what? I hit a hell of a lot harder than Ren does.”

“You’re traveling with a bunch of fae,” he replied. “Pretty sure it’s obvious.”

“We’re trying to stop him, you dumb son of a bitch.” Ren moved to stand behind Kyle’s chair. “But you kind of got in the way, delaying us. You better hope he hasn’t found her.”

“The Order in San Diego has been watching for him. We aren’t stupid.”

Ren clapped his hands down on Kyle’s shoulders, causing him to jump. “That’s up for discussion.”

A little bit of hope that we weren’t too late sparked in my chest. “They haven’t seen the Prince yet?”

Kyle said nothing.

“That doesn’t mean the Prince isn’t there, that he hasn’t already found her.” Ren’s hands curled, digging into the man’s shoulders. “And while you’re here barking up the wrong damn tree, he’s getting exactly what he wants.”

“You know we have almost no time to stop him from succeeding,” I tried again to reason with the man. “You don’t have to like what I am. You can think whatever you want, but by now you have to have realized we’re not working for the Prince.”

“But you’re working with the fae.”

“And this isn’t the first time the Order has worked with the fae.” Ren smiled when Kyle winced. “You want to talk about that?”

Kyle fell silent.

“That’s the interesting thing about all of this.” Ren’s hands slipped off his shoulders, nearing the man’s throat. “You talk to me about duty, but you all are a bunch of damn liars. Did you ever think one of us wouldn’t cross paths with the Summer Court and learn about how the Order and the Elite worked alongside them? How they helped close the gateways? How they don’t kill humans or feed off them?”

Well, except for the royals. They fed, but I thought it was best we kept that to ourselves at the moment.

His eyes flashed. “You all were trained to kill, not to ask questions with the fae while you share tea and biscuits.”

My brows lifted. “The Order lied to us—all of us—and continue to do so, because they thought none of us would ever talk and listen to one of the Summer fae?”

“Worked so far.”

I stared at him a moment, dumbfounded. “That is absolutely stupid.”

Kyle gave me a bloody smirk. “Order members were never trained to talk and listen to the fae. You were trained to strike first. Always.”

“Again,” I said. “That is stupid and sloppy.”

“You know what’s stupid? You thinking you’re going to make it out of this alive.”

“Shaking in my boots.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m guessing you put a bulletin out on us, and we were spotted. That’s why you found us.”

“Probably in Texas,” Ren agreed, sliding one hand around Kyle’s neck. “When we stopped to grab food. I’m also guessing the sect in Southern California is going to be looking out for us.”

The man visibly swallowed. He may act like he was tough shit, but he was scared.

Kyle dragged in a deep breath as Ren let go and stepped back. “I’ve got nothing to say to you all.”

“It’s okay.” I smiled. “Because you did tell us something we can use.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t told you shit.”

“Oh, you did.” I laughed softly as Ren’s gaze lifted to mine. “You told me exactly who we need to contact. Daniel.”

His gaze widened with understanding.

“So . . .” I lifted my hand, extending my middle finger. “Thanks for that.”

There were no words to describe the satisfaction I felt when his face paled. “Go ahead and kill me.”

“I’d love to do that for you.” Ren walked past him, smacking him on the back of the head in the process. “But what does that do but prove you right that we’re the enemy?”

I looked at him sharply, but managed to stay quiet. Based on the look on Kyle’s face, he was just as surprised as I was.

Ren smiled down at Kyle. “Leaving you alive will hopefully get through that thick skull of yours that we’re on the same side. I won’t have your blood on my hands. Neither will Ivy.”

Chapter 24

Smothering a yawn, I followed Ren into the room next door. We’d gagged Kyle before we left and turned the TV on just in case. He wasn’t going anywhere though. Not unless he developed super special powers and managed to break free from where we left him . . .

Tied to the pipes in the bathroom.

“You really going to call Daniel?” Ren asked, stopping in front of the bed that was sunken in the middle. I wondered how many people got pregnant and died on that bed.

Then I vomited a little in my mouth and decided I didn’t need to think about that. “I think he’s our best option if it gets down to having to open the doors to send the Prince back.”

“It’s a risk.” He scanned the small, dingy hotel room, his brow raising as he took in the TV that looked like it came from the eighties. “He may not think you’ve betrayed him, but when. . . .”

As Ren trailed off, I watched him unstrap the dagger and the thorn stake. He placed them on the small nightstand closest to the door. A gun joined them.

“When he sees what I look like now?” I finished for him.

Ren turned to me. “It shouldn’t change a damn thing, but it might.”

I bit down on my lip. “I know. That’s why it’s best if I call him once we get to San Diego. Calling him now is too much of a risk. We could run into another roadblock along the way if I’m wrong about him.”

“We could.” He toed off his boots. “We can’t stay here long. Other Elite members will be looking for Kyle. We’ve probably got a handful of hours. We need to rest and then get on the road.”

“Agreed.”

I think you’re right,” he said, running a hand over his messy hair. “We’ll contact Daniel when we get to San Diego and . . . go from there.”

I nodded, watching him as he tugged the shirt off over his head, showing off those defined abs and pecs. Something was off about his tone, and his gaze skittered away from mine whenever they met.

“What are we going to do about Captain Dickhead? Do we really plan on leaving him alive?”

His lips twitched into a faint smile. “We should kill him. I want to. Badly. For a lot of different reasons.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, and I was surprised when the thing didn’t collapse. “But if you or I kill him, it just proves him right—proves what other members of the Order must believe.”