Dante nodded. “She said the figure hid in the shadows.”
I hugged myself, staring at the rushing creek. “Then our connection is at Little J’s.”
“I’m going to rip the owner’s spine out.” Dante clenched his fists.
I reached over and touched his arm, the touch leaving me tingling. “What if it’s not him? I found out today someone approached Jack to try to get him to sell the gymnasium. Why would someone want to buy it? What if someone is killing people on his property to frame him in order to make him sell?”
“What’s so special about the place?” He paced to a tree and back. “Does it make loads of money?”
“I doubt it— it’s a non-profit organization.”
“Makes no sense. I’ll speak with the owner.”
“Fine,” I said. “But I’m coming with you.”
“No.” Dante froze mid-step, staring at me from beneath his hood. “I don’t need distractions.”
“Hey, stop being a hero.” I stepped closer. “Jack is deaf, so unless you’ve learned sign language, you won’t get far.” After meeting Jack a few years ago, I’d taken a community course to learn how to communicate with him.
Dante’s brow furrowed. His posture hadn’t relaxed—not that I expected it to after this little chat.
“Charity said she was organizing a memorial farewell for Dash today. If it’s okay, I’d like to stay.” For Dash, for Charity, for myself to feel like I belonged somewhere like I once had.
“You told others before telling me?”
I shrugged. “Dash was everyone’s friend. What does it matter who tells them?”
He wiped his mouth, his voice lowering. “You’ve changed. The old Robyn would have spoken to me first, like every member in the Hood does. This is why we work as a cohesive team. Everyone follows the rules.”
Before I could swallow my response, I blurted out, “Well, I’m a different girl now. Three years is a long time.”
“But not long enough for you to forgive.”
I huffed and turned to the gurgling creek before I threw a stone at Dante, or better yet, tossed him into the water. I still struggled to forgive Dante for my brother’s death. It had been Dante’s mission. His insistence on standing up to the Fryers to protect the locals from paying a protection tax. I’d begged Dante to stand down, told him that we weren’t strong enough to take on a gang of mercenaries. But why should I have expected Mr. Stubborn to listen?
Dante was behind me, his warmth across my nape. “Tell me again why the authorities would think the Hood caused Dash’s murder?”
I gulped past my dried throat and spoke with my back to Dante, unsure if I could face him as I admitted my fuckup. “After I read objects, I get all spaced out and am not coherent for a few moments afterward.”
Dante grabbed my elbow and spun me to face him, his nose creased.
My words floated away at first as I stared into eyes drowning in rage.
I ripped my arm free from him. “I didn’t tell anyone I knew Dash or who he was. But I might have slipped out the word ‘Hood’ to the police chief during my description of the vision.”
“What the fuck, Robyn?” A momentary flare of anger crossed Dante’s face.
“The chief was demanding. My thoughts get tangled. I didn’t mean to mention the Hood.”
“Shit. The cops think we killed Dash? We’ve always been on their wanted list, but to get blamed fucking hurts. Great job, Robyn.” He turned and marched toward camp.
I reached out for him, but it was too late. Everything inside me lay empty, broken, numb. But what would I say? Regret washed over me in slow waves, each colder than the next, sending shivers down my spine. No undoing my mistakes, no way to make it right. My vision alone wasn’t admissible evidence in court. But it wouldn’t stop the chief from using his position to assign more men to track down the Hood quicker.
Taking a deep breath, I hugged myself. I ought to have left because if the Hood members didn’t hate me before, after Dante told them about my slip, they’d be ready to slaughter me.
In the campsite, I ambled along the open area, side glances cutting my way, but no sign of Dante.
“Robyn,” Charity’s voice called out from behind me. “Wait up.”
I stopped and turned as Charity jogged closer. “Where are you going?” She had my hand in hers. “Stay for Dash’s ceremony.”
My gaze dropped, hating myself for not being able to face my friend as I let her down. “Shitty idea.”
“Bull, you’re staying and everyone can suck it up. Dash would have wanted you here and you have every right to say your goodbyes.” Her grip tightened around mine, yet it was her pleading gaze that tugged on my emotions.
“Dante made it clear he doesn’t want me here. I don’t want to ruin the ceremony for everyone.” I pulled away, but Charity wasn’t releasing her hold.
“Screw them. I want you here because I don’t think I can do this on my own. For one night, let’s pretend we’re a family again.” The hurt in her eyes weakened my resolve. “Please.”
A group of people chatted near the fire pit as a light breeze washed past. It carried a faint scent of pine and honey bells again. The same smell I used to wake up to most mornings, reminding me how lucky I was to belong to the Hood.
“For Dash,” I said.
Charity smiled and leaned against me, her open arms around my neck, both of us staggering backward. “We’ve got lots to prepare.”
I prayed I wasn’t making a mistake.
The bonfire crackled, licking at the heavens, tossing golden embers into the night air. I joined the circle of Hood members circling the fire. We’d walked over an hour deeper into the woods to reach the location always used for farewells.
I participated in the mournful song everyone sung. I raised my voice to match others. The louder, the better to ensure souls in the afterworld heard our sorrow and suffering from their passing. And to keep away evil spirits. Our elderly told tales of demons that walked the earth. Releasing grief through song deterred these forces from preying on us.
A drumbeat stressed the tune. My words grew louder. Even though my throat was raw and there was smoke in the air, I didn’t dare stop. Dante was somewhere across the blaze from me, setting himself as far from me as possible. In that moment of mourning, forgiveness was the greatest reward. I regretted not dealing with my anger earlier.
I shoved away the thoughts. To remember the wonderful person Dash had been and how he’d always remain a part of me.
Once the song ended, the drumbeat continued at a slow tempo. No words were exchanged. Usually, this event would take place at a funeral. On such occasions, the whole Traveler community would walk the streets with the coffin on a horse and buggy.
One by one, each person from the circle held on to an item that had once belonged to Dash and approached the fire. A dead person’s belongings got burned, not left behind.
By the time it was my turn, I lifted a wooden trinket box Charity had given me from Dash’s belongings. I had gifted this to Dash and had it carved with images of the ocean and waves. Dash had always wanted to visit the sea. I approached the oppressive heat that burned my face, my body. Flames leaped upward, smoke filling my nose, the rain of ash a feather on my skin.
I couldn’t move at first, unable to find my voice as I recalled Dash’s smile. Back then, I’d filled the container with seashells I’d bought at the markets. Now, the box was empty.
“Dash, can you forgive me for not coming home sooner? Maybe if I’d been here, I could have helped you, stopped you from dying. I miss you terribly.” I tossed the box into the flames, the inferno swallowing the item, chewing on the sparking wood.
Retreating to my spot, I wiped my tears and watched others complete their farewells. I shut my eyes and pretended we lived in a new world, a place where senseless death didn’t happen.
When someone brushed my elbow, I snapped open my eyes to find Dante next to me. Everyone else had left the fire and were already
unpacking the food and drinks Charity and I had spent hours preparing.
“Listen, Robyn, thanks for being here.” His voice wavered and his pupils gleamed. “Dash would have liked seeing you home. Come and have some food.” He offered me a weak smile.
“Of course.” I wasn’t capable of any other words, not when my emotions ran amuck, and I blinked like a mad person to drive away the tears.
I followed Dante to the group and sat on a dead log next to Charity. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. “It’s so good to have you with us.”
Part of me toyed with the idea of returning. But what about Ryker? My newfound freedom to do as I choose, my freelance business taking off? I’d promised Ryker dinner. But with no reception in the forest, I’d have to text him once I returned to the city.
The melodic tune of guitar strings played on the breeze and drew my attention to Dante. He propped a leg up on the log and his guitar rested on his thigh. I smiled, remembering all the nights we’d sat at camp listening to him playing tunes, other members joining in by dancing or singing.
I tucked away my phone and watched Dante. The fire’s reflection danced across his face. The top buttons of his black shirt lay open, revealing his bare chest and his silver feather pendant on a chain of rosary beads. He’d once told me they’d been a gift from his grandmother and had been blessed to protect him against evil spirits. Considering my abilities, I was a believer.
Everyone drank wine, chatting quietly. My gaze remained locked on Dante, and he caught me studying him. Something about tonight had brought back memories of a life I’d thought I’d lost. Living alongside nature as our ancestors had done. But it had been here this whole time, unchanged. The only difference was that I’d taken myself out of the picture. I was romanticizing my life in the Hood—saving people, living outside the law, being with Dante.
An hour later of stuffing my face and drinking two cups of red wine, I lounged on the log with Dante, his guitar in his lap as he played a solo. Other members worked on extinguishing the bonfire. I should have helped them, but I couldn’t pull myself from Dante’s side. He kept stealing glances my way with those hypnotizing eyes. When he strummed the strings with such emotion, everything else in my world faded away.
He set the guitar down. “Robyn, would you consider rejoining the Hood?”
“I’m not sure…” I didn’t have a reason not to. At least not one I’d share with Dante, specifically because it involved my feelings for Ryker. And that right there was a reason I should leave.
“I’ve missed you.” Dante straddled the log and faced me.
The last time we’d been out here was when Dash had been alive. When I’d sworn I could take on the world, when Dante had been my future. Those memories flooded me, drowned me. Even the way Dante stared at me had my stomach fluttering, tingling with the urgency to slide into his arms. My attraction to him hadn’t altered a smidgen. And that terrified me more than anything.
Ryker. We’d been together for close to two years, had less history, but we’d grown close. He’d never endanger me.
Dante’s hand slid across mine. “I wish I’d done things differently that night with your brother. But Richard was stubborn. He made the first move before we were ready.” Hearing the heartache in his voice hit me in the chest. But that didn’t make the memory any easier to swallow.
“He never should have been on the mission. He was inexperienced and too gung-ho,” I said.
“Most days, I desperately want to turn back time,” he continued. “Change that night, fight harder to hold on to you.” His thumb caressed my hand, and that simple touch eased me more than it should have.
His words caught me off-guard, and I recalled what he’d said earlier about Richard’s death affecting him daily. I opened my mouth to respond. Not a sound came out—no anger, no mention of the hundreds of conversations I’d played over in my mind for when I would have the courage to face Dante. Now, I struggled to be mad at him when he voiced the same regret that I did.
But Dante had always been that way. His presence made me forget my problems, made me want to dive into his soul and never resurface.
His arm swept across my waist, shifting closer. His breath was in my ear, my skin coating in goosebumps. My brain screamed to run, to remember Ryker, yet my heart banged so loud in my ears, my thoughts were lost.
“Stay the night,” he whispered in ear. “Have breakfast with the Hood. Charity talks about you non-stop.”
His fingers caressed the small of my back.
“Not sure that’s a good idea. I should head home. I want to help the cops find Dash’s real killer, clear the Hood’s name.”
Dante’s body stiffened. “So you prefer to work with the beast instead of against it. The chief’s corrupt along with most of the precinct.”
I lifted my chin. “The chief’s been nothing but good to me and he puts in the hard hours to solve cases. The police work their butts off, too.” No way in hell was Ryker dishonest; he cared too much, took double shifts most days because of the shortage in staff numbers.
“Doesn’t mean he’s not doing it to benefit himself. Have you asked yourself why Amber City has so many millionaires, yet our streets are ripe with crime? Why is no money injected into boosting the authorities? Because those in charge support the drug rings. The racketeering. Filling each other’s pockets. The rest of the populace can barely afford to keep their homes.”
“You think I don’t know that, but there are genuine people at the station who want what you fight for. Justice and fairness. And I’ve been helping them.”
Dante dropped his arm, and I already missed his touch. By the looks of the heavy expression settling over his face, we were diving into a debate that could last a week. I used to follow Dante blindly, but living in the city, I knew not everything was as simple as he thought.
“If you want to stop the monster, chop off its head, not the tail,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing at the Hood, and we’d love to have you with us again rather than implicate the Hood in any more murders.”
I cringed on the inside because Dante wasn’t one to forget and he’d remind me of my fuckup for years to come. Dante squared his shoulders, his lips tight. Yep, his leader persona was in full force, the one that always put business before everything else. While I adored that about him, I also loathed that he’d risk lives for the greater good.
“I know you’re doing the right thing,” I said, “but so am I.”
When he rolled his eyes, I pushed to my feet, having had enough of this conversation. “Okay, I’m leaving. Thanks for letting me join the memorial.”
I turned away, but Dante appeared at my side in a split second and had my elbow, drawing me closer, chest to chest. For those few moments, I let myself drown in his gaze. I imagined tasting his lips, begging him do things to me I’d fantasized about.
He didn’t speak at first. I should have walked away.
Instead, he said, “I’ll take you to your bike.” But neither of us moved. He pushed a loose strand of my hair behind my ear and I leaned into his touch as a warm breeze fluttered past.
What was I doing? With a deep sigh, I unraveled myself from Dante’s arms and broke into a stride.
Chapter 7
Night smothered Amber City. It was close to three a.m. and visiting Ryker would have him asking too many questions. So I’d visit him in the morning and find out if he’d retrieved the police reports on the dead bodies at the river.
I leaned into my motorbike and raced along the road. I passed homeless people sleeping in the shadows. Houses with boarded-up windows and rusted cars on the curb missing tires. Those who lived in the East End couldn’t afford to fix their homes, let alone move elsewhere. They were the reason I’d joined the Hood—to make a difference. It killed me to see families struggling to feed their children while across the city, the rich dined in fancy restaurants, wasting food.
Pieces of trash tumbled down the sidewalk from the wind. Only every th
ird streetlight worked, and storefronts fared no better from vandalism. The Scarlets— a renowned drug gang run by women—owned the eastern sector. Cops didn’t even bother responding to most calls in the district, as it always ended with gunfire. The various factions had been running the city for as long as I remembered… Didn’t make it right, and with the police short on resources, I understood why authorities couldn’t help everyone.
A trickle of rain hit my helmet, then the downpour came in sheets. Water penetrated my jeans, soaking me to the bone, but at least the top part of me was dry.
The best way to reenter the city was down this route. So had a Scarlet girl caught Dash’s eye as he’d passed through? Was that how he’d first gotten into drugs? Those chicks could sell narcotics to the pope. But cross them, and death was a guarantee. Dante had made a pact with them long ago, giving the Hood free access to enter their territory.
Once I merged onto the Fair Highway, I took the Northern ramp. A cab zoomed past, its backsplash drenching me. Son of a… I swerved across the road.
Dante’s touch lingered on my mind, his warm breath on my skin. Why couldn’t I hate him? Instead, I lusted after him as if he were a piece of chocolate cake. But I adored Ryker and he’d never done wrong by me. I didn’t want to hurt or lose him. My heart struggled to keep a steady beat as if it pumped tar instead of blood. Yet the butterflies for Dante in my stomach refused to dissipate. I was a hypocrite, and I hated myself for not being able to fully break away from my ex.
I raced down the street. Storefronts and grocery chains lined the sidewalks. This was a better part of town, but it wasn’t free of crime. No matter how many people I helped, a dozen more called for assistance. Was I wasting my time, fighting a never-ending cycle? I eased off the gas and turned into my apartment’s driveway, which was flanked by the building and a tall wooden fence. In the backyard, I slid into my allocated spot alongside a yellow Hummer.
I fished out keys to the door and darted down the driveway toward the front entrance.
Movement from near a parked vehicle caught my attention as I passed. But I turned too late. Someone lunged at me, holding a long stick above their head with both hands.
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