Page 50 of A Velvet Kiss After Dark

She literally sang out loud as she outran Kánnérd like a marathoner giving the final push to cross the finish line.

"Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" she sang loud for all to hear and using all of the correct intonations like true choir singer.

Behind her, Kane winced and rubbed at his ear at the screeching melody.

"I'm so happy! I'm so happy! I'm so happy! I'm so happy! I am so glad!" Tabitha continued joyfully.

Tabitha sprinted past the two guards and into the hubbub of a city square. The drastic day and night from the first town they'd visited was so incredible she literally did a complete three-sixty and spun around with her arms wide and her mouth open with happiness.

Yes, demons of different, more orange tones were everywhere, and yes they had vibrant and brightly colored hair in purples, red, and gold and bright yellow, but the town smelled sweet like bakery goods and the people smiled at her as looked at her quizzically.

Her smile was contagious, and other laughed with her, only for a moment later, she was snatched at the elbow by Kane and quickly taken to a discrete location.

He stared down at her with anger, his cheeks flushed red. "Don't you ever do anything like that again, Tabitha!"

Her eyebrows rose at his town. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said, his head lowering to cram near her face. It was the rudest thing he'd ever done, and also, for some odd reason, kind of sexy, too. Like he was taking charge of her or something!

Whatever, she thought happily. I'm free and I'm going to find a shower and take a bath and eat some grab, and get the hell out of here!

"We don't know where Graham is, only that his tracks led here, and we have to search for the rest of our party. Stay low and cool, before we both end up in cages." His voice was so low and angry, it actually soured her mood.

All the joy inside her vanished, and she jerked away from him. "Really? You're treating me so coldly now?"

"This is a meat-market just like the last slave traders as far as we know, and we're in immense danger, don't you see that?" He cupped her cheeks, and she shimmied away so fast, his expression became crestfallen.

She felt bad for a moment, but really? She wasn't even allowed to be happy to see civilization for the first time in forever.

"Kane Gunner, I can't stand you."

He jerked back and snapped his mouth shut. "I'm only trying to protect you and get us out of here alive."

"Fine, that very well may be, but this place looks spectacular compared to that shoddy desert, and it's pretty and clean and nothing at all like the weird slave festival happening at the other town, a day away!" she said, her anger red hot and evocative.

Kane gazed up at the sky for help, before commanding her with his words. "You will stay with me every minute of the way, and I will take care of your needs."

Her eyebrows rose high into her hairline, and then she chortled a laugh. "You'll take care of all my needs?" She mimicked his deep voice so she sounded like him.

His eye ticked and he nodded mockingly, before sweeping low in a bow. "Yes, madam, it'd be my honor to take care of your needs."

A blush stole over her face so quickly, she dismantled it by looking away. "Fine, just get away. Shoo, and don't touch me!" She pulled away from him and began marching away.

Kane quickly squared up beside her and grabbed her hand. She gaped at him and yanked it away. "I am not holding hands with you."

He re-snatched it and held it tighter. "It's safer this way, Tabitha," he gritted out between clenched teeth. "Or I can drag you out of here and we return to the desert. Your choice." He stared her dead in the eyes with an unbending look.

Scoffing, she shook her head. "Fine! But I require a bath, some decent food that isn't a granola bar, and new clothes."

At that, he smiled and leaned down low to her ear, making her stiff at his nearness. "Whatever you wish."

* * *

Well, Tabitha was impressed, not that she'd admit so aloud. The last thing she wanted was for Kane, that giant oaf, to know she was obscenely grateful for the lodgings he'd commandeered for them.

After dragging her through the city and finding not just Graham but Alexis and Seth, who looked far weaker than she'd last seen them, Kane had managed to trade some of his "magical equipment" to an innkeeper in exchange for temporary lodgings, some food, and a hot bath. All it took was some pointing and lots of hand gestures for the innkeeper to get the point: they needed room and board and food, and here' some stuff in exchange. He seemed excited at their different skin colors and not rapturous like that slave trader had been. Perhaps not all demons in Hell were evil after all.

That magical equipment he traded consisted of a vicious Bowie knife, a crushed cell phone that had med its demise after landing roughly at the dragon's layer, his high-tech LED watch, and some of his nutritional bars. The innkeeper winked their way and handed them a key before showing them to a private room upstairs. Inside was a plush bed complete with a white coverlet, a bowl of fruit and a jug of some tasty drink she couldn't devour quickly enough, a rack to hang their clothes, and

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