Page 97 of Midnight Auto Parts

Determination hardened Keshawn’s jaw as she did her best to meet my stare where she figured my eyes would be. “Thank you for this, Frankie.”

About to tell her she had more than earned her way into my good graces, I spied a pair of yellow slits glowing in the darkness.

Gone was the intelligent spark in Anunit’s eyes. Wildness stared back at me, her lip quivering over her teeth.

“No.” I made it an order. “Anunit.” I slid through Keshawn to stand in front of her. “Stop.”

A growl revved up her throat, and she leapt as the whirlpool in my stomach twisted me out of time.

“Bijou,” a sultry voice murmured next to my ear. “Eternity looks good on you.”

A shudder tickled my spine as he circled me. “Fuck off, Ankou.”

“Aww. Come on. You’re not still mad, are you?”

“You wanted me dead. I’m dead. Move on with your afterlife.”

“Nah. Things are about to get interesting. I think I’ll stick around a while longer.”

Dread swam laps through my stomach. “I’ll tell Kierce?—”

“Kierce isn’t the good guy here. Just like I’m not the bad guy. I simply am.”

“An asshole.”

His chuckles lifted the fine hairs down my nape as his presence swirled away like water down a drain.

Long fingers raked through the tangles matting my hair. A dull snag jarred me awake the rest of the way.

The being who stared down at me with universes in his eyes and crushed-diamond skin was so beautiful. I ached to beholdhim. The silky tips of his hair framed his face, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and a jaw poised to break from gritting his teeth. His silken lips stretched thin, and he radiated an aura of menace that highlighted the dark radiance from his halo. He was glittering and dark and wonderful.

“And he’s mine.”

“I don’t think that last part was meant for public consumption,” a familiar voice teased from behind him.

“Aretha?” I jolted at her presence, twisting to see her better. “How’ve you been?”

Ouch.That hurt. Moving was a bad idea. Every breath caused my chest to twinge.

The faint slur left Kierce primed to jump in, the flex of his muscles as he held himself back a dead giveaway. How had I ever wanted him dimmed? He was so beautiful in his own skin.

“I can’t complain.” She bent over me with a penlight in her hand, prompting me to track it with my eyes. “Business is good.” She appeared satisfied with my reflexes and gripped my wrist between her fingers to check my pulse. “He Who Shall Not Be Named has fully recovered thanks to yours truly. He’s still tender, but he’s not in any danger of springing fresh leaks when he gets out of bed to pee.”

Aware she wouldn’t have shared without his consent, that she was sharing this likely by request, I prompted her. “You’re telling me this why?”

“He wanted to know if you had asked about him.” She peeled the sheet down to my waist. “It’s all pathetic. Very pathetic. Like a kicked-puppy pathetic.” Her fingers ghosted over my chest, and she shook her head. “But.He did you wrong. He did your family wrong. He did a wrong in every meaning of the word. I respect your right to your feelings. I’m not pushing you to reconcile. I’m just passing along information he wanted you to have in case you care whether he lives or dies. That’s it.”

“You heaped a lot of guilt into that update.”

“Yes, well, I got to thinking after our talk. About how I never dated him. I had a boyfriend then, and Samuel was emotionally unavailable, but that’s not the point. The point is I think I might want to.” She began sterilizing her instruments to pack them away. “We spent so much time together while I was treating Lyle, and he was still flashing thisNo Vacancysign in the relationship department, but now you’re with Kierce. And Harrow has burned every romantic bridge you guys ever built between you. I can still smell the kerosene.” She gathered her trash. “So?”

“You get that you don’t have to ask my permission.” I blinked at her. “He’s not my…anything…anymore.”

“But he was your something once, so I wanted to make sure.”

“He’s a big DIY project,” I warned her. “You’re sure you want to take on that much work?”

“I like ’em hot, broken, and pining for someone else.” She spread her hands. “It’s a curse.”

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