Page 48 of Unholy

Ira winced. “I know. I just wanted you to know…” He glanced around again. He’d make a poor covert operative, acting this suspicious. “You’re not alone. And you won’t be the last.”

He stood and wandered away before Luke could ask what that meant. He wouldn’t be the lastwhat?

Chapter 17

Malachi

Malachi was dreamingabout bending Luke over the balcony railing of his apartment, pounding into his tight body, when his phone rang. He groaned, flopping over and picking it up off the cordless charger.

“Somebody better be dying,” he croaked. “I was having a very good dream.”

“Well, the day is young,” Talon quipped smoothly.

Malachi sat up, staring in confusion at the glass wall of the balcony. “Why are you calling me? You never call me. I didn’t even know you had my number.”

“I got it from Wolf. We’re having a meeting at the club. You should be here.”

“A meeting. At the club. At…” He glanced over at the LED clock on his bedside table. “Twelve-thirty in the afternoon?” He’d rather chew glass than go anywhere but to Luke’s place this early in the day.

“Yes. Trust me, you want to be here.”

Malachi sighed heavily.

“It’s about the paladins.”

He straightened, the last vestiges of sleep fading away. The paladins? Had something happened? Luke had gone there today. Was he okay?

At his silence, Talon huffed out a laugh. “Like I said. You want to be here.”

“I’m on my way.”

An unfamiliar knot settled in his gut as he dressed and drove across town to In Extremis. He’d never been there during the day. The noonday sun was painfully bright, and even his dark sunglasses weren’t enough to shield his eyes completely. He ducked his head, darting across the street to the quiet warehouse. The place was eerie like this. No Storm guarding the door. No bass thumping from the sound system within.

He opened the heavy metal door, and cool air hit him. He breathed a sigh of relief in the darkness, pushing his sunglasses onto the top of his head as he descended the stairs. All the chairs were upside down on the glossy black tables. The wooden dance floor gleamed. For the first time ever, the floor wasn’t sticky, and the air smelled like lemon-scented cleaner rather than blood and smoke. It was like a brand new place.

Everyone was waiting around the bar, which for once wasn’t brightly lit. Wolf was standing behind it like always—Malachi wasn’t entirely sure he ever went anywhere else. Storm was also there, sitting on a stool with a glass in hand. Talon stood at the end, leaning his elbows on the bar, with Alex on the stool beside him.

“All right, what’s going on? Why are we here?”

“Did you notice anything interesting on your way inside?” Talon asked, gesturing for him to take a seat.

He sat beside Alex, and Wolf wordlessly poured him adrink. “What? No. Should I have? It’s so bright outside I could barely see theground.”

Talon bobbed his head in understanding.

“We’re being watched,” Alex said miserably, knocking back his drink, which smelled strongly of oranges.

“What are youdrinking?” Malachi asked. “Is that schnapps?”

“Mm-hm. Orange blossom,” Alex replied.

“He likes it,” Talon said. “And yes, we’re being watched.”

Malachi shook his head, uncomprehending. “Watched? By who? Why?”

Talon looked dryly at Wolf. “Maybe you should make this one some coffee. He’s a little slow on the uptake right now.”

“Hey, asshole, you woke me up in the middle of the day,” Malachi snapped.

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