Page 38 of Shadow Warrior
The multimillion-pound show … Their wealth made sense now. The supes’ addiction to the show made sense too. They probably sensed something, maybe even knew someone on the show.
I breathed through the panic that flared in my chest. “Does the Nightwatch council know?”
She sighed. “They have been known to avail themselves of our services from time to time. We don’t accept murderers or psychopaths.”
“No, just innocent, kind men who happen to have had a child outside of their race.”
She pressed her lips together.
“I want to see him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
I wanted to punch her in the face, but that wouldn’t get me what I wanted.
I swallowed the need to do harm. “Please.”
She fixed me with an icy look, a look that was almost pitying. “You misunderstand me. It’s not that I don’t want you to see him, it’s that there is nothing to see. He’s gone. He was banished two hours ago.”
A pit opened inside me, yawning, gaping. Payne was gone? Payne, the father I’d always wanted and finally found, was gone. My heart had just begun to accept the possibility of a true relationship. The worddadhad been on the tip of my tongue, and now … A sob caught in my throat.
Kash wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Gran … I can’t believe this. This is wrong.”
“This is what’s allowed the weavers to flourish and live like kings.” She gave me one final look, part pity, part speculation, and then waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Go console her, Kash. You’ll only have to do so for a few more hours, and then she’ll belong to us.”
Kash shot his gran a stern look before steering me from the room. Outside in the corridor, my vision blurred with hot tears. A few hours. I had only a few hours, and then Payne would be gone from my mind. From all our minds. I had to do something. There had to be a way to get him back.
But how could I get to him? He was in another fucking reality.
Another reality …
Oh, God! I turned in Kash’s arms. “I need the keys to your bike and the gold access card.”
“What?”
“I have to go. Now.”
His frown cleared in comprehension. “You have a plan, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“In that case, I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t. You have the ball.”
“Do I look like I give a shit about the ball?” He took my hand in his. “You’re more important. Payne is more important.”
Having him with me felt right. I nodded mutely.
“Good. Now let’s get the fuck out of here.”
We broke into a jog, away from the study and across the landing toward Kash’s room.
I had a few hours, and I needed to make them count.
I needed to get to Larkin.
