I left the music shop and the door chime jingled overhead. My entire being protested against leaving Kai. I glanced through the windows as I walked past and saw him leaning with his fists against the table, head down, eyes shut tight.

“You okay?” Jay asked when I climbed in the driver’s seat, shaking all over.

“Not really.” All I could do was stare at the store entrance. Like a masochist, I knew I wouldn’t leave until I saw this girl—this woman he was expecting.

“You weren’t in there very long,” Veronica said, leaning through the space between the front seats.

“He didn’t really have much to say.” From the corner of my eye I saw Jay and Veronica exchange worried glances.

“So . . . do you feel like you have closure now?” Veronica asked.

“No.”

Kaidan would be listening to this conversation with his extended Nephilim hearing, but I didn’t care. I was focused solely on the shiny black sedan now pulling up to the curb. The driver got out, a tall, dark-skinned man in a suit, and waited by the back passenger door. Kaidan exited the store, and I held my breath as the driver opened the car door and a woman stepped out.

“Hey, there’s Kaidan!” Veronica said. “Who’s that lady?”

“His ride,” I whispered.

All three of us leaned forward to see the woman. She appeared to be in her early forties. and sexy in a weird sort of vampire way. She had black hair to her waist and wore a short red dress. Everything about her screamed fake: too-thick eyelashes, too-high boobs, too-long nails with polish the color of blood.

Dear God, not her. Kai hadn’t wanted me to see—hadn’t wanted me to know.

Kaidan shot a glance over his shoulder, straight to me, and I froze. Such hard, empty eyes. His expression made my breath stick in my chest. See, those eyes seemed to say, we’re different. This is my life and that is yours.

His attention was on the woman again. She extended a hand to Kaidan, who air-kissed it before ducking in the car.

Ants and spiders seemed to scurry across my skin, taking bites of me.

“Is that a freaking hooker?” Veronica hollered.

“No.” I cleared my dry throat. She was something much worse. “She’s a friend of his father.”

We watched in silence as the driver closed the door. Then Jay said, “Maybe she’s one of the old models for Pristine.” But he looked a little creeped out as we watched the sedan pull away.

“I don’t know, Anna,” Veronica said, settling back into her seat now. “There’s something weird about him, like he’s into sketchy stuff or something. You’re way too good for him.”

“No,” I began, but my voice caught. They wouldn’t understand.

I couldn’t say anything else as I started the car to take us home. I felt like a zombie going through the driving motions, merging onto the highway.

At that moment, Kaidan was riding in a car with Marissa, the notorious madam of an underground sex trafficking ring—orchestrating the slavery of girls from around the world. He would be working tonight, training her “nieces” about their sexuality and ways to please men. And here I was going home with my two friends, to a mother who loved me, and a chick-flick rental with popcorn and sweet tea, even if part of me would be watching out for evil spirits the whole time.

I swerved onto the shoulder and threw open the door, getting sick on the gravel while cars zoomed by. I could hear Veronica yelling, and felt Jay’s hand on my back.

But all I could think about was the boy I loved and his empty gaze, lost to me.

CHAPTER THREE

WORDS OF THE ANGEL

When I got home, Patti’s orange aura told me she was excited to hear how things had gone with Kai. She stood in the doorway to greet me, but her smile and bright colors faded to gray when she caught sight of my face. Without a word she took me in her arms, kicking the door closed and leading me to the couch.

“Oh, sweet girl,” she said into my hair. “All night I’ve been feeling this really strange sense of peace, more than I’ve felt in a long time. I thought maybe it was a sign that good things were happening for you and Kaidan.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, but she shushed me and wouldn’t let me go.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. And you don’t have to talk about it unless you want.” She pulled away and touched my cheeks. “Are you still up for our movie date?”

I sniffed. “I guess.”

“No spirits tonight?” she asked.

I shook my head.

She went to the kitchen to make drinks and pop popcorn. Her guardian angel, who was usually very still and focused, sort of bobbed next to her, expectant. When he stared down the hall I got up to see what was there, but it was empty. I sat again, considering asking her angel what was up, though I knew it would be a waste of time. Those spirits wouldn’t peep unless they’d been given higher permission.

I closed my eyes, trying to relax. My chest tightened every time I thought about that nasty Marissa acting like she owned Kaidan. And how he went without argument, hating himself for what he was about to do—what he was probably doing at this very moment.

My stomach turned.

“You okay?” Patti called from the kitchen. The scent of popcorn wafted my way.

“I need to wash up.”

I stood over the bathroom sink, contemplated being sick again.

As I leaned my palms against the cool ceramic basin, a sudden peace flooded every pore of my body. I took in a cleansing sip of air and became wholly aware of one fact.