Daughter of Night (A Daughter of Nyx novel)

Chapter Eighteen

She couldn't take her eyes off the car. Was it... Caleb's voice filled the car and she turned.

"Where are you?" Elliot asked.

"I'm outside their hotel. The targets are inside, seventh floor."

"You are certain it's them?"

"Affirmative."

"Perfect. Seems we underestimated them. I'm being followed."

"Do I need to find you?"

"Not at all." His voice was relaxed, amused, and she had to wonder if she missed something funny about the situation. "I simply wanted to make sure that it wasn't the ones your watching. The ones behind me are fair game." He glanced at Nikolas and while she couldn't see his face, his laughter brought out a shiver. "Keep me updated."

He hit a button on the dash.

Using the blinker this time, he made a right and she knew. He wanted them to continue to follow. He sped up just enough that it didn't look as if he was trying to run.

"Where are you taking them?" Nikolas asked.

"I'm not certain yet." He glanced behind them again. "But I'm in no hurry."

"What if they get tired of following?"

Elliot laughed. "We have who they want. If I drove to Phoenix, they would come with me."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

He met her eyes and held them for a second. "We are going to protect you, Chevonne. And we are going to do it the best way we know how."

"Kill them."

"Of course."

She shivered. There was no reason for her to pity the people that wanted to hurt her. Absolutely none. But, she did.

"That's... sweet," he said.

"What is?"

"You feel bad for them. They did so much to you, and yet, you feel sadness at their fate. Why?"

"Because of what they did to me. I don't want anyone to feel that. But they're going to, aren't they?"

"No. They won't feel that. It's going to be so much worse."

She tried to argue. "It's an unfair fight. They don't know what you are."

"They'll find out." He kept his eyes on the road and he took a left, giving them plenty of time to make the turn. "You speak about fair. Please tell me what is fair about drugging a young woman and tying her her to a rock? You speak about the unknown when the same unknown was used against that same young woman."

Jonathan spoke. "I agree with him. These people did horrific things to you, Chevy. And they'll do it again if given the chance. You understand that, right? They will do it again. You reap what you sow."

Who was going to be dying tonight? Uncle David? Aunt Celia? People she realized that were probably not related to her. Simply members of a band of people that were crazy. Psychotic. Dangerous.

The drive continued. Another right and she realized he was heading into the mountains, the lights still behind them.

Yes, yes to everything that Elliot and Jonathan said. But it didn't stop the pounding of her heart at the idea that the people that were alive in the car behind them wouldn't be that way much longer. And she knew it. Knew ahead of time that their death would be soon. And that it would be painful.