“You mean your past.” Her fingers got to work once again. She was almost finished with the braid now. Just in time to end this awkward conversation. “He didn’t tell us about that. We got an anonymous letter the other day, slid beneath the door while the club was shut. One of the girls found it, took it to the Legion. Az was so mad it looked like he would burn the whole place down.”

“Wait, what?” All the blood rushed from my face, pooling in my gut like a stubborn rock.

“He wouldn’t hear a word against you, Mia. Said that if anyone had a problem with you and your past, they could get the hell out.”

My eyes flipped open, and our gazes caught in the mirror. “Az said that?”

She gave me a solemn nod. “He certainly did. And so we all stayed, Mia. If you say you didn’t do it, that’s enough for us.”

I was literally speechless. Not just because of Az’s reaction to that letter but because of theirs. These people barely knew me. I shouldn’t fit in, even if it sometimes felt like I did. They were demons, fae, werewolves, and vamps. I was a scrawny little human with bad memories, an empty bank account, and a pigeon I’d named Hendrix.

Tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t stop them this time. My own damn family hadn’t believed me, but these supernaturals did. For the past two years, all I’d wanted was an escape from accusing stares and hastily-made assumptions. And somehow, I had found it. In the most unexpected place imaginable.

In a week, I would have to leave it all behind. It wasn’t like I could actually stay in this life…could I? Would Az even want me if I decided I’d like to stay? We’d made a deal. Soon, that deal would be done.

I would have to say goodbye to this place and these people.

Unless…unless I was wrong about how Az felt about me. He’d defended me, viciously so. Maybe I was wrong to think last night hadn’t been real.

After all was said and done, maybe I actually could find happiness here.

But first, I had to save Serena.

28

Just before we were set to go on stage, I ducked into a doorframe and watched the other girls go. Priyanka gave me a nod and a thumbs up before disappearing into the club. The thumping bass pounded against my feet. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for all day. My heart thundered so hard in my chest, I could feel the aftershocks in my neck.