Lyla hoped that the smashed headlight wouldn't attract too much attention. It was better to be in this car than one that was stolen. At least Diego had given her the key and his reluctant permission. It was the only thing that could save them if a cop pulled them over.

When Lennon climbed into the front passenger seat, he seemed rather impressed. The back seat was a much better place for Adley. There was a lot of space. Even though there was room, Ris still gravitated towards him.

"Okay, where are we going?"

"There's a place that they don't know about. We can wait the day out and try to figure out what we're going to do next. Take a left here."

Lennon guided her through the city to a small industrial estate. At the edge of it was a small building that used to be a mechanic's shop. Lyla waited as Lennon lifted the garage door before slowly driving the car into the darkness. Lights flickered as they turned on. Lyla turned off the engine, thoroughly shocked.

From the exterior, it looked run down and in dire need of a coat of paint. The sign was hanging from one side, and the metal bars over the window were rusted. Inside though, it was vastly different. There were lots of lounges, some facing each other, some just scattered along the walls.

"What is this place?"

Lyla turned back to Ris.

"It's just a hangout place. I don't know why it's not on Carson's list. Maybe Gina told him to back off. Maybe he decided that some things were better left unknown. It's entirely possible that he doesn't know about it. Regardless, it's a place where we can stay and rest, whatever we need to do."

"What about food?"

"There's food here, mostly what Adley likes, but I'm sure you'll find something. Come on, if we stay in the car for too long, he'll think we're talking about him."

Lyla got out of the car, tossing the keys at Lennon.

"Remember, not a scratch."

"Yeah,"

She watched as he dumped the keys on the nearby workbench. There was a heavy tone to his voice, one that Lyla couldn't figure out.

Turning, Lyla was taken aback by the werewolf that was lovingly hugging a baseball bat.

"What is going on?" She said dryly.

Ris moved in beside her, scoffing.

"Damn it. I thought I hid Betsy better than that. I swear she has a scent all of her own."

"Betsy?"

"Yeah, Betsy Beatsthemup. It's his bat that he uses for,"

Merissa paused, warily glancing at Lyla.

"Well, I guess you can imagine given her name. He loves that damned thing."

"Then why hide it on him?"

She turned, a little startled.

"Oh, it's not like that. It's a game. You know, when we're bored, we play hide and seek with objects, and he tries to find them. Adley says it helps keep his nose trained to detect."

Nodding slightly at the statement, Lyla left Ris to try and pry the baseball bat out of the werewolf's arms. She searched for Lennon, finding him in what used to be the office. It was a kitchen of sorts, not overly well decked out but sufficient for those who didn't really need one. The reception desk had been altered enough to use as a counter. It had a microwave and a camp-style two ring cooktop. Next to the counter was a fridge that had a lot of photos attached to it.

Lennon opened the freezer door, giving a disinterested flick of his hand at the contents.

"Food."

The door was flicked shut; Lennon turned. Lyla glanced at the pictures and saw Gina. She looked away before he realised. It was a sore point, and Lyla knew how difficult it was to deal with the death of a loved one.

Still, he couldn't wallow in this sadness. Not when they had to figure out what their next move was.

"Lennon."

He stopped and turned back to her.

"I know that these past few days have been a little crazy, and I threatened a lot of things,"

Lyla sighed heavily, leaning against the desk.

"But you know that I'm grateful, right? I wouldn't have gotten as close as I did without you."

She thought that Lennon didn't believe her and that he was seconds away from leaving. Lyla was shocked when he closed the gap between them, kissing her hard as his arms wrapped tight around her.

There was one thing that she knew about the situation between her and Lennon, and it was that she couldn't resist. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much dishonour she thought their relationship would be to Eloise, Lyla could not turn away from him. There was something so sinfully dark about Lennon more than any other vampire that she'd encountered in the past few weeks.

The embrace was intense, a heat filled kiss that was on the verge of becoming something more. Something wicked and heavenly, delectably divine. It all ended with Ris cleared her throat. She offered a smile when Lennon frowned at her.

"I know, right? Such a buzz kill, but you two might want to check those thoughts and feelings at the door because I got a text that says Carson has been picked up, and boss man is seriously pissed."

"From who?"

"A friend who owns the café across the road. Said that he saw the swat team roll in and decided to stay there to watch the show. He was about to leave but saw the boss man turn up. He said, and I quote, yelling at the underlings, sending them to find the red moon."

Lyla smiled as she lifted off the desk. Lennon moved back with a deeper frown. Playtime was being taken away from him, and he was not a happy vampire. Even more, now that he knew that things were okay with Lyla.

"Did this reliable source offer anything else?"

Merissa shook her head.

"So, what thoughts do we have on this little revelation?"

"Well, if the boss man's desperate to find you, then he'll have every single vampire looking. You won't be able to step foot into a vamp stronghold in this city. Us either. Feeding will be difficult. Getting the goals done will be worse. Make no mistake, boss man will know what you want, and he will be waiting."

Pulling a chair over, Lennon sat down. Adley dominated most of the lounge with his broad stature. Merissa was snuggled into him, leaving little space for Lyla.

"So, we've got to feed at some point. That needs to be figured out before anything."

"It's fine. Adley and Lyla can survive on the food here. You and me, we'll just have to share our meal and space the days out."

"Lennon," she chided. "We can't risk it; you're suggesting a timeframe that is too far apart. I feed every night. I've never gone more than one night. Even when I'm late for feeding, I can feel the bloodlust starting. I can't do what you're proposing."

Reluctantly, Lennon nodded. He didn't want to be so obvious, but it was highly likely that he couldn't go without a meal every night as well. Boss man would pull back the vampires, restricting their feeding so that the group could be found by the trail of dead bodies. If they wanted to stay hidden, they either had to hide the dead or feed in an area far away from where they were. Both seemed impossible.