Halfling (Black Petals Book 1) Read Free Page A

intact.
    I look around the gated neighborhood. This isn’t a rich subdivision of sorts, but a gated home fixed to look like a subdivision. I clench my teeth. What in the hell are the chances? How do two twenty something year olds own so much property? How do they have so much money? Drugs. It has to be drugs. It must be a gang.
    “Are you chilly?” He asks, eyeing me carefully. I realize that I’m hugging myself, but it’s not because I’m cold, but rather, because I’m scared, and it comforts me.
    I shake my head.
    “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to save your life. You have no idea what you just walked into,” he mutters under his breath and begins driving.
    “It’s drugs, isn’t it?” I wonder out loud.
    He shakes his head. “I’m afraid it’s far worse than that.”
    What could be worse than drugs? He sees my look of confusion and answers, “You don’t want to know, trust me. Do you have anywhere that you can stay? Outside of Toronto, I mean. Preferably, outside of Ontario.”
    I shake my head.
    He nods and appears to be thinking.
    “Just take me home, I promise I won’t say a word to anyone,” I beg. This really can’t be happening. I must have the worst luck in the world. Leave it to me to get wrapped up in a mess like this. It’s just my luck. My mother always told me growing up that I was unlucky and all the terrible stuff that happened to her after my birth, was all because of me, maybe she was right and I am bad luck.
    Landon grips the steering wheel tighter. “I can’t. You can’t stay in Toronto. There are people here who will track you down and kill you.”
    “How? They don’t even know me. They don’t have any connection to me at all!” I argue sternly.
    He grimaces. “I can’t tell you all that you need to know to understand this situation. I can only warn you about what will happen. You will be hunted down and killed, Megan. That is a promise.”
    The way he says these words is harsh. I don’t understand how what he says is possible. He’s sure that I will be killed that much is clear, but I don’t think he’s thought this through entirely. How will they find me? They don’t even have my last name.
    “Take me back to the community centre, where I left my car parked. I won’t tell anyone about you or Blayk, and you don’t tell anyone about me. If people somehow magically come after me, then that’s my fault for not listening to you,” I suggest.
    He sighs and turns the music completely off. I know he’s done arguing with me. He doesn’t seem to have the energy or will to continue arguing about this. It’s as if he doesn’t care enough to continue with me. “Okay. If that’s what you want, but I think you’re making a mistake. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    I give him the address of the community centre gratefully. Maybe I will survive this day after all.
    “You really should get rid of that ring, Megan. It’s dangerous to have in your possession,” Landon says after a moment of silence. I glance down at it in my palm. He’s not lying. This ring has already gotten me into more trouble than it’s worth. I roll down the window, and I am about to throw it out, when he grabs my wrist to stop me. “Don’t. If you throw it out, someone else could pick it up. Give it to me, and I’ll take care of it.”
    I give the ring one last look before dropping it into his cup holder and rolling the window back up. “What’s so special about it anyway?”
    He hesitates, as if trying to come up with an appropriate way to word his answer. “Rings like this one belong to a group of people who kill a certain group of others I guess you could say.” So I was right, it’s a gang related ring. Lovely. Good to know I’ve been wearing that since it fit my finger. How could my mom not have known my dad was part of a gang? Then again, my mom doesn’t know much. I can’t believe I’ve been wearing a murderer ring my whole life.
    We pull into the community