Only one thing bothered Audra as she got out of the car at the construction site where Rebecca’s work phone had been tracked. All things considered, she didn’t have much to complain about. She really liked Darius, and he seemed to like her. He was the kind of guy she’d always thought was out of her league—successful, kind, and sexy as hell. When they’d kissed in the car and she’d run her hands over the bulging muscles of his arms, it was all she could do not to squeal out loud. She could barely wait to get him alone, but then again, a man like that was worth waiting for.

Even Beef seemed to like him at first glance, and he’d like Darius even more once he got to know him. She was sure of that. Darius wasn’t the kind of guy who would cheat on her, or make her feel like she had to bend over backwards to keep him. He built her up instead of tearing her down, and although it would take some getting used to, it was really nice so far.

But on the drive there, she’d been thinking a lot, and they were the kind of thoughts that refused to go away no matter how hard she tried to banish them. Something had occurred to her. She didn’t like thinking about it, and she liked the idea of saying it aloud even less, but she felt like she had to. Darius cared enough to be honest with her, and she had to pay him the same courtesy even if it scared her.

Although she really didn’t have the time to look around or light enough to really give things a good look, the new construction looked like it would be beautiful. The newly installed street lights illuminated enough of the area for her to see the basics despite the late hour. The long, low-slung buildings with their terra cotta tiles in shades of deep umber and tan gave the whole structure a southwest feel. Large, high set windows would let in a lot of natural light without compromising privacy. The entryway was topped with a curved, decorative arch that was echoed above the windows and doors. She could just imagine how it would look once the construction was completed and all the tape was off the windows. It would be fun to landscape this place, to find the right mix of desert plants to set off the exotic beauty of the home.

Darius didn’t notice it. He charged out of the car as soon as it rolled to a stop and was halfway around the building before he remembered that he wasn’t alone. He stopped to wait for her with a sheepish expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning toward her. He held out a hand as she approached, and she took it gratefully.

“Thanks,” she said. “It’s really dark. I’m worried I’ll trip.”

“I forget that you don’t see as well as I do in the dim light,” he said. “Silly of me. I’m just not used to having company when I’m barging around in the middle of the night. Let me help.”

“So you’re saying you do this often?” she teased. “Take women to your construction sites at eleven at night?”

He led her toward the back of the building, the light from the street growing dimmer. True to his word, he didn’t seem to have any trouble navigating the winding walkway. Of course, not only could he see a bit better in the dark thanks to his shifter blood, but he also knew where everything was. He’d designed this whole set up, after all.

Just up ahead, the path curved around the main building. She could barely make out the outline of another building—a guest house or pool house or something like that? And she could see the hulking outlines of a variety of construction vehicles. Beyond was the deep, empty blackness of the desert. This lot bordered on the edge of nothingness, and it felt like anything could be back there.

Rebecca probably was, and before they saw her, Audra had to tell him what she was thinking, even if it bothered him. Especially if it bothered him.

She tugged him to a stop, and he immediately stepped closer to her. It was an intimate distance, one that made her all too aware of his body. One that would have felt threatening with a lesser man. But with Darius, all it did was make her feel safe. Safe, and extremely aroused.

She pushed those feelings away and said what was on her mind.

“Darius, I thought of something,” she said.

“What’s that?” he rumbled, releasing her hand and rubbing her arms gently.

“It’s about Rebecca.”

Now she was stalling, and she knew it but couldn’t make herself stop. What if he was angry at what she had to say? He’d been so remarkably patient with her mistakes and silly neuroses, so probably all of this worry was for nothing. But what if it wasn’t? And what if she was wrong, and she pushed him away because she was being paranoid?

She took a deep breath. Darius wouldn’t do that to her. And if he would, he wasn’t worth her time. She was done with changing herself to suit men who weren’t worth all that effort. But Darius was. And if he did flip out on her for being honest, then it would be better to know that she was wrong about him now than later, after her emotions had really gotten involved. They already had, of course, but she’d be able to recover.

The mention of Rebecca’s name brought Darius to instant attention. He stared at her as if willing her to speak faster. When that didn’t work, he prompted her.

“What about Rebecca?” he asked. “What did you think of?”

“It’s probably nothing. I mean, I honestly think our current theory is right, and Rebecca just took the lamp from Chad to keep it safe, and she came out here to make sure that it didn’t hurt someone else. After all, you know her way better than I do, so it’s probably silly of me to say this at all. Maybe I should just shut up.”

She felt stupid now. Babbling like an idiot and going nowhere. But she just couldn’t bring herself to speak plainly, knowing it would hurt him.

He wasn’t having any of it, though. He gripped her arms a bit more firmly—not hard, but not the gentle caress he’d used earlier.

“Just say what you want to say,” he urged.

She took a deep breath.

“Honestly, it’s probably nothing.” He made a noise then, a kind of exasperated growl, and she forced herself to go on. “I just wanted to make sure that you’d thought of the other explanation to what we know.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, so probably not.”

“What if Rebecca had the lamp all along?” She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see his reaction as she forged on, all the worries that had started accumulating in her brain while Darius was in the shower tumbling out of her mouth. “She knew it was at my place. Chad didn’t. So if he broke into my storage unit, why would he take that particular thing and nothing else? If he wanted revenge, he could have taken all kinds of stuff from upstairs and really ruined me. He could have taken that necklace that he let Lara borrow, and it would have gutted me. He didn’t need to risk coming downstairs and having me see him.”

“Rebecca wouldn’t hurt anyone,” he said harshly.

“I’m not saying she would! Maybe something happened, completely on accident, and she panicked. She took the lamp for safe-keeping and erased my memory of it. I’m not saying she’s a bad person. I mean, if anyone can understand good people making stupid decisions, it’s me.”

She snuck a glance up at him, and she didn’t like what she saw. His whole face was closed in. Angry. His hands tightened on her arms even further, and just before it became painful, he seemed to realize what he was doing and released her. Then he took a deliberate step back, as if he couldn’t stand to be close.

She rushed to try and defend her position, but what else could she say? But she tried anyway:

“I’m not trying to accuse her of being a bad person, Darius. Really, I’m not. But there’s a chance that she could have made some wishes, and Chad was present for one of them. He was really freaked out.”

“So that’s it?” he snapped. “One look at Chad and you get all bleeding heart and accuse the person I trust most in this world? If either of them was making wishes, it was Chad. He’s shallow enough for the djinn to get to him fast.”

“But maybe that’s the point! She thought she could resist it. And I bet she could better than most people. But you can’t tell me she wouldn’t wish for anything.”

“Like what? She’s got a great job. A best friend who thinks the world of her. She’s friendly and popular. It’s not like she’s going to go off the deep end and wish for boyfriends. She’s not that desperate.”

It didn’t seem like he meant the statement personally, but it sure felt like that to Audra. She’d been desperate with Chad, and the boyfriends before him. She could admit that now, and she was working through it. But that didn’t mean that the implication escaped her.

“So what you’re saying is that someone desperate like me would fall to a djinn quite easily?” she asked archly.

He blinked. “Wait. What?”

“That’s what you said. I was desperate. You said it yourself. Why else would I be with someone like Chad? I set the bar too low, and I paid the price. But I learned from it. And the reality is that I’m not perfect, and expecting me to be isn’t doing me any favors. And it isn’t doing Rebecca any either.”

Her heated words drove all the argument out of him. He stood there with wide eyes as she continued.

“You’re a loyal friend, and that’s great. But if she used the lamp, she’s in trouble. By refusing to even contemplate it, you’re putting her in even more danger. Because you won’t see it until it’s too late. Let’s say that the worst happens, and we find out that she had the lamp all along. She used a wish to wipe my memory, and it opened the door for the djinn. She tried and tried to keep it closed, but it’s been wearing at her. And then she makes another wish, only she’s not thinking straight, and she doesn’t word it well. Djinn are rules lawyers, Darius. They’ll twist your wishes.

“So let’s say that happens. She makes a wish, and the djinn twists it to serve its purposes, and you end up getting hurt. That’s the last thing she’s going to want, and it’s the only reason I brought this up. You think I like saying this stuff? Well, I don’t. But I’d rather have you mad at me than hurt, and I think Rebecca would say the same thing if she was here. How do you think she’s going to feel when she realizes that her mistake hurt you? I’ll tell you how she’ll feel. She’ll feel like crap. She’ll never stop beating herself up over it.”

“Okay, okay,” he said quietly. “You’ve made your point.”

“Have I? Because I can keep going if I need to.”

“You don’t. You’re right.”

As she’d talked, he’d shifted so his face was in shadow. She couldn’t read his expression, but his voice was earnest. He’d heard what she had to say, and she let out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. That mini argument had been frightening, and it had hurt, but maybe now they were okay?

“I’m sorry,” he continued. “Of course you’re right. Someone with good intentions could take the lamp for all the right reasons and have it turn out poorly. I think…we talked about that. Rebecca and I. Maybe this whole thing is my fault after all, because I’m pretty sure I’m the one who brought up the idea of good people making wishes. I didn’t know.”

“That’s not your fault.” Audra stepped closer to him, tentatively, waiting to see if he’d retreat again. He didn’t. “But I want to make sure that we’re prepared before we approach her.”

“How?”

“Come up with some idea of what she’d wish for. Then, we’re prepared to face it. Or to talk her out of it.”

“But I don’t know what…”

The answer hit him like a ton of bricks to the face. It knocked him off balance for a moment.

“Of course…” he murmured. “Why didn’t I see it before?”

“What is it, Darius?” Audra asked, tension making the hairs on her arms prickle.

“The spider. I’d assumed that it crawled out of the desert, like those things do from time to time.”

“Well, yeah. Me too.”

“But that’s not it at all.” Darius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “See, Rebecca’s mom Felicia was a werespider. I thought of her in passing when I was fighting the thing, but of course it couldn’t be her, because Felicia is dead. She died protecting her family when Rebecca was young. Bec saw the whole thing. Still has nightmares about it too.”

“And that’s one of the most selfless wishes she could make. To bring her mom back,” Audra said in a whisper.

“Only it went wrong. Mom was sick and disoriented and not quite herself. She attacked one of the people Rebecca cares about most,” said Darius miserably. “Me. And now she’s probably blaming herself. Audra, what do I do if she’s done something stupid?”

“We try and help her,” said Audra. “I’ll be right there with you the entire time. We can fix this, Darius. I’m sure we can.”

He swallowed hard, and she could see how much he struggled to hold in his emotions. She wished, as hard as she could, that she was wrong. That Chad had stolen the lamp, and Rebecca had only had it for a few hours. How ironic, to wish things were different when wishes had gotten them into this mess in the first place.

“Let’s go find Rebecca,” she suggested, offering her hand.

After a moment of hesitation, he took it, and they walked out into the backyard together.