by Melissa Haag
“We need to get you a better jacket,” Ethan said.
His hunched shoulders were near his ears as he struggled to stay warm, too.
“We’ll be warm enough once we’re eating or back in the car,” I said quietly. The cold didn’t bother me as much as the idea of sitting in the car with Carlos.
The quaint restaurant had the typical breakfast offerings. Jim made me smile when he hopefully asked if they had a buffet. The small dining room obviously didn’t have one. I didn’t know why he bothered asking.
I ordered an omelet then played tic-tac-toe with Ethan on the back of my placemat. He won most of the games.
“You cheat,” I said, setting down my blue crayon.
He grinned and shook his head at me.
“It’s tic-tac-toe. Cheating’s impossible. Don’t be a sore loser.”
Playing the game and the banter never fully distracted me from Carlos’ steady gaze from across the table. What would he do if I kicked him in the shin? I was so tempted to find out. Only the possibility that he might turn into the mad dog I’d seen in the alley stopped me. I didn’t want Ethan to get hurt because I was annoyed.
When the food arrived, Emmitt immediately asked for the bill. I glanced at Gabby. She was in her sonar world again, and I wondered if she’d seen something to cause the need for speed. I ate quickly as did everyone else.
“Ethan,” Winifred said as we walked out the door. “Could I speak with you for a moment?”
I slowed down with him, but she waved me ahead.
“It’s all right, Isabelle. You go walk with Gabby.”
I was obviously not wanted. Ethan nodded that he was okay, so I turned and caught up with Gabby and Clay.
“I’ll be your third wheel for this walk,” I said.
Gabby didn’t answer, just stared straight ahead. I leaned around her to look at Clay.
“She been doing this a lot?”
He nodded and cast her a worried glance.
I nudged Gabby with my elbow, and she blinked and turned to look at me.
“What are you seeing?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Meaning...”
Her brow wrinkled.
“They’ve been sweeping for us since we ran into them at your hotel. It’s like they’re doing a grid search. I’ve been slipping us through the holes in the lines. Sometimes, it seemed as if they caught a scent trail and repositioned to net us. When that happened, I would confuse our trail with a highway or high population area.
“They’re still sweeping for us, but there are larger gaps in some of their lines. Not many. A few. I’ve been trying to see where the men might have gone, but I don’t see any large groupings other than the one in northern New York. The holes are random so far. It’s making it easier for us to slip by them.”
She paused for too long.
“But...” I prompted her.
“It feels too easy,” she said, fully looking at me.
I knew what she meant. When the river of life gave you a floatie, there were definitely rapids ahead.
“Ignore the big gaps then and go for the smaller ones.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” she said with a nod.
“Did you talk to grandma and grandpa about it yet?” Grey felt more like an Uncle than Winifred and Sam.
“I haven’t mentioned it yet because I was trying to figure it out. But I’ll talk to Sam when we’re on the road again.”
I nodded as if I cared whether or not she shared the information, then looked over my shoulder. Ethan kept pace beside Winifred. His gaze swept the sidewalk before him as he listened to her. He looked sad. What was she saying to him?
At the hotel, the groups separated into their designated cars. Except Winifred and Ethan.
“Z, I’m going to ride in the party bus and give you a break for a bit. Have the big guy pull over if you need something.”
My mouth dropped open as he pivoted and climbed into the SUV with Winifred. There were three vehicles. Winifred’s car, the SUV that Sam drove, and the car that Thomas drove. Thomas, Charlene, Jim, Emmitt, and Michelle had climbed into one car. Sam, Gabby, Clay, Bethi, Luke, and Grey had already disappeared into the eight-passenger SUV.
Slowly, I turned my head and found Carlos watching me. My eyes narrowed. I rolled my shoulders and went to the car. It didn’t pay to sit in back in protest. I went to the front passenger seat and made myself comfortable.
Carlos immediately joined me. He didn’t even seem to notice I was there as he adjusted his seat, mirror, and steering wheel. He buckled then glanced at my seatbelt. I buckled in, glaring at him the entire time.
I waited until we cleared the city limits before I spoke to him.
“So, this is how we’re playing it? I ask for a room that doesn’t include you, and you finagle a car ride alone with me? What are you hoping to prove? How fast you can piss me off?”
His fingers twitched on the steering wheel.
“I thought we could talk,” he said evenly.
“About what?” If he mentioned the field, I’d punch him in the head.
“Michelle said she spoke to you.”
Oh, hell no. That subject was just as bad. I debated telling him to shut up then decided to play dumb. Maybe he’d give up.
“About what exactly?”
When he spoke, his voice was soft like the lull in the eye of a hurricane.
“I know you feel the pull. I see it every time you look at me. Why are you fighting it?”
Because fighting is what I do, I thought.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What pull?” I kept my voice curious and confused. Stupid man. Did he think I was about to talk about him with him?
His hands tightened on the wheel again.
“Do you know why we’re alone in this car?”
Well, that was an abrupt change in topic.
“No clue. Fill me in.”
“I’m barely in control, Isabelle. Grey thought you’d be safer if I was busy driving.” He completely looked away from the road to stare at me. “But you’re not.”
The car stayed perfectly in the lane. Not even a tiny bit of veering. That was scarier than his words.
“Okay. Okay. Just look at the road already.” He was freaking me out.
He didn’t listen.
“Tonight, when we stop, we’ll go back to four rooms. Not five. Do you understand?”
Did he just try to tell me what I was going to do? Yes. He did.
“If you value Ethan’s safety—”
I reached out, grabbed the steering wheel, and yanked it to the right. The car swerved with a screech as he immediately counter-steered. He braked hard and pulled over to the shoulder. We were still on back roads. As soon as the car stopped, he turned to look at me, thunder in his eyes.
“Don’t ever try to threaten me,” I said in a low voice.
“Don’t ever risk your safety again.”
I shivered at the menace in his words. His intense gaze made my stomach dip and my middle heat. He inhaled slowly, deeply. Both his hands still gripped the steering wheel. Yet, they shook.
Emotion flooded the air. This time there was no question regarding its origin. Helplessly, I breathed in his absolute, desperate need. His steady gaze never left my face as he lifted one hand from the steering wheel and reached out toward me. His need to touch me became my need to be touched. I could barely breathe because of it. I closed my eyes, trying to deny the feelings that I knew weren’t my own. But I was helpless against his need. It was too all consuming.
I leaned forward.
When a fingertip brushed my cheek, I exhaled shakily and my eyes flew open. I wanted more, but he was still in the same spot, only allowing himself a small touch. The pads on his fingers feathered over my skin from cheek to jaw, a light, gentle stroke that left a burning trail. The need for more consumed me.
No, this wasn’t me. It was him.
I was drowning in what he felt and couldn’t
save myself.
Eight
If I gave into Carlos, I would lose Ethan. I wouldn’t allow that. I let the fear of losing Ethan fill me, robbing Carlos’ need of its potency. Willfully, I turned my head, trying to dislodge his touch.
The heat in Carlos’ gaze turned to frustration, and his fingers twitched against my cheek.
Suddenly the back door opened, and the car dipped as someone got in. The door closed again.
“I think you two need a chaperone,” Grey said.
The emotion immediately vanished, and Carlos slowly dropped his hand. I sagged against the seat and a shaky exhale escaped me. Grey’s gaze bounced between Carlos and me.
“Did Carlos manage to discuss anything with you?” Grey asked. “I’m guessing it’s the reason behind the swerve and the sudden stop.”
Neither of us answered. I wasn’t sure I could talk yet without quavering.
Carlos straightened in his seat, checked his mirrors, then signaled that he was ready to pull out. A distance ahead of us, I saw the other cars had pulled over as well.
“You two are a chatty pair,” Grey said with humor.
“We’re not a pair,” I said and looked out the window. I refused to play their little matchmaking game.
Silence reigned for several long minutes. It was enough time for me to relax and notice Grey’s sadness.
“You’ve been with us a handful of days. You know we’re different from you, but you haven’t asked any questions. Aren’t you curious about us?”
“No.”
“I’m curious about you. Will you tell me about yourself?”
I kept my gaze focused on the horizon. Damn Ethan for abandoning me with these people.
“What do you want to know?” I asked in a flat voice.
“What’s your favorite color?”
His question surprised me. I’d expected questions about my power or my relationship with Ethan.
“I don’t know. Blue?”
Grey laughed.
“You sound like Carlos. I’m guessing you’ve never given something like that any thought because there were always too many other things that needed your attention. My favorite color is green. Blue would be a runner-up. What about a favorite food?”
That question was easier.
“I don’t have a favorite food. I have a food trinity. Pizza, burgers, and cereal. I could survive forever on all three.”
“Burgers are good,” Grey agreed. “Have you ever had a fajita? Those are good, too. I think my trinity would be Carlos’ fajitas, burgers, and Winifred’s cookies.”
I immediately saw what Grey was doing. I didn’t want to know anything about Carlos. I knew enough. He thought we had some magical connection. We didn’t. End of story.
“I appreciate the conversation, but I think I’m going to try to take a nap. I’m not a fan of long, boring car rides.”
I curled my legs up on the seat and leaned on the window.
* * * *
A sudden burst of worry nudged me from the light doze I’d managed out of sheer boredom.
“Carlos, get ready to turn left.”
Hands settled on my shoulders as the car lurched at Carlos’ sudden turn. Tires squealed. My eyes flew open, and my pulse leapt. I gripped the door as the car’s speed increased significantly before Carlos even straightened the wheel. The other cars raced just a bit ahead of us.
“What’s going on?”
The hands gave my shoulders a quick squeeze then released me. I turned to look at Grey as he settled back into his seat. He gave me a shadow of a reassuring smile. I wasn’t fooled. His concern perfumed the air.
“Gabby didn’t like the way they were netting to the north. She thinks we can pass by to the west. But it’s a small window, and we need to get there as quickly as possible.”
I stared ahead at the SUV, at Ethan.
“How close are they?”
“Close enough that Carlos is willing to speed.”
I glanced over at the speedometer. We still drove on back roads. There weren’t any other cars in sight. The three vehicles moved in tandem, a little too close given the high speeds. My grip on the door tightened.
Carlos glanced at me but said nothing.
In the backseat, I felt Grey’s frustration. “We might not make it.”
“How many are we talking?” I asked. My gaze swept over the tree-studded landscape as I wondered how close they really were.
“Five.”
All my tension melted. “There are fifteen of us, right? Why are we freaking out over five Urbat?”
“Right now, none of them know where we are. If we’re spotted, they’ll all know.”
The next few minutes passed in silence. We turned twice before hopping onto a highway. As soon as we hit the ramp, Grey’s worry vanished.
“Now, we were talking about favorite foods, weren’t we?”
I sighed and curled up for another nap. It didn’t work.
“What kind of music do you like?”
“It depends on my mood.”
“Do you like rainy days or sunny ones?”
“Rainy.”
“Are you a morning person or a late night person?”
“Neither. I’d rather sleep all day.” He didn’t take the hint.
“What—”
“Is the point of all these questions?” I turned to look at Grey.
“You’re only encouraging him,” Carlos said. I glanced at him. He watched the road.
Grey’s amusement floated around me. Too bad for him I was out of patience.
“One more question, and I knock you out.”
Grey winked at me but kept silent.
“How much longer until we get where we’re going?” I asked Carlos.
“A few more hours.”
The car ride from hell...
* * * *
My bladder was ready to burst when we finally turned into the hotel parking lot. My door was open, and I was out before the car stopped moving. I beat Emmitt to the door.
“Bathroom?” I said loudly.
The man behind the reception counter looked up and pointed to his left. I veered in the direction he indicated and closed myself in the small bathroom.
After the day I’d had, I officially disliked werewolves. And when I found Ethan, I was going to hit him. Gently. I’d only leave a tiny bruise.
I finished using the bathroom, washed my hands, and stalked out. Not only had they deprived me of a bathroom, I was starving.
In the lobby, Carlos stood holding my bag.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Dropping off their things. Everyone’s hungry.”
Instead of handing over my bag, he handed me the keycard. Good. I’d have two hands free to deal with Ethan. I glanced at the number on the card then took off in the correct direction. Our room wasn’t far. I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Grey looked up from the bag he had on the foot of his bed. The room was otherwise empty. My gaze drifted to the bathroom door. It was closed.
I marched up to the panel.
“Ethan, get out here.”
His muffled refusal confirmed my suspicion that he was hiding from me.
“I invoke my tenth grade birthday present.”
That sneaky jerk. I pounded on the door in frustration.
“You can’t. You used it already. Like, three times.”
“That card had no expiration or number of use limits.”
I slapped the door. That gift had been my worst mistake. I’d made a card with a coupon on it. The holder of this card can piss Isabelle off and not get hit for it. I’d written it out of guilt because the day before his birthday, he’d tried kissing me for the first time. And I’d punched him in the face. Not for the kiss, but the overwhelming flood of teenage-boy horny emotions that had come with it.
“Fine. Come out.” I backed away from the door and looked pointedly at Grey and Carlos.
“We’ll wait for you in the lobby,” Carlos said.
&nb
sp; Ethan didn’t emerge until the door closed behind the pair. He eyed me warily. Looking at him hurt.
“How could you?” I said. “You’re supposed to have my back, and you just left me with him.”
His tension eased, and he took a step toward me. In a heartbeat, I was wrapped in his strong arms. His hold felt like home.
“I’m sorry, Z. Winifred was persuasive. Plus, I had questions I knew you wouldn’t want to listen to.”
I didn’t ask what. He knew me well; and if he thought I didn’t want to listen to him, he was probably right. I wrapped my arms around his waist and talked into his bruised shoulder.
“I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“You know we’re stuck with them, right? On our own, the group that’s hunting you girls would find you. And on your own, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
He was wrong. On my own, I would stand a chance. But I wasn’t on my own. I had Ethan. He was my weak spot.
He smoothed a hand over my hair.
“What’s making you want to run? Same thing?” he asked.
I pictured Carlos, cringed, and buried deeper into Ethan’s shoulder. He sighed and kissed the top of my head.
“How do you feel? Need to spar?”
I shook my head. Despite the long ride, the back roads meant fewer accidental pulls; and Grey had kept most of what he’d felt to himself.
“Then, let’s go eat.”
We left the room together and walked the hall side by side. The rest of the group already waited in the lobby. When they saw us, Jim was the first one out the door, all the while mumbling about starvation.
Instead of walking, we drove; and Ethan stuck with me. The Chinese buffet we pulled into didn’t surprise me. After skipping a meal, I was willing to bet the men would be ready to wolf down anything, as long as it was in quantity.
A long table in the center of the place fit us perfectly, and I found myself between Ethan and Carlos. Jim led the charge to the six buffet stations. The variety of food amazed me. They had standard Americanized Chinese fare such as beef and cashews with broccoli; they had straight up American food such as mac and cheese and chicken nuggets; then they had the atypical foods such as crawfish, eel, and shark bites. When Charlene walked past the crawfish, she shuddered. Thomas, who wasn’t far behind her, chuckled.