by Bethany Shaw
“This way.” Vincent took her hand again and led her along the edge of the building. “Our chariot awaits,” he said, dramatically gesturing to the large stagecoach.
Sarah grinned. She both loved and hated how he could get her to smile.
Not wanting to dwell on her feelings toward Vincent, she focused on the task at hand. She led the way up the steps and into the cozy bus. The vehicle was still fairly empty, giving them a lot of seating options. She already knew where she wanted to sit and clamored her way to the far back and plunked down next to the oversized, tinted window.
“Let me guess, you like to sit in the back of the class and at movie theaters, too?” Vincent asked, taking the seat next to her and slumping back making himself at home.
“Yeah,” she replied, wondering if he was asking because of the seating choice.
“Me too. The only bad thing about these seats is we are close to the bathroom.” He tapped his nose. “I have a strong sense of smell.”
“Do you want to move?” she asked, concerned.
“Only if someone goes in. I like the back. No prying eyes.” Vincent waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Sarah laughed. “I’m not sure I want to know what that means,” she shot back.
“Don’t worry. Only half the things I say are as bad as they sound,” Vincent teased.
Sarah rolled her eyes as she giggled.
“You will be the first girl I’ve ever brought...home,” he admitted, quietly.
“Well, I guess I can’t take that too seriously since no one is there. And I’ve already met your mother.” She paused as a wave of fear gripped her. What exactly are we doing here? Sure, we flirted a little the past few days, but this was different. She didn’t know where this was going, but a part of her wanted to find out.
“Hey,” he started, feigning hurt. “You should feel special.”
A part of her wondered if there was some truth to his statement. If he’d truly never brought someone home before, was she different? Or, was it just the circumstances? They had grown closer the past few days, but maybe she was reading too much into it.
Sarah opened her mouth to respond when the driver piped up over the loud speaker, announcing they would be leaving shortly.
“We should get some rest while we can. We have work to do once we get to Guymon,” Vincent suggested.
Sarah nodded as she stifled a yawn. Exhaustion quickly consumed her and she slumped down in her seat. If their plan worked tonight, they were safe—even if only for a night.
***
Abilene, Texas
Lark paced back and forth in the kitchen as she waited for Devon to say something. It was late, and they were both exhausted from a hard day at work, but this couldn’t wait until morning. She checked the bus schedule at the station closest to Luna’s lair and found a route coming in tomorrow morning. If it was Vincent and Sarah, they needed to act fast.
It was hard to gage how Devon was handling the current information. His face was stoic and didn’t show any major emotions. She chewed on her bottom lip, eyeing him. What is he thinking? Maybe he thinks I am crazy.
Devon ran a hand over his face and stood up, stopping her in her tracks. “Why wouldn’t they call, Lark? Don’t bus stations have payphones? I just...” he paused and let out a frustrated breath as he rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll go to the train station in Dallas, take a look around. But I don’t want you to get your hopes up. It could be nothing.”
“I know that,” she whispered. “You know I never felt Sarah was dead,” she told him honestly. Deep down, she knew her sister was alive. There was no proof other than her intuition, but her mother had always said to follow her gut. And right now, her instincts told her to keep searching.
“I hope to God you’re right,” Devon said, pressing a kiss to her brow. “What time did you say the buses were arriving?”
“We’ll need to leave soon so we can get there ahead of time,” Lark said, closing her eyes. Devon believed in her; at the realization, relief engulfed every cell in her body.
“We’re not going alone. If the Lunas know they bought bus tickets, they could have followed them,” Devon said, pulling her into his embrace.
The kitchen door creaked open and she caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye. Lark pulled back, meeting Daniel’s emerald eyes from across the room.
“I was coming to get something to eat,” he said, shifting awkwardly in the doorway before coming in and walking to the cupboard. “I couldn’t help but overhear. I want to go, too.”
Devon stiffened against Lark. The two brothers were working on their issues and making progress, but she wasn’t sure they were ready to be in a confined space together for several hours at a time. But Vincent was Daniel’s brother, too. Surely, they could make it work for the sake of their missing family member.
“I want to leave in the next thirty minutes,” Devon said, quietly. “We’ll take two cars. I need to speak to Gene and let him know what we’re doing. Can you find five other guys that will go with us?” he addressed Daniel.
“I’ll take care of it,” Daniel replied.
Devon turned back to Lark. “I don’t suppose you’ll consider staying behind with Gene.”
Lark glared, crossing her arms over her chest. There was no way in hell she was going to sit around and twiddle her thumbs. If Sarah got off that bus, she wanted to be there.
“I want you armed,” Devon stated, giving Lark a pointed look. He turned to his brother, who was rummaging through the cabinet. “Daniel, if Nora comes, I want her carrying a weapon as well.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Daniel acknowledged, grabbing a granola bar and shutting the cupboard. “What about Em?”
Devon sighed heavily. “If she wakes and asks, tell her. Otherwise, let’s keep this quiet from her and mom. They’re already broken up enough without giving them something else to worry over. This could be something, or it might just be nothing.”
Lark closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. This isn’t nothing—Sarah is out there.
***
Oklahoma
Vincent frowned as he took the card back from the cashier. He let out an aggravated breath, unsure how they were going to get around for the rest of the morning. After a long overnight bus ride, he just wanted to get some breakfast for Sarah and himself and a ride to Guymon. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. He jammed the card in his pocket. “Thanks anyway,” he mumbled as he met Sarah’s eyes.
“Come on.” He placed his hand on her lower back and led her out of the line, leaving the food they’d ordered on the counter. Defeat and embarrassment rolled through him. Why isn’t the card working?
“Did you meet your limit?” Sarah asked as they walked out the sliding glass doors.
“No. I called after my mom gave it to me. It’s a prepaid card. We only use prepaid cards because they can’t be traced unless you have the number. There was five thousand dollars on it. Yesterday was the first time I used it,” he said baffled. The money should have been there. Unless they could find some money, they were stuck in Oklahoma City. He knew his mother had cash stored away at home, but they had to get there first.
“What do we do now?” Sarah asked, raking a hand through her hair.
Vincent let out a long breath. “How many snacks do we have left? I know we bought a few things last night.”
“We still have the three MREs, a bag of chips, and a candy bar,” Sarah said, glumly.
“I’ll die of starvation before eating another MRE.”
“They’re not that bad.”
“We need to find a ride,” Vincent said, looking around the crowded parking lot.
“You’re not thinking of stealing a car are you?” Sarah asked.
“What? No. Why?” he asked, wondering why she’d asked.
“You were staring at those cars pretty hard.”
“We need to find a ride,” Vincent murmured to himself. “I think there is a truck stop a few mil
es up the road.”
“That’s not very safe,” Sarah said, apprehension in her voice. “I think I’d rather you steal a car.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he promised.
“I guess we don’t really have much choice,” she said, deflated.
Vincent met her gaze. She looked exhausted. He grasped one of her hands with his. He needed to take care of her and find her someplace to rest. With her injuries and fatigue, it was only a matter of time before she crashed. He vowed not to let that happen. Now, he just needed to figure out how to keep her going for a few more hours.
“We got out of the woods and away from psychotic werewolves. I think we can manage a ride,” he grinned.
Sarah sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Fine. But you get to sit in the middle. I’m not getting crammed up against some guy I don’t know.”
“Well as long as I get to cuddle up next to you, it’s all good,” he flirted. It wouldn’t be so bad if he got to sit extra close to her.
A small smile slipped over her face and she met his eyes briefly before looking out to the road. “Let’s go,” she said, starting to her right.
“It’s this way,” Vincent grinned as he grasped her elbow.
Sarah shook her head as he tugged her back to him and led the way to the main road.
“You come to the city often?” Sarah asked conversationally, her sapphire gaze fixed on him.
“Occasionally.” He didn’t really want to go into the details of when and why he came. Not with Sarah. Wait! What does it matter what she thinks? It shouldn’t matter—she was only a friend. But he knew deep down he could only lie to himself for so long. Something had changed in him; for the first time in his life, he wasn’t looking at other girls. There was only one who interested him, and she was beyond his reach in more ways than he could count.
“I’m guessing it was to pick up girls?” Sarah replied, quirking her brow up at him.
“That could be one of the reasons,” he admitted, embarrassed she knew him that well.
“Did you ever consider settling down with any of them?”
Her question threw him. Why was she asking? Was it just to get to know him or did she want to know for other reasons?
“No,” he answered honestly. “You know, humans aren’t supposed to know about us. And, I guess, I know how to be friendly to people, but in order to be in a relationship I would have to tell them about myself at some point. I can get people to laugh and smile, but deep down...” he paused. He should just say it and get it out in the open. Knowing Sarah, she would try to argue with him, but he knew it was the truth. “I don’t trust people. I don’t know how to connect with them. I’m sure I could have a relationship, but then I’d have to open up, and I know if someone got to know the real me, she wouldn’t like who I am.”
“I think you’ve opened up to me,” she said slowly. “I see you for the funny, caring, intelligent person you truly are.” Sarah stopped and met his eyes. “When I was shooting at the Lunas, I didn’t care what happened,” she paused, as her voice grew thick with emotions. “I was hurting and just wanted it to stop. Even though these past few days have been horrible,” she laughed as tears pooled in her eyes, “you brought me back. There is so much more to you than you give yourself credit for. We all have our demons we have to work through. Maybe we can help each other.”
Vincent swallowed hard, emotion bubbling up in his throat. No one had ever spoken to him so earnestly before. Not to mention believed in him. But here Sarah was, telling him things he never thought he’d hear and he believed her. It meant more to him than he realized.
A car honked loudly jolting them apart and drawing them out of the moment.
Sarah’s hand flew to her chest as she laughed, while wiping at her eyes. “We should probably keep moving,” she said, clearing the air. “This probably isn’t the best roadside conversation to be having.”
Vincent closed his eyes and smiled, quickly composing himself. She was right, of course. Deep conversations on the side of the highway weren’t exactly practical. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Nine
“Thanks for the ride,” Vincent called as he shut the white semi-truck door.
“Any time. You all be safe now,” the elderly gentleman called as he drove off.
Vincent turned to Sarah, watching as she absent-mindedly dragged the toe of her shoe through the gravel.
“Welcome to my home,” Vincent grinned. “I hope you’re up for a walk. I think the drive is about a mile long.”
“Of course it is,” Sarah yawned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. You wolves like your land.”
“That we do,” Vincent agreed. He paused as he caught sight of a red, white, and blue realtor sign. Looked like his mom really was selling the place. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, unsure how he felt about the situation.
“You okay?” Sarah questioned, stopping to stare at the sign.
“Yeah. If the house is on the market, it must mean the electricity and water are still on. Think how nice it will be to take a hot shower.” He could practically feel the steaming water on his skin. The shower was only a short walk away.
He and Sarah started a speedy walk down the drive, both anxious to get inside and have a few comforts they’d been without for days.
“What’s the plan?” Sarah asked.
“I figure we’ll get cleaned up, eat, and then check out my dad’s office. Maybe take the night to rest before we call Malakai,” Vincent replied thoughtfully.
He was tired, but his body was okay. It was Sarah he was worried about. She’d taken a lot of hits and had the bumps and bruises to prove it. The last thing he wanted was to push her too hard.
Sarah nodded her head, her flaxen hair bobbing up and down like a child’s toy. “I could use a good night’s rest and a good filling meal.”
Vincent’s stomach growled, twisting with hunger. “We should order a pizza,” he suggested, his taste buds salivating.
“What about money?” Sarah asked.
“Not a worry now. I know for a fact my mom keeps spare cash around the house in various spots. We should have enough to get us pizza and anything else we need. My dad’s car is still here, I believe. If it is, we’ll have a vehicle. I always did want to drive his BMW. I was never allowed to, though. I was ‘too reckless,’” Vincent joked.
“You still are,” Sarah quipped with a grin before adding, “It sounds like Emmett was on a power trip in every aspect of his life.”
“Yeah.”
“Was he always like that?” Sarah asked.
Vincent thought back. It would be nice to have at least one fond memory of his father. “No,” he answered. “But he was never really involved with us. Except for Daniel. My mom was the one that took care of everything for the rest of us.”
“We did a lot of stuff as a family, but when I was younger—elementary school aged—my dad worked a lot. I can recall nights where he wouldn’t be home until after I was already in bed,” Sarah admitted with a sigh.
“I guess no family is perfect. Some are more dysfunctional than others,” Vincent commented, knowingly.
Silence enveloped them as they continued down the drive; only the sound of their shoes crunching the gravel could be heard. When the large brick house came into view, Vincent let out a relieved breath as he caught sight of the brightly lit porch. The power was on, but it was eerily quiet—almost unnaturally so. He was used to the house bustling with life. Now, it was deserted.
“Nice,” Sarah commented, her pace quickening the closer they got. “Are we going to the main house?”
“Yeah. I have rooms in both houses,” Vincent commented. Although he had two rooms, only one of them felt like home. He would prefer to stay in the guesthouse. It had always felt homier to him—probably because Emmett never went in there—but he was certain Sarah would not appreciate the mess in that house. After a few months of being dormant, it probably looked worse than he remembered.
<
br /> “Both?” Sarah questioned, quirking her brow up at him.
“I stayed in the guesthouse primarily. But when we had company over, we played the happy family, and Dev and I stayed in the main house,” he explained. He often wondered if they ever fooled any of their guests.
“Wow, and here I thought I was special having my own room growing up, and you had two,” she teased.
Vincent chuckled as they clamored up the steps, but paused as he saw a small grey case hanging from the door. He’d expected the door to be unlocked; his family always left it that way. With the whole pack, there wasn’t a need to lock it. Besides, a wolf could get in, locked or not.
“You do have a key, right?” Sarah asked warily.
“Of course I do.” He grasped the grey box in his hand and yanked down, breaking it free from the door. A grin slid over his face as he pulled the panel open and held up the shiny, brass key, proudly. “See.”
“Superhuman strength,” she rolled her eyes, smiling.
“Admit it, you’re kind of jealous.”
“I’ll admit there are some aspects of being a wolf that might be nice,” she answered honestly as he led them inside.
He swallowed thickly as he took in the creamy walls and floral décor. His mother had free reign to decorate the house as she saw fit—everything except for Emmett’s office. The rooms all flowed nicely together in light pastel colors. It was odd to be back at home. For one, he didn’t think he’d ever see the place again. Beyond that, there were so many bad memories associated with this place, especially when he considered the events leading up to their departure.
Sarah sneezed in rapid succession, drawing him from his thoughts.
“You all right?” he asked, worried.
“It’s just a little dusty in here,” she said, blinking.
“Sorry,” he murmured.
Sarah waved him off. “It’s a house—a real one. I can handle a little dust if it means a hot shower and a warm bed.”
Vincent smiled. He liked that Sarah wasn’t a complainer. While she looked like the girls he usually took home, she wasn’t prissy and delicate. It was a trait that was really starting to grow on him.