by C. C. Hunter
“Now,” he said. “See the pedals? It’s just like an automatic or a regular car. But it has another pedal. The first one to your left is the clutch, the second is the brake, and the third is the gas. When you start the car and put it in gear, you are going to push the clutch in, then slowly let it out as you push on the gas. It’s that easy. Clutch releases as gas increases. Then you take your foot off the clutch.”
Della had her head turned sideways looking at the pedals. “It’s not that easy, you have to change the gears.”
“Yeah, but that’s simple. When the car needs another gear, you’ll hear and feel it. You let off the gas and do the same thing, clutch in, change gears, then gas again.”
He caught her hand in his and put it on the gearshift. His palm stayed on top of hers to show her how to shift. “Here’s first. Do you feel that?”
She felt his hand. Felt the tingles. “Yeah,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as wispy as she felt on the inside.
“Here’s second.” He moved the shift down. His thumb inched up and down beside her pinkie, sending all kinds of warm wonderful zings to her heart.
He went through all the different gears. Della tried hard to think about the placement of the gears and not the placement of his hand.
“Now you do it.” He moved his hand from on top of hers. Only pride kept her from pretending she couldn’t do it and having him show her again.
She did as he showed her. The only one she couldn’t find was sixth gear.
“Right here.” His shifted a little closer, his hand pressed on top of hers again as he showed her the slight move of down and slightly to the right side. “Do you feel it?”
“Yeah.” She felt everything. How he’d slipped his left arm over the back of her seat and how his forearm now brushed against her shoulders. How when he spoke this close, his breath tickled her cheek.
“You ready to try?” he asked.
She looked at him. His question echoed inside her. Was she ready? Ready to stop fighting what she felt? Fighting the so-called “bond” that made something inside her feel complete?
The answer whispered across her mind. Maybe.
“Yeah,” she answered him, while the “maybe” was all she could give her own question. And she knew what held her back. She still wasn’t completely sure he didn’t know more about who’d sent him to make sure she got through the rebirth.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
She had to adjust the seat to make sure she could reach the pedals. Taking a deep breath, wanting to master this, she put the car in neutral, put her foot on the clutch, and turned the ignition. She felt him watching her and cut him a smile. “Piece of cake.”
The way he’d parked meant she didn’t have to put the car in reverse, so she put it in first. She did as he said, put her foot on the gas, and slowly released the clutch. The car moved forward. A sense of victory waved over her, but jolted to a stop at the same time the car sputtered and died.
“What happened?” she asked, looking at him. His grin made her moan.
“You let the clutch out too fast. You need to let it out slower. But you almost had it. Try again.”
Determined to do it, she repeated her steps. And this time, the car moved about twenty feet before it sputtered and died.
She growled, thumped the steering wheel, and shot him an unhappy look. “Something’s wrong.”
“It’s not wrong. It just takes a little finesse.” He chuckled.
“Stop laughing,” she said.
“Hey, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because … because I remember Jimmy trying to teach me. And because I love … being here. With you. With you not fighting me, but fighting my car.” He leaned in. “Try again.”
His lips were so close. Then they lightly brushed against hers.
Chapter Thirty-one
“For luck,” Chase said, then he pulled back as if frightened Della was going to be pissed off.
She wasn’t. Or maybe a part of her was, but she didn’t want to let that part matter right now.
When she didn’t say anything, didn’t complain, he did it again. This time, the kiss lasted a few seconds.
She put her hand on his chest and gave him a slight push. “You’re supposed to be teaching me to drive your car.”
His tongue came out and passed over his bottom lip. “Okay,” he said, his smile so bright that damn it if it didn’t make her want to kiss him again. Then he gave her ponytail a yank. “Remember, slow and easy.”
Yeah, she thought. That’s how she wanted to take this thing. Slow and easy.
After about three more tries, she finally got it. “See,” he said. “I told you you’d get it.”
She started driving a little faster. The wind felt good; the rumble of the engine felt good. She felt powerful.
“It’s almost as good as flying, isn’t it?” he asked, watching her drive down one paved street to another.
“It might even be better,” she said, changing gears and loving how smooth she was able to make the shift. “How fast can it go?” she asked and glanced at him.
“It’s fast,” he said. “Push it a little.”
She looked around and there wasn’t another car in sight. So she did it. She pushed her foot on the gas and felt the roar. Glancing at the speedometer, she saw she’d hit ninety miles an hour.
She was just about to let off the gas when she heard the sirens.
“Shit! My father’s gonna kill me,” she muttered. Before she could say anything else, before she could even look into the rearview mirror, Chase had grabbed the wheel with one hand, lifted her ass with the other, and swapped places.
Then he quickly slowed the car down and pulled over.
“What are you doing?” she asked, snapping her head around to watch the police car come to a stop behind them.
“Making sure your father doesn’t kill you,” he said. “Because if he hurt you, I’d have to teach him a lesson, and that’s not a way to start our relationship.”
She started to tell him they didn’t have a relationship, but then she bit down on her lip. “It’s a convertible; he probably saw I was driving.”
“You were going so fast, he couldn’t tell who was driving.”
Della looked at him. “Right. I was going fast. I was the one—”
“It’s okay,” he said. “Just let me handle this.”
“But, it’s my fault. You shouldn’t—”
“I’m the one who forced you to drive.”
She could hear the litany, the one her dad gave each and every time she took the car out. The one about the danger of texting and driving. About … “Your insurance will go up and—”
“Money isn’t a problem.”
“Won’t your dad … I mean, Jimmy, be upset? I don’t want you taking the blame for something I—”
Chase reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet, getting ready to take the blame for this. “I’m eighteen, Jimmy doesn’t parent me anymore.”
Della looked back at the police car again, feeling almost sick. “What’s he doing? Why isn’t he coming over here?”
“Don’t worry. He’s just checking to see if the car is listed as stolen.”
She cut Chase a panicked look. “Crap! It’s not, is it?”
He shot her a frown. “I’m not a thief.”
“I know … I’m sorry, it’s just … I’ve never been pulled over before.”
“Just calm down. We’re not going to be arrested.”
“Oh, God, I didn’t even think about that. My dad would really kill me then. And Burnett … he’d kill me again. What was I thinking? I shouldn’t have been speeding. Oh, Lordy, I got us in this mess!”
Chase reached over and touched her shoulder. “Chill. It’s going to be fine. If speeding is the worst thing you do, you’re good.” Then he grinned. “You’re cute when you’re scared.”
She slapped his hand. “I’m not scared. I’m … worried.”
“I kn
ow, but it’s going to be fine. I promise. Trust me. And no one will ever find out. Not your dad or Burnett. This is our secret.”
She stared at his light green eyes. And a part of her did trust him. But only part.
All of a sudden, she felt guilty. Guilty for taking the time to have fun when they should have been looking for Natasha and Liam.
She shot another look at the police car and started tapping her feet on the floorboard. “Seriously, what’s taking him so long?”
Chase touched her shoulder again. “Calm down or he’s going to think I kidnapped you or something.”
“Okay. I’m calming down. I am.” She stared straight ahead. Then, taking a couple of deep breaths, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
* * *
“You know it’s going to be okay. We’ll get out of this.”
Chase had just told her that, but when she reheard his words, the voice in her head wasn’t Chase’s. She opened her eyes. The sun, the blue sky, the Camaro, the police car, it had all disappeared.
Gone.
All gone.
Darkness, all she saw was darkness. She blinked again.
“You okay?” This time she recognized the voice.
Liam.
“Can I ask you something?” she said. Oh, hell yes, Della had questions, too. Where are we?
“Yeah,” he answered.
She turned her head and could barely see him. He was handsome, even though one of his eyes looked a little swollen.
Tell me where you are, so I can get you and Natasha out. She tried to say the words, but they wouldn’t come out. She might be inside Natasha’s body, but she didn’t have control.
Instead, Natasha asked, “Is there someone else?”
“What do you mean?” Liam asked.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
He reached up and touched her face. “I think after what we did, three times, that means we’re … an item.” He laughed.
Natasha smiled, but in reality she wasn’t in the mood for humor. “I mean before now.”
He hesitated. “I used to. A year ago, she graduated and went off to USC.”
“Did you love her?” Natasha brushed some dirt off her knee and Della felt how badly she wanted Liam to say no.
“I thought I did. I wanted to go with her, but even with the scholarship they offered me, my mom couldn’t afford it. She was already working a second job to pay for here.”
“So, you’re smart. I figured that,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said. “But I’ll bet you didn’t do too bad in school, either.”
“I’m not USC smart,” she said. She paused, then asked, “So you two just broke up when she left?”
“No, we were going to try to make it work. You know, wait on each other. Fly out to see each other when we could. But just a few weeks in, she met someone else.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” he said. “Getting turned would have ended it anyway.”
“Yeah, it kind of puts a damper on things, doesn’t it?” Emotion rose up in Natasha’s chest and Della realized Natasha’s feelings were much like the ones she felt about being turned. Her life had been ripped away from her.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve got someone,” Liam said. “Because I’m not going to like that.”
“I don’t,” she said. “Like you, there was someone, but I had to walk away when … when I got turned.”
“Did you fake your own death?” he asked.
“They guy at the funeral home told me I had to. He said that I’d end up killing my parents or something.”
“That’s a lie, you know.” He pressed a kiss on Natasha’s brow.
“I don’t know, it was pretty crazy at first.”
“I know, but I’m not a killer, and I don’t think you are, either.” He put his arm around her. She buried her face in his shoulder.
“That’s what they want us to be. Or wanted. Why do you think they didn’t come back?”
“I don’t know.”
Della tried to figure out what they meant, but didn’t have enough information.
A sound rumbled above, like some kind of big equipment digging. Natasha looked up. “Did you fake your death?” she asked Liam.
“No, I never had a chance. That group of weres found me like the second day. I was wandering the streets, hurting like hell. They caught me and put me with the others.” He paused and then reached down and tilted up her chin and looked at her. “I didn’t care if I lived or died. I was about to end it, then I saw you. You were so scared, and all I could think about was making you feel better. You saved my life.”
“No, you saved mine. And nearly got yourself killed doing it.” She lifted her hand and touched his brow and eye.
“Nah, I just got beat up a little. It was worth it.”
A few minutes of silence passed. Natasha’s stomach rumbled from hunger and her thoughts took her back. “I miss them,” she said.
“Not that boyfriend, I hope,” he replied.
“No, he was just … we weren’t serious. I miss my parents. My friends, Amy and Jennifer. I had two of the best friends in the world. And I know they’re all hurting. Especially my mom. She loved me so much.” She started to cry.
Liam picked her up and sat her on his lap. “We’ll get out of here, then you can go see them.”
“How? They think I’m dead.” She pressed her face to his chest.
“We’ll make up a story. Say that you were kidnapped or something. We’ll say that they got the wrong body. Hey … I’ll make it happen. Somehow, Natasha, I’ll fix it.”
Della felt despair swell inside Natasha’s chest. “Who are we kidding?” She grabbed a handful of Liam’s shirt. “We’re not getting out of here, Liam. We’re going to die.”
“Damn it! Don’t say that. We’re getting out of here, then we’ll find out how others like us live. There has to be a way.”
Natasha cried a few more minutes, then finally exhausted, she just leaned against him. He knew just how to hold her to make her feel … loved.
And she loved him, she realized. She hadn’t felt this way toward anyone before. Almost as if he sensed her thoughts, he leaned down and kissed her brow again. “Oh, and if you get some scholarship to some school, I’m coming with you. I’m not losing you. Okay?”
“You won’t,” she said. And while she wanted to believe him, that they would get out of this alive, that they would actually get a chance to make a life together, she didn’t. She didn’t believe.
But at least they had now. She lifted her face and kissed him. Kissed him with desire and passion. “Wanna make that four times?”
“I asked you a question!” the voice came from somewhere else. And now it wasn’t Liam’s voice, or Chase’s.
Della snapped open her eyes and the sun nearly blinded her.
“I’m sorry,” Chase said.
Della turned and looked at Chase, he wore the same stunned expression on his face that she must have. Then she saw the officer standing outside the driver’s door, and she met his brown-eyed gaze. Unhappy gaze. Unhappy man. He looked like a bulldog—one that needed a little less time at his food bowl. He even had flabby cheeks like a bulldog, one of those kinds that drooled.
“We’re nervous,” she spit out. “I mean, I’m nervous. I’ve never been pulled over before.”
“That’s probably because you haven’t been hanging out with Speedy Gonzales here for that long.”
Chase lost his usual look of superiority and his expression was one of apology. “I was trying to show off for my new girlfriend,” Chase said to the officer. “I know I was wrong. Ticket me if you have to. But at least I brought her out here so I wouldn’t risk an accident.”
“You mean so you wouldn’t risk getting caught.” The cop frowned, his jowls jiggled. “Let me see your license, son,” he barked.
Chase handed it to him.
He walked off, or rather wobbled off. He even walked like a bulldog. He go
t into his car again, where his blue lights still flashed.
Chase looked at her. She didn’t say anything, but he must have read the pain in her eyes.
“We’ll find them.”
“We have to,” Della said.
Her phone chimed. She yanked it out of her pocket and looked at it. Probably her mom. She still hadn’t returned Della’s call.
She glanced at the number. “It’s Burnett. You don’t think he already knows we’ve been—?”
“If he does, then he has an informant in every cop shop in Texas.”
Della prepared herself for an ass chewing. “I wouldn’t find that too hard to believe.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Burnett didn’t know they were being pulled over and ticketed. He’d called to inform them that Shawn wouldn’t be meeting them at Uck’s Burgers. The agent supposedly was working on another case. The fact that Burnett was vague about the details almost made Della suspicious.
Burnett’s voice came across the line. “I was thinking you should probably just go back to Shadow Falls.”
“No, we’re going to Buck’s.”
“Why? Our main suspect isn’t going to be in town until Friday. You’ll be wasting your time.”
“No, remember, I got a familiar trace of a were at the restaurant that night. I think it means something.”
“I know but … Shawn can’t make it and—”
“And we’ll be fine,” she said in a determined tone. “Trust me.”
Burnett got quiet. “Fine, but remember the rules. Don’t initiate any trouble. If you get a lead, call me ASAP. And…” He went on for another two minutes and ended with, “But I really think you are wasting your time.”
Thankfully, he hung up before the officer came back to give Chase her ticket.
Unfortunately, thirty minutes after sitting in Uck’s Burgers, Della was afraid Burnett was right. Neither she nor Chase had gotten any scent of a were. There had been a few vamps, and they certainly had checked Della and Chase out, but obviously decided not to cause waves.