He put on his jeans and stood up to button them. “Sixteen.”
“You do realize she’s only fourteen.”
“And I just turned sixteen. We’rebothminors. Your point?”
“You don’t look like a minor,” I grumbled, noting his broad chest and height. Maybe I was getting so old that I couldn’t tell a person’s age anymore, but they sure didn’t have boys like that in my old high school.
“I got my dad’s genes,” he said, arms folded.
“You look like you play professional football.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I should.”
Definitely a teenager’s attitude.
“If you’re only sixteen, do you even have a driver’s license?”
“Doyou? Last I checked, none of us were allowed to take a written exam. Everyone has a fake ID, and I can pass for driving age.”
“You can pass for drinking age.”
“I’m Officer Barnes,” the cop interrupted. “Are you two kids okay? That’s quite a spill you took.”
Joshua glowered at me. “This crazy woman jumped on my car and scared the shit out of me. I lost control.”
Carol looked back at the damaged car and paced. “We have to go.”
“You better not move an inch,” I said to her. “You have no idea how much trouble you’re in.”
Officer Barnes kicked my foot. “Keep quiet.” He crouched behind me and forcefully grabbed my arm, slapping a handcuff around my wrist. “You’re under arrest.”
“For what? I didn’t break any laws.”
“You want to look at it from my point of view? I catch you violating Breed law and flashing down the road, causing this car to speed off the road and nearly killing these kids. Then I catch you about to put a dagger into that boy. We got a special place for people like you.”
The way he said it put a knot in my stomach. I had to find a way to stall long enough for Viktor to locate us and get Carol away from this bozo.
I swung my eyes up to a screeching falcon. Blue’s bird was easy to identify, and she surveyed the scene before flapping away. Carol noticed her too, and her expression quickly switched from panic to defeat. It wasn’t as if they were getting far with a wrecked vehicle.
After Officer Barnes cuffed my wrists, he stood up. “Do you two kids have someone you can call?”
Carol shrugged and leaned against the car. “We’re kinda here with someone. They’ll probably be here any minute now.”
Joshua cursed and turned his back to us, hands on his hips. What in the world was a Shifter doing with Carol? And why would she run away with some guy when he could never offer her the kind of protection the higher authority could?
Officer Barnes yanked me up. “Good. Are you sure you kids are all right? We don’t have any Relics in town, but I can always call one in.”
Yeah, don’t mind me. I was almost eaten by Carol’s boyfriend, but sure, ask how they’re doing.
Carol reached in the car and pulled out her bag. “I’m sorry about your car, Joshua.”
He prowled toward her and cupped her face. I tensed when I thought they were about to make out in front of me, but instead he simply rubbed noses with her.
“Nothing’s your fault,” he said.
I stumbled as the policeman dragged me to his vehicle. “Where are you taking me?”
“Breed jail.”
