Christian tilted the visor and adjusted his sunglasses. “How’s your da?”
“You should come with me on my visits. I don’t know why you’re so scared of him.”
“Don’t be daft. I’m a Vampire near three times his age. The man hardly puts a fright into me.”
I chortled. “You sure about that?”
He glanced out the window. “I’ve not had the time, and you know it.”
“What does Viktor have you doing that’s so secretive?”
“I have special skills.”
I flicked a glance down at his crotch. “I’ll say.”
“Keep on with that, lass, and I’ll have you pull the van over so I can flatten you in the back.”
“Why can’t you tell me what you’re working on?” I pressed, steering him away from the sex talk.
Christian stretched out his arms. “Afraid not. We both have given Viktor our loyalty. Your magical fanny isn’t enough to tempt me out of a job.”
I recognized the confidential nature of our relationship with Viktor, but where was Christian disappearing to for days at a time? He wasn’t just my lover—he was my partner. I wanted to be included in his work, but Viktor always had a plan for everything. Solo assignments were a necessity, so I just had to accept it.
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. “Does this light seem extremely long, or is it just me?”
He twisted in his seat and scanned the sidewalk. Car horns impatiently honked, and a few vehicles up ahead were entering the intersection despite the cross traffic moving through. The lights weren’t blinking red as they often did when there was an issue.
“I don’t like the looks of this,” Christian said under his breath.
“I know what you mean.” I studied the side mirror, the traffic backed up behind us.
Christian leaned toward me and pointed up ahead. “What’s that shitebag doing?”
“Who?”
“The one standing with his hand on the light pole. If he wanted to cross, he could have done it already. But he’s just standing there. Can you feel anything?”
“I’m not sure.” I rolled down my window and leaned my head out. The hair on my arm tickled, but it was hard to tell if it was from the wind or a current of energy. “There are too many people around us—too much energy bouncing around from all the road rage.”
“Jump the curb,” he commanded. “Do it.”
I hit the gas, turned the wheel, and sent a metal trash can flying into the street. The wide sidewalk made it easy to maneuver around the newspaper stand and pedestrians. I slowed before reaching the corner. The cars turning right were at a standstill, unwilling to turn since traffic was no better in that direction either. We had a gap in front of us with a clear view of the buildings ahead.
“Floor it,” he said.
“What about all that?” I gestured to the café up ahead. Empty chairs surrounded small round tables just outside the door.
He rolled down his window. “Hurry up!”
Sensing something was about to go down, I switched from “good citizen” mode to “crazy mercenary behind the wheel of a death machine” and ripped through the café. Tables went flying, and one chair caught beneath the van and dragged until the undercarriage spit it out. Cars were honking, but I didn’t give a damn.
Pedestrians scattered like mice in a field, diving inside banks and jewelry stores. I spotted a break in traffic at the intersection ahead and held down the horn. Two wrecked cars had freed up the street heading east, so I jerked the wheel right and sailed onto the street.
When I checked my side mirror, I noticed a flashy red car tailing us. Christian must have heard or seen something to make him panic.
“What now?”
The wind from the open window blew back his hair. “Keep driving.”
