Ivar couldn’t believe his good fortune. The couple had taken both cars to drive north. He pulled into the slow lane, directly beside the son-of-whore who had stolen his clan’s vortex. When the traffic thinned, he pulled out his weapon and took careful aim at the tires of the Audi A4. Two shots. The tires exploded and the car spun out of control, across the meridian, and into oncoming traffic. Perfect.
Tires screeched, metal banged against metal, and he imagined the people in the oncoming tour bus screamed. He chuckled, satisfaction bubbling in his chest. In his rearview mirror, a string of brake lights indicated traffic was coming to a halt. He focused on the small green Kia, now directly in front of him. His niece had no idea her tail was gone. Even if she did, he’d give her no time to react.
Ivar put his foot on the gas, nudged her bumper, and fantasized about fucking her. Perhaps if he gifted Gregor with her infant, it wouldn’t be a problem. With the Iesco clan leader dead, she’d be free to mate again. The American hadn’t deserved her. Once Ivar had her safely back home in Russia, he’d lock her up. He almost spilled his seed as he rammed the back of the tiny Rio repeatedly with his massive Escalade.
This was going to be fun.
Chapter 19
Zoe relished the quiet as she drove home. Mile after mile of pine trees, interrupted by shore exits and gas stations, soothed her. Soon enough they'd close in on the city and she'd need to put all her focus on driving. Occasionally she glanced at the mirror. Jack kept exactly one car length between them. She could almost make out his discernible frown. He hadn’t been happy taking two separate cars, but the solitude was just what she’d needed. Time to think without Jack turning her brain to mush and her body to liquid fire.
A shiver raced down her spine as her thoughts drifted to Jack. She shrugged it off and turned on the air conditioner full blast.
Focus, Zoe.This wasn’t just about sex. It was about her whole life being turned upside down. How the hell was she going to integrate witchy-power and a mate into her life?
She couldn't even tell anyone what had happened. Jack and his family had made it very clear that there was a no tolerance policy about blabbing. But really, who would she tell? Her therapist would have her committed, and Nan already thought she had been brainwashed. She was going to freak when she saw the vortex. Shit, what was she going to say when she found out Zoe was pregnant?
Pregnant. It still didn’t seem real. She glanced in her rearview mirror and chewed on her lip. Could she really raise a baby with a man she had just met?
No matter how deep her attraction, she didn’t know the first thing about him outside of the bedroom. She shook her head and gripped the steering wheel tighter. That wasn’t entirely true. He was close to his family and treated them all with kindness and respect. Loyal too, and protective. When he wasn’t solstice-crazy, he seemed pretty normal.
Maybe they could make it work.
And maybe pigs could fly.
Relationships equaled love–not sex. And Jack had made it quite clear that love wasn’t part of mating.
One thing for certain, she couldn’t trust her body to make the decision. Her stepfather had seen to that.
As a kid, before she knew right from wrong, she'd wanted his touch. Asked for it. Zoe shuddered, her stomach cramping at the unbidden thought.
Could she trust Jack? Could she trust herself?
This morning, Jack had been sweet and gentle as he massaged her. But that, too, was all about sex, wasn’t it? She wasn’t sure. Her sexual perspective was all fucked up. Wasn’t that why she was in therapy? For once in her life, she’d like to have a normal relationship without all her baggage showing up on the doorstep like an unwanted guest.
But there was nothing normal about Jack or their relationship. There never could be.
Zoe’s head snapped forward, jolting her into the present. A car slammed into hers with a sickening crack of plastic and metal. In the rearview mirror, a dark SUV with black-tinted windows barreled towards her.
What the hell? Where was Jack?
The SUV rammed into her again. Zoe’s neck whipped forward and the seat belt cut into her skin. She grabbed the steering wheel, righted her path, and stomped the accelerator to the floor.
Too slow.
On the next hit, her car spun in slow motion. Dirt and grass spewed on her windshield, and then it all stopped. In her vision, the world still rotated. She unbuckled her belt and reached to the passenger seat floor. She unzipped the side pocket of her knapsack and curled her fingers around the mace can.
A vehicle screeched to a halt, and she played dead. She rested her cheek on the hot plastic of the front seat. Leaking gas and burning rubber stung her nostrils and her stomach twisted. She gripped the little canister tighter and made a Herculean effort to stop shaking.
Her driver side door opened “Get out of the car.”
She stayed still and waited for him to come closer.
He leaned over, grabbed her arm. The smell of garlic assaulted her nostril, along with the tingling of electric voltage. She turned, opened her eyes, and stared into the nightmare that had scared her shitless for months. How was he still alive?
“Don’t move.” His smile was triumphant and arrogant. “I used the vortex energy before you were even born. I don’t want to injure you or the baby. You come with me. Like a good girl.”
Zoe prayed, whipped one hand from behind her back, and maced his face. He screamed and dug his fingers into his eyes. Immediately, she thrust her feet into his chest and he fell back into the ditch, cursing.
