This time around was no different. Actually it was probably a hundred times worse than that entire year spent waiting for the next rocket attack or IED.
I tapped my finger against the seat. Tap, tap, tap. A rhythm that begged for action and the entire time knowing that Caroline’s best chance would only be possible if I waited.
Peter was no better than me, moving restlessly in the front. The vampires had that odd stillness I’d noticed a couple of times before. Like that of a snake when it spots its prey. No movement disturbed them, even their chest remained motionless. No breath in or out that I could see. It was like someone hit the pause button. Normally it freaked the hell out of me, but at the moment I would have given anything to be dropped into a mental space empty of thoughts about what could be happening to my friend.
A tap came on the window. Brax’s face appeared beside me, and he gestured for me to let him in.
I opened the door and slid over as he climbed inside, pressing me between the vampire and the werewolf.
“Where are the rest of you?” I asked, glancing behind him.
“Three of my pack are waiting in a car on the next block,” he said.
Three was hardly the army of reinforcements I was expecting.
“That’s it?” I asked. “What about the rest?”
With his three additional wolves, plus him, that only put our number at eight. Hardly the shock force I’d envisioned.
“It’ll be enough.”
“Are you high?” We didn’t have time for his false conviction that one of his wolves were worth ten of the vampires or whatever bullshit had led to that statement. “We know they have at least seven. That’s only what the vampires laid eyes on. For all we know they have a dozen more waiting in the basement for their chance to shine. These are creatures from all different factions of spook, including werewolf. How are the eight of us supposed to be enough?”
“Seven.”
My head snapped to Liam.
His electric blue eyes found mine. “Seven. You’re not going.”
Everyone found somewhere else to put their eyes.
“The hell I’m not. That’s my friend in there.”
“You’ll just slow us down. You’re weaker than the rest of us and will be a liability.”
My eyes felt like they were about to bug out of my head. I’m pretty sure if I was capable of it, steam would have been pouring out of my ears.
“We’ll go in and get your friend,” he continued.
“You’re not leaving me behind.”
He looked at Brax. I shot forward but not fast enough. Steel wrapped around me, trapping my arms. I struggled but it was like trying to move a mountain. Werewolves were strong.
I stopped fighting, figuring it was useless and wanting to retain some of my dignity. I settled for shooting daggers from my eyes at the bane of my existence. Pity they just glanced off his arrogant face.
“We’ll be right back,” he said.
“You’re going to pay for this,” I swore.
He shrugged. “Undoubtedly, you’ll try.”
He didn’t look too worried about that.
“You don’t think anything I do will touch you.”
“Let’s just say I look forward to your attempts,” he said with a wicked grin.
I was going to wipe that grin off his face the first chance I got.
