“I wouldn’t if I were you,” I warned, my voice lowering to a rumble that felt sinister even to me.
My reflexes were faster than his. I could punch through this window quicker than he could follow through on his impulse. If worse came to worst and he managed to get the car moving, I could use my vampiric strength and speed to ram the car and tip it onto its side.
I was strong enough for that. Probably.
The only issue was the damage either course of action might do to this jacket. It was one of my favorites. I wouldn’t be happy if it got ruined. Neither would he once I got done with him.
Our stare off lasted for a second before the human released the steering wheel and reached over to roll down the window.
“Good choice,” I muttered.
I wasn’t in the mood for a tussle. Not to mention the attention it would draw.
The human couldn’t quite meet my gaze as the window lowered. “Sorry about that. I was confused for a moment.”
“Uh huh.”
Sure, he was. Confused about his place on the food chain.
“Alright, let’s get this over with. All you need to do is look at me and then you can go on your merry way.”
That brought his eyes up to mine. “Really? You’re not going to kill me?”
“I told you already. I was never going to hurt you.”
I might not be as against this whole vampire thing as I once was, but I hadn’t completely lost myself. As long as he didn’t try to hurt me or mine, he was safe. I wasn’t going to go on a killing spree willy nilly.
This time my assurance seemed to get through to him, the strain in his features loosening as something approaching a smile graced his face.
“That’s awesome!” He grinned down at his steering wheel, pounding it lightly before looking back up at me. “I’m so relieved. For a minute there, I thought my ticket was punched.”
“That’s nice. Look at me.”
So I could end this annoying encounter and get back to the rest of my night.
“Hey! Wait!” He leaned partially out the window. “This was actually kind of fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah. You know—exciting.”
“You mean between all of the ‘Oh God, please don’t kill me’?”
He nodded with an eagerness that was at complete odds with the nervous, high-strung human I’d gotten to know over the past hour.
He grabbed his wallet from the cup holder and fished out a business card before handing it to me. “Here. Just in case. Next time you have a situation like this, call me. I’m happy anytime you want to car jack me.”
Was this a joke? Had I somehow managed to break his tiny human brain with my compulsion?
Seeing my nonplussed expression, he shoved the card at me again. This time more forcefully. “I’m serious.”
Maybe so, but it wasn’t going to happen. If I ever was in this situation again, I was taking the car and leaving the human. So much quieter that way. None of the hysteria or crying.
There was a soft sound from the rear of the car. Something close to a whimper.
I straightened to look in that direction. “Caroline? What’s wrong?”
My friend stood ramrod still, a distant look on her face, her arms and legs quivering as if locked in battle with an unseen force.
