I know Grant was a first-class asshat today. Make that third-class. However, he is ready to apologize. Also, if you run out, Jeffrey is going to take it personally and think that you’re abandoning him. Please text back.
No answer.
They went to a pediatrician’s office for a checkup, and got a glowing report on Jeffrey. They tried to call Mandy again and got no answer.
Now Celeste was starting to worry. Grant called Pete’s pack members, who’d gone on ahead back to his house, and they said Mandy wasn’t there either.
They climbed into the car, with Pete and Reynaldo in the front seat, and headed back out of town. Jeffrey promptly fell asleep, leaning against Celeste’s shoulder.
Once they’d left the downtown area, Pete glanced in the rearview mirror.
“We’re being followed,” he said in a casual voice.
Grant flicked his gaze at the mirror. “Yep. We are.” His voice stayed calm, but his ears lengthened and turned pointy.
Celeste glanced around nervously. Their rented house was in a suburb several miles from downtown. They were now on a long, windy, rural road.
Reynaldo tried to make a cell phone call, and then his voice went tense. “My signal is being blocked. Someone’s got a signal jammer. This is a professional operation.”
And that also meant that whoever was following them did not have good intentions.
“Who the hell could it be?” Celeste said to Grant in a low, urgent voice.
“No idea. Even my pack didn’t know what day we’d be in court.”
Was Mandy not answering because she’d been kidnapped?
Reynaldo bared his teeth in a snarl, and his eyes glowed a strange blue color. “They’re getting closer,” he said, unbuttoning his jacket and loosening his tie. Grant was doing the same. Pete sped up, and the car behind them, a large, dark SUV with tinted windows, accelerated too. Then it slowed down.
Suddenly Pete yelled, “Stop-stick!”
The car bumped violently, and skidded.
All four tires went flat, and Pete fought for control as the car spun in a circle, waking up Jeffrey, who let out a yelp of alarm.
They’d been stopped near a long dirt road that snaked into the woods – and three SUVs came barreling down the road towards them.
Celeste’s heart hammered in her chest.
“Mom?” Jeffrey’s voice was small and scared.
“We’re fine.” Her voice was shaking. “Your dad won’t let anything happen to us. Lie down on the floor, now.”
As Pete tried to back up, with the car bumping on its flattened tires, one of the SUVs zipped behind him and blocked him. Men began pouring out, running forward, pointing rifles at them. They were all dressed in camo and wearing ski-masks, and they ran over to the car and rapped on it with their rifles.
Reynaldo rolled down the passenger side window. Pete rolled down the driver’s window. “What?” he said coldly.
“We’ve got silver bullets,” one of the men yelled. They were all wearing facemasks. “All we want is the boy. Just give us the boy and you can walk away.”
Chapter Ten
Celeste felt ice-cold terror running through her veins. How did these people even know that Jeffrey existed? And why did they want him?
“There is no boy,” Reynaldo growled.
Jeffrey was lying on the floor at Grant’s feet, covered with Grant’s jacket.
The man kicked the car door. “Don’t lie to me again or I’ll fill you full of silver, you sack of shit. We saw him get in the car. Just hand him over, and your secret stays secret. If you even make a move on us, we’ll give everyone proof that werewolves exist. And everyone will know it’s your pack’s fault. They’ll turn against you. Your company will go bankrupt.”
