LOGINI fell right to sleep as we drove back into town. Thankful it was a bit of a drive, so I got to rest. No dreams haunted me while I napped, and I felt better when we arrived at Jess's house. There was a truck out front that I didn't recognize. It was blacked out and lifted. You had to be tall to even try to climb into that thing.
“Oh! Good he is still here.”
David's POVI was beginning to think I'd lost my damn mind. Actually, scratch that. I knew I'd lost my damn mind. I'd handed the keys to my truck over to a woman I'd known for less than two days. A beautiful woman, sure. Funny. Sarcastic. With a smile that made me forget what I was doing half the time.But still a stranger.A stranger who was currently driving my truck several hours away to a destination she wouldn't tell me about. I leaned over the engine of her car and tightened another bolt."Idiot," I muttered."Talking to yourself again?" I looked up. Nancy stood in the doorway between the garage and the office, holding a mug of coffee."Just thinking out loud.""That explains the smoke." I gave her a look. She smiled sweetly. "Want some coffee?""Please." She handed me the mug. I took a drink and immediately regretted it. "Jesus, Nancy.""What?""Did you brew this yesterday?""No." I stared at her. Sh
I left the farmhouse feeling even more defeated than when I'd arrived—which was impressive, considering I'd spent the entire drive imagining every possible disaster waiting for me. As it turns out, that disaster was simply a perfectly lovely house and a woman who had already decided what my future should look like.I walked toward David's truck, my footsteps crunching against the gravel. The afternoon sunlight felt too bright, the air too warm. I should have been grateful for everything around me. I was grateful. That was what made it worse. Rebecca and her mother had risked so much to help me. They'd hidden me, protected me, and provided money, documents, and a way to escape. Now they'd arranged an entire life for me: a house, a name, and a future.And I didn't want it.What kind of ungrateful person did that make me? I reached the truck and rested my hand against the door, while David's promise echoed through my
The inside of the farmhouse smelled of herbs, fresh bread, and wood smoke. Bundles of dried plants hung near the kitchen windows, and shelves lined with jars covered one wall. A large wooden table occupied the center of the room. Rebecca's mother gestured toward a chair."Sit." I sat. I immediately regretted it. She studied me."You're late.""Yes.""By an entire day.""Also yes.""Do you have any idea how concerned we were?" I glanced toward Rebecca. She was standing near the stove, desperately trying not to smile."I had some car trouble.""So Rebecca tells me.""The alternator broke."Rebecca's mother frowned. "That shouldn't have happened."I raised an eyebrow. "Well, you might want to tell the alternator that. It apparently didn't get the message."Rebecca made a choking sound. Her mother gave me a look. I folded my hands in my lap."Sorry." She sighed."Did anyone follow you?"
The truck hummed steadily beneath me as I followed the winding road farther into unfamiliar territory. I had to admit, David had a nice truck. The seats were comfortable, the heater worked, and I hadn't once needed to threaten the engine with bodily harm to keep it running. A definite improvement over my car.I glanced at the fuel gauge. Still plenty. I glanced at the clock. Not nearly enough. "Come on," I muttered, pressing a little harder on the accelerator. I was already a day late.A whole day.Rebecca's mother had been very specific about where I needed to go and when I needed to arrive. She'd marked the location on my map, circled the date, and made me repeat the directions until I could practically recite them in my sleep.Unfortunately, none of her instructions h
David disappeared into the garage while I returned to the waiting area, where I tried sitting. That lasted approximately thirty seconds before I stood, walked to the window, then back to the counter, only to sit again and stand once more.Nancy watched me over the top of her glasses. "Honey, you're going to wear a hole in my floor." I stopped."Sorry."She smiled kindly. "David will figure something out."I wanted to believe her. I really did. But I'd spent too much of my life depending on other people to solve my problems. Father had always made decisions for me. Grandmother had arranged my escape. Rebecca and her mother had provided the charms, the tea, the identity, and the car.Now I was stranded again, waiting for anothe
The next morning, I woke to the sound of someone slamming a car door outside my motel room, which made my eyes fly open. For one terrifying moment, I forgot where I was; I sat upright with my heart pounding as I searched the unfamiliar room. I took in the faded curtains, a little dresser, and an ugly painting of a sailboat, until I finally remembered: the motel..I wasn't home, so Father wasn't standing outside my bedroom door demanding to know why I hadn't come downstairs for breakfast; consequently, nobody was waiting to tell me what I was going to wear or where I was going.I was free.I repeated that last thought a few times, hoping it would eventually feel true, and then reached for the White Wolf. There was nothing, and the suddenness of that emptiness made me suck in a breath.







