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Dean leaned toward Roman and hissed in his ear, “You’re going to have to ask Darien about that one.”

“Oh, I will,” Roman said, his brows still high. “I definitely will.”

They finished their breakfast and left the diner. It was a beautifully sunny morning, the air so warm Shay was able to strip off her jacket. Perks to being closer to Witheredge. Closer to Angelthene’s semi-arid climate, and farther from Yveswich’s heavy veil of fog and drizzle. The farther she got from her hometown, the easier she could breathe, think. Another six to eight hours, and they’d be passing the sign welcoming them to Angelthene.

Another six to eight hours, and they’d be starting over somewhere new.

She couldn’t wait. Anna would be so proud.

“Hold up just a sec, Pax,” she said, hurrying to catch up to the kid as he practically raced after his brother. They were heading across the lot—to where the Death Dealers stood with Dean bythe cars, everyone saying their goodbyes. “Let’s give Itzel her breakfast.”

Pax held still so Shay could unzip the main compartment of his backpack.

“Please don’t bite me,” she said to the Hob, carefully lowering the plastic cup of ice cubes into the backpack. The Hob peered up at her with hot pink eyes, but, to Shay’s surprise, she didn’t bite. Roman hadn’t been so lucky that morning, and he had a new scar on his hand to show for it.

The moment the cup was in, Itzel started munching.

Dean slid his sunglasses on. “So, which one of you wants to ride with me?” he asked as Shay zipped up the backpack.

“Why don’t you ride with Dean, and Pax and I will take Stacey?” Shay suggested to Roman.

“Fine by me, as long as Paxton’s okay with it,” he said. He mussed up Pax’s mop of hair.

Paxton shrugged. “Fine by me,” he said, echoing his brother.

“Wait a minute,” Roman drawled, squinting at her with suspicion.

She drew back her head. “What?” As Roman continued to eye her, she demanded, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You just want to have a turn with Stacey,” he accused, the gold flecks in his irises glinting in the sunlight. “Don’t you?”

Shay couldn’t help it—she grinned. “So what if I do?” She’d been itching to get behind that wheel since the moment she’d seen Roman’s hands caressing it.

“I fucking knew it.”

“What’s the matter, Shadows?” she purred. “Don’t like sharing your women?”

“Absolutely the fuck not,” he said, those eyes darkening. But he reached into the pockets of his black jeans, searching for the car key.

Shay pressed her lips together to fight a smile as he kept patting his pockets, looking more confused by the second.

“You lose the keys?” Dean asked him.

“I just had them?—”

“Looking for something?” Shay drawled. She dangled the key before her, the metal winking in the bright light.

Dean’s men chuckled.

A slow smile spread across Roman’s face. “You little thief.” His combat boots crunched in the dry earth as he stepped right up to her, his nearness causing her to gulp, and closed his hand over hers, trapping the key in her fist. In that low, husky voice that made her shiver, he told her, “I expect to see a burnout.”

They madeit into the state of Witheredge in the late morning.

Roman couldn’t tear his eyes off the side mirror—off Shay, who’d lit him up like a light when she’d done a burnout on the highway out front of The Early Bird. She and Paxton were laughing and smiling and belting out the lyrics to a song, the volume so loud the bass was shaking the car.

As he watched Shay dancing in her seat, Roman couldn’t help but smirk, shaking his head. Yup, she’d definitely wanted a turn behind that wheel.

“So,” Dean began with a clearing of his throat that yanked Roman’s eyes off the side mirror. Off Shay. “I’m happy to hear you didn’t waste any time taking my advice.”