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Maybe I should stick to my original plan and sleep in the car until morning, I think to myself.

But then I see someone crossing the street up ahead of me. A man with a wide, muscular build and tattoos on his arms. Tattoos I know he got from the Order.

Ducking down, I hold my breath for a couple of minutes, listening to the sound of his heavy footsteps. I don’t dare lift my head until I hear his footsteps echoing in the distance.

I can’t stay here. I can’t.

I can’t risk a hunter or vampire peeking inside the car. Wondering why it’s still running without its headlights on.

Sure, I could turn the car off but I’ll still be a sitting duck.

I have no choice but to keep my promise.

Resigning myself to my fate, I reach into the backseat and grab the strap of my backpack.

Unsure which terrifies me more, getting caught by someone from the Order or a vampire, I quickly unlock the door and get out of the car.

Slamming the door behind me in my haste, I wince, then hurry into the bus station.

The lights in the lobby still shining wicked bright, I squint my eyes and put my head down. Avoiding looking at anyone as I walk to the ticket counter.

Seated behind a pane of plexiglass, a man with glasses works on a crossword puzzle in the local newspaper.

Without looking up at me, he says in a nasally voice, “The last bus for the night left forty-five minutes ago.”

“What?” I gasp in shock.

The man’s eyes flick up to me and widen in surprise a second before they narrow in suspicion. “What did you expect? Everyone knows it’s too dangerous to run the buses this late.”

“But I need to get out of the city now!” I nearly shout at him.

“Why?” he asks, his nasally voice thickening with his suspicion. “You a runaway or something?”

Hitting too close to the truth for comfort, I sharply shake my head. “No.”

Scowling, he asks, “Then why do you need to leave now?”

Shifting uncomfortably on my feet, I say impatiently, “That’s none of your business.”

Rolling his eyes, he says, “Forget it. The next busses leave at dawn. Do you want on one of them or not?”

“Dawn?!” I repeat incredulously.

That would mean I’d be stuck inside this bus station all night…

The attendant nods his head up and down slowly and repeats like he thinks I’m stupid. “Yes. Dawn.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a deep breath and try to get a grip on my chaotic emotions.

Only to pop my eyes open when I hear a new, sly male voice ask, “Is there a problem here…” The blond man now standing right beside me smiles and pointedly looks at the attendant’s name tag. “Milton?”

“N-no, sir,” the attendant stammers out.

Frowning, I look at the newcomer. Wondering why he’s getting involved.

Dressed in a dark, well-tailored suit that instantly brings up memories of my father, the man beside me says, “Good. Then what’s the issue?”

“S-she w-wants to leave n-now,” the attendant answers.