Page 25

Riley

On the Road Again…

Lucan’s helmet was heavy on my head and my nerves thrummed in tune with the engine humming between my legs. The wind chilled through the leather jacket I’d borrowed. I couldn’t help but miss Lucan’s warm arms around me.

He hadn’t returned at all last night.

I’d laid awake for the first time in weeks, letting my anxious thoughts consume me.

I couldn’t wait much longer.

Every second I didn’t act gave Drew that much more time to come up with a plan to hurt me—to hurt my friends.

This was a mistake.

I knew it.

It felt like every cheesy horror movie where you’re screaming at the girl to stop running up the stairs when the serial killer breaks into the house.

Unlike the movies, this was real life.

And Drew was really capable of hurting someone. I’d rather it was me. I couldn’t live with myself if he went after Ember or Willow.

Revulsion twisted my stomach.

This was my fault. I’d brought him into our lives. Led him to believe we had a future together. All for what? Because I was too scared to leave?

I had to handle this.

It was the only way I could reclaim the part of me that Drew had taken bit by bit over the years. I couldn’t wait around hoping for Lucan or anyone else to help solve my problems.

I was old enough to take care of myself.

And I needed to get Drew far away from everyone I loved while I figured out how to end this for good.

Through the miles and miles of empty desert, I tried to come up with a plan that didn’t involve me going back to Portland with Drew. He wasn’t leaving empty-handed.

He knows about the cabin…

He’d probably want that more.

I chewed the inside of my cheek raw as I eased off the throttle, turning left down the abandoned back country roads.

Thankfully Lucan’s cell booster on the motorcycle worked with the GPS maps on my phone, or I would’ve been lost hours ago.

Dragons are resourceful.

Kieran wouldn’t let Ember get hurt, but what about Willow? It was only her and Harper there living at the cabin.

I should call for backup.

But I had to go alone.

Drew would make good on his threats if I didn’t.

I knew him. The minute he sensed something wrong, he’d disappear. And that was worse.

The thought of him angry and out there somewhere waiting to get his revenge—of always looking over my shoulder and watching for his next move—made my throat close up.

I refused to live walking on eggshells again.

It was better to face this head-on.

The road split with one lane veering right towards Christmas. I drove just past it. The hotel was five miles up ahead. I still didn’t have a solid plan. Drew was waiting, probably angry I was taking so long. He’d be frustrated. I didn’t have an excuse.

I slowed to a stop as my nerves got the best of me. My breaths came short. Lightheaded, I removed the helmet to suck in some fresh air.

Maybe I’m too old for this.

It’d be so easy to turn around and go hide somewhere. To let someone else handle my problems and take the reins. Twenty years later and I still wished I could call my parents to ask them what the right answer was.

“You’re not trusting your instincts…”

It was Lucan’s voice in my head that came to me in that moment and instinctually, I knew he was right.

I’d almost forgotten how fast my heart could beat, but I willed it to slow down. That numbness I used to sink into was still there, waiting at the edge of my consciousness like an old friend, but I purposefully made myself feel what was in this moment.

The sun on my skin. The wind in my hair. The strength of my muscles as they tightened and relaxed. Tears filled my eyes and I let them glide down my face, drying in the desert breeze.

I was strong enough to handle this.

I wouldn’t cower to that asshole anymore.

And I should at least let someone know where to find me.

“Willow is going to be so upset that I didn’t change my number.” I laughed to myself as I took another deep breath, letting life fill my lungs. I dug through my purse for my phone.

Ember was the one I needed, though. She came with fire at her call. I didn’t want to bother her, but I knew she’d kill me if something happened and I didn’t give her a heads up.

The lock screen showed a missed text.

Drew: Tick, tock. I’m tired of waiting.

I bypassed his text message, careful not to open it so it didn’t show as read, and sent a quick text to Ember letting her know where I was if anything went wrong.

Lucan hadn’t brought his phone when he flew after Malachy and I hadn’t missed any calls from him, so he probably still wasn’t home.

But I messaged him anyway.

Riley: I’m in love with you. Not sure if that’s the mate bond speaking, but I trust myself again. Thanks for believing I could. I’m glad you kidnapped me. Also, don’t be mad. But I have to do this.

Another text came through as I hit send and I saw the preview.

Drew: Time’s almost up.

I dropped my phone to the ground and slid the helmet back over my head.

Reversing, I backed up over the phone and then drove away, leaving the broken fragments of glass glittering on the black pavement under the hot desert sun.

∞

“Look at you.” Drew whistled. His leering gaze perused me from head to toe.

It wasn’t the first time I’d wanted to hide when he looked at me, but it was the first time I felt clearheaded disgust as I wondered what I ever saw in this man.

He sat on a green plastic lawn chair outside the front door of Room 23, wearing that stupid short brim fedora to cover his receding hairline. His scruffy face was covered in stubble to hide his lacking chin.

Designer ripped jeans he got from the thrift store matched his faded flannel shirt that stretched over his pot belly.

No one told him he was too old to keep trying the ‘hipster’ look. Not that he’d ever been able to pull it off, anyway.

I squinted, hoping to see a brief glimpse of why I’d found him attractive when we first met. He pushed himself out of the chair and walked to stand beside his faded brown Buick with confidence, but the man had nothing on Lucan’s easy swagger.

“I’m here. What do you want?” I glanced around the parking lot, which was empty except for the Buick, getting a sense of where here was.

The shades were drawn tight on the office and the closed sign sat in the window despite the vacancy sign hanging on the billboard.

It felt like a ghost town.

To prove my point, a tumbleweed blew past.

No one to hear me scream.

I straightened my chin as Drew crossed his arms, leaning against his car.

“You didn’t respond to my texts today.” He frowned, making his shit-brown eyes look sad. “I was worried about you.”

“I dropped my phone somewhere on the highway.” I shrugged, feeling confident that I wouldn’t have the ‘tell’ he said I did when I tried to lie.

I knew better than to bring my phone around him. How many times had he demanded to scroll through mine yet I never got the password to his?

So many red flags. How had I been so blind?

“That’s too bad.” Drew stood there relaxing against the car. My skin prickled with warning. He was holding back and acting casual. Why?

My brain started trying to rationalize.

Maybe I was making a big deal out of nothing. I’d been so dramatic crushing my phone. It’s not like he was going to steal my bag and demand to look at my texts.

Right?

“Motorcycles are dangerous.” Drew’s frown deepened as he looked past my shoulder to the bike. “Whose is that anyways?”

Ah, he’s trying to get me to let my guard down.

“Just a friend’s.” I crossed my arms, mimicking his stance. “Want to tell me what I’m doing here? You said you had some of my stuff.”

“Must be some friend to loan you his bike.” Drew’s face changed as he grinned. I knew that smile. It was fake. I think. “We need to talk. I’ll get you your stuff in a minute. Come on inside so we don’t bother anyone else.”

“I’d rather not.” I stood my ground. “There’s no one here to listen.”

Drew looked around as if only just noticing that.

“Still, it’s weird to yell at you across the parking lot.” He kicked off from his car and went back to the plastic lawn chair, patting the second one’s seat. “We can sit outside if that makes you more comfortable.”

None of this makes me comfortable.

“Just hurry up and say your piece.” I didn’t want to move away from Lucan’s bike.

“Don’t be like that, babe.” Drew relaxed in the chair. “We used to have great conversations. Now you don’t want to talk to me anymore.”

No, I don’t. I reached into my purse hanging at my side and wrapped my hand around the pocket knife. The weight of it in my fist helped me feel steady.

“You have five minutes until I leave. Speak.”

“What’s the hurry? It’s not like the world is ending today.” Drew crossed one ankle over his knee.

He looked so calm. Here I was tense and sweating, full of nerves and acting crazy as I stood alone in the parking lot. He gave me a sad smile like he knew what I was thinking.

Pissed off, I marched over to the second chair and dragged it a few feet away before taking a seat.

“Was that so hard?” he asked, still smiling.

“Four minutes left. Start talking.” I flinched, realizing who I was speaking to this way. Twice now I’d been direct and he hadn’t corrected me. Not even a single jaw tick.

I was so confused.

Am I losing my mind?

Had he changed or was this some sort of trick?

Drew sighed. “Portland is crazy since you left. I told you they were going to shut it down. The military came rolling up the freeway in tanks, going door to door and enacting a curfew. You know Jimmy and Wilson who own the Airstream at the trailer park? They tried locking up the fence to keep the government out, but they just bulldozed through.”

I stared at Drew, wondering why the hell he was telling me all this. Like we were two old friends discussing the weather—or I guess the apocalypse.

“I hope they’re okay…” I said slowly.

Really, I liked Jim and Will.

It was Drew I didn’t care for anymore.

“They’re all right.” He waved it off. “But I had to get out of there before they started locking us all up in FEMA camps.”

And there he is.

“Right, the FEMA camps.” I nodded, trying not to laugh. He and his friends had all these conspiracies about the government, but they didn’t know the half of it. I don’t think anyone did.

There are literal dragons out there.

I glanced at the sky, feeling a sense of peace wash over me.

And I’m in love with one.

Drew kept talking without noticing my distraction, “But you’ve got your setup out here. I should’ve known how smart you always were.”

I stared at him, waiting for the point. This was right out of his standard playbook, buttering me up with compliments before laying the request on thick.

“You’re not coming to Ember’s cabin.”

Drew waved me away like he’d done all my concerns. “I know you don’t want me there now, but I bet you don’t have great security. I’m not trying to scare you. It’s just that things are going south, fast. You’ll want more manpower protecting you and the girls.”

“More manpower?” I smirked, thinking of how big dragons could get.

There it is. A vein throbbed in his temple as he wiped sweat from his brow. It was quick enough to miss if you weren’t looking for it.

Drew turned up the charm on his smile. “Let’s be real, Riley. You’re no match for a full-grown man. I can protect you out here.”

My blood ran cold. “Are you kidding? Why would I trust you as a man not to hurt me? You’re the one I need protection from,” I whispered the last sentence, shocked that I’d said it to his face.

“I already told you I’m sorry for that,” Drew shook his head condescendingly like he was speaking with a child, “but that does show you I’m a man who can stand up for himself and those he loves. I’m not afraid of a fight.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind.” I stood.

Drew rubbed his temples. “There you go again, yelling and getting all worked up for nothing. It’s hard for anyone to control their temper when you scream in their face.”

I hadn’t screamed.

Did I scream?

I’d raised my voice. He was right.

“Sit down.” Drew sighed.

“No.” I shook my head, turning to leave. “This was a mistake.”

“I didn’t say you could go yet.” Drew’s anger leaked out.

I bit back a cruel laugh as I started walking across the parking lot. This was all some sort of sick—

Pain seared through my scalp, bringing tears to my eyes as Drew grabbed a fistful of my hair.

Not again.

I tried to wrench myself free, twisting to the side as his arm locked around my neck and squeezed.

My eyes bulged as I threw my elbow back, making him grunt and loosen his hold.

Something sharp bit into my chest.

I glanced down to see the needle poking out of my skin as his arm wrapped around my neck again.

“That’s it,” the monster whispered as I slumped forward. “It’s time for you to relax. No need to get so worked up. I’m here now. I forgive you. Everything is going to be okay.”