Bennett tightened his grip, eager to test out his new abilities.
From behind him, a knife whizzed past and nailed the vampire in the throat. Clutching his neck as he bled out, the vampire gargled on his own blood and slumped to the ground.
Turning, Bennett saw Adair’s snarky grin quickly dissipate before she masked it with her default poker face.
Shaking his head, he strolled back toward her and tipped his head up in challenge. “Come on. After the shit I’ve been through the last few days, you could have at least let me test this new body out.”
Stepping closer, Adair cupped her hand on his jaw and stole what was probably intended to be a sarcastic kiss, but the intensity of the subtle move struck him like a critical blow to the heart. Fuck, he was such a sap. Did she have any idea what she did to him?
Pulling her keys from her purse as the others returned from the fight, she flashed him a wink and brushed past him.
Hovering at the driver’s seat while Ryan and Bodie piled into the truck, Astrid hollered, “More on the way. Let’s move.”
Bennett aimed for his McLaren, then felt his heart break a little more at his fatal flaw.
Adair nodded to her heavily tinted Porsche. “I’ll drive.”
Hopping in the passenger seat, Bennett dumped his sword and shield in the backseat. Flooring it out of the garage, Adair led the way.
Bennett glanced back and ensured the garage door closed okay, then fired up the alarm from his phone. Checking back one last time, his gut churned as he realized he was never going to live there again, and would be lucky to even go back for his things, if he survived the next few days.
A darkened SUV came roaring up behind them.
Adair turned toward the freeway.
“This way.” Bennett pointed toward the private airfield.
Nodding, she changed direction and gunned it.
The SUV came up beside them. Adair kept her eyes on the road, seeing everything, her reflexes ridiculously fast.
Gripping the wheel, she held her speed as their turn approached.
Shifting in his seat, Bennett grimaced as he anticipated the repercussions if they blasted past security.
As they neared, she flipped the e-brake to change direction on the fly. Cool as a cat, her gaze unfazed, she tore out of the turn and sped down an alley between two breweries.
Checking behind them, Bennett watched as the team struggled to catch up. The vampires’ SUV spun out as they followed, the scent of burnt rubber filling the air.
After a series of wild turns, the SUV was gone. So was the truck. Bennett dialed Bodie’s phone.
“Where the hell are you?” Bodie hollered over the sound of the engine that screamed at the intense pace.
“We’ll meet you at the hangar.”
“Gotcha. We’ve got a tail we need to shake first. See you soon.”
Miles out of the way, Adair finally turned and hopped on the freeway and headed in the direction of the airport.
“I, uh, think we lost them.” Bennett glanced over at Adair.
She ran her fingertips through her hair and grinned at his tease. She checked the rearview and relaxed her grip on the wheel, but her bright mood quickly faded. “They knew where you live. I don’t know how long they’ve been tracking you.”
“Not long.”
“How could you know that?”
“I couldn’t have said what was up, but for the past two, maybe three weeks, there’s been something in the air, so I’ve been cautious.” Rubbing a hand over his face, he braced his hand on his jaw. “Not to say it was only out of suspicion. I’ve been avoiding even going to Astrid’s place across town, haven’t been up to my place in BC in months. For… lots of reasons.” Maybe it was the history, or knowing she’d understand, but he wanted to tell her why. That having every naïve hope for the future getting pulverized as grotesquely as his intestines had been, had been the real driver behind his self-isolation.
