3 Hit the Road Jack (5 page)

Great. How
was I supposed to get close to Hitler?
Thanks for giving me the easy job Auggy.

“Anytime,” he smirked.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be reading my thoughts,” I frowned.

“You don’t block it; I’m going to read it.
That
’s just the suspicious old government conspiracy theorist in me.”

“Yea, yea.” I rolled my eyes. “Just give me the papers.”

“They’re set to self-destruct in approximately twen
ty-four hours. Don’t lose them,” he advised as he handed them to me.

“Never,” I smirked.

“Get out of here,” he ordered.

“Bye Auggy,” I gleefully waved. Auggy and I had a strange relationship. In a lot of ways he was like a bossy older brother. The
military
intensity only added to that role.

Chapter 4

Kai placed a firm, guiding hand on my lower back and walked me out. Since the alliance I’d officiated, the Bladangs had been to the compound regularly and knew it inside-out.

The second we hit King Street outside the back exit my phone went off.

“Hello?”

“Tell me you are not leaving me to go chase some hot-headed, power-hungry bastard with a cockiness complex,” Mel demanded.

“Ugh, well, I am, but I could tell you I wasn’t if that’d make you feel better.”

“Lex! How can you risk yourself like this? You are just getting over the Christmas attack and yo
ur parents’ deaths. Why, oh mother of Mary why,
would you put yourself in the line of fire again?”

“Because they’re already after me Mel. I have no choice. It’s either they come to me or I go to them, and if I can save you or anyone else around me by going to them, then I am.”

She sighed. “I don’t like this one bit Lex. Craig told me a little about this vamp and he sounds like the devil himself.”

“So I’ve been warned.”

“Any chance I could bribe you out of this?”

“With what?” I laughed.

“Delicious, aromatic blood from your very best friend?”

“Mel! You know I’d never drink from you.” I was horrified.

“I know. I’d offer myself freely though if
it meant
you’d stay.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll be fine, really. Don’t worry about me.”

“Well it’s my job to wo
rry about you. And when the heck
were you going to tell me about this Miss Cleo crap?”

“The predictions?”

“Whatever you call it, yes.”

“I just found out about it last night.”

“Well if you ask me it’s a load of crap. It’s a crock of bull
balls
in a stew pot. Nothing is going to happen to you or Kellan, especially if you listen to your somewhat tortured, psychotic bestie who’s pleading with you to stay here.”

“
Thanks, but I really can’t worry about that right now. It bothers me, but I can’t
stop living especially
right now with my present life being threatened.”

“True. Alright. You win this round, which is rare. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I will. You too.”

“You better get your little butt over here before you leave too!”

I smiled. “Of course.”

“See you later then.”

“Ok.” I hung up. Kai was waiting patiently by the car. I sped to catch up having been distracted by the call.

“You shouldn’t get so wrapped up in her.”

“What do you mean? She’s my best friend.”

“Which automatically puts her life at risk.”

“Don’t remind me.”
He sped off, maneuvering with ease down the empty streets of downtown. His biceps were bulging through is shirt as he ground his teeth. “You’re irritated. Why?”

“You shouldn’t be pursuing this. You don’t have to take every
mission they offer you.”

“They’re pursuing me. What do you want me to do?”

“Let me handle it.”

“I can’t do that. I’m not willing to risk anyone else in my life when it’s me they want.”

“Don’t be so self-righteous,” he scoffed.

“I’m not! I’m trying to protect my friends and what little family I have left.”

“By throwing your life at their feet and begging for mercy?!”

“You know that’s not what I’m going to do!”

“You damn well better not,” he growled.

My serum rushed into my mouth. He infuriated me. Why was someone always trying to control me and my life?

“I’m not trying to control you,” he sighed.

“Will everyone stop reading my thoughts!”

“Put up a block.”

“I agree with Gabi; it gives me a headache.”

“Then don’t complain when we read them.”

“You really did a one-eighty,” I frowned, showcasing my disapproval. Kai was always moody, but this was a bit more than usual. I studied him as he drove in silence.

“What’s really going on? This whole thing has really hit a hot button for you.”

“Talk to Gabi about it.”

“You won’t tell me?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok.” I faced out the side window.

“Object repelled,” the robotic voice of the security feature for his car announced. “Bullet repelled. Bullet repelled. Object repelled. Bullet repelled.” Kai and I looked at each other simultaneously.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed, flooring the gas pedal. I turned around to se
e a black Range Rover with il
legal black tint on the windows. They sped up, easily keeping up with Kai’s Maserati, which was impressive considering everything was nearly a blur around us with my vamp vision. “They had to have altered the engine. No way
could they
keep up with a Maz ordinarily,” he grumbled.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, staring at all the buttons and controls.

“Fire back. This is the switchboard for the missiles built into the back. Make sure you don’t hit anything other than their car if you can,” he said, pointing the middle panel in the center console. “Use the camera to aim,” he said pressing a button that slid out a 7”
LCD
screen from what looked like a
CD
or
DVD
player.
I used the short joysticks to lock in on my target on the dual columned screen.

“O
b
ject repelled,” the voice stated. “Bomb detected.”

“Shit!” Kai abruptly hit the brakes and pulled a hard left as they flew past us.
I lost my grip on the joystick as I was thrown into the passenger door. So much for my seatbelt.

“Where is it?” I panicked.

“That was the object repelled,” he said as he flew down the interstate going the wrong way on the wrong side.

Not even five seconds
after he sped off in the opposite direction the forest near where we just were exploded. Smoke quickly covered the sky as a fire broke out along the
forest wall. A semi-truck headed in that direction came to a screeching halt as we flew past him.

“How much longer are you planning to go the wrong way?”

“Until now.” He suddenly spun us around
sending me flying into the passenger door
again.
  We sped in the right direction and got off at the next exit, right before the catastrophe we barely avoided.

“Uh, so I take it this thing isn’t bomb proof?” I asked as I worked to control my erratic, yet still slow compared to normal, heart
beat.

“Very few things are, and they wouldn’t melt under heat to become pliable enough to make a car out of it.
We have a shield but it can only protect us from so much.
”

“
Figures
.
”

“
Yea
.”

Kai took back roads to my house.

“What are we doing here?” I asked as he pulled into my driveway.

“Checking on things and packing the rest of your stuff.”

“Oh. I guess I will need more clothes just in case.”

“Pack everything. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it, take it. I want this house nearly empty. You’re safer with us anyways.”

“Kai, you can’t protect me from everything.”

“I’ll try my damndest too as long as I can.” I looked at him, his face set, his tone final. I didn’t wa
nt to argue.  I acquiesced with a nod.

I pulled out my phone as I went upstairs and called Kellan.

“Lex? What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern. I could tell he was on edge; apparently everyone was.

“Nothing, sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m at my house with Kai to pack the rest of my stuff. We just got done talking to Auggy.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Kellan –“

“You’re not winning this one babe. I don’t care what you say, I’m going with you. Auggy booked us both a flight.” He was firm. As much as I would enjoy having him with me, knowing he was safe, I would be worrying about his safety around every corner.

I froze when I heard a car pull into the driveway. “Hold on,” I said, running to the window.

“Relax. It’s just me, Craig and Mel.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll see you in a bit.” I ended the call.

“Hey dagger mate,” Craig greeted Kai downstairs.

“Hey Kai,” Mel chimed behind him.

“Hey,” Kai said, not sounding the least bit enthused. He’d been on the phone at the same time as me relaying the recent events to someone.

A few seconds
later Kellan came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he nuzzled my neck.

“Do you know how sexy you look from behind?” he
purr
ed, nipping my n
eck. A chill ran down my spine.

“Apparently good enough to excite you,” I replied, feeling him pressed against my lower back.

“Always,” he chuckled lightly. I spun around
and
took him in. The look on his face quickly became tortured as we locked eyes. Something was bothering him. “They tried to bomb the car. Really babe? You couldn’t tell me this when you first called?” he growled.

“Lose the block so it’s an even playing field,” I ordered. He quickly opened his mind to me.

“Why does it feel like you’re always in danger?”

“I don’t know,”
I mentally replied, gazing into his emerald eyes.

“Promise me you won’t do anything too risky in Spain.”

“Is that where we’re going?”

“That’s what we’re booked for.”

I sighed.
“Promise me that you won’t do anything risky in Spain.”

He smiled, his dimple beginning to reveal itself on his left cheek.
“That’s my line.”

”I can steal it if I mean it, and I do.”
I looked down at the green diamond on my finger.
“I don’t want to lose you.”

He pulled me to him.
“You’ll never lose me, regardless of what some crazy vamps wrote.”

“I love you,” I said, locking my lips with his. His mouth gently caressed my own. I swept my tongue along the inside of his lips, tasting him, savoring him.

“I love you forever,”
he projected, pulling me tighter into him. His right arm wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly to his; his left hand cupped the back of my head, his fingers splayed amongst long dark brown locks.

Our breath be
c
a
me
labored as we explored each other.
I raked my nails along his upper back. I could never get enough of him.

“Get a room you scallywags!” Craig yelled. Kellan and I chuckled together, slowly breaking away with soft pecks.

“We’re in a room Craig,” I called back.

“Get one where I don’t have to hear you suckin lips and bumpin bits with my mate.”

“You do realize you’re in my house, right?”

“Oh
, but you’re torturing this
innocent dandy.”

“You mean Mel?” I looked at Kellan, smirking over his crazy best friend. He was entertaining to say the least.

“Oh, yea, her too.”

“You’re full of it man,”
Kellan chuckled.

“
Full of love for
my
love, right doll?”

I heard Mel giggle. “Oh brother,” I rolled my eyes.

“Let’s cut the crap. Pack your stuff Leka,” Kai sternly interrupted, clearly not amused in the slightest by the banter.

“Somebody missed their hand grind today, ay?” Craig commented.

“I’ll be in the car,” Kai announced. I heard the front door slam behind him.