17. Willa / Greer
CHAPTER 17
WILLA / GREER
“T here’s a lot of chatter today,” Jordan says, scarfing down the burger we bought him. “I don’t like it. I’m going to go home, grab some stuff, and disappear for a few days. Break up the routine.”
River exhales a long breath. “I hear you. Do you mind if we stay at your place for a couple more days? We’re waiting for Phoenix to contact us.”
Startled to hear him casually mention it, my breath catches. I nervously turn toward Jordan to see his reaction.
He slowly sets the burger down. “Phoenix? You know Lance tried to find them but never had any luck. They’re a myth, man.” His eyes dart to me. “Did you put him up to this?”
I blow out the breath I’ve been holding. “They’re not a myth. Lionel was in the Army with two of their leaders. That’s who we were going to meet when Raven ambushed us at the gas station.”
His expression hardens. “Well, where the hell have they been hiding? Every day, Raven hunts us down and nobody comes to our rescue. We simply disappear as if we never existed.” There is a slight hoarseness to his reply that tells me how much this bothers him.
My lips curve down. “I don’t have all the answers, but when I find out, I’m going to post them to the board. Maybe it’s time more of us helped each other.”
His derisive snort is not the least bit reassuring, but I don’t care. If I hadn’t had Lionel and River, I’m not sure I’d be sitting here eating a hamburger right now.
River leans across the table. “Thanks for helping us. I won’t forget it. You have my number for the next couple of days. Once it stops working, you’ll know we’ve left. Watch your back.”
Jordan dips his chin and inhales the rest of his food, then stands. “Thanks for lunch.” He clasps River’s hand with his and gives him a slap on the back and a hug. “Put the key under the mat when you leave.”
River watches him leave. “Told you. Phoenix isn’t the hero.” He points to the back. “I’m going to the restroom, then we can leave.” He takes our tray of trash with him to dump on the way.
Good thing I finished my burger, or I’d find it hard to eat. Biting the inside of my cheek, I can’t help but wonder if I’m making a huge mistake, but what else can I do? Go on the run with River? It’s an option, but eventually, the money will run out. Then what?
River sits down beside me. “I’m sorry. Hope is a scarce commodity, and I don’t want to destroy yours.” He stares down at me with those bright green eyes of his, reminding me of his unnatural ability to command plants. “Let’s go see a movie.”
The words are so unexpected I don’t reply at first.
“I mean it,” he insists with a laugh. “The small theater on campus gives a discount for students, and you don’t even have to show an ID. We’ll grab a big bucket of popcorn and escape the real world for a couple of hours. What do you say?”
I’m tempted. The thought of returning to Jordan’s small apartment and sitting there is not appealing at all. “Extra butter on the popcorn?”
“In the middle and on top,” he confirms with a chuckle. “Let’s go.”
I slide out of the booth and follow him, relieved to have something normal to do for a while instead of worrying. It’s not as if the world is going to fall apart in the next couple of hours.
When we get to the theater, there’s only one movie scheduled in the next twenty minutes—an action-packed Jason Statham thriller—so we grab tickets and popcorn, then sit in the darkened room, snacking and swapping favorite movies until it starts. It almost feels like a real date… something I haven’t done in forever.
The minute the lights go down, River laces his fingers through mine and leans in close. I turn my head to find him watching the screen, but when I continue to stare at him, he turns his head toward me. His eyes roam my face, lingering for a second on my lips before raising to meet my stare. Whatever he sees makes his green eyes darken with intent.
Butterflies dance in my stomach at the thought of kissing him, and I inch closer.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment I saw you,” he murmurs in a wistful tone. His lips hover above mine. “But I don’t want you to think I’m trying to influence you.”
“No,” I tell him in complete agreement.
River gives a wry smile and starts to pull away.
Realizing how that sounded, I slide my hand around to the back of his neck to stop him. “I don’t think you’re trying to influence me.” Staring into his eyes, I want him to see the desire swirling in me. “And I’m not kissing you because you saved me.” It’s important he knows that, too.
His chest rises as he takes a deep breath. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” I tell him breathlessly.
His lips descend on mine, and the kiss is firm and delicious, and so freaking good, I’m astonished. The last time I kissed someone, I was an undergrad, and we were drunk at a party, so it kind of sucked. But even my best kiss couldn’t compare to this one. It’s the right blend of… everything. Unhurried but with depth, more than lust, less than love, the perfect blend of I like you and you turn me on .
His hand cups the back of my head, and he shifts until his other arm is around my back, pulling me into his body. Wanting to hold him tighter, I wrap my arms around him too.
The kiss intensifies, our hunger rising together, but a cough behind us quickly douses the flames, and we both jerk away, breathing rapidly. The heat on my cheeks tells me how flushed I am, but the darkness is a great cover.
He takes my hand in his. “That was one hell of a kiss.” His voice is quiet but with a slight roughness to it that tells me he was definitely as affected by it as me.
I smile at the thought and turn my head toward the screen. “Yes, it was.”
Best kiss of my life. I mean, I don’t have a lot to compare to it to, but it’s in a league of its own. He’s been running for a long time, so I’m sure he’s kissed a lot of girls. A tinge of jealousy hits me, but I shove it aside. Honestly, if that’s the result, who cares?
From the moment I met him, I’ve felt safe and protected, but also completely comfortable with him to the point where I’ve constantly let him hold my hand. His charming ways make me laugh, but his depths make me want to know more. It’s rare to find someone who makes me feel this way. I like him.
For the rest of the movie, we steal small glances at each other as if unsure of this attraction between us but unable to let the idea go. My mind is full of what-if scenarios that seem stupid in the light of everything, but I couldn’t care less.
The movie ends, and the lights come on, but neither of us moves. Lost in our own world, we sit there, savoring this moment, actively resisting the return of reality. Unfortunately, the usher comes in and starts collecting trash, a signal for us to leave.
River tosses the empty popcorn bag into the trash. “Let’s grab a pizza and take it back with us. We can always eat it later.”
This time, it’s me who slips my hand into his. “Sounds good, but no pineapple or other weird stuff like anchovies.”
His mouth twitches. “I knew I liked you for a reason. How do you feel about a BBQ chicken pizza?”
“Love it,” I tell him, letting him guide me across campus to get the pizza. Five minutes later, we’re walking back to Jordan’s, pizza in hand. “Did you like the movie?”
He laughs. “I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in it. All I could think about was that kiss.” His voice is full of disbelief, as if that’s never happened to him.
“Best movie ever,” I state with full confidence. It was too. It’s my turn to laugh at the incredulous expression on his face. “The kiss too.”
Satisfaction fills his face, along with an edge of heat. “I…” Two black SUVs shoot past us, and he immediately moves us into the doorway of a nearby convenience store as a third one flies by. “No, no, no.”
“It’s them, isn’t it?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I’m not sure I’ll ever look at a black SUV the same way again. “What do we do?”
He thinks about it for a second. “Let me text Jordan.” He hands me the pizza and pulls out his phone. After sending it, we wait, but there isn’t a response. “We can’t stay on the street. I know a back way to Jordan’s that will allow us to check things out. If they’re not there, we can grab our stuff and find a new place tonight.”
He takes off with me following close behind. Fear chokes the breath in my lungs, making every breath a trial. River turns down a back alley and slips into a stranger’s backyard. I glance at the windows to see if anybody is home, but they’re dark. At the side of the house, he stops at the gate and peers through the wooden slats.
Curious, I join him and gasp. We’re directly across from Jordan’s apartment and the street is full of SUVs. The door to the little studio is open and men are going in and out with stuff, including the backpack filled with my clothes and toiletries. One of my shirts is hanging out, making it clear they’ve already gone through it.
Dismayed, I stare at it. They’re taking the only stuff I own. Why do they even want it? It’s obviously not full of anything dangerous. Damn. I take that back. Lionel’s gun was in the bottom of the bag. Anger makes me grit my teeth. At least, I’ve got the go bag with me.
River motions for me to follow and silently leads us back to the alley. He leans down to whisper in my ear. “They’ll spread out until they’ve canvassed this whole area. I know a place we can go tonight where they won’t think to look.”
Numb, I nod and let him lead me away.
For the next few blocks, he keeps a steady pace and until we get to the other side of the university, his only words directional. Finally, he stops.
“I haven’t seen anyone following us, so I think we’re good. Do you want anything to drink?” He motions to the convenience store on the corner. “The place we’re going is pretty rough.”
I nod and trudge into the store with him. The clerk behind the counter barely glances at us, which is a good sign, I guess.
“Water, please.”
He grabs a couple bottles of water and a phone. “I’m going to try Jordan one more time. If he doesn’t answer, I’ll ditch this one.” His explanation makes little sense to me, since I don’t know what can or can’t be traced, but I nod in agreement.
When we leave the store, River turns right and begins walking at a fast pace.
Uneasy, I look around. “Why are you hurrying? Do you see them?” I can’t help the tremble in my voice.
He stops. “No, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but we need to hurry. It’s dark, and this isn’t the best part of town. Fifteen minutes, I promise.” He takes off again.
True to his word, a short time later, we stop in front of an old warehouse. Built of grey cinder block, it’s two stories tall and completely non-descript with its lack of signage. The white door is peeling paint and padlocked, but at this point, I don’t care. I’m so exhausted, I’m ready to break into it myself.
River quickly picks the lock and opens the door. “Careful.” He points to a large metal piece sticking out of a huge pile on the floor. “The warehouse is full of old car parts and some other stuff, but there’s a path through the center to the offices in the back.”
Light from the streetlamp outside shines into the second-story windows above us, illuminating part of the room, which is full of similar stacks of large metal parts and bins containing smaller pieces. It’s not two stories, like I thought, but one story with very high ceilings.
I immediately sneeze three times. “It’s also full of dust.” Dust at least an inch thick covers everything in sight.
River’s staring at the phone in his hand. “Damn it. He hasn’t answered a single text.”
With a frown, I grab River’s sleeve. “Do you think Raven has Jordan?”
He lifts his head and gives me a confused look, but it’s quickly replaced with a shake of his head. “I’m sure he’s fine. The office used to have a couch in it. Let’s see if it’s still there.”
The line between his eyebrows tells me something is bothering him, but I’m not sure what it is. “How did you know it was Raven?” If Phoenix was following the tracker, they might have noticed the long periods we spent at Jordan’s apartment and made an educated guess we would return.
He glances at me over his shoulder. “The patch on their arm. It’s their insignia.”
The guys at the gas station had been in suits. Yesterday, they had been in blue uniforms, but I didn’t notice an insignia or a patch. Of course, I’d been too busy staring at my bag.
When we get to the offices in the back, I’m surprised to see a spacious room. There’s a pretty good-sized leather couch across from a large, grey metal desk and an old school leather office chair. Along the side wall is an ancient coffee maker and a few cabinets. River sets the pizza down on the counter under them.
He seems awfully familiar with this place, and it reminds me of something Jordan told me. “Is this where you, Jordan, Lance, and the rest of your group hid for a while?”
Surprise flashes across his face. “He told you?” When I nod, he sighs. “Yes. It gave us all a safe place to stay for a while. Better than the streets.”
I frown. “But didn’t Raven catch Lance and the others here? They know about this place!” Fear makes my voice rise. Why are we hiding where Raven can find us?
“It’s the last place they’ll look for us,” he insists, taking my hand. “Look, it’s only for one night. I don’t know that many safe places here. We’ll rest up and figure out where to go, okay?” He stares at me while he waits for an answer.
“I hope you’re right,” I concede with a sigh. “One night.”
We have food, water, and shelter. That’s infinitely better than being in handcuffs in the back of one of those SUVs, I remind myself. Wrinkling my nose, I grab a rag from a nearby table and wipe down the old leather sofa. It’s going to be a long night.