35. Sam
Chapter 35
M y body screams at me to push through the night and get home, but we need rest. Garret looked better this morning when we left the truck-stop. He and Teddy were sharing Kelly’s sleep shirt when I woke up—it was draped over a pillow that they were both hugging. Clearly, I’m not the only one missing our beta. Still, if I push too hard and get us all killed or in the hospital, it won’t help anybody.
Teddy offered to take a turn driving, but he looked uncomfortable at the prospect and doesn’t have any experience with it, plus he let out a relieved breath when I said no. Garret looks like he’s about to drop, but he’s refused to spend the day sleeping again. Between twelve hours on the road yesterday, and another twelve today, we should be able to get in tomorrow by noon. We just need to get rest and food.
I pull into a smaller truck stop, the sign out front advertises food and fuel. If I can just stretch out in the truck for a few good hours, then I can push on through. We fill the tank for what I hope is the last time, and Garret and Teddy stumble in to see what options they have to eat. We’ve avoided anything greasy, but one of those damned burgers is practically screaming my name right now. My mind tells me that I’ll have to go out and buy a grill when we get home so Kelly can finally make some. Right now, I just have to choke down another dry granola bar.
Teddy snuggles against me on the bench seat in the back while Garret reclines the passenger seat and is soon snoring lightly. We’re almost home, and I can’t wait to stretch out on my big bed with them and get some solid shut eye tomorrow once we’re home. Sure, we may have to pay some extra fees on the truck for returning it late, but that’s a problem for future Sam. For now, rest.
A shrill ringing startles me out of my sleep. There’s no light except for the big halogens at the truck stop coming in through the windshield. Garret mumbles and twitches as the ringing sounds again. Pulling up my phone, I notice I’ve already been asleep about five hours, and it’s almost three in the morning. A photo of Joseph and Brice hugging pops up on my screen.
That asshole better not be drunk calling me. I am too fucking tired for this shit.
“Unless someone’s dead, dying, or on fire, I’m hanging up.” My voice is a rusty croak from just waking up.
In contrast, Joseph sounds wide awake. “Interesting choice of words. Where the fuck are you right now?” His tone has me jerking upright, dislodging Teddy from where he’s curled against my chest.
I stare out the windshield, willing my eyes to come into focus. The big yellow and red sign is blurry along with everything else. “A Love’s truck stop somewhere in Texas. I don’t fucking know exactly. About four hours from home, I think. What the hell, man? What’s going on?”
Instead of answering my question, he has his own. “Ok…good, that’s good. Is Teddy with you? Kelly? Where are those two others, or Jake? Have you talked to anybody at home?”
I shake myself out of my stupor, watching Teddy. “No…yes…Teddy’s with me, and Garret. We’re on our way back from Los Angeles with their stuff. I haven’t heard from anybody today, we’ve just been driving. What the hell’s going on? ”
Again, he ignores my question. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong. You guys are fine. Just…It sounds like I woke you up. It’s time to get back on the road. Be safe but get home as soon as you can.” He hangs up, cutting off any more questions I might have. My hand rubs down my face, attempting to wipe away the exhaustion. Now both packmates are wide awake and staring at me.
Clapping my hands together and shaking out my shoulders I announce, “Ok, sounds like sleep time’s over. Bathroom breaks all around, then let’s get the fuck home.” Garret opens the passenger door to help Teddy down so they can walk over to the restroom area. My phone rings again. They both freeze and quickly look back at me.
It’s the fire department dispatch, the number that calls me in when we have an emergency, and the lead weight in my stomach drops to my toes. “Sam. Are you at home? A woman, Kelly, called about your shop being on fire. The guys are already assembled and pulling out, but Joseph told me not to call you again. He said you were probably already on site since it’s your place. But if you were, you would have been the one calling. What’s going on, man?”
Teddy is staring intently at the phone. The man on the other end isn’t trying to be quiet, and our omega is certainly getting part of the conversation. He drops to the ground with Garret and pulls out his own phone, pushing buttons before raising it to his ear. His face grows frantic the longer it rings, and his shoulders sag in relief when it finally clicks over. Then he cusses when he hears Kelly’s voicemail prompt. He grabs Garret, dragging him towards the bathroom as his phone starts to ring. He whines, a worried little omega sound, as he puts it up to his ear.
He’s yelling into the phone before she has a chance to speak. “Kelly, are you safe? The fire department just called Sam to come in, something about his shop. He’s losing his fucking mind because we’re still in Texas, and Garret’s practically climbing the walls of the truck. What happened?”
Her voice comes stuttering out as he pulls it away and hits the speaker button. “Teddy, the shops on fire. It woke us up.”
His breath whooshes out in a loud hiss. “But you’re ok, right? You and Vee, you weren’t in the shop, and it’s not the house, you’re ok? Please, Kelly, tell me yo—” The sound of Jake losing his fucking shit stops the words.
There’s a brief pause, then Kelly’s voice, a low almost whimper. “There’s people here. I can’t see who it is, but Jake doesn’t know ’em.”
I see Teddy’s shoulders sag in relief. “Oh, wow, they got there fast then. It’s ok, Kelly, just…try to keep Jake inside so he doesn’t get hurt. Do you see Xan or Gabe?”
But it’s too soon. There’s no way they could be there yet.
Jumping down, I grab Garret. “I don’t care if you have to piss out the fucking window. Get back in the goddamned truck, now!” He looks startled as he croaks out Kelly’s name, and then starts clamoring back up into the truck, shoving Teddy in front of him .
Our beta’s voice comes through the phone, freezing the blood in my veins. “No…It’s not the fire department. It’s too dark, and they haven’t moved into the light. They’re just standing in the shadow by the car watching us.”
Jake starts to growl again, and I hear Steve whimper, “Oh, fuck. No.”
Teddy’s nearly screaming into the phone as I climb behind the wheel, barely giving them time to buckle in on the bench seat behind me. “Kelly, get in the house. Get in the house now. Take Jake and Vee with you if you can, otherwise, just go. Lock the door. Somebody’ll be there soon.”
She sounds tinny on the other end of the line as she chuckles, but it sounds pained and panicky, and Teddy snarls in response. “Kelly, get your ass in the house now! I’m not fucking kidding here!”
She lets out a loud squeal and there’s thumping in the background, possibly running. Then a loud whine from Jake and more thumping. My fingers grip the steering wheel, my knuckles white as I will myself to breathe and focus on driving. More possible running thumps, then rattling, and the call disconnects.
I look over my shoulder while I wait to be able to pull out of the lot. Garret looks like he’s about to hyperventilate. Teddy’s holding his phone so tight it might break, trying over and over to call her back, but it keeps going to voicemail. The line to get back on the road seems to take hours, but I know it’s less than ten minutes.