Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LEENA
I grip the door handle, hanging on for my goddamn life. I watch the speedometer tick well past one-hundred before looking away, the sound of very large weapons splitting the air behind us.
“Would the two of you mind warning me the next time you think we’re about to be shot at?” I lecture.
“Sorry sugar, I thought sending the kid out the window would have clued you in.” Sebastian chuckles.
I glare. It aggravates the hell out of me how calm they are in these types of situations, but I guess it could be worse. I do appreciate how they always seem to be one step ahead and know what to do in order to keep us safe.
I glance at the van behind us, watching it easily keep pace with ours, swerving here and there to evade the onslaught of bullets coming from the vehicle behind it. I didn’t know that Colton’s such a good driver, or that he wouldn’t bat an eyelash when Sebastian told him to switch vehicles in the middle of the freeway.
I’m still trying to steady my heart rate from that little stunt, because whether I like it or not, I care far too much about that man’s safety. Damn him.
“Next exit, then turn left. Think you can shake them in town?” Luke says.
“Maybe. They’ll at least have to put the weapons away,” Sebastian replies, slowing our speed as he takes the offramp.
He was right, as soon as we are in town, they stop firing. There’s no doubt the authorities would be on them in under a minute if they tried to pull that with this many cars and people around.
“Guys, there’s a sticker on their front windshield, top left corner. Looks like the Jack of Spades,” Ava says over the radio.
Shit.
I stare out the window as Sebastian weaves in and out of traffic, taking turn after turn. Colton keeps the van close behind.
“How did they find us?” I ask quietly.
“They were waiting off the side of the road. Must have known we’d be coming back into town today,” Sebastian answers.
“We’ll look into it when we’re home,” Luke tries to assuage my concern.
It doesn’t work.
This is the first time since we moved out of my father’s city that someone from the Deck has come after us. And honestly, I’m surprised it took them this long.
Sebastian quickly pulls behind a building, the van following after us, and both vehicles turn off our lights, shrouding us in darkness.
The sound of my heartbeat pulses in my ears in the sudden silence.
Several minutes tick by, and I start to breathe normally again. If the car tailing us saw us come back here, they would have approached us by now.
I hear the radio crackle and Colton’s voice comes through, “Are we set on Mexican? Because there was a Thai food place back there.”
—
Several minutes of arguing over food choices later, we’re traveling along a frontage road, heading back to a group of hotels we passed earlier. It’s already late, and we don’t want to risk running into anyone else who might be waiting for us on the dark roadway.
After a couple of phone calls, Luke finds they are all completely booked, save for one shady motel that has two rooms left. There’s a lot of us, and the math doesn’t quite work, but the next nearest hotel with any vacancies is nearly an hour back. So after explaining the shit situation we’re in to the other car, everyone decides that we’re just going to have to make do for the night.
When we get to the motel, everyone piles out into the parking lot while Luke heads over to the office to pick up our keys.
“Okay, let’s work out the bed situation. The three of us can share,” Sebastian says, wrapping an arm around me and gesturing toward where Luke disappeared inside. “Ava, you get your own bed, but are you alright sharing a room with some of these idiots?” he asks, eyeballing the guys around her.
“I’ve been stuck in a crowded van with them for hours already, I think I can handle it.” She chuckles.
“I’ll bunk with Jace. I’m used to it,” Ryan says.
“Aw, Ry, that’s so sweet of you, roomie!” Jace bumps Ryan’s shoulder with his fist and Sebastian rolls his eyes at them. They’re always stuck in a room together, it cuts costs, and they have developed some weird-ass friendship that I don’t particularly understand. Ryan’s nearly a decade older than the cocky bodyguard, but somehow, it works.
“That means Colt, you’re with us,” Sebastian mumbles when Luke returns, passing out our keycards as we make our way across the lot to our rooms.
“Oh-ho! I’m with the lovebirds! So who’s sleeping with me? Unless the three of you are planning to somehow squeeze into a queen size bed when Sebastian is involved.” Colton laughs and I chuckle, watching Sebastian stop, turning to glare as Colton continues walking.
“Oh, we’ve done it before. Lots of times.” I smile, biting at my lip as I stroll past Colton who’s now stopped dead in his tracks.
“Yeah, we fucking have!” Luke exclaims from behind me. The second I turn to face him, he leans over and tosses me over his shoulder before continuing on across the parking lot. I let out a squeal when he does, laughing and enjoying the view I suddenly have of his ass in those worn gray jeans.
“Hey Colton, wanna borrow my ear plugs?” Ryan shouts toward us.
“Sounds like you’re going to need ‘em!” Jace adds in. Colton flips them off and they all laugh, the three of them heading in the opposite direction toward their room.
“Hey Colt! Ten bucks says Seb sleeps in the nude! You’ll let us know, yeah?” Jace jokes, and that one gets a bellow laugh out of Sebastian, surprising all of us. Colton stops to stare at him, and he gives him a good pat on the shoulder as he passes.
“Don’t worry, Fisher. I’ll keep it in my pants tonight, just for you.”