Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Iroamed aimlessly inside the convenience store for half an hour without buying anything while the cashier gave me strange looks.
When I spotted Tammy’s compact car pulling up to the bus stop, I sprinted, yanked open the car door, and threw my arms around her. She squeezed me back until the driver behind us honked impatiently. Tammy shifted the gear and peeled away from the curb.
I settled in the soft seat and looked at her. The built-up tension in my body was released, and I sank deeper into the seat.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you,” I said, my voice shaky with emotions.
She kept her gaze on the road, but from time to time, Tammy glanced at me. “I felt like you needed me, so I only went to the airport and returned later. It just didn’t feel right leaving you alone.”
“I’m going to cry, Tammy. I haven’t been completely honest with you, but you still choose to be my friend.” I blinked back my tears and shivered, only now slowing enough to realize my thin shirt was the only thing keeping the cold at bay.
Tammy cranked up the heater and adjusted the vents closest to me, the air blowing straight into my hands and chest. “So Torin has your book, huh? What will you do about it?”
Tammy raised her eyebrows. I gave her a small smile as she quickly glanced at me.
“I’ll get it back, of course. But it won’t be easy.”
She scoffed. “I’ll be your sidekick. Now where to?”
“My old apartment to pick up my passport and emergency cash.”
Tammy gave me a strange sideways look but quickly averted her gaze.
We were in the middle of traffic, and I still didn’t understand why she liked driving her car with a stick shift. The constant stopping and going, switching gears, cursing the drivers, and then more of the same drove me crazy.
“Actually, now that I think about it, it makes sense,” she mumbled.
“Of course you’d have emergency cash hidden.
You never fully opened up to anyone, Bree.
I felt like you always held some part of you away from me.
You were always alert and watched behind your shoulder.
You didn’t agree to any dates in college… ”
She smiled, honked, and cursed at the driver in front of her, who had abruptly braked, and Tammy barely stopped in time to avoid a collision.
“You never talked about your family. And don’t get me started on the two gorgeous men—one a bodyguard and one a book thief. I mean, who has bodyguards nowadays? Celebrities? Politicians?”
Tammy shook her head, and her smile grew wider.
I rubbed my cold hands together. “One day, I’ll be back in London and tell you the truth, Tammy. I promise. You’re the only person I trust right now. You deserve nothing but the truth. But I need to figure out my path first. I don’t even know who I am, so how can I tell you?”
Her eyes flicked to me. She nodded, and my entire body warmed. Every girl needed a Tammy in her life. I was lucky to have her as a friend.
“I’ll be waiting. Now, why can’t we recruit Hayden to help us?”
“Hayden is on my side but insists on taking a different path involving other people. He’ll take me to my father, which is not a good idea right now, and I’m not going back home without my book.”
“That must be one significant book, girl,” Tammy said.
“It really is, to me.”
“And you’ll try to catch a flight to where?”
“Los Angeles.”
Torin’s pack territory was awfully close to the werewolf kingdom. But before I could plan how to steal back my book while keeping away from the kingdom, I needed a plan to get my passport from my apartment.
“Hayden’s or Torin’s men won’t hurt us. Physically, I mean,” I said, and Tammy shot me an odd look. “But they are all searching for me and know what I’m trying to do, no doubt. We’ll have to stake my place to see if their men are outside.”
Tammy parallel parked in a tight spot between two cars. The rush hour had slowed, and the street in front of my complex quieted as Tammy and I waited inside her car.
“This is not as fun as they make it look in the movies. I wish we had chips or donuts,” she said, and I forced a smile.
“If there is a next time, I promise to buy junk food.”
After an hour, Tammy and I were so cold that we had to move, or we would turn into ice.
“I find it strange we didn’t spot Torin’s men,” I said, and an unsettled feeling tightened my chest. “Robin Hood and Little John would have shown up here by now.”
“Robin Hood?”
“Never mind. I don’t know their names. Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll call Hayden from your cell. I’ll get him to leave my apartment. Then, you get inside, grab my passport and cash from my secret stash in the walk-in closet, and we drive to the airport.”
Hayden had to be in my apartment since Torin’s men said they would let him rest there, after they zapped him with a tranquilizer.
Tammy’s eyes widened. “You’re scaring me with how good you are at developing these plans.
But first, you have to convince Hayden to leave.
Second, you have a new lock after the break-in.
Third, if the attackers who looked for the book in your apartment didn’t find your passport and cash, how would I know where to look? ”
Tammy had always been good at thinking through the details. This skill made her a successful café business owner. I, however, improvised most of the time.
“The only thing I didn’t think about is how you’d get in since we both don’t have a key,” I said. “Wait, you have your tire iron in the back?”
“Are you serious?” she said as her eyebrows rose.
Tammy got out of the car, twisting her head in all directions, opened the trunk, and came back with the tire tool. She stared at it, and then her gaze darted between the thick metal and me.
“Just hit the lock as hard as you can,” I said.
She nodded. I extended my hand, and she deposited her phone into my palm. I pressed on Hayden’s name, which Tammy had saved in her contacts, and swallowed hard.
“Tammy?” Hayden’s rough voice rang over the line.
“No, Hayden, it’s me.”
“Sweetheart, where are you?” Worry laced his tone, and I hated myself for lying to him.
“I’m in a cafe at the corner of Applewood and Brittlesville. Will you be able to pick me up?” I asked and crossed my fingers that he wasn’t familiar with the area.
There was no cafe there. These were two streets on the other side of town that I memorized when I rode the ebike from one bus station to the next.
The awkward silence dried my mouth.
But before I could speak, Hayden said, “I’m on my way, but are you okay?”
“Yeah, I was able to escape Torin’s minions. Are you okay?”
“You know I’m always okay,” he said.
“Hurry, Hayden. I’ll see you soon.”
“You betcha, sweetheart,” he said, and a fluttery feeling rose in my stomach.
I hung up, and Tammy watched me with amused eyes.
“Did it work?” she asked.
I’d grown to rely on Hayden’s friendship. In the kingdom, his presence was reassuring, and he looked at me as if seeing into my soul. His sky-blue eyes were a light source to me back then, grounding and balancing me. He had become an indispensable part of my life.
I had never lied to him because it felt unnatural and wrong, as though something inside me would be irrevocably damaged if I ever chose to do so.
I shook my head slightly. Here I was, lying to the man I treasured.
I bit my lip and lowered my gaze to my hands. “I don’t know. Let’s wait and see if he leaves.”
After a moment, my upset stomach tightened painfully. Hayden walked out of the front doors, jiggling keys, and turned left toward a minor street.
I hoped Hayden would forgive me, eventually.
“Okay, your turn, Tammy. He’s on his way to get his rental car.”
My best friend squeezed the tire tool and got out of the car after I gave her more details about where I hid my passport and cash.
Tammy headed toward the dark alley between the two apartment buildings. No one took the back entrance other than to drop off trash.
She disappeared from sight, and the urge to cross and uncross my legs overtook me. I couldn’t really move my feet much in the small space, so instead, I shook out my hands.
Tammy will be okay.
I realized I wasn’t worried so much about Tammy’s safety. Even if Hayden caught her, he would never hurt her or me. But I worried about leaving my best friend behind in London while I fled to California. A pang of sadness squeezed my chest as I looked out the car window.
I wouldn’t find the same unconditional support where I was going that only Tammy could provide.
Leaving our friendship behind, knowing it could be a while before I could see my best friend again, tugged on my heart.
But somehow, deep down, I knew the distance wouldn’t wear away the strength of our friendship.
I vowed next time I met with Tammy, I would tell her the truth about the existence of the supernatural, even if I broke the rules.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed since I glued my gaze to the darkness of the side alley. In a few moments, Tammy stepped out of the alley with a diabolic grin, signaling she’d been successful.
I let out a sigh of relief. In her hands, she had my thick jacket, and my shoulders relaxed against the softness of the car seat. I smiled at my considerate best friend.
She hid the tire iron underneath my jacket. I couldn’t see my passport or plastic bag with cash.
As she scampered closer to the car, a figure stepped out of the darkness and sprinted after her.
Hayden.
I gasped.
He’d never left. He knew me better than anyone. Damn it.
I got out of the car and shouted at Tammy, “Look back.”
When she did, her mouth fell open, and she broke into a mad dash toward me, slid behind the wheel, and threw the jacket and tool into my lap.
Hayden must have realized he wouldn’t have gotten to us on time and ran the other way.
He wouldn’t give up. He probably went to get his car—the fastest way to follow us.
“Oh my gosh,” Tammy whispered, backing out of the parking spot.
Her back tire climbed onto the sidewalk, and after one hard crank of the wheel, we drove down the narrow street.
“Your things are in the jacket pockets,” Tammy said, shifting gears.
I looked behind us. As expected, Hayden’s car appeared.
“What should I do now?”
“Nothing,” I said. “He can’t stop us, and he’s figured out where we’re going, so we won’t be able to lose him. I’ll have to hide at the airport.”
Tammy gave me a look that said, “You’ve got this.”
Her phone rang and vibrated in the cup holder. She reached for it, but I stopped her.
“No, he’ll hold me back. Remember how I told you I must find out about my heritage? I have to do this on my own, Tammy. I’ll grovel to Hayden once I have the book in my possession.”
Tammy nodded, and we kept driving for what felt like a long time, but probably was about forty minutes, with Hayden tailing us at a safe distance.
Tammy stopped outside the departure gates, and I flew out of the car. Hayden parked three cars behind us.
“Good luck,” Tammy shouted, waving at me as I glanced behind my shoulder.
I owed her big time and would deliver on my promise one day. I smiled and waved as I hurried through the sliding doors.
Out the window, I watched as Tammy ran to the closest security men. Her arms flailed, and then she pointed to Hayden, who narrowed his eyes at her.
His gaze darted between me and the policemen and Tammy, and he smirked. I drew in a deep breath. Hayden was his usual confident self.
The security men sprinted to Hayden and circled him, talking to him. I’d have to guess Tammy told them he was dangerous or that he’d done something against the rules because the next thing the security guards did was demand that Hayden spread his arms and legs.
While security patted down Hayden, he smiled and winked at me, and that was when I remembered I needed to move.
Buying a plane ticket at such short notice would be almost impossible, using up all my money. The woman at the front desk watched me with big eyes as I counted the cash and handed her the money for a direct flight in eight hours to Los Angeles.
There was another flight leaving in three hours, but it was all sold out, and I could only get on it if someone was willing to switch with me for the later flight.
I glanced over my shoulder when I passed the security check and froze. Hayden stood on the other side of the long line, arms crossed over his chest. Our gazes met, and a cold shiver ran down my back.
I mouthed, “I’m sorry,” and he smirked and headed to the same lady who’d sold me my plane ticket. I had no idea where to hide for the next eight hours without a supernatural scenting or seeing me.
I dashed to the gates, passing by cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants.
Breathless, I found my gate and asked the attendant behind the desk to see if anyone would be willing to switch seats with me on the later flight.
She made the announcement while I looked around the waiting area. There seemed to be no takers.
I almost stopped breathing when I spotted Hayden striding toward the gate in the distance. I clenched and unclenched my hands, and I was on the brink of hyperventilating.
I had nowhere to hide. I couldn’t let Hayden take me to the kingdom. Why couldn’t he understand that the next werewolf Queen couldn’t be human-born, even if I had royal blood?
A slender woman holding a child’s hand turned into a small opening in the middle of the walkway. A sign stretched above the narrow entrance read Sleeping Pods.
I followed them as fast as possible, trying not to draw attention. The space was a dim hallway with four box-looking cabins and tiny windows at the top.
The woman and the boy walked into one pod, and I rushed inside the cramped place.
The space had a twin bed along the opposite side and a small stand between the door and the bed. It was meant for one, maybe two people.
My heart beat out of control. I clicked the lock, ready to apologize and explain to the mother and son. I turned to face them.
“I’m so…so—” I stuttered as the woman’s eyes flashed crimson and stayed red as she glared at me.
Her fangs protruded. She grasped the kid’s hand and pulled him close to her.
I had made a colossal mistake hiding here.
I would have been safer getting caught by Hayden than being trapped with a vampire mother.