Chapter Three
Nox hated waking Luca up before dawn. He’d been exhausted, and after tossing and turning for several hours, he’d finally fallen into a deep enough sleep to quit moving around.
But their clothes were dry, and they needed to get out of there just in case the cops were already looking for Luca and his truck. With holes punched in the hood and metal gouges in the bed, it was the kind of vehicle that attracted the attention of law enforcement.
While Luca dressed, Nox stripped the linens off the bed and used them to cover the seat of the truck. Unfortunately, turning the blankets face down only hid the heart motif and not the horrific pink color.
“I don’t think there’s an electronics store open this early.” Luca carried the bag of drinks. He set them in the floorboard of the vehicle and got in. He ran a hand over the blankets and cocked his mouth to the side. “I think I’d prefer wet seats.”
“It’s just until we get rid of the truck.” Nox slid in behind the driver’s side.
“You know this is stealing, right?”
“I paid a week in advance.”
“Why?”
“I figured if I did, it would take a couple of days for the guy to realize we were gone. That way if the cops come sniffing around, he won’t be able to give them an exact time that we left.” Nox cranked the engine. “Seatbelt.”
Luca pulled it over his shoulder. “You’ve thought this through.”
“A little.”
“Do you have experience running from the law?” Luca kept his gaze forward when he said it.
Nox backed out of the parking lot and headed onto the street. “No. I’m pretty sure I don’t.”
“Then how do you know to do all this?”
It wasn’t as much of a memory as it was a feeling. Still, Nox worried what it meant. Or worse how Luca would take it. “I think I’ve had to search for people before.” Track them. Hunt them.
Kill them.
“Like criminals?”
“I’m not sure.” Nox was grateful it wasn’t a lie.
They drove for a while in silence. Nox stuck to the main roads where there were signs to give directions but stayed off the highway. Dawn broke over the horizon outlining mountains and trees in a band of gold.
“Can I ask you a question?” Luca’s voice was almost a whisper
“Sure.”
“How well did you know my brother?”
“Pretty well.”
“You were friends?”
“Yes.”
Luca rubbed his palms on his knees. “How did you meet him?”
“I woke up in the facility, and he was there.”
“Huh? What facility?”
“I’m not sure. I just know it was a place like I know Koda was our Alpha.”