“Better than what they’re getting back home. Talked to Kira last night and this morning. Everyone is preparing for about a foot of snow tonight.”
I took a drag as he spoke and blew it out quickly to reply in surprise. “Holy shit. I thought when we left, they said a dusting?”
“Guess things changed.”
“Damn.”
“How is my little man, Parker?”
He chuckled. That boy was the key to his soft side. “Good. Kept trying to take the phone to chew on.”
“Tell Kira to feed that boy, and his favorite uncle will be home soon,” I said with a grin.
He filled me on the little that he had since the night before, which wasn’t much. The only thing he or his grandmother could pick up was that there was a lot of negative energy that they could decipher. His grandmother told him she believed there were three separate areas of this dark void. When we talked last night, he’d told me there had been a single man who had run through the shop and out the back door while Niara had kept him cloaked, but that was it. Raptor was on his heels, but the guy fucking disappeared. When Raptor got back and helped dig him out, the assailants were long gone.
Because they’d been chasing us.
Luckily, I’d been able to lose them in downtown Dallas. Then I made my way here. It was crazy to think we were so close to a major city like Dallas, but this area had a rural feel to it.
“If we don’t have any issues, we’ll try to make our way there in the next day or two.”
Day or two? I had to live with that kind of temptation for adayor two? My dick was going to be perpetually hard. With that thought, I had to adjust myself.
Fuck.
I asked about her mom.
“Raptor went over to the hospital after we went back to the hotel. Niara is staying in your room. Everything seems good. Sloane’s mom’s in a locked ICU unit. Seems pretty secure,” he informed me.
Great. Niara was enjoying my king-size bed while I was sleeping on a bare mattress that had God only knew what on it. A shudder rippled through me as I thought about it. Not that I was a pansy ass, but the thought of sleeping on someone else’s dried nut juice was putrid.
“That’s good, I guess.”
“I’m going to call Kira to check on her and the kids—then Venom.
“If we can get shit set up, we might want to all stay out here. It’s pretty secure. Plenty of room. We’d all be in one place. The only bitch is there’s no electricity or water. Maybe you guys could stop by somewhere and get some air mattresses.”
There was silence for a second. “Where did you guys sleep?” It was asked so calmly and matter-of-factly, I knew it was anything but. Not from Voodoo, anyway.
“Gave her the old prez’s room. I took the bar,” I lied like a motherfucker to my brother. It sucked, but since nothing happened, I justified it. Hell, I’d kept my hands to myself and behaved all night—for the most part.
“Hmm. Okay, I’ll keep you updated.”
“Sounds good,” I replied, then ended the call. Taking a few minutes to finish my cigarette, I stared up at the endless blue sky. The entire time, I kept an ear on the sound of the occasional car that passed by on the county road.
When I was done, I stubbed out the cigarette on the side of the building and went back inside. Sloane was still sitting at the table. At first I didn’t think she’d moved, then I realized the single window was spotless, allowing the bright February sun to light up the common area.
“Nice gift to have,” I teased as I motioned my head toward the window.
Her smile was brilliant. It was the first time I’d seen one that full and honest from her, and it took my fucking breath away. “It has its moments.” She shrugged.
“I’m not trying to be a dick, but just go easy on the phone use. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to charge it again.” Leaning over, I set the phone on the table in front of her. Whatever perfume or shampoo she’d used was a light and intoxicating scent. It started a hollow, fluttery feeling in my guts.
Or maybe it was simply her.
Fuck, her eyes were so goddamn crystalline—so blue they were like the Texas sky I’d been admiring outside. With a jolt, I realized we’d been staring at each other a little too long and snapped my ass out of it. I cleared my throat and nodded at the phone. “Yeah, anyway, go ahead and call your mom to check on her. Just don’t tell her where we are, only that you’re safe.”
“Got it,” she murmured, blinking up at me. She quickly averted her gaze and picked up the phone. Her porcelainlike skin had a soft pink flush that dusted her cheeks. She was absolutely goddamn bewitching. No pun intended.