To Hell and Back (League of Guardians 1.50)

Cale ground his teeth and looked into the rearview mirror. His eyes glistened, their depths enhanced by the glow from the dashboard. “Bill isn’t here right now, so this is my call.”

Kira sank into the cold leather seat, body tense as Logan’s words echoed in her mind. Do not go to The Pines. I don’t trust the League anymore and I can’t take that chance. Not with you.

There was only one person she believed in. Only one person who’d ever done anything good for her. Logan.

The lights ahead shimmered, and as they got closer she realized it was a truck stop. This could be her only chance of escaping the two men. In fact, she was pretty sure if she didn’t make her move here, she’d never get another chance.

Sweat broke out along her forehead and she swallowed thickly, taking a few seconds to compose herself before she spoke.

“I have to pee,” she said abruptly. “Can we stop up there?”

Again Cale’s dark eyes regarded her in the mirror. “Can’t you wait? We’re almost to the border and The Pines is less than an hour away.”

“No!”

Cale’s eyebrow shot up and Priest turned around once more.

Kira cleared her throat and forced herself to calm down. “I have to go now. Seriously, guys, I’m prone to bladder infections and the last time I had one the doctor said if I don’t—”

“Okay,” Priest held his hand up. “That’s all I need to know.” Priest nodded to the driver. “I could stretch my legs, too.”

Cale swore under his breath, a bunch of words she didn’t understand, and Kira waited, breath held, until he maneuvered the truck into the right lane so they could exit. When they pulled into the Last Chance Truck Stop, she released a long, tortured breath and had the door open before they’d even come to a full stop.

“Sorry,” she muttered as Cale nailed her with another dark look. She knew in that instant he didn’t trust her. Not wholly. “But I really gotta go.”

She didn’t like the way he stared at her—as if he could see into her soul—see the lie.

“Don’t take long, because you can sure as hell bet there’s a truckload of filth hot on our tail, and the only sanctuary you have is The Pines.”

Kira swallowed. I don’t think so, buddy.

She nodded and blushed when she realized both men were staring at the gaping T-shirt beneath her jacket. Quickly she zipped up, her gaze skipping beyond them to the semis idling in the distance. Flashing lights twirled into the night, shooting out red and blue, and for a second she was confused, but then she realized a police vehicle was parked beside one of the trucks. Its lights cast shadows into the darkness and there were several more police vehicles nearby. It looked to Kira as if something had gone down and they were doing cleanup.

Priest jumped from the truck, and at first she thought he was going to follow her into the service center, but he leaned against his door and withdrew a cigar. He sniffed the end, glanced around, and turned in a full circle.

“Okay, we’re all clear. No demon stink to ruin my Montecristo.”

Cale said nothing.

“I … I’m going to grab some takeout. You guys want anything?” Kira said hesitantly.

Priest shook his head. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, but if I was you, I wouldn’t take too long.” He lit his cigar and took a puff. “Circumstance changes quickly.”

Kira nodded, and with one more glance at the still silent Cale she headed into the truck stop.

The night was crisp and a blast of heat greeted her as she pushed her way inside the well-lit truck stop. Grease mingled with unwashed body odor made her stomach roil, but she took a few steps, her gaze moving over the entire area in a precise pattern just as Logan had taught her. Within seconds she had the layout. She knew that the washrooms were to her right, that there were seven truckers in line waiting for coffee, as well as three full tables near the window. Vending machines lined the wall to her left and beyond that was an exit that led to the rear of the building.

Chest heaving, she took a few more steps, mind racing, adrenaline pulsing in her veins. She was a bit lightheaded and exhaled softly, taking a moment to gather her wits and her thoughts.

The two men in the rear booth eyed her with interest, but she passed over them and focused on an orange wall phone. It was a direct line to the local taxi service. She started toward it but paused when she realized that not only could Cale and Priest see her inside the brightly lit service center, but just because she got hold of a taxi didn’t mean one would appear within the next few minutes.

Kira turned on a dime and disappeared inside the ladies’ restroom, grateful to find it empty. She splashed cold water on her face and stared at a reflection that while familiar was still surprising to her.

Her face was fuller, her cheeks redder—healthier—and her skin glowed. In a few weeks she’d gone from being a shut-in mental patient who’d not seen the sun in weeks or months even, to a dead body on a slab in the morgue. She’d traveled to the gray realm and won. Now she was here, back in the human realm, very much alive and determined to stay so.

Kira licked her lips, tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, and stepped away from the sink. She fingered the dagger in the front of her jeans and made sure it wasn’t visible. She knew what she had to do.

She turned abruptly and left the washroom, but instead of heading back the way she’d come, she jogged out the back exit. Her chest was tight as she burst into the night and she took off at a full run, her gaze focused on the still-flashing lights.