Chapter 9
“Morning.” Kane sat shotgun next to Becks, while Gaby slept a bit longer. He stared out the window, not sure where they would end up or who chased them. As long as Gaby was with him, he’d go anywhere and fight anyone. Holding her in his arms while they slept, he realized, though he’d only known her for a short period, it felt like he’d known her all his life. Her familiar aroma, rich brown hair, kick ass body and green eyes that reminded him of a verdant forest. Mine. Damn, it took all his control not to make love to her. His prying wolf desired her, but reminded him taking a human mate was forbidden. Another arcane law. He hadn’t slept much, but when he did, the beta female called Lunara appeared. All he remembered of his dream was her distant figure near a compound, not the castle. Before he could speak to her, she vanished.
“Help yourself to coffee.” Becky pointed her chin. “In the thermos.”
“Thanks.”
“Girlfriend still asleep?”
Kane quirked a smile. He liked the idea of Gaby as his girlfriend. Sure sounded better than ally or frenemy. “Like a babe.” He cocked his head. “Aren’t you going to pull over to get some sleep?”
“Nah, I have to finish listening to my book. I figured we are an hour from Oklahoma City, I’ll pull over then.”
“Sounds good.” He listened to the ending. The woman chose her vampire lover over the werewolf and ended up turning vampire. Talk about depressing.
Gaby walked in. Her hair ruffled like a kitten who just woke up, not aware of her surroundings. Actually, she would look that way after he had his way with her. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“Grab a mug from the cabinet and pour some from the thermos,” said Becks.
Gaby took out a red mug and poured herself a cup.
Becks turned on the radio. “Time to check traffic conditions.”
The weather report called for clear skies and warm temperatures. After the traffic, the news came on. “Breaking news. It appears a terrorist group bombed a private animal lab in northern Wisconsin. The explosion happened around three a.m. Authorities are calling it an act of domestic terrorism. Possibly an animal rights group. One night watchman was killed in the bombing and large predators escaped. Most were recaptured but a few were euthanized. No one else was in the building at the time of the explosion. The public is being asked to stay away from the scene for their safety.”
He looked at Gaby who gave him a questioning stare. They must have hidden Giles’ and the other corpses. They set the bomb to erase evidence. A spin story to cover Project Sabertooth’s clandestine asses.
Becks shook her head. “Can you believe that? We were about one hundred miles away from that area.”
“I bet they’ll catch them soon,” said Kane.
Becks nodded. “Hope so. You can’t go around killing innocent people and letting dangerous animals loose.”
Gaby stared out the window. “No. You can’t.”
She shouldn’t blame herself. They forced her to manipulate animals to kill on command. No one spoke until they reached Oklahoma City.
Beck
s pulled into a truck stop on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. Close enough to find transportation. “Here we are. I’m going to pull in and sleep for six. I take it you are calling someone to pick you up.”
He winked. “Yes.”
“All right then.” The door opened.
Gaby smiled. “Thanks.”
After she stepped down, Kane met Becks’ eyes. “You will forget you ever picked us up. The entire time you drove alone.”
“Yes, alone.”
He closed the door and joined Gaby.
Becks drove away and pulled in behind other semis.
Kane turned to Gaby. “Now what?”
“Now we find a rental?”