“Where are you from?” Erin asked me.
“Bourne. I don’t know what my father was, butmy mother was a mix of Italian, German, English, and NativeAmerican.”
“And you?” she asked Hawk.
“Falmouth,” he replied. “I’m a melting pottoo, but one of my dad’s ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Ivolunteered so I could help support my family too.”
Erin elbowed Vargas in the ribs. “What aboutyou?”
He grunted and rubbed at his stomach. “I wasborn in Peru. We moved to the U.S. when I was seven and settled inWorcester.”
“Why did you volunteer?”
Vargas shrugged. “This is my country and I’mgoing to fight for it.”
“Good reason,” Erin said.
I waited for them to ask me about what I was,but though theyhadto be wonderingabout it, they never issued the question. One of these days, theywould get the answer, I would make sure of that, but for now, theywere okay with what Kobal had told them. They were better than Iwas about such things.
After a few more minutes, Erin spoke again.“I have got to pee so freaking bad right now.”
“Please don’t,” Vargas said.
“I won’t.” But they all winced when sheshifted her weight again.
Another hour passed before I saw the faintestrays of light at the end of the tunnel. I exhaled loudly beforeleaning further over the wheel as I tried to ascertain if it wasreally a break in the vines or if I had yearned for it so badly Iwas imagining it.
“Is it really there?” I whispered.
“I think it is,” Hawk said as he leanedforward beside me.
I glanced toward the angel on the dash beforefocusing on the road once more until we broke free of the vines.The breath exploded from my lungs. I was pretty sure my muscleswere never going to unknot, and the stink coming off of me wouldkill a goat, but we were finallyfree. I cracked open my window, and when Kobaldidn’t tell me to close it again, I rolled it the rest of the waydown. Erin did the same with the other side. I eagerly inhaled thefresh air flowing through the vehicle.
Kobal and Corson continued to walk next tothe truck, unwilling to stop until Kobal called for a halt almosthalf an hour later. Erin nearly fell out of the truck when I pulledto the side of the road. She bolted for the woods before anyonecould stop her.
“Wait!” Vargas called after her.
She vanished from sight.
“I’ll get her,” Corson said and loped awaytoward the woods.
My legs quaked when I slid from the truck andmy foot was cramped, but I somehow managed to remain standing.Kobal clasped my elbow when I took a stumbling step on myprotesting foot. “I stink,” I murmured.
“You do.”
That was my man, never one to pull punches.It made me want to kick him almost as much as kiss him.
“So do you!” I retorted.
His full lips curled into an endearing smilethat had me rethinking the kicking aspect. “I do,” he agreed.
Corson and Erin reemerged from the woods.Corson shook his head as he walked. “Just piss on them next time,”Corson told her.
Vargas and Hawk blanched and exchanged anervous look. Erin grinned at Corson before giving Hawk and Vargasa devious smile.
“Hopefully, we won’t have to go through thatagain,” Kobal said.
“Let’s hope,” Vargas said and rubbed at thecross on his neck before releasing it.
