“More grays,” Aiden said. “They’re everywhere.”
Behind them, the headlights reappeared, quickly gaining ground.
“Don’t stop,” Aiden said. “We’ll have to go through them.”
But she couldn’t—there were too many. A head-on impact at their current speed would either set off the airbags, flip the car, or worse—send it careening off the side of the narrow mountain road.
But they couldn’t stop either. Not unless they wanted to be hell-roasted by those demons.
“Hold on, boys.” Charley whispered a quick prayer to anyone who might be listening and switched the car to rear-wheel drive mode. As they hit the curve, she cut the wheel and smashed the accelerator, forcing the Bimmer’s back end to drift forward. They slid into the curve sideways, clipping a few of the grays with the rear bumper before Charley jerked the steering wheel back in place and corrected course.
The smell of burning rubber filled the air.
Clear of the worst of them, she hit the gas on the straightaway and blasted the fuck out of there, glancing into the rearview just as the demon car behind them plowed into the grays.
Whether they flipped into a ditch or sailed right off the fucking mountain, Charley wasn’t sticking around to find out.
When they finally cleared the worst of the danger, Cole shifted into his human form—a sight she wouldn’t have believed if she hadn’t caught it in the rearview.
“Cole?” An insane laugh escaped her lips—the kind that could only come from saving one’s friends from a demon attack, surviving a few near-death experiences, and watching a wolf transform into a naked man, his bare ass gracing Dorian’s fine leather seats.
Cole clapped a rough hand over her shoulder and gave her a shake. “Charles. Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
“One more minute and you would’ve been a sight fordeadeyes,” Aiden said. “Bloody hell, Charlotte. Thank you forcompletelyignoring my request to return to Ravenswood.”
“What did I tell you?” Charley wriggled her thumbs. “These babies were not made for sticking up my ass.”
The guys laughed, but Dorian only coughed.
She reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, his muscle twitching beneath her touch. After a beat, he covered her hand with his, squeezing tight.
Charleyfinallylet out a breath. It felt like she’d been holding it ever since she’d seen that ginger bitch drop her man with hellfire.
Thank God he’s okay…
“Do you think the demons will come after us again?” she asked, casting another glance in the rearview.
“Not if they want to keep their cocks attached,” Aiden said. “Chasing us off the property is one thing, but none of those demons want to launch an all-out assault against the vampire king. My guess is they’re regrouping, though. Definitely reporting back to Rogozin tonight.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she said.
“It ain’t,” Cole said. “But we certainly didn’t startthatfire.”
“Technically we did,” Aiden said. “RatherIdid, when I blew up the propane tank and turned Estas’ little party into a barbecue.”
“You ask me, this fight was a long time comin’,” Cole said. “And we ain’t the ones who let loose all those grays. Hell, even the demons didn’t know what the fuck hit ‘em—that was an outside job. So if Rogozin’s got something to say about the shit that went down back there, he knows just how to find me.”
Charley sighed. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“After tonight?” Cole cracked up. “Pretty sureRogozinshould be worried aboutyou.”
Charley smiled, but she didn’t let herself relax until they’d finally come to a stop in front of Cole’s cabin. Tucked into the woods at the end of a long dirt road, it felt like another world—safe and protected, far removed from the craziness they’d just escaped.
“You’re sure they won’t retaliate?” Charley asked again. “Maybe you should come back to Ravenswood tonight.”
“Your concern is real touching, Charles,” Cole said. “But I got this place surrounded by wolves. Anyone tries to pull any shit—demon, vampire, gray,orhuman—they’re in for a world of hurt.” He got out of the car and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. If he realized he was still buck-ass naked, he didn’t seem to care. “You all comin’ in for a drink? I got just the thing. Special home brew—it’ll put hair on your balls.”
“Yes, but will it putballson your balls?” Aiden opened the car door and stepped outside, more than a bit unsteady on his feet. “I seem to have left mine back on that mountain. Charlotte, where onearthdid you learn to drive like that?”
