Page 68 of Break Out the Girl

“No, he’s right, Basil. The biggest tell is the girls want to go home. If they didn’t we’d be having a different conversation. So do we just drop them off and bolt? Seems like a bad idea to be seen. The parents might be grateful to us for returning their daughters but still turn us in for the bounty. We can’t risk it.”

“I think you’re right, Princess. That’s what we’ll do. So on to the Sky-hunt. It doesn’t seem like this map is detailed enough to show a moat around a property, unfortunately.”

Shit.

I jab my finger at the paper. “I think this is where we are. The shape of the coastline looks just like our view out of the window.”

“Right.”

“It would make life a lot easier if we could just go online. Me and Basil have been trying but it’s password protected.”

Maisy/lil’Hare wanders into the room and London gets on all-fours to give her a horsey ride. “Have you tried Uncle Bulgaria? That’s my favorite password.”

Basil ignores him, looking serious and many years older than the twelve he is. “Let me out at the nearest town and I’ll steal an unlocked cell-phone.”

A cell phone would be a game-changer, but we really can’t put Basil in any more danger. It’s just not an option. “Let’s table that discussion for now.” I meet eyes with Tally, trying to convey my feelings. “What’s our vehicle situation?”

“There’s a beat up LandRover in the garage. Shouldn’t be hard to hotwire. I’ve already filled the tank and put extra blankets in the back. We should get on the road as soon as possible. Staying in one place for too long is dangerous.”

I take a beat, then speak what I’ve been holding back. “What about François?”

Tally squeezes my hand. “We have to hope his shifter senses will pick up our trail. After we get the kids to safety, and after we find Sky, we’ll put our minds to the snake. That’s the best we can do, babe.”

I know he’s right, but I hate it.

“OK. Let’s get out of here.” I fold up the map, and look through the door to the kitchen. It’s a fucking mess, like a bomb exploded in here.

No way we can leave this place looking like it hasn’t been touched, so we won’t even bother.

Basil puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles. “We’re going, kids. Get your shit together.”

Ten minutes later, we are hustling into the rumbling gray LandRover.

“Peas in the pod, please,” London says, lifting Ricky and Lil’ Hare into the back seats while Pepper and Sheena scramble into the rear cargo space.

I slide in next to Lil’ Hare and pull her onto my knee. Basil, pulling the goggles down over his eyes, tries to claim the driver's seat, but Taliesin kicks him over to the passenger side.

London is about to cram himself in beside me, when he freezes. His head tilts to the left, furry faun ears swiveling like radar dishes.

My heart thumps. “What do you hear?”

“Rubber on gravel,” London whispers. “Two hundred yards down the lane. Company’s coming, Kitten.”

A beat later, Tally is reversing out of the building, swinging in a sharp bend, then accelerating away.

Ignoring the private road, he wheel-spins across the lawn and out towards the fields.

“Hang on, everyone,” he yells over the engine noise. “We’re off-roading.

23: FRANCOIS

Putain de merde.

The weightlessness of the ocean and being shifted kept some interesting information from me.

I’m more injured than I thought.

As soon as I’m out of the water, stumbling onto the shore, pain hits.