Page 67 of Crave

“We’ve got a situation.”

I shot to my feet. “What’s going on?”

“I checked the video feed. Topher’s gone. He jumped August, locked him in the cage.”

“How long ago?”

“He’s got maybe an hour lead on us. I don’t know how he managed to jack up the tracker in his wrist cuff. When I find him—”

“Topher’s going to have to wait.” Cal ushered us towards his truck. “We’ve got bigger problems.”

I shrugged into my coat, still off balance from the bourbon. “Come again?”

“Sensors just recorded movement out north of the Christmas tree farm on the edge of town.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“River pulled up the aerial cameras remotely when August didn’t alert anyone to the tripped sensor. We’ve got incoming. At least half a dozen undeads.”

12

Lacey

“OKAY, SERIOUSLY. YOU’RE SCARING HER.”

Crouched at the other end of Dallas’s leather sectional, Hayden paused in what were either the lyrics to Daisy Addiction’s latest opener, some epic fail in cat-whispering techniques off of YouTube, or more likely knowing her, the beginnings of an exorcism, to scowl.

“I’ll have you know that cats love me.”

“You said that twenty minutes ago when she was behind the washing machine,” I reminded her.

“I also suggested a butterfly net.”

I growled. “You are not netting my cat.”

Huffing, she rocked back on her four-inch platform Doc Martens. “Someone’s no fun.”

I got down on my hands and knees, peering back into the crawl space. Godiva mewed when our eyes met.

“Why don’t we move the couch?”

“Please. That’s like, her favorite game.”

Sighing, Hayden pulled out her phone. “Looks like she’s staying with Daddy, then.”

“Because, helpful?”

“You’re the one who picked out the cat without checking to make sure it wasn’t possessed first. Although she totally goes with my tattoo.” She snapped her fingers. “That’s what you need.”

“A tattoo?”

“I’m thinking a skull. Or a cupcake. Oooo… maybe a zombie cupcake.”

“Yeah. Not my scene.”

“Okay, but tats are hot. Plus, I bet Dallas would be into it. Especially if you get inked where he could see it while you two were—”

“Um, overshare much?”