Page 53 of Jacob Michaels is Trouble

I’m not an idiot. I knew that Jason and his pack giving in so easily was a bad sign. However, I had no further plan for how to make an escape from Point Worth, so my car was my only option. Lucas and I needed to be in my car and headed in the direction of Cleveland as soon as possible. With the way things were progressively getting crazier and crazier in Point Worth, every second we spent lingering in the fucked up little town brought us closer to a situation we couldn’t resolve. I squeezed Lucas’ hand and pulled him towards the car.

Easing our way into it, the two of us walked towards the car, keeping all of the pack members in our line of sight as we walked. They had given us access to the car too easily. Either they knew something we didn’t know, they figured we’d never get in the car and out of town quickly enough, or they were planning to pounce on us as soon as we got close to the car. However, Jason and his pack continued to stand clear as we made our way over to my car. Usually, Lucas would get in on one side, and I’d get in on the other, but I knew that separating was the worst plan.

As we approached the car, my hand still held out with the flame flickering in my palm, I indicated to Lucas to get the keys out of my pocket. Lucas’ hand went into my pocket, which drew some snickers from pack members and made Jason smirk, but I ignored them. He fished the keys out and let go of my hand to unlock the driver’s side door. The pack continued to just watch us as Lucas opened the door and I jumped in, sliding over to the passenger’s seat. Lucas followed quickly and slid into the driver’s seat, slamming the door behind himself.

We glanced at each other nervously as I mentally extinguished the flame in my hand. As Lucas started the car, I watched the pack members through the windows, my head jerking around to look at each of them, to make sure that nothing odd was going on. They were all still watching, which was why I had chosen to ride passenger in the car. If Lucas was driving, I was available to shoot balls of fire at anyone or anything that got too close to the car. The car started when Lucas twisted the key in the ignition, and I wasn’t sure if the rumbling feeling beneath us was the car or the ground beneath us. My stomach was in knots as the idea of the car blowing up entered my mind, though I knew there was no one in the pack smart enough to make and plant a bomb that would go off when the car was started.

“Go,” I stated when Lucas glanced over at me.

“They’re all around us,” Lucas muttered.

“They’ll move or get run over.”

Lucas looked at me for a moment, then gave a firm nod. He threw the car into gear and started to pull forward. For a second, it looked as though Jason and two of the pack members standing beside him would refuse to move aside for the car, but at the last second, they dashed to the side, letting the car pass. I stared out of the passenger seat window at Jason as we eased by. He merely smirked down at me as I squinted in anger up at him.

“Go.” I said again. “Faster. Get us out of here.”

Lucas gunned the car, gravel and dirt kicking up behind us at the pack. I smiled to myself as I watched pack members jumping out of the way, silently cussing and stomping angrily as debris pelted them. As the football stadium and the pack grew smaller in the rear window, I turned around in my seat to find Lucas smiling proudly. I couldn’t help but smile at his expression. He was happy to have caused a little pain and anger. I definitely couldn’t blame him. The ground was still rumbling. Or maybe it was the car?

“How much gas do we have?” I asked.

“Enough to get to Cleveland,” Lucas replied.

“Good.”

“Are we just going to leave your car here?” He asked. “I mean…won’t you need it in L.A.?”

“I have another.” I shrugged.

“Babe.” He glanced over at me with a grin.

“I know.” I chuckled. “But I never want to come back here. Ever. I don’t care if leaving a car behind is douchey.”

Lucas chuckled, but his facial expression betrayed him.

“They let us go too easily.” He said. “Why even bother meeting us at the car if they were just going to let us go?”

“They were killing time,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“The ground,” I said. “It’s shaking.”

“Yeah.” Lucas looked sick again. “I felt it.”

“He’s coming,” I said. “We just have to get out of this town before that happens. If we get out of here quickly enough, we won’t have to worry.”

“What do you mean?” He asked. “Just because we’re gone doesn’t mean he’s not a problem.”

“He won’t come back if I’m not here,” I said. “Just trust me. Okay?”

Lucas gave a sharp but understanding nod.

“Gun it, babe,” I said, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “Drive like the police don’t exist, okay?”