AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey,” he said.
“You’re leaving tomorrow.”
He looked at me. “The Pack needs to go, and they need someone to lead. That’s me.” His tone was defensive.
“Because you want to be Apex.”
“Because Iwill beApex,” he said.
I tried for a smile. “There will probably be wine, women, and song on the way. So that doesn’t hurt.”
I’d meant it as a joke, as a way to loosen the tension between us. But I regretted the words the instant I’d said them, and especially when I saw heat flash in his eyes.
“You know this isn’t about partying.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry. It was— I’m sorry. I find myself saying that a lot lately, because I’m feeling a little unbalanced here.”
“You aren’t the only one,” he said. “I didn’t expect... I didn’t expect you, Lis.”
“Not a big deal,” I said with a smile I forced into position. “I’ll probably be heading back to Paris soon, and you’ve got the Pack to focus on. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
His jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak.
“Elisa?”
I glanced back at Theo.
“You ready?” he asked. “We don’t know how long the SUV will be there. We need to go.”
“Yeah,” I said, then looked back at Connor, gave him as much of a smile as I could manage. Which wasn’t much. “Goodbye, Connor. Stay safe out there.”
His eyes were dark, stormy, and unfathomable. And he didn’t say a word.
TWENTY
Seconds later, I was in Theo’s car, replaying every word I’d said to Connor and wondering if they’d sounded as lame aloud as they did in my head.
And berating myself for sounding ridiculous was somehow easier than dealing with the possibility I might not see Connor again. So I stayed in that space.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said. We were driving west on Madison, the United Center a long, hulking building in front of us. It was time to focus.
Just as I made up my mind to do that, the road ahead seemed to shimmer. I looked at the sky, thinking clouds had passed over the full moon and I’d just seen a mirage, some kind of optical trick. But the moon was high and clear.
I blinked, looked down again... and watched solid asphalt ripple like water.
“Theo,” I quietly said, leaning forward with hands on the dashboard.
“I see it,” he said, and leaned forward over the steering wheel to peer into the darkness.
The ripple started again thirty feet in front of us, and the road waved... just like grass.
“What the hell is that?” Theo asked.
“I don’t know.”
He pulled the car to a stop, and we both climbed out and walked into the path of the headlights.
