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I could see the determination in his eyes. He wasn’t going to let me leave. It didn’t matter what I said. How much I argued. Even if I hated him for it. He would do whatever he needed to keep me safe and at his side. He seemed to sense my defeat, and he slowly pushed the gun away from his chest. I let him take it from my hand, and he dropped it in the sand. My body trembled, and I blinked the tears away as he reached up and grasped my chin.
“I want you happy,” he said gently. “But you’re in this life now, Kali. There’s no running from it. Not if you want to survive.”
I took him by complete surprise when I leaned forward and slammed my lips to his. His shock only lasted for a second before his hand snaked to the back of my neck to pull me closer. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, letting out a groan as he took control of the kiss. Closing his eyes, he let himself focus solely on me. My heart squeezed with guilt as I kissed him back.
But he knew me.
He knew the best way I could distract him.
He should have seen this coming.
I slowly pulled the needle from my pocket, keeping my other hand tangled in his hair. I purposely took a step closer to him, knocking my body against his to keep my other movements hidden. After popping off the plastic cap, I wrapped my arm around him and then jammed the needle into his side, pushing the hawthorn into his system.
His eyes popped open, disbelief filling them as he ripped his mouth away from mine. A grunt of pain left him, a grimace on his face as the vampire poison spread through him. He stumbled back a few steps before falling to his knees.
“You never said I couldn’t run,” I forced out, my voice wavering. “You told me that you can track your blood in this necklace for miles. That I wouldn’t have the time to escape you before you lost the scent. I just need a large enough head start.”
“Fuck, Kali,” he rasped weakly. “Don’t fucking do this. You can’t hide from Amaros. Or PARA. The Clovers. You can’t survive this alone.”
I didn’t answer him as I spun around and grabbed another needle out of the bag. Part of my brain was screaming at me to stop. Because no matter how much I knew that I had to do this, there was a nagging deep in my soul that wouldn’t go away. Some part of me didn’t want to leave him. But I couldn’t give in. Not after everything I’d learned.
I might survive by staying at Zan’s side. But I’d be dying inside. I couldn’t side with vampires while watching humanity fall. I couldn’t fucking do it.
My hand shook as I crossed the sand and knelt next to Zan. He was already trying to stand back up, but the hawthorn must have been potent because he was too weak to hold himself up. He tried batting my hand away when I reached for his neck, but for once, my strength overpowered his.
“You better kill me, Kali,” he growled, his eyes blazing with fury, though I could have sworn I saw a hint of worry too. “If you really want to escape me, then use that stake. You leave me here, and I’ll track you down. I’ll always fucking find you.”
“Maybe,” I murmured, jabbing the needle into his neck. “But I think you’re right—there’s something between us, no matter how hard I fight it. I can’t kill you, Zan. But I also can’t accept this as the rest of my life. So here we are.”
The second dose of hawthorn completely overtook him, and he slumped onto the sand as he lost consciousness. I didn’t let myself think about what I’d just done. Instead, I grabbed the gun and stuffed it into the duffel bag and then slung it over my shoulder before sprinting across the beach. I raced up the stairs, not stopping until I got to the truck I’d taken.
The vehicle that Zan had driven was right next to it, and I dug through the bag until I found the small folding knife. Stepping up to the rear tire, I crouched down and stuck the blade into it. A hiss of air escaped, and I yanked it back out. I did the same to the three remaining tires, hoping this gave me the time I needed to get far enough away.
Hopping back into the truck, I turned the key and put it in gear. A tear escaped as I pressed on the pedal and tore down the road. This was what I needed to do. So why the hell was it so difficult? I mumbled a curse under my breath, forcing those thoughts away. I needed to focus on what I was doing next.
Zan knew me. He was aware of where I’d go. I needed to find Warner, and then disappear.
Chapter 38
Kali
Imade it to the bridge that Warner had told me about. He’d said his camp was a few miles away, but I’d been driving through these woods for the last hour, and I still hadn’t found it. My panic was growing with every passing second. What if Warner wasn’t here anymore? I only had so much time before Zan caught up. Even if I was far enough away to keep him from tracking the necklace, he knew I’d find Warner.
I drove slowly, weaving in and out of the thick trees, searching for tire tracks or anything else that hinted that their camp might be close. The sun had come up a couple of hours ago, but that didn’t help my nerves. Zan and his brothers had already surprised me once during the day. He could be minutes behind me, and I wouldn’t know until it was too late.
I was about to give up, but then I spotted something on a tree. I reversed, my heart beating faster as I inspected the grooves in the tree bark. They were man made. A way for Clovers to keep from getting lost in the forest.
I was close.
Cutting the engine, I tucked the keys into my pocket. Digging through the bag, I grabbed a stake and the gun before getting out of the truck and locking the doors. I crept quietly, listening for anything out of the ordinary. If the Clovers were close, then they likely would have one or two people standing watch.
My body was sluggish from lack of sleep, and I blinked through the exhaustion, forcing myself to keep going. I kept my steps light as I stalked through the trees, my head on a swivel. I reached behind me and tucked the gun into my waistband, hoping I’d see Warner before any other Clovers. It was a large possibility that they wouldn’t recognize me, but I didn’t want to look like a threat.
“Stop.”
I halted in my tracks when the voice came from behind me. My stomach sank as I turned around. It wasn’t Warner who’d made that demand. I spotted the woman walking out of the brush with a gun in her hand. Her curly brown hair was pulled high in a ponytail, and her posture was rigid as she looked me over. Her hazel eyes halted on my bandaged neck where the vampire had bitten me.
“I’m looking for Warner,” I said slowly, keeping my hands where she could see. “I lived in Project Hope with him.”
