Tav’s palms were clammy as he jumped from his Hummer. The rain had finally let up in the town, even if it was still storming heavily on the mountains. It confirmed his idea that Lora had come down from the Peak, if only to compose herself in civilization.
Not that Oliver Church is civilization, but he sure does put on a convincing act. I believed him too when I saw that news broadcast. Who can blame Lora for being so confused by everything that’s happened?
Tav knew that he had his own cross to bear in what had happened, but he refused to let his own guilt distract him from the most important thing, finding Lora and ensuring her safety from Oliver and from herself.
He suddenly wished he had taken his brothers up on their offer to join him, but he needed to do this for himself. If Lora was there with Oliver, he wanted to be the one to save her. If she wasn’t, Tav didn’t want anyone to witness the drilling he was going to give Oliver Church before deciding what to do with his wasted life. One way or another, the end result was not going to be good with Oliver, and Tav wanted to go at it alone. He took comfort in knowing that his siblings were back on Blanca Peak, doing another scour of the mountainside, lest he had missed anything.
Dawn had yet to break, but Tav could feel it coming soon. He wanted to be gone before any gray broke over the horizon, lest the meeting turn ugly. Tav didn’t believe for a moment that a wolf convict would ever go to the police, even in the unlikely event he was innocent, but the dragon had been around long enough to know he did not want to attract attention.
He moved to lock the door on the vehicle, but before he could take a step, he saw Oliver slipping from the side door of the hotel, Lora on his arm.
For a moment, Tav could only gape at the scene in disbelief, watching as Lora held onto Oliver’s arm. It wasn’t until they stopped at Oliver’s vehicle and Lora slumped forward, blood pouring from a gash on her head, did Tav understand.
What did he do to her?
More than ever, Tav knew that Oliver was a threat to Lora, a threat that would have to be put down before he could hurt her or any other woman again.
And Tav knew he would be the one to make that happen.
Before he could fully react, Oliver climbed into the car and squealed out of the lot, leaving Tav to gape after him, barely comprehending what he had just witnessed. Whatever it was, he knew that Lora was not there by her own accord and that she was injured.
I need to go after him! Tav thought, blinking as he watched the Fiat zoom away almost out of sight.
Oh no you don’t! Tav thought, whirling back to jump into his Hummer, his body threatening to shift right there in the parking lot of the Best Western. Somehow, he managed to keep himself in his human form, aware of the cameras surrounding him. But that didn’t mean that Oliver was off the hook. Tav would find him and make him pay for everything he had done to Lora.
It took everything in Tav’s power not to run the rogue wolf off the road. That was certainly his first thought and intention, given his state of fury. His Hummer would easily climb over the Fiat that Oliver was driving, but being in the middle of town, Tav knew he couldn’t risk the showdown that was sure to ensue.
If he were right, Oliver would be heading out of town and away from Alamosa, likely to the New Mexico border to bring Lora onto his own turf. That was why he had claimed to be from Colorado in the first place, wanting to keep the search local if anyone questioned who he was and why he was looking for Lora. Not that Tav started to understand half of what Oliver had done and why, but he did not claim to know the innerworkings of stalker-type men. Moreover, he had no interest in knowing what made Oliver and his ilk tick. All he wanted was Lora.
Tav fully intended to intercept the kidnapper when they were away from prying eyes. Yet every second he spent so close to Lora but unable to intercept the madman driving her away, Tav felt like he was losing a little more of himself.
Hang on, Lora. I’m coming for you, he thought grimly, his eyes peeled on the rear windshield for signs of his mate. She had not raised her head since being left in the vehicle, causing Tav’s heart to flutter nervously.
How hard did he hit her? What did he do to her?
He reminded himself that Lora was a wolf now, capable of healing herself, but he did not forget that she was also brand new to the world of shifting, thanks to Oliver. Tav knew that Oliver was not about to walk her through the process and tend to her aches and pains like he would. The realization only fueled Tav’s rage.
He tried to hold back his car, but as they exited the city limits and coasted into the lightening morning, it was impossible for his conspicuous vehicle to remain hidden. Soon, Oliver’s eyes darted more frequently toward the rearview mirror, his blond brow furrowing as if he suddenly understood that he was in grave danger. Instantly, the Fiat shot forward.
“You’re not escaping that easily, you prick,” Tav growled, half considering leaving the car altogether and taking the chase by air. He could end this all right now with a gust of fire, but he was terrified that such an action would hurt Lora. Until he could be sure of Lora’s safety, Tav dared not try anything like that.
Unfortunately for Tav, Oliver seemed to sense the dragon’s reluctance and slammed his foot on the gas, producing four or five car lengths between them.
“Nice try,” Tav spat, also adding pressure to his own gas pedal. The race was on now, the Fiat taking the lead as they wound down Route 285. Tav was sure that the Hummer had never gone as fast as he was pushing it in that moment, but he felt no fear, only grim determination to get Lora to safety.
The speedometer moved up past the fifty mark, then sixty. Still, Oliver was ahead and showing no signs of slowing. The gauge hit sixty-five, then seventy, and Tav began to feel lightheaded as he surged onward, his anger mounting. Somehow, the smaller car was managing to stay just ahead.
The Fiat was simply too small, too agile. Tav knew that sooner or later, he was going to have to forsake the SUV and fly as he had initially intended. For all he knew, Oliver had not clued into the fact that he was being pursued by a dragon. The element of surprise might be enough to get him to back off.
Screw you, Oliver Church. I’m going to—
Tav never had an opportunity to finish his thought. The Fiat disappeared around a bend even before Tav realized there was a curve there. His hands twisted at the wheel, but the turn was far too late. The Hummer careened to the side, the weight of the car too much for the sudden move, and the machine toppled, side over side, thrusting Tav forward, upward and eventually against the front windshield, shattering the glass into a million, tiny pieces.
The chase was over.
Tav had lost.
18
Lora’s eyes fluttered, the bridge between consciousness and unconsciousness alarmingly familiar.
“Tav?” she whispered, but her voice was raw, hoarse, like her mouth was stuffed with cotton. She heard the annoyed grunt of a man, and as she finally managed to pry her lids apart, the sensation akin to pulling glue from paper, terror seized her heart. Oliver drove a car at a much higher speed than humanly legal, his eyes glued to the rearview mirror, a smirk on his lips.
“He’s not coming,” Oliver snorted, casting her a sidelong look. “You two got awful close in a short time, huh?”
Slowly, painfully, Lora pulled her weight up, feeling the drip of blood from a gash on her head, but the memory of what had brought her into the car was not the only thing that flooded back to her. Suddenly, she remembered everything.