There was a window next to an old-fashioned powder room. She only had seconds to make it.
Chapter Eleven
Sam stood by the car, enjoying the crisp day. The rain had stopped, leaving the scent of clean autumn air all around him. He dug his phone from his back pocket as Kyle drove away.
Nessa answered. “Hey, Sam. Glad you called. Do you want Fireball or an Irish whiskey in your flask for the ride?”
“I’m easy,” he responded, watching the diner door. “Do me a favor and do a deep dive on a Kyle Longboard, would you?”
Nessa paused. “Sure. Why?”
“He was Honor’s fiancé, and I’d like to know more about him.” Sam’s instincts thrummed, but it could be because Kyle was an ass who’d just grabbed Honor.
“Sure. Is he a vampire?” Ness asked.
Why wasn’t that door opening? “No. He’s human, but there’s something off about him. Maybe. Maybe not. I just need to make sure. Thanks and I owe you.” He clicked off and slipped his phone back into his jeans pocket. Was Honor okay? Perhaps the breakup had been more difficult for her than she’d shown. He strode back into the restaurant, making it to the ladies’ room. He knocked. “Honor?”
Nothing.
He paused and reached out with his senses.
Nothing.
He opened the door, and yep, a window was open next to a little makeup area. He grinned. He couldn’t help it. Then he took out his phone and pressed a series of buttons. Honor was moving swiftly toward Seattle. She must’ve gotten a cab or Uber.
He couldn’t blame her. The mating talk had probably freaked her out, which was understandable. Though he’d wanted to trust her, he wasn’t a moron, so he’d stuck a tracking device in her purse. Good thing too. He dialed Nessa again.
“What? Give me a second, Sam. I’m not even at a computer,” Nessa complained. “Plus, I have a big-assed bear as a mate, and he’s growling all over the place about this ride. You’d think Fireball would be good enough, but no, today he wants tequila. For Pete’s sake. I’m the leader, I mean I was the leader of the most elite fighting force in the world. Do I seem like a bartender to you?”
“No,” Sam agreed, knowing full well she was still on the job. “I need a different favor. Would you trace Honor’s credit card usage for the last day or so?”
“Sure.” Nessa clicked off for a few minutes and then returned. “Um, she has a reservation for a bed-and-breakfast down the coast in Squall’s Cove. Are you guys going there instead of on the ride?” Her voice quieted. “You need to come on the ride. Bear is about to kill Garrett.”
Sam turned and strode out of the restaurant to Honor’s car. He could catch her right now, but she needed to learn a lesson about trying to escape him. “We’re coming on the ride, but I need Bear to switch the route. We’ll still get to the campground but will take a slight detour. It’ll be a nicer drive along the ocean anyway. I’ll send you the coordinates. Thanks, Ness.” He clicked off and dropped his bulk into the car.
Heat flared along his arms.
Taking several deep breaths, he tried to control the fire. Something pulled at him, and his leg dropped into nothingness, so cold he nearly yelled. Instead, he tried to drag it back to this dimension. Something bit his ankle. He bellowed and freed himself, bleeding profusely. There were sharp bite marks through his jeans.
He rapidly started the engine and roared away from the curb, flipping through different maps he’d memorized and taking a sharp left toward what used to be an industrial area. “Call Garrett,” he barked at the phone.
“Yo,” Garrett answered, sounding lazily content.
“You alone?” Sam asked, swerving around a couple of minivans.
Bedclothes rustled. “For now. What’s happening?” Garrett went from calm to full alert in a second, his voice sharpening.
“Fire. Problems.” Flames exploded beneath the dash. “Meet me here as soon as you can.” He rattled off an address and then sped up, taking a corner on two wheels. Hopefully Honor had decent insurance. Smoke filled the interior of the car, and he rolled down the windows, going so fast the outside was only a cement covered blur.
Finally, he whipped to the end of an abandoned area and stopped in the middle of what used to be a parking lot. Then he tumbled out of the car, staggering a few feet before an explosion ripped through the air behind him. The force threw him several yards, and he flew fast, landing flat on his face. Pain burst through his skull.
Swearing, he flipped to his back and sat up to find Honor’s car engulfed in flames. Metal and other debris rained down, still burning. He took a deep breath and then looked around. His left shoulder felt broken, so he sent healing cells there as well as to the bite mark in his leg. Whatever had bitten him had used poison to thin his blood, and his leg was already turning numb.
An abandoned factory loomed to the left, its steel walls crumbling, and its windows all burned out. Graffiti marred what remained. He reached out with his senses to ensure that nobody was inside. Nope. Empty save for rodents and a couple of wild cats. He wiped blood off his face and sent healing cells to his broken nose.
The cement around him was cracked, revealing several pieces of rebar sticking out. It was a good thing he hadn’t landed on one of those. The air shimmered next to him, trying to draw him in. Damn it. He forced himself to his feet and moved away from the opening, knowing if he got stuck again, the pain would be excruciating. He stayed close to the fire, for now, feeling he wasn’t going to set anything else ablaze. The fire burned, wild and free.
The sky was blue and calm, so there was no rain to help put it out.
The engine blew, throwing the hood into the sky. It landed hard near the factory.
Garrett finally drove up in a black truck, jumping out and tossing a fire extinguisher at Sam before turning to extract another. Between the two of them, they had the fire out within a few minutes; only smoldering smoke still billowed into the sky. “Let’s get out of here just in case the human authorities catch wind of the fire.” He looked down at Sam’s leg. “You okay?”
Sam nodded. “Something bit me from another world. It was a good one, too. The healing cells struggled.” He tossed the extinguisher in the back of the truck and crossed to the passenger side, wanting to heal his shoulder while Garrett drove.
Garrett jumped inside, rocking the entire vehicle. “Where’s Honor?” He sped away from the scene of the fire.
Sam drew his phone clear to read the screen. “On her way down the coast. Probably jumped on a bus.”
Garrett shot him a look. “Want me to head that way?”
“No. We’ll catch up to her on the ride.” Sam put his head back and shut his eyes, having to fight the pull through dimensions.