Page 26 of Blood of Vengeance

As my thoughts spun, my phone rang. I glanced down to see Zella’s face on the screen and immediately swiped to answer her call.

“Yo, where are you?” she asked first thing.

“I’m driving out to the mountains. Where are you?”

“On my way home from work. Why are you in the mountains?”

“I needed to get out of the house. Flinch is busy with the club, and sitting around isn’t my thing.”

“You don’t say,” she said, her tone sarcastic. “Never would have thought that about you.”

“Brat.”

“You love me.”

“I do.” I sighed, slowing down as the bike’s brake lights flashed. He turned onto a dirt strip that was far less road than path through some brushy, hilly land. I would never have been willing to drive on the rutted two-track alone, but Rooster was leading so I followed. Albeit a little less happily.

“Why do you sound like that?” Zella asked, her voice harsher than before. “What’s happening?”

“Uh, I think Flinch’s friend may be taking me out to the desert to kill me.” I tried to smile to smooth the edges of my words, but I happened to hit a big rut at that moment and ended up cursing under my breath instead.

“What the hell, Lock.” Zella no longer sounded sarcastic. “Where are you, and what are you talking about?”

“Sorry—I was kidding.” Mostly. Because the hills were getting hillier and the brush thicker. “I’m following the man who’s babysitting me since Flinch can’t be here, and he just turned onto a dirt road that barely looks like a road.”

“Do you trust him?”

Never trust a shifter.

“Not completely.”

“Text Flinch.”

“What?” I frowned as the motorcycle sped up and made a turn along the dirt that took him out of my line of sight. “What are you talking about?”

“Text Flinch and share your location with him. Just in case.”

“Zella, he’s not?—”

“Someone murdered your dad, Lock. You dreamed of that murder…a lot. Text Flinch.”

I slowed down, the shadows and desolation of the place getting to me. The remembrance of the murder that continued to haunt me in my sleep sending a chill of fear down my spine. No more than Zella’s worried voice, though.

“Fine.” I swiped up and tapped through to my settings, giving Flinch the ability to see my location then texting him a quick message.

Your friend promised me beautiful mountain views, but I’m in the middle of nowhere and getting uncomfortable. If I don’t make it home, avenge me. Or at least come find my body.

I had barely hit send when my phone rang, the screen lighting up with Flinch’s name and options to ignore, hang up on Zella and answer Flinch, or bring Flinch into the conversation with Zella. I chose the latter.

He answered simply. “Where the fuck are you?”

“That’s no way to answer the phone,” Zella said. “But since we’re short on time, she’s in the mountains with your friend and afraid she’s going to get murdered.”

“That may be an exaggeration,” I said, rolling slowly toward where the motorcycle had turned. “He said we were going to see some mountain views.”

“Locklyn,” Flinch said, sounded madder than anyone I had ever heard before. “Tell me where you are.”

I sighed, looking out over the desert and wondering just how dumb I could be. Dumb enough to follow strange men into the desert, apparently. “I sent you my location.”

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