Page 240 of Mayhem and Minnie

“A van. It’s fully equipped too,” I add, proud of myself.

Perhaps I got ahead of myself when she told me she’d have to leave eventually, but I’ve been scouring the internet for the perfect car for a while now, and as it happens, it got delivered to my place a few days ago.

“I can see that. But when did you get it?”

I shrug.

“It’s always good to be prepared for the worst,” I say. “You have to look inside. There’s a tiny kitchen and a bed!” I exclaim as I open the door and invite her in.

I might have had an ulterior motive in choosing this minivan. Since we’ll be traveling in it for a while, we’ll be forced to share these close quarters. That also means sharing that tiny bed. Sure, it might be uncomfortable for my frame, but at least Minnie’s body will be plastered against mine.

I might even get another kiss. Maybe somewhere other than my cheek…

A man can only dream.

“That’s… Impressive?” She mentions with a strained smile. She’s tired. I can tell.

Tired and hopeless, going by the way her smile doesn’t even reach her eyes.

She’s wearing a long hoodie and a pair of leggings that she’s changed into a few moments ago. Over her shoulder is a bag full of clothes and shoes for the road. I have a similar one at my feet that I prepared in advance for such emergencies.

“I also stocked the drawers with canned food and protein bars. They should last us a while.”

She’s skeptical as she gets inside, dumps her bag on the small bed, and looks around the van. She opens the drawers to inspect the contents, nodding at my choice of food and snacks. Of course I had to stock up on the chocolate cookies, though I expected a more enthusiastic response from her part.

“This is fine. We should leave now.”

I stare at her.

No praise for my foresight? For my effort? Nothing?

“Right,” I mutter.

I place my own bag inside the van, then go around to the driver’s seat and put on my seat belt. Minnie joins me in the passenger seat, and I start the car.

She’s awfully quiet as I head onto the freeway, and no matter how much I’d like to have a serious conversation with her—aka find out if she’s forgiven me yet—we have other pressing matters to tend to.

I mean surely she can’t still hold a grudge after I was so close to being killed by a demon, no? Danger should make the heart grow fonder not colder. Though since she’s a goddess of ice, perhaps hers is perpetually cold.

I scowl.

It wasn’t cold for fucking Lucien.

I still haven’t forgotten her proclamations of love when she couldn’t be bothered to say the same words to me. Granted, I haven’t said them to her either, but isn’t it obvious how I feel about her? Perhaps it’s not love in the traditional sense since what do I know about that type of love? But it’s something far deeper, far more obsessive, and far more potent than that.

“Where are we going?” I ask her once we cross the state lines.

“I don’t know,” she mentions with a shrug.

I slowly turn to her.

“You don’t know?” I raise a brow. “We need to find those plants, don’t we?”

Another shrug.

“Yes. We need to find a witch who has them first.”

“Well, shouldn’t you know where to go then?”

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