Page 44 of My Girlfriend is a Werewolf

“I ain’t running,” Grams protested.

Which meant Athena had to. She had to lead Rogers away from here lest he take them hostage again.

Athena laced her hands on her head. “I’ll go with you so long as you leave these folks alone.”

“Finally, you’re seeing sense,” Rogers boasted. “And they say old bitches can’t learn new tricks.”

The slur pursed Athena’s lips, but she didn’t rise to his baiting. She glanced at the good people who’d harbored her and murmured, “Thank you for everything. Sorry I brought trouble to your doorstep.”

Grams looked pissed. “Don’t apologize. I promised you’d be safe.”

“Ah yes, your piddly security system. All it took was cutting the power,” Rogers boasted.

“The generator should have kicked in,” Grams’ sullen reply. Only it was waiting on a part. Athena had heard Grams yelling at the company that kept promising its delivery.

“Let’s go. Enough dawdling.” Rogers waved the barrel of the shotgun.

The goon on the floor groaned and rose, glaring at Grams.

She bared her teeth in reply.

“Tell Derek…” What message could Athena give? None. He’d be crushed. Pissed. And the last thing she needed was for him to come looking for her. “Tell him I’m sorry,” she whispered as she headed out the door.

Out front, an unmarked van sat waiting with its side door open. Frank’s car sat parked beside it.

A guy sat in the driver's seat of the van. A glance to her left showed the other one farther away, still trying to escape the angry cock.

“Move it,” Rogers barked.

“If you insist,” she muttered, suddenly whirling and shoving at Rogers on the step behind her. He reeled and fell into his goon, the pair of them tumbling in a heap of limbs and yelling.

Athena bolted for Frank’s car, the door unlocked. The push-start button responded to the remote in her pocket, and the engine roared to life. She gunned the car and spun the wheel, flipping it around before tearing up the driveway, kicking up dust and gravel.

A peek in the rearview showed a cloud of dust but also movement. The dull glow of headlights showed Rogers coming after Athena.

Good.

At this point, it was less about her getting away than ensuring Grams’ and Gramps’ safety.

She raced the narrow track to the road, only to curse as she saw another vehicle heading at her.

Another unmarked van and no room for them both.

She couldn’t go back; she couldn’t turn.

She closed her eyes and pressed the gas, hoping, praying, the other driver would chicken out first.

Wham.

The impact deployed the airbags, punching her in the face, hard enough her dazed butt didn’t fight when the door got yanked open. Rough hands yanked her out and had her cuffed before she could focus her eyes.

She got tossed into a van, and the sedative injected into her arm knocked her out before they’d slammed the door shut.

When she woke it was to find herself in a cell.

Afraid, yes, but not for herself.

Because she wasn’t here alone. Her family was with her.

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