Page 20 of Prey

Hello gorgeous. I just got done trying to get ahold of Ethan.

Give me a little bit and I can meet you there if you’ll send me the address.

I have one stop to make first.

1473 W. Maple.

What do you mean trying?

She said bring Ethan too. She can remove the spider.

I walked out after getting into an argument with him and now I don’t know where he is. He isn’t answering his phone.

I’ll meet you and we can figure it out together.

Shit, that’s not good. Where could he have gone? I’m assuming he didn’t have his bike either if he wrecked it. Putting my phone in my pocket I look over at Joaquin and Emmett who are looking at me with twin expressions of concern.

“What happened?” Emmett asks me.

“Kadi said he left the healing center after he and Ethan had an argument and now, he doesn’t know where Ethan is. He won’t answer his phone.”

Joaquin puts his phone to his ear. Someone answers and he asks them to go check and see if Ethan’s bike is there still. They tell him something and he grunts and hangs up.

“His bike is still there. One of the other guys is still working on it and they haven’t seen him. They said Kadi already called and asked,” he said.

“Well, I guess let’s just head to Grams’ and we can figure it out then. We can do a locator spell there. We’ll have to stop by the clubhouse first to grab something of his,” I say, heading toward the door.

Emmett calls out a goodbye and I hop in my car. I see Joaquin put on his helmet and start the bike in my rearview mirror. Once it looks like he’s ready, I pull out. He drives ahead of me so that I can follow him to the garage.

Once we pull up there, Joaquin gets out and walks up to the car tapping on my window. “Stay in the car, Shasta. It should be safe here, but I don’t want to take you into the clubhouse without Kadi here. No one needs to think you’re just an Old Lady or something.”

Rolling my eyes at the term I nod and roll my window back up as he walks inside. This all has me feeling a little paranoid and I start feeling someone watching me. Thinking it’s just my nerves, I ignore it. Only, it doesn't stop, so I start looking around me and I see Ethan headed toward me. Getting out of the car, I intercept him.

“Ethan, I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I need you to come with me to my Grams’ so we can finish getting the dark magic out of you,” I say.

He looks weird though. Not like what he looked like when I left him, and he smells a little like the guy who came into the shop yesterday, though my nose isn’t as good as everyone else’s. I no more than come to the realization that the spider has got its hooks in deep when Ethan shoves me into the car, up and over the console into the driver's seat, and climbs in beside me holding a gun to my side.

Holy shit, what’s happened to him since Kadi left him?

“Drive the fucking car right now, witch,” he growls menacingly at me.

I hesitate. Trying to talk him down is my best option here. Maybe buy some time for Joaquin to make it back out.

“Ethan, you don’t want to do whatever this is. Trust me. You’ll regret it,” I say, shakily. I’m going to have to act quickly and hopethat he doesn’t shoot me in the time I need to hit him with my magic and knock him out.

“It doesn’t matter what I want anymore,” he says, almost in a robotic voice. “Drive, now.”

Pulling out, I look in the rearview to see if I can spot Joaquin.

Nothing.

I drive slowly. I need to get out of this car before we go too far. I have no idea where he’s trying to take me but he’s clearly not in control of himself right now. I need to get him to Grams.

I must act now. Looking at him from the corner of my eye to see where his head is, I shoot my hand out fast as lightning and use my power to knock him out. The gun goes off and for a split second, chaos ensues.

The bullet grazes my arm and flies into the windshield shattering the glass everywhere. I lose control of the car, and we start spinning. Slamming into a pole, we finally come to a stop. It all happens in just a few seconds.

Looking around me, I see that Ethan is knocked out. Good. I hit him with a pretty powerful spell so he should be out for a few hours at least. Long enough to get him to Grams’ so she can get that thing out of him. If it isn’t too late.

---