What was truly pathetic was how quickly I’d fallen under Reece’s spell again. A few smiles and kind words and I was right back where I’d started with him.
I couldn’t let myself fall too deep, though. It would be hard to resist when he was acting like his old self, but it was also pointless. Reece was bound for eternity to Imogen, and I would never do anything to tempt him to break those Bloodbound vows. It would mean death for him—and Shane.
I renewed my own vow to stay strong and keep my mind on the mission. Countless other lives depended on it, including Kelly’s and Heather’s.
I had been allowed a quick goodbye to them before I left but hadn’t been able to tell them anything about where I was going or how long I’d be away. At least I’d had the chance to tell Shane what was going on and assure him I was coming back for him.
“I hope Shane will be okay. He must be incredibly lonely there in the clinic, a single human among thousands of vampires,” I mused.
Reece’s smile faded, a sullen look taking its place. “He’ll be fine. Anyway, that weak human isn’t exactly my top priority.”
“You used to be one of those, you know. So is your family.”
“Don’t remind me,” he muttered, sliding a glance away from the road to land on my face. “So what’s the deal withShaneanyway? I suppose you two are inloveor something.”
“I don’t actually know him that well,” I said honestly.
“You knew him well enough to tell him about Sadie and the Bastion.”
“We were traveling together. He was helping us get past the border checkpoints. I had to tell him a little about where we were going and why.”
“And you two were on the road together how long?” he asked.
“Three days.”
“Three days.” He smirked. “And threenights.”
“It wasn’t just the two of us. Kelly and Heather were there, too.”
“I didn’t hear him asking about Kelly and Heather in the clinic. Seemed pretty damn excited to see you, though.”
Reece shot me another side-glance, this one considerably more acidic. “Don’t try to tell me nothing happened between you.”
I was getting tired of his accusatory tone and the needless third degree. So I said something I probably shouldn’t have.
In a tone I probably shouldn’t have used.
“I didn’t saynothinghappened.”
Clenching the steering wheel in a death grip, Reece whipped the car into the far-right lane then onto an exit ramp. “We need gas,” he grunted. “And blood bags.”
He practically leapt from the driver’s side door after parking at the pump. Jamming the nozzle into the gas tank opening, he left it and stalked into the station’s convenience store.
I stayed in the car, heart pumping and working hard to suppress an inappropriate sense of elation. Had I made him jealous? If so, that wasnota good thing. No matter how good it might feel.
Feelings like that were forbidden for us, though God knew I was jealous of his physical relationship with Imogen.
Nope. Don’t go there. Not helpful. Not helpful at all.
When Reece returned to the car, he had visibly calmed. No sign of jealousy or even irritation. Serenity personified. He offered me one of the blood bags he’d purchased and calmly pulled the car back onto the highway.
Either I’d imagined his extreme reaction earlier, or he’d decided to take the same approach I meant to take to this trip. Focus on the mission. Keep emotions in check.
That was the smart thing to do, and for the next few hours we kept our conversation firmly in the safe zone, chatting about the music on the radio and the different states we passed through. I told him a bit about Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we talked about Sadie.
“You will absolutely love her when you meet her,” I said. “Everyone does.”
“Yeah, okay.” His tone was detached. He was probably zoning out from so many hours of driving.