Page 304 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“Follow your heart, girl. That’s all I can say. I want you to be happy. I’m sure Liam would want you to be happy, and I know Blayne wants you to be happy. Especially after what you’ve told me about the way he acted last night.”

“Okay, yeah. Okay. Hey, thanks. I appreciate this. I know you guys have a lot going on, and you don’t need me adding more drama to the mix.”

I could hear the smile in April’s voice when she spoke again. “Well, little lady, if this curse has shown me anything, it’s that nothing can be taken for granted. And speaking of the curse, whether you and Blayne severed that connection or not, you’re part of this group now. The curse brought you back to LillyValley. You are part of this whether you want to be or not. We won’t turn our backs on you.”

“Thank you, April. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay. Think about what I said. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I needed to clear the air. There was a single person I needed to talk to, and I was going to go do that.

Fifteen minutes later, I sat cross-legged in front of Liam’s headstone. I slid a finger along the rough stone, tracing the letters of his name and the years of his short life.

“Hi, Liam. I didn’t get to spend much time with you a few weeks ago. I’m sorry about that, but your brother wasn’t in the best mood that day. Speaking of which, I guess you know what’s been going on. I feel bad about what’s going on with Blayne. I’m all mixed up, and I don’t know what to do. I keep thinking about you, and it feels like I’m betraying your memory.” I laughed and looked up at the sky. “Again, like everyone keeps telling me, you’re dead. That doesn’t change what’s in my heart, though.”

I fell silent. Maybe I was hoping to hear a whisper of his voice. Some sort of melodramatic words of wisdom from beyond the grave. But there was nothing.

Leaning forward, I put my hand on the stone again. “Would you hate me if I fell for your brother? Would you be bitter?” I shook my head and smiled. “No. I don’t think you would, would you? Not now.” A single, solitary tear slid down my cheek. “I have to let you go, Liam. I’ll always love you, but I have to live my life. Goodbye.”

Having said my piece, I stood and brushed the grass from my butt, then turned to leave. My heart and head were lighter than they had been for the past ten years. I hadn’t heard Liam’s voice, but there was a weird sensation of release as I walked away from his grave.

That feeling of openness and relief vanished when I noticed the man at the edge of the cemetery. He was about fifty yards away, and I was pretty sure he hadn’t been there when I’d arrived. The cemetery had been deserted. The man wasn’t standing by a tomb or grave, but across the grass, staring directly at me. Something about the way he was standing and the telltale bulge at his hip sent a spike of fear through my chest. Even from that distance, I could see the menace in his face.

Run. The thought barked through my head an instant before the stranger broke into a sprint headed toward me. Instinct took over, and my feet slammed into the grass, pushing me toward my car before I could truly register what was happening.

I was terrified. I’d never been chased by a person who wanted to do me harm. There was something hideously animalistic about it. Feral and menacing. I was a rabbit being chased by a rabid dog. The hunter was zeroing in on his prey.

My breathing came out in hiccupping gasps as I reached my car. Hopping in, I slammed my hand on the button to lock the doors. A quick look through the mirror showed the man still sprinting toward me, only ten yards away. I screamed as he slammed into my car and yanked on the handle. The car rocked and he tried to force the door open. I hit the start button and slammed my foot into the gas pedal. A chaotic squeal of tires followed, and my pursuer leapt aside as the car took off. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him jumping into a sedan to follow. Another black car came flying around the corner toward him. Within seconds, two cars were chasing me down the highway.

Was this some enemy of my father? I’d never been targeted by any of his rivals before. I never assumed anyone would be dumb enough to attack Dad in such a way. Somehow, I was able to focus enough on driving and pulling my phone out. I called my dad.

“Hello?” He sounded fatigued.

“Daddy?” My voice was pitched high in panic.

Hearing my distress, the listlessness vanished from his voice. Suddenly, he was hyper-focused. The father I’d always known before the cancer got him.

“Ava? What’s wrong?”

“I was at Liam’s grave. Some guy was following me. He…chased me. Dad, he chased me to the car. He’s following me now. Him and another car. What should I do?”

I hated how whiny my voice was, but the fear had me locked into some weird mental state. My heart beat so fast, I thought it would explode. I glanced back at the two cars gaining on me even as I pushed my own little rental to the limits of its four-cylinder engine.

“Where are you? Head for home.” He pulled the phone from his mouth, but I could still hear him screaming orders. “Sam? Luis? Get your asses toward Lilly Valley Cemetery. Some fucker is chasing Ava. She’s on the highway headed this way. Go.” His voice became clearer as he asked, “Can you put some distance between you and them?”

I looked down and saw that the RPMs of the car were already redlined. In the mirror, the two sedans were growing ever closer. “I don’t think so, Daddy. I’m going as fast as I can, but they're gaining on me. Please…help me. Don’t let them take me.” I gripped the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles were white.

My phone chirped that a second call was coming in. I glanced down for an instant and saw it was Blayne. “Dad, Blayne’s calling. I’m gonna answer it.”

Taking the risk, I released one hand from the steering wheel and switched to Blayne’s call.

“Ava?” His voice was gruff and confused. “Is something wrong? Are you okay? Where are you? I felt something…weird.”

“Some guys are chasing me! I’m in my car, but they're almost on me. Blayne, I don’t know what to do!”

“Jesus! Where are you exactly?”

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