Page 66 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Steff had called me about twenty minutes after Harley and I had our fake break up. He hadn’t sounded like I thought he would.

“Tate? Bro, I don’t know what happened.”

“What do you mean? Is Harley okay?” I asked, already getting anxious.

“I have no idea. Emily took the bait, for sure. She came by and got her into her car, and took off. A van pulled out with them, though. It was following Emily. Tailing them. It was pretty obvious. I’m following them now. Emily is fucking flying. The van is keeping pace. They’ve got to be going seventy-five or eighty on these little back roads. It’s dangerous.”

I’d already jumped back into my truck. “Where are they going?”

“Heading north on highway twelve. Hang on, I’m going to try to get around both cars. If I can get in front of them, I may be able to force them to slow down and stop.”

Dirt spun under my tires, and I pulled my truck out onto the street, heading toward Steff’s directions. “Steff, be careful.”

“I’m in front… I’ll just… shit, shit, shit?—”

“Steff? Steff? Steffen, are you fucking okay?” It felt like my heart was going to explode.

Steff coughed. “I’m good. They pushed me off the damn road. Car’s fine, I’m trying to get back on the highway. I…”

Steff trailed off. At first, I thought the phone had cut out or something, but I could hear him breathing. Finally, he whispered, “Holy shit. This witch is legit.”

“What?” It was torture having to listen to all this being relayed through Steff’s phone. I just wanted to be there and see what was happening.

“The van ran Emily’s car off the road. It flipped into the air, but sh… she caught it with magic and lowered it. Dude, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. It’s crazy. How far away are you, Tate?”

“I don’t know, I’m heading toward where you said. What’s wrong?”

“I can’t tell for sure. A couple of guys got out of the van. Shit! One of them has Harley!”

My heart was nearly bursting out of my chest. All I wanted was to be there. I pressed my foot harder on the accelerator, willing the truck to go faster. “Steff, what do you mean they have her?”

“Wow, oh Christ. Emily just blasted one of the guys. It’s bright as shit. That’s crazy, Jesus. Tate, what do I do? Do I stop and try to catch Emily or follow the van? What do you want?”

“Steff, don’t you lose her. You hear me? Don’t you lose Harley.”

“I’m doing my best. I shot Blayne a text right before I called you. He should be right behind you. Maybe you guys can get to the scene before Emily gets away.”

I’d hung up with him at that point. Then all I had for company was the screaming sound of my truck roaring down the highway and the buzz of my tires on the road. Five minutes later, when I finally saw the car resting off the side of the road, leaning against a tree, I let out a hiss of anger. Seeing that car was proof Harley had been taken. I punched the steering wheel to keep my mind off the fact that my heart was breaking. Pulling to the soft shoulder, I slammed on the brakes and jammed it into park. I was out of the truck and running before it had fully come to a stop.

Steff had been right, Emily had taken out someone. There was a guy on the ground. He wasn’t dead. His left hand was absently pushing at the dirt and grass around him. Like he was trying to get up, but had no idea how. A quick glance into the car showed me Emily wasn’t inside. Kneeling, I grabbed the guy by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the car.

I had him up and against the car when I heard screeching tires behind me. Thinking I’d see Luis or a pack of hunters jumping me, I was relieved to see Blayne leaping from his car and running toward me. Baring my teeth, I turned back to the man in my grasp.

The guy’s head was lolling around, almost like he was dead, but his eyes flicked around. I wasn’t sure what type of spell Emily had hit him with, but it had fully thrown him for a loop. Jerking his collar then slapping him in the face seemed to help. He blinked and looked more or less awake.

“Who the fuck are you?” I growled.

The man glanced back and forth between me and Blayne before he said, “Ortiz hired me. He ordered me to follow thisHarley chick. Said once she was away from you and secluded, we take her.”

I growled at him, deep and throaty—and unmistakably inhuman. The man pressed himself against the car, his eyes growing wide and fearful. “I… I wasn’t going to hurt her. We ran them off the road, but that was a last-minute order. Once Luis knew the other guy had followed us, he told us to.”

“That makes it better?” I screamed in his face, “Someone ordered you to purposely wreck a car with a pregnant woman in it?”

“I’m sorry.” The guy sobbed. “I wasn’t even driving. I don’t even remember what happened. I got out and ran to the car, I busted out the window, and…” He trailed off, eyes going distant. “The lady in the driver’s seat screamed and threw her hands up. There was a flash of light, and then…” he paused, shaking his head, “…I woke up on the ground with you jerking me up.”

Before I could say anything else, a sizzle ran up my back. A feeling of perceived power, almost like I was standing next to a high-voltage power line.

I glanced at Blayne. “Do you feel that?”

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