Page 35 of Under Dark Skies

Especially on a joyride, running from would be attackers.

"These city streets will help keep them off our tail, but not for long," he said as she righted herself in the seat and rubbed her hands together.

Rafe continued to mull over the woman and her tactics in his mind, aimlessly turning corners, heading closer to the train station. Why was she in a PEACE uniform? Are there others like her that are part of that regime?

Did she align with one faction in this god damned civil war? Maybe was his best guess.

Let's be honest, I haven't a fucking clue…

What he did know was that it was necessary for him to get them safely to Crescent City as fast as he could. Preferably without getting them caught in the process. The distance between here and Crescent City was about thirteen hours or so by car. It might be faster on the train. He could reach out to someone for help.

But who can I trust at this point?

He let out a long and loud sigh and steered the car south. Because of this hellish war being waged between the sects of lycans, Rafe couldn’t know for certain who to trust. He didn’t know which side of this nightmare his contacts align with.

If he asked anyone of them for assistance, he could quite literally be signing his death warrant, and Layla's as well.

While Rafe was still lost in thought, he sensed a cool hand on his thigh bringing him back to the inside of the car. Layla smiled as she leaned over the console on his side of the car and lightly kissed him on the cheek.

He felt the pleasing sensation of the shivers that he had earlier jolt down his spine, sending pulses of electricity to his cock. His member sprung to life and throbbed as the blood began to fill him to fullness. The butterflies in his stomach danced furiously causing his heart to race.

He placed both hands on the steering wheel to help him focus up and out of the growing urge to pull the car over and fuck her hard in some dark alley. He looked at her curiously for a moment.

Damn, she was beautiful! Her eyes glimmered from the breaking daylight to the east of me and she seemed more at ease at the moment. "What was that for?" Rafe asked her.

"Because I wanted to," she said and removed her hand from his leg while his cock shrunk back down into his pants.

Rafe turned the corner to the right and headed west, inching closer to the station. Layla sat back into the bucket seat next to him and closed her eyes while he thought about what to do once they were on the train.

One thing is certain; I can only trust Griffen.

Thirty-One

Layla

“Ithought that outside of the movies, train stations would be way more creepy-bus-terminal-industrial and a lot less check-out-the-cool-old-architecture. It’s like we’ve gone back in time,” Layla said. She didn’t know where to look first. The tiled floors, the vaulted windows, the decorative ceiling—each beautifully crafted piece caught and kept her attention for only a few seconds before the next demanded a turn.

Rafe treated her to a small smile before he said, “It does, doesn’t it? Guess I haven’t ever seen it that way. It’s comforting to know so many of these old gems are still standing—makes me think about how good things can endure and hope’s power to stay alive—or some such shit.”

“That’s my Prince Charming,” she said and giggled. Maybe the joke wasn’t all that funny, but it felt so good to relax, even for only a second or two, she didn’t even try to rein in the tiny burst of levity. She desperately needed the mental break and would never understand how Rafe managed to be on high alert so much of the time.

And I used to think working a double shift on Black Friday was the most exhausting thing ever. I was so very, very wrong.She grimaced and pushed the intrusive thoughts away.

He placed his hand at the small of her back and gently guided her to an empty bench in a far corner of the waiting area. His strong presence and the bright lights made her feel a lot safer. Once they had a solid wall at their backs she’d feel even better.

The station was a lot more crowded than she’d thought it would be at this ungodly hour. But nobody looked particularly suspicious. In fact, she and Rafe were the only ones who looked like they’d dashed in at the last minute.

Most of the station’s current occupants looked comfortably bored. A good number had also come prepared with snacks, travel pillows, and blankets. Layla averted her eyes as she passed by and hoped the envy gnawing at her didn’t show.

The wooden bench they claimed was polished smooth by age and proved to be way more comfortable than she’d thought possible. She snuggled down as best she could and leaned over to soak up some of the heat radiating from Rafe’s body. When he inched over to give her better access, her pulse quickened.

Meeting him was about the only good thing to come out of the dumpster fire she’d dropped into. She wished they could have time to simply be together. An actual date would be fantastic, but she’d settle for an uninterrupted night somewhere safe.

Tears welled up and she kept her eyes opened wide, hoping exposure to air would dry them out before they fell. She didn’t want to look ungrateful. She didn’t want to add to his burden.

Worst pity party ever—I don’t even get cake.

“Hey, you can talk to me, you know. This can’t be at all easy for you. Hell, it’s a lot to take in for me, too,” he said. He enfolded her right hand in his as he turned to face her. Concern shadowed his features and clouded those gorgeous brown eyes.

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