Page 75 of Corbin
He grinned at her attempt to find humor in the loss. “Good news as this may be the last normal meal for a while.”
When the bartender called to one of the females talking at the end of the bar, that waitress hurried down to pick up her drink order on this end. The bartender reached out and stopped the waitress with a touch of her hand. She asked, “What’s going on?”
Glancing at the two she’d walked away from, the waitress said, “Ernie’s brother-in-law is a highway patrolman. He says between here and the next exit heading west, they’re setting up a roadblock on the interstate.”
“That’s nuts. They’ll back up traffic for miles.”
The waitress nodded. “I think that’s the plan. They’ll close all our exits here coming and going. They’re hunting ...” She leaned in and whispered, “Dangerous shifters.”
The red-haired bartender stood up quickly. Her face turned chalky white.
Nodding to show she agreed, the waitress lifted her tray of drinks and walked away.
Eirene turned a grim face to Corbin. He placed more than enough cash for the food and tip on the counter. “Let’s go.”
Hooking her hand on his arm, Eirene stared straight ahead as they calmly left the restaurant. He strapped her helmet on andtucked the denim bag into a saddle bag, then stood up the bike for her to climb on.
With each little action, he struggled to decide where to head then started the bike.
Eirene leaned close to his ear. “I looked at a map inside the gas station store. If this bike is as good off-road as you showed me earlier, and we’re looking for a remote location, we should take 17 north. That might offer better escape routes.”
“You may be right.” His gut twisted at what he had to ask her. “I think these people could be after me more than you. Whether it’s SCIS or the Romanian, we have to expect more dangerous jackals coming after us. If you called Leszek and said you were coming back, would you be safer in Spartanburg?”
She gripped his shoulder and pulled him around. “No. I believe Leszek killed my father to take over as trustee of my life and finances. Someone has been killing security guards. I can’t finger anyone who would do that, not even him. But he’s the only person I fear in all this. He might try to force me into his mental hospital involuntarily to make me sign a form making him my permanent guardian. I’m done running scared. My vulnerable shifter females are safe. I’m staying with you.”
He had no idea how much she’d shouldered on her own. Wrapping his fingers around her small fist clutching his shirt, he held them and swore, “I will not let that bastard near you.”
Her fingers relaxed. “We’ll fight him together.”
“Don’t ever tell me you’re not dominant. It only takes something you want to fight for to draw out your alpha side.”
“That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me about being a shifter.” She blinked her watery eyes.
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “I need you to listen to me even if I tell you to run or hide. Staying safe is the greatest thing you can do to help me.”
“I don’t want to agree to that.” She struggled to continue but said, “I will do as you ask and not let you down.”
“Thank you. Let’s hit the road.”
He kept the speed even on Highway 17 as they cruised by the gas station they’d stopped at earlier. When he rode north across the interstate overpass, he could feel Eirene tense.
On the interstate west of the exit, law enforcement vehicles, including a SWAT van, had already restricted all but one lane of traffic in each direction.
Personal passenger four-wheel vehicles and over-the-road trucks were allowed to keep traveling on the one open lane closest to the median. He spotted a police officer approaching a pair of motorcycles caught up in the stopped lanes.
Corbin looked forward.
He’d been on the run before with fewer resources and knew what to do, but he’d been alone. His plan to keep Eirene safe by hiding her crumbled under her last admission.
When running from predators before, his only goal had been to escape or die trying. Now he had to focus entirely on survival.
Could he keep the two of them alive?
Chapter 22
Vlad watched a spider web outside the window of the cheap motel that he would leave soon. He enjoyed fine foods and better lodging, but he wanted no one in the United States to learn he’d been on this soil.
Fairly easy to remain under the radar in a country of idiots.
