Total pages in book: 203
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
“I’ll handle my man,” she says softly. Her volume increases, “I know we can’t always get involved, but don’t you think we should this time to make sure things don’t go wrong in Romania?”
“You’re doing well trying to stir Bailey into action,” I observe.
“Damn it, Vivica, okay, okay. Okay, I said! I won’t get involved, but I hope your instincts are right. I’ve got a funny feeling about this trip…”
I stifle a laugh. She’s good. More than good. My sister is who she was when she was nineteen and twenty. The Erica we all missed these last several years.
“We’ll talk later, okay? When there are no ears around. You let me know if you’re coming here or if we need to come up there.”
“Okay, okay.” She fakes being disgruntled with a heavy sigh.
“Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you.”
“Love ya! Bye for now!” she replies sunnily.
And I almost laugh, because she’s so deliriously enjoying her life there that she just broke character with a sunny disposition rather than continue to act concerned or annoyed with me.
I don’t know exactly how it’ll all go with Jason Creed and Bailey Blackwood, but I do know it’s going to be
a) Angsty.
and
b) Messy.
1
JASON CREED
I startle awake, surprised I dozed off. I don’t like sleeping in public, especially not mainstream public.
I touch my phone screen, seeing it’s just over seven hours into an eight-and-a-half-hour flight.
I was dreaming about apples. I used to dream about them all the time, but it’s been a while. I’d dream I was following or chasing them and could never catch them. Like I was in a video game and always losing. But this time, in the middle of the chase, Bailey Blackwood appeared and handed me one. I took a big bite. And it was the best. The rest of the dream has already faded. But that apple… I swear it’s still on my tongue.
I get up, stretch my neck, roll my shoulders, and head to the john, thinking about trying to get apple pie for dessert wherever I get food today, because that dream left me with an unreal craving. I haven’t done the math on what time it’ll be when I land yet. Hopefully I’ll find something open.
Moving down the narrow aisle to the restroom, fragrances hit my nose and many of them aren’t pleasant. Old food, dirty clothes, and someone carries the faint scent of piss. I also smell arousal from two females who happen to be looking at me. No, I smell three, though the third person isn’t looking at me, she’s reading a book.
Not only do human scents surround me, there’s also a vampire on this flight, a male sitting three rows from the bathroom. He’s got his eyes closed, headphones on, listening to an audiobook.
A male flight attendant gives me a head-to-toe look with appreciative eyes, just before I close and lock the door to the closet-sized lavatory.
I’m looking forward to getting off this flying tube. Though I’ll only have a brief reprieve, because I’ll then have to climb on another. And then a couple days later I’ll direct-fly home. I’m reprimanding myself right now for volunteering to do this, because I wasn’t thinking with my head, that’s for sure.
Once I land in Rome, I’ll meet up with Danica Young on the layover, and we’ll travel the rest of the way to Romania together to drop off the artifacts in my backpack.
Danica Young is the witch that set me on this course by being too damn attractive. It wasn’t just the way she looks; it’s the way she acts like she doesn’t want me. I like a challenge and her attitude definitely revved my engine. And after gearing me up, being a savage little tease the night of Rye’s mate’s birthday party, not only did she make it clear it wouldn’t happen, it’s no longer even on my radar, especially not after seeing how fast things have moved with the four council brothers ahead of me.
When I volunteered to do this, I imagined having some fun with her. Now, I’m just on edge about my mating.
If the timeline so far is anything to go by, it’ll happen for me soon. Probably on this trip. It’d be ironic if it turns out to be Danica after all that.
But, fuck, I hope this isn’t when it happens. This mission needs to get done with my senses paying attention to everything around me, not getting snagged on a female. And if it truly feels like this is my female, I’m told it’ll be tough to focus on anything but her.
Danica is meeting me in Italy during the long layover. I’ve booked a room nearby at a bed and breakfast so I can grab a couple hours of sleep.
I didn’t check any baggage. My carry-on bag in the overhead compartment has two changes of clothes, my shaving bag, my wallet, passport, phone charger, and the artifacts – a carved wand and small cauldron, which washed up in the cave under the falls a while back.