Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Conroy glowers, but Damon smirks. He gets my sense of humor.
As we predicted, the city is in an instant frenzy. You can actually hear the panic in each of the individual homes.
Then things get worse.
A small plane flies over the city, the underside of it open to release a fluttering torrent of pamphlets. They spiral into every nook and cranny, collect on roofs and in gutters, and some of them are picked up by people.
Damon sneaks out the door and grabs a small handful of them.
He drops them on the kitchen table. They all display my face. I’m a little younger in the picture, about eighteen, and I’m holding a trophy cup that I won for a fencing tournament.
“Cute pic,” Conroy says.
“Oh, yeah, and the text underneath is just fucking adorable.”
Wanted: Wolf Girl for Theft, Murder, and Vehicular Assault.
Reward: Ten Million.
“I’ve got a price on my head! That’s exciting…”
I sink down in my chair as Tailor gives me a sharp look that I know very possibly precedes another spanking or lecture or something far worse. “I mean, how terrible,” I mumble. “What a horrible thing. I can’t believe this has happened.”
“We have to get her out of here,” Conroy says. “Should have gotten her out in the beginning.”
“Can’t do it any more now than we did in the beginning,” I say.
“We could just make a run for it.”
“Sure, because now there’s an entire city actively looking for me, an active army looking to kill supernaturals, and then a ring of hostile vampires who are also trying to catch me. It sounds super easy.”
“Let’s get some sleep,” Tailor says. “Tomorrow morning, we will make an escape. Daylight means we get rid of at least one of those factors.”
When morning comes, the city is in an absolute uproar. Everybody is looking for the Ten Million Dollar girl. I combat being found by wearing big jackets and about ten sweaters. That’s not comfortable in the desert, but it changes my outward appearance a little bit. I’ve also found a brown curly wig that’s super cute, and some thick glasses.
I am having the time of my life.
I know it’s wrong. And I don’t dare admit it for all the lecturing I’d get. I can only imagine the absolute thrashing I’d get if Tailor thought for a second I wasn’t as stressed and worried as the rest of them.
I want to give the truck a bit of a makeover. Alexander will recognize it, because he got to see it very close up right before it smashed into him. I’ve convinced the guys to let me down to the truck yard in my disguise to do a little painting. Paint’s easy to come by because most people are hoarding toilet paper and bullets.
I never meant to cause all this chaos, but I can’t say I’m sorry. I’m very, very not sorry. It’s about fucking time the world experienced the consequences of everything I’ve been through. They say vengeance is best served cold. I say it’s best served dramatic.
While the guys work on whatever plan they’re working on, I give the truck a makeover. I’ve painted it Rock City colors, which I think will help it blend in for lots of different reasons. No trucks are permitted to leave, but when they are, I can just get in wearing my probably-a-guy outfit and pose as a delivery driver, which I am.
Damon comes to get me around lunchtime, nudging me away from the truck and taking my hand. They knew where I was, and I am almost certain that he has been lurking around this whole time anyway, making sure that nobody is coming for me. I’ve never felt that someone had my back as completely as I do now that I have my mates. Damon especially. He is my shadow.
He takes me through a whole lot of back alleys, avoiding people. The city is under lockdown, but a lot of people are out hunting for me. Anybody they don’t know is a potential target. It’s really messing with the lives of most young women because small roving bands of amateur bounty hunters are pretty much ready to round anybody up.
Alexander has caused chaos—and not the kind he wanted. He’s no closer to getting to me, or to his maker’s heart.
When I get back to the apartment, my mates are ready. They’re standing with the energy of men who are about to burst out the door and do something heroic or maybe stupid.
“We’ve come up with a plan,” Conroy says.
“Oh?”
“We’ve located an exit toward the mountain side of the city. Looks like a secret way out designed to be taken by those who have clandestine business.”
“You mean you found a smuggler’s tunnel.”
“Yes.”
“No city is truly impenetrable. People ensure that over time,” Tailor chimes in.
“Well, that’s good. Is it big enough for a truck? Because I’ve got the truck all sorted out. And I’ve got this delivery driver outfit that nobody recognizes me in. Did you know the new Wolf Queen is also a delivery driver in Eclipse City?”