Page 13 of Caution

It was off the main street, on a long driveway of its own, but I watched it out the window until it was far behind us, longing for the comfort of those familiar surroundings.

And thinking about the shotgun under my bed.

If I’d had that with me, instead of fucking pepper gel, none of this would be going on.

“I would’ve taken you either way. I’d just be a lot less pretty.” Cassius chuckled from the driver’s seat of the car. “And a lot more pissed off.”

“Could you stay out of my damn head?”I asked, without saying it aloud.

“I could, yes. But I need to know what you’re thinking for now.”

His answer came in the same unspoken manner.

So I thought about grabbing the steering wheel.

Yanking it hard, flipping the car.

I thought about him being impaled on a stray piece of rebar from… anywhere.

“Again, that wouldn’t do anything but piss me off.” This time, he spoke aloud. “It would take a lot more than that to kill me or either of my brothers.”

“Like a silver bullet?”

“Lesser vampires and our Lycan cousins, sure. Us though? It would hurt like a bitch, but heal fast. So if you shoot… you better be faster.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll keep it in mind.”

He chuckled. “You know… you’re very angry at me, to have needed me to save your life.”

“I didn’t ask you for anything.”

“You didn’t have to. I understand my history and my duty, unlike you.”

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, you absolutely will,” he said, attention firmly focused on me instead of the road. “In due time, Ambrosia, you willbeg meto do exactly that.”

“You aresorelymistaking me for a very different type of bitch.”

He smirked. “We’ll see.”

I didn’t realize the car had stopped until he opened his door and climbed out. He opened the door on my side before I could even think about doing it for myself.

I’d expected he was taking me to some dungeon somewhere to do whatever he’d been planning since he’d snatched me from work.

Instead… we were in a parking lot.

Abusyparking lot.

There was a big, flashing neon sign on the building that read “BB’s”.

No other explanation for what it was.

The music coming from inside was loud; and so was the smoke. People came and went from the building to the cars, blasting different music, dancing, arguing, screaming on the phone.

Acrowd.

A perfect opportunity to get away.

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