Page 49 of Box of Frogs
The sensible thing would be to attach the device to one of the other cars parked nearby. It would fool the hunters into tracking someone else. Unfortunately it might also mean that someone else ended up getting hurt. I wasn’t completely heartless.
The only positive thing right now was that she’d assured me the hunters avoided attacking her in public. There were far too many people inside for them to make a move here, regardless of how isolated the house was. I comforted myself with that thought, but all the same I raised my eyes to the dark horizon and scanned it. Fear trickled uneasily down my spine. Unwilling to ignore my gut instincts, I centred myself and focused. There had to be something useful in these Fey skills to help me out. Concentrate, Madrona.
I stiffened. There. Over to my left and hiding amongst the trees, someone was watching. I closed my eyes and listened. My hearing sharpened, honing in on the precise area. When I blocked out everything else, it was a wonder that I’d not noticed the watcher before. Even from this distance, I could hear a regular heartbeat, unworried by stress or adrenaline. I could also hear the waiting arsebadger’s breath. Someone was out there. And there were no prizes for guessing what – or rather who – they wanted.
Chapter Sixteen
‘She’s obviously very strange. Bring Mark back. I don’t like the way that girl looks at me.’
I whirled into the room, ignoring the fact that Julie’s friends had been gossiping about me – and not in a good way – and stalked over to where she was sitting. ‘We’re leaving,’ I growled. ‘Now.’
Julie blinked. ‘But darling, we’ve barely just arrived.’
‘I told you she was strange,’ someone whispered behind my back. ‘Who’d want a bodyguard like her? She could use some more muscles. Or brain cells, at the very least.’
I half-turned my head. ‘Your gene pool could use some more chlorine,’ I snapped.
The whisperer jerked. He obviously hadn’t expected me to overhear him. Frankly, that just made it worse; if he were going to insult me, then he damned well better have the balls to do it to my face.
Julie rose to her feet, her mouth twitching. She was clearly more amused than offended that I’d insulted her friend. ‘Mads, darling. Have a cocktail. Everything’s fine.’
I met her eyes. ‘It is not fine,’ I told her, trying to convey what was going on through facial expressions .
Some of my alarm sank in. Her face paled. ‘There are lots of people here.’
‘Maybe they’ve changed tactics since the last failed attempt,’ I said.
Julie swallowed.
‘What’s going on?’ Alice, the hostess, also stood up. ‘Julie, is there a problem? Should we call the police?’
I glanced at her. ‘Julie has some rather … over-eager fans,’ I said. ‘Stalkers, if you will. One of them is outside. The police are aware of his existence but won’t make a move until he has broken the law. I’d prefer it if he never got that chance. It’s safest for Julie – and for the rest of you – if we leave right now.’
At my words and my grim tone it wasn’t just Julie who looked frightened. At least Alice managed to keep it together. ‘Of course,’ she nodded. ‘Is there anything we can do?’
‘Just stay here and don’t go outside until we’re well away from the house. He’ll follow us, not you. As long as you keep out of sight you’ll be okay.’ I took Julie’s arm and propelled her out of the room.
‘You’re an excellent liar,’ she murmured in my ear as we marched back out of the house. ‘Is it a hunter who’s waiting outside?’
‘In the trees over to the right,’ I answered. ‘But don’t look, and walk normally. We don’t want him to know he’s been rumbled.’ Whoever the hunter was, he’d know I’d found the GPS tracker but he had no reason to worry that I’d rumbled him.
Julie pasted a smile on her face. ‘No one followed us here,’ she muttered with gritted teeth. ‘No cars were behind us and this evening was organised at the last minute.’
I faked a grin in return. ‘Your car has a tracking device on it.’
I heard a sharp intake of breath. ‘Then shouldn’t we take someone else’s car?’
I shook my head. ‘No. I have a plan.’
‘A good plan?’
I grimaced slightly and didn’t answer, simply opened the passenger door and beckoned her in. ‘Buckle up,’ I instructed. ‘I’m driving.’
For once, she didn’t argue. It was just as well; somehow I didn’t think that Long Island Iced Tea and a car chase were natural pairings.
I headed to the driver’s side, started up the engine and withdrew the tracker from where I’d left it. I tossed it into her lap. ‘Hang on to that for now.’
She stared at it as if it were a snake. ‘Shouldn’t we throw it out of the window?’
