Page 83 of The Spider Queen
“It’s Jonah,” he stated.
“Which means it’s really Anita—and my parents. They must be terrified.”
“Probably.”
He silenced the call and put the phone down. The cell quieted and went dark. A moment later, the ringing started again.
“Turn it off,” I suggested. “They’re just gonna keep calling.”
“Let’s get to a motel for the night,” Hunter said after powering down his phone. His hand reached out to touch my lank and greasy hair, but I didn’t shy away. Instead, I leaned into his touch.
“Will you drive?” I asked. “I don’t even know how I made it this far.”
His jaw clenched. “Yeah, I’ll drive.”
We got out of the car and changed seats. I sagged into the passenger side, feeling a weariness that went beyond bone deep.
“I won’t bother you with anything tonight,” Hunter said. “I won’t explain or share, but there’s one thing I want you to know right fucking now, Poppy.”
I struggled to keep my eyes open. “What’s that?”
“You’re not crazy. And I won’t let them take you back.”
“Thank you,” I whispered in relief.
“Just rest. I’ve got you.”
As I dozed, the dream I’d had about the golden mechanical wasps and black onyx spiders came back to me.
This isn’t a dream, Poppy,came Thane’s voice.It isn’t a dream at all.
My hand reached out for the side of the car as my eyes shot open. “What the—”
“Sorry,” Hunter muttered. “Fucking road kill in the middle of the highway. Didn’t know it was there until I was going over it.”
I blinked until the bright spots dancing in front of my eyes faded. It was dark out, the clouds in the sky shielding most of the moon and the stars.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“A little after eleven.”
“I thought we were going to stop at a motel.”
“I wanted to get us out of Charleston.” Hunter looked in the rearview mirror and then settled back down.
“Why?”
“Harder for them to track us. Another few hours we’ll be in Nashville.”
“What’s in Nashville?”
“An airport.”
My heart rate kicked up a notch. “What’s going on, Hunter?”
He took one hand off the steering wheel and reached into the front console. “Turn it on. And then look at the most recent photos.”
Inhaling a sharp breath, I turned the phone on, willing it to boot up faster. “Oh God,” I whispered when I opened the photos app.
