I could sense when Brace was close. This heat washed over my body and infused into my blood. Sure enough, his small group came into sight. The last of the females, including Chrissie, Eva and a pretty ebony-skinned female who wore her hair in rows of braid.
The engine drowned out the sound of the doors opening and the girls entering the cab. I waited while all of them squished themselves into whatever spare spaces they could find.
Brace was suddenly at my door, his intentions clear. With a huff, I threw the car into neutral and shifted across so he could take the driver’s side. I was plastered to Lucy, but we couldn’t complain. They were way more compacted in the back.
Brace’s long legs filled the space, and even though the truck was a monster, his presence still dominated the space. Somehow he knew exactly how to drop her back into gear, and then with barely a hitch we were moving.
I’m a fast learner. He grinned, enjoying his first drive.
“Where are you planning on taking us?” Chrissie shifted closer to the front, her head practically between Lucy’s and mine.
I rubbed at my face. “First thing, we need to get you some cash. Then we can stash you in a hotel until you all figure things out.”
I didn’t have time for a complex plan. This was the best I could do at short notice with a time bomb ticking away in the background. The Seventine were the problem I had to focus on and it was time to face the music.
Chapter 11
Lady Luck was on our side again. It took about ten minutes to ‘borrow’ some money from a local bank – okay, we stole it. Colton and Brace set a small fire and then manipulated the computers and alarm system long enough for panic to ensue and the area to empty. Sure, stealing was technically wrong, but the girls assured us that they would do their best to return the money over time. And right then they needed it to survive.
We took them across to a low-budget hotel. Chrissie checked in, and luckily they did not have much of an ID system in place at the Sunset Inn. The girls were now taking turns showering and salvaging what they could of their clothes before going out to start their lives here.
I gave Chrissie a firm hug. “Good luck. Hopefully this side of the barrier is kinder to females than the other side was.”
She returned the gesture before pulling away to stare at me. “Don’t give up, Abbs. You do everything in your power to destroy what’s trying to destroy us. I know you have a soft heart, but don’t let that be your downfall. Sometimes you must sacrifice the few for the many. You know that.”
I sucked in deeply. I wasn’t okay with that sentiment, no matter how logical it was. My few meant everything to me, equally as much as the many. Still, if there were no worlds left, I would lose everyone anyways. It was a tough decision to make and one I hoped wouldn’t come to pass.
Eva stood near the door, her features tight – emotionless. Although, she did give Chrissie a wave before we turned and walked away. I had a funny feeling in my chest leaving her there, like I might never actually see her again. I kind of hoped that wasn’t the case.
We’d left the car a few blocks away so no witnesses could tell tales that would bring the police to the girls. I wanted to take it out of this area before we traced to the power grid.
Whenever I thought about that energy transference barrier, I got that bad feeling in my gut. One that I also associated with the Seventine. They were up to something; I just knew it. I could only hope we got to them in time.
Eva and Lucy jumped into the back of the black Ford. The Earth half-Walker was quiet, her expression shuttered. The only telltale sign of nerves was the way she continued to stroke the hilt of her sword.
“You doing okay with all of this?” I asked, shifting around to see her better.
She met my stare, her gaze unflinching. She was – kind of badass. Everything about her screamed tough nut; she would not hesitate in a fight.
I liked this about her, but it also worried me. I hadn’t forgotten Chrissie’s warning. Eva had no fear because she had nothing left to lose. She was a loose cannon and a part of her wanted to die. I’d heard the pain when she spoke of her family. It was pain that had flowed across her soul and burned through her heart. I had seen it before, many times on the streets of New York. Those ones who had lost everything – lost their loved ones – they were bombs waiting to be detonated. It was simply a matter of time. The same empty hollowness of loss wore heavily in Eva’s golden tiger eyes.
Despite the tenseness in her jaw, she answered smoothly. “Hard to say if I’m doing okay or not. The last few months I’ve learned to take shit as it comes. Good. Bad. Other. There’s no real way to predict what’s coming for me, so I just go with it.”
Lucy snorted. “That philosophy will actually serve you well in our world. Trust me when I tell ya: everything comes at us. All at the same time. Better hope your raincoat is extremely shit-proof, because it’s about to get messy.”