“Okay,” she agreed. “Go, then.”
Smith disappeared as quickly as he’d come, and Keira strode toward the last place she’d seen Walker—facedown in the vestibule in front of the records . . . which was probably somewhere in the Reynoldses’ living room. Somehow, she was going to have to get back into Jeremy’s house.
She hurried across the cracked sidewalk. She was muddy, barefoot, and disheveled—maybe she could use that to her advantage. Not even Jeremy could find her sexy when she looked like she’d just rolled through a ditch. In front of the Reynoldses’ house, Keira squinted, looking for the Hall. Her skin crawled in warning, but she couldn’t tell if it was because she was close to the guards or because Jeremy was watching her from his living room window.
Keira curled her hands into fists as the Hall came into view. She was right next to one of the pillars that ringed the open floor of the main room, and even though she wasn’t Darkside, she felt more secure—more hidden—with the enormous column at her back. She didn’t see Walker, but she also didn’t see anyone moving toward the spot where she’d last seen him.
Keira dropped her view of Darkside, and hurried toward the Reynoldses’ front path, hoping she looked more pathetic than crazy. The door flew open as she raised her hand to knock. Keira yelped.
“Keira?” Jeremy’s face was pink as an Easter ham and his eyes gleamed with unspent adrenaline. He squinted at her like he wasn’t sure he was seeing things properly.
“Um. I’m glad you’re home,” Keira said.
“Yeah?” A smile slid across his face. “So, how come you’re not at school?” He leaned against the door frame, confidence replacing his confusion.
“I had a dentist appointment,” Keira lied. “My car broke down back that way”—she waved her hand in the direction of the empty lot—“and my cell phone’s dead. Could I use your phone? Please?” When he went to get his phone, she’d duck into the house and take a quick look around Darkside. She couldn’t see around the walls in the Hall of Records from where she was standing.
Jeremy’s lips twitched. “Sure.” His voice was oily. “I’d let you use my cell, but I’m pretty sure the battery’s dead too. Why don’t you come in? You can use the phone in the kitchen.”
The heat in his eyes made her think twice about being alone in the house with him, but she didn’t really have any choice. She was the only one who could save Walker. She couldn’t leave him to fend for himself. And if Jeremy tried anything funny, she could always cross into Darkside, even if it would mean facing the guards.
Crap. Why did all of the possibilities end up with her risking her own ass?
The longer she paused, the more eager Jeremy looked.
“Okay,” she said, stepping across the threshold. “Thanks.” She struggled to stay calm as the musty, messy house surrounded her.
Leaning against the wall next to the door was the baseball bat. It gleamed dully, radiating danger. Keira swallowed her fear as Jeremy’s dog came bounding into the room, greeting her like a long-lost friend.
Jeremy shoved the dog aside. “Get off her, moron.” He glanced sideways at Keira as he gestured toward the back of the house. “Kitchen’s that way,” he said.
Keira strode into the kitchen, trying to look as competent as she could. Walking the way she imagined someone who’d taken extensive self-defense courses would walk.
“Hey!” Jeremy said. The accusation in his voice stopped Keira midstep. “You’re barefoot,” he observed. As if, just because her feet were bare, the rest of her clothes might slither off her too.
“I, uh . . . yeah.” Keira cleared her throat, flipping through a list of possible excuses. “I like to drive barefoot.”
Jeremy snorted disbelievingly. He looked at her through half-lidded eyes. “I know you wrecked your car, Keira. And I saw it sitting at Brutti’s body shop two days ago, still completely bashed up.” His eyes narrowed. “So. Why are you really here?”
Oh, shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit.
“I’m driving my dad’s car,” she stammered. “It’s the one that broke down.”
“So why don’t you just walk home?” He smiled like he’d caught her.
“I tried, but I’m locked out,” she lied.
Keira hurried across the kitchen and reached for the phone before he could ask her any more questions. She dialed Susan’s number, hoping for once that she wouldn’t pick up. While she listened to it ring, Keira let her gaze soften, searching Darkside to see how far she was from the antechamber. There was no way to tell if Smith had made it back, or whether he was distracting the guards. She could be missing her chance to get Walker out while she dicked around in Jeremy’s kitchen, making sham phone calls.