Chapter 152 Chapter 152
Blair looked out the back window again. It was a good plan, having Calum and him follow them in Cal’s car, but wished he had a bigger car. He looked at the big man driving. His seat back was so far back, he was half in the backseat. “I figured you’d have a truck.”
Calum didn’t even look over at him. “I need to get places fast more often than most.” He shrugged one shoulder, “and this is fast.”
Blair couldn’t argue with that. He looked back at the van in front of them. There were no windows. That was a good thing. No one would know how many or who was in the vehicle. It still bothered him he couldn’t see in it though. He looked over his shoulder again. “This was easier when I was the driver.” He grinned and gave his head a shake. “I always thought you were a paranoid bastard, now I understand why.”
“I’m not paranoid, I’m cautious,” Calum said in a quiet tone as he glanced at the side mirror. “That white car has been behind us for the last half hour.”
“I saw it.” Blair motioned out the window. “There’s not any main roads around here for them to turn off on though.”
Calum tapped his phone that sat in the holder on the dash.
“Yeah?” Jesse answered.
“Slow down for a few and see if this car goes past.” Calum glanced in the mirror again.
“And if it doesn’t?” Jesse asked.
“Then pull over on the shoulder. I will not spend the next hour wondering.” His tone was hard. “Don’t hang up.”
Blair liked how Calum hit everything head-on. Too many wasted time skirting around issues.
“If they do anything other than go by us, if they even slow down and look too curious, get a pic of their plate.” He told him.
Nodding, Blair lifted his phone he’d already taken out of his pack. “They could be with Tomas and just tailing us in hopes they’ll get another chance or find out where we’re going.”
“I thought that too.” He turned his head and glanced at him, “I don’t like not knowing things for sure.”
“They going to pass?” Jesse asked quietly.”
“They’re riding our bumper right now,” Blair told him.
“Pull over, Jesse,” Calum said in a low tone.
Blair maneuvered to turn sideways in the seat as much as he could manage. He had the camera on his phone ready. The car pulled out and moved by them slowly. Two men were in it. Blair held his finger on the button and took continuous pictures. For a second, they looked like they were going to stop, then sped up and took off down the highway.
“You get their faces and plates?” Calum asked quietly.
Blair scrolled through the pictures quickly. “Clear shot of the passenger and the plates.”
Calum undid his seat belt. “Give me five minutes and then go again, Jesse.” He turned to Blair, “you drive, I’ll meet up with you in a half-hour.”
Blair opened his door, “I can go…”
Calum grinned, “my cat is faster.” He got out of the car and grabbed his pack out of the back seat.
“You’re going to run ahead of us?” Jesse asked through the phone as he leaned his head out the window and looked back at them.
Calum nodded and then jogged down into the ditch toward the trees that lined the highway. “I’ll see you in a half hour.”
Blair went around to the driver’s side and then looked over at Jesse. Jesse grinned and shook his head. Getting in, he closed the door. “Leave the call going?” He asked.
“Yeah, until my fucking nerves settle down.” That was the reply he got.
Blair grinned; he was glad he wasn’t the only one strung out.
As they pulled out onto the highway, he was lost in his head. Knowing what he did now, going back to work at the shop seemed wrong. Blair was good at what he did, but his family—that clan he came from—he felt like he should be doing something to help put a stop to Tomas. He needed to talk to Gage and tell him what he was thinking. He should talk to Devin too, to see if he could work with the Alliance.
Checking in the mirror, he blew out a breath. He had to talk to Kelsey too. He understood she was mated, and he was—nothing but a good friend? Things had changed though, and he needed to tell her.
He glanced at his phone on the seat. Layna had called earlier again. Yeah, he needed to talk to her too.
Fuck. He had to talk to a lot of people all of sudden.
“Anyone tailing us?” Jesse’s voice brought him back to what he was doing.
Blair checked the mirrors. “Road’s clear.”
“Good, let’s hope it stays that way. I just want to get where we’re going and have some backup.”
Blair scowled as he looked at the back of the van. Who was the backup? Blair didn’t care who it was, but he was staying with the women and making sure no one got near them again. “Yeah.” He all but growled back at him.
“Calum’s just checking to make sure that car kept going.”
Blair stared at the phone, wondering why Jesse was telling him, then he heard Kobie speaking. He leaned closer to the dash so he could hear.
“He’s very good at this, isn’t he?” He heard her say. “Going to get people.”
Jesse paused before answering her. “Yeah, he is.”
It was true. Calum was good at it. Bair scowled at the road, bothered that she was talking about Calum. “I’ll call if I see anything.” He hung up the phone and then regretted it immediately. That was a stupid move. They needed to get where they were going and soon, Blair was slowly losing his mind in this compact car.
Kobie watched out the passenger’s window when they pulled away. She’d been able to hear bits and pieces of the conversation that Jesse and was having. She was just about to ask who was running ahead when she spotted a black jaguar running into the trees. What happened that Calum was running ahead? Did that mean Blair was driving behind them?
She looked to the back of the van and wished for windows; she didn’t like not knowing what was going on. Kobie still couldn’t believe her family had this plan for her. She understood being the Alpha, her father didn’t have to tell her everything, but her brother? They were the same age. How is it he knew, and she didn’t? If there was one thing Kobie hated above anything else, it was secrets.
When her mother had disappeared five years ago, no one told her what had happened. Then another woman went missing a year later. It continued that way for a few more years until ten women and children disappeared in less than a year’s time. She couldn’t help wondering if her mother was with this Tomas person. Would it be a silly fantasy to hope she was still alive?
Glancing around, she noted everyone was napping or staring off into space—not that they had any choice. Blowing out a breath, she watched out the window again. She couldn’t do it. Just sit here being in the dark.
Shifting forward, she cleared her throat so Jesse would know she was leaning right behind him now.
“Is everything all right?”
She watched him bob his head a few times, “Calum’s just checking to make sure that car kept going.”
“He’s very good at this, isn’t he?” He didn’t reply. “Going to get people.” She clarified, just in case he didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Yeah, he is.”
“I’ll call if I see anything.” Blair’s voice came over the phone. She looked at the back of the van and wished again she could see—he didn’t sound happy about something.
Turning back, she leaned closer to Jesse. “How long until we get there?”
“At least three hours.”
“Oh, that long.” She grimaced, “you’ve been driving a while today then?”
Jesse shifted around in his seat. “Feels like forever.”
Nodding, Kobie sat back, “I’m just going to close my eyes for a few.”
“I’ll shout if there’s anything you need to know.” He told her.
She was tired, but she really just wanted to close her eyes and think. She had too much to think about and no idea where to start. Of course, if she could keep her mind from wandering back to Blair every two minutes, that would make it a lot easier.
What happened after they reached this place? Is that where they were staying? She didn’t know. Was Blair staying when they got there or was his part finished? She didn’t know how she felt about him leaving, although at this point with so much happening, she didn’t know how she felt if he stayed either.
Opening her eyes, she checked on everyone again. This was going to be the longest drive ever.