Page 115 of Stubborn as a Shadow

Then I slid to the floor and curled around the brake. Then I pressed on it. I felt for Violet. She was being held somewhere, and her asshole boyfriend was involved somehow. I wouldn’t abandon her to her fate, but Morgan came first. Once he was safe, I’d find Violet.

The car fishtailed.

“What the fuck?” Gary tapped on the brake. Perfect.

In the passenger seat, Morgan groaned.

“Damn it,” Gary complained. “You’re not supposed to wake up yet.”

Morgan’s head rolled from one side to the other. His eyelashes fluttered. As if worried about his captive regaining consciousness, Gary pressed the gas pedal to the floor.

Wrong fucking choice, Gary.

The needle rolled across the car floor mat, right into my shadow. I lifted it and stabbed Gary’s calf muscle. The car rocked as he jolted in surprise.

“Son of a…!” He swatted at his leg, but that only drove the needle in further. “What the…?”

“Violet? Where’s Violet?” Morgan’s voice was weak and groggy.

I stabbed Gary again. Blood soaked the leg of his pants.

“Ah!” he cried out again.

“Gary?” Morgan blinked. He raised a trembling hand to his forehead. “What happened?”

Whatever Gary had used to subdue Morgan was wearing off fast. Thank fuck.

Gary cranked on the steering wheel. Gravel sprayed across the undercarriage of the car. Then he stomped on the brake. “We’re here. I’ll get Violet.”

That had not been five minutes. Apparently, Gary couldn’t tell the truth about anything. The fucker.

42

WISH GRANTED

MORGAN

I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, so I jolted forward when Gary stomped on the brake. My arms sluggishly responded as I flung them up to brace myself, but my reaction was too slow. My head conked against the dashboard.

“Ouch! Gary!” I shouted at him. My words sounded slurred.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he put the car in Park, then threw open the door. He stumbled out of his seat, falling to his knees on the frost-covered gravel outside.

“Help! I’ve been bitten or cursed or…” Gary shrieked.

“Gary?” What was happening? Why did I feel so groggy? I didn’t understand any of this. “Where is Violet?”

Wait… Gary had stuck a needle in me, hadn’t he? The conniving traitor! What had he done with Violet? I fumbled for the door handle.

“Morgan?” A whisper came behind my head. A voice more precious to me than anything else in the world.

“Nelson? You’re here!”

“Shh, Little Rainbow,” he said. “Gary is working with someone. I think it might be the hunters.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the last of the drug from my system. “Did they hurt Violet?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find her, but I need you to run. Can you do that?”