Chapter Eighteen
Greer sat in the back seat as Jill drove, letting Derick sit in the front. The two of them were just a couple of chatty Cathys, but Greer ignored them, too hurt and worried to think about anything but what an idiot Xander was.
He was really willing to take on Pax and Dakota and possibly die all so that he could get his precious revenge? It was idiotic, to say the least, but she wasn’t going to berate him or try to change his mind. Whatever made her think she had the power to show him that this crazy thing between them didn’t happen often, no matter what romance novels and movies portrayed, obviously had been a figment of her imagination. There was such a thing as soul mates, but they were rare and could be lost easily if they weren’t recognized.
She was probably reading too much into everything. She’d gone from scared of forever with Sam to begging for Xander to choose her over revenge.
She’d been completely naïve. Lost her head over a little charm, a fantastic smile, and amazing eyes.
Jill was pulling through the stop sign on Moonbeam when suddenly, high beams flashed through the right-side window just before something slammed into the car. Greer’s whole body jerked against the seat belt as she was thrown to the right then the left, screaming in terror.
Greer’s head was spinning, making her see double, but she heard Dereck whispering to Jill.
“Go. Shift. Get help.”
“What about you?”
“My legs are pinned, and I can’t reach the side lever to lay the seat back. Hurry up!” he said.
“Greer…”
“She’ll just slow you down. Go!”
Jill threw open the driver’s side door and the explosion of a gun echoed in the night.
“Jill!” Greer screamed, but heard nothing. She prayed that they’d missed her, that she’d make it back to Xander’s and get some help.
Someone stuck their head into the shattered window. It was Pax, the man who had turned Jill. Who wanted to kill Xander.
“Well, looky, looky what I found. I’ve been waiting to get you alone, gorgeous.”
Greer’s vision cleared to find his mouth was twisted in a cruel smile, and his eyes were sparkling with triumph.
The asshole was seriously gloating?
Greer punched him in the face, sending him reeling back out of the window. She saw the muzzle of a gun outside Dereck’s window and it was like the fog rapidly dissipated in her mind. As fast as she could, she reached along the side of Derek’s seat and pulled the lever that leaned it back. The bullet shattered what was left of the window, but missed Dereck by several inches, going out the open driver’s side door.
“Can you get out now?” Greer asked.
He didn’t answer her, just lunged across the seat to the driver’s side. Greer saw the gun raise once more and she lunged forward, shoving the front passenger door open and into the shooter. She heard the clatter as the gun hit the pavement, and a wave of glee washed over her before something tangled in her hair, yanking her neck back at a painful angle.
“That was a mistake.”
Greer reached back, digging her nails into the skin of her assailant’s wrist, and Pax shoved her head forward into the head rest in front of her. It was soft, so it didn’t hurt as much as dazed her, but it gave Pax time to let her go so he could open the door. As he dragged her out and held her in front of him, she stared at the woman dressed all in black, pointing a gun at her chest.
“You made me miss, meat bag,” she snarled.
Greer’s chin notched up. “Good.”
The woman, who had to be Dakota, raised the gun as though she was going to hit her with it, but Pax pulled her behind him.
“Get in the car, love, and drive. People will come investigating soon and I want to get out of here without a scene. Besides, Xander won’t like it if the bait is bruised.”
“I don’t give a shit what he wants! We’re just going to kill him anyway,” Dakota snarled.
Pax’s voice turned ice cold. “Get in the truck. Don’t make me ask again.”
The expression whipped dog fit Dakota’s crestfallen look to a T and Greer realized she was younger than she looked. And obviously devoted to Pax, since she practically ran to the truck.
“Did you call me bait?” Greer asked.
Pax’s hand wrapped around her bicep as he leered at her. “Yep, a tasty piece of meat dangled for dear Xander. I’ve seen the way he is with you. It’s rather sweet, actually.”
“You’re wrong. Xander doesn’t care about me. He just feels obligated to protect me.”
Pax dragged her toward the big four by four truck that had plowed into Jill’s Subaru. “Well, let’s hope you’re wrong, because I hate to be disappointed. It makes me crazy.”
“I think it’s too late for that.”
He released a maniacal laugh that chilled her to her bone. “You’re probably right.”
Pax lifted her into the back seat with ease and she shrank against the other door. She tried to open it, and Dakota turned, shoving the end of the gun into her cheek.
“Child proof locks. You aren’t going anywhere, bitch.”
Greer sneered at her. “From what Xander tells me, you’re the bitch.”
Dakota moved too fast for her to duck out of the way. Pain exploded over the left side of her face and she fell back against the seat. Dazed already, her vision was now completely blurred. She felt the trickle of something run down her throbbing cheek and realized it was her own blood.
Pax clucked his tongue. “Dakota. If you can’t control yourself, I’m going to have to punish you.”
“Did you hear what she called me?”
“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll see she pays for her sass.”