Angel's Pain by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

the passenger door of his truck and looked, once again, beyond her.
    She climbed into the truck and settled herself on the seat, as he stood there holding the door. He said, “You’re soaked, and all scratched up. Are you sure you’re okay? Did you have an accident or something?”
    â€œI’m fine…but I’m, um, kind of in a hurry.”
    He nodded. “Okay, then.” He closed the door, trotted around to his side of the truck and got in. Within another heartbeat, the vehicle was in motion. “You heading anywhere in particular?”
    â€œNorth,” she told him.
    He pulled onto the road, and soon they were picking up speed. “That’s not very specific.”
    â€œConnecticut.”
    He smiled a little, then reached past her to flip open the glove compartment. He took a box of tissues from it and dropped it in her lap. “That’s definitely more specific. I’m only going as far as Maryland, though.”
    â€œIs that the right way?”
    He looked at her a little oddly. “Yeah. Maryland is lots closer to Connecticut than you are now.”
    She nodded, then frowned. “Will we get there before sunrise?”
    â€œOh, for sure.”
    â€œGood. Then I’ll go with you to Maryland.” She plucked a tissue from the box and dabbed at the sore spots on her face.
    â€œThere’s a mirror there, above the visor,” he said, flipping the visor down as he spoke to show her.
    She flipped it back up again, a knee-jerk reaction so fast it made him jump. Vampires cast no reflection. And mortals must never know them for what they were. Rey-Rey had told her that countless times. It was ingrained in her, she guessed. It certainly hadn’t come from practice. She’d had very little interaction with mortals since she’d been made over. Other than Roxy and Ilyana, and she’d only known them for the past several days.
    The man was looking at her, then the road, then her again.
    She covered her momentary panic with a false smile. “I must look a mess right now. I don’t want to see how bad.”
    His frown faded. “Actually, aside from a few scratches on your face and a twig in your hair—” he reached up to plug the offending bit of foliage from her bangs “—you look really pretty.”
    Her fake smile turned into a real one. “That’s nice of you to say.”
    â€œNothing but the truth. What’s your name, anyway?”
    â€œCrisa,” she told him. “Yours?”
    â€œBobby.”
    â€œIt’s a nice name.” She settled back in her seat, feeling confident that Bobby posed no threat to her.
    â€œDo you like music, Crisa?”
    She nodded hard. “Yes, I do. I like all kinds of music.”
    He reached over and pressed a button. A country song filled the pickup truck, and Crisa tapped her foot in time, leaned her aching head back against the seat and closed her eyes.
    But the boy was right there waiting when she did. He looked lost and frightened, and she knew that he needed her, though she wasn’t sure how she knew that. She also knew that if she followed that voice, the one telling her to come to Connecticut, she would find the boy.
    So that was what she had to do.

6
    T opaz had a Benz and a Land Rover in her extensive garage. Roxy’s van, Shirley, had joined them, as had Seth’s Shelby and Jack’s Carrera. The van was gone now. The note Roxy had left said that she and her team had decided to drive west to join the others in case the van with all its special features and equipment was needed. The other two teams had flown to their respective destinations.
    Reaper missed his car, which had been annihilated by fire when one of Gregor’s drones drove a tanker truck full of gasoline into it. That had only been a few weeks ago, though it seemed much longer.
    He had no vehicle now. Shopping for one would be the first thing on his list, once Gregor was