shoulder. She stepped underneath the flickering light, and a small metal canister glinted in her right hand. Pepper spray, unless I missed my guess. Smart, sensible precautions. This was a girl who was used to walking through here at night.
But she wasn’t alone. Another girl was with her. Blueblack hair, pale eyes, slim figure, designer jeans. I recognized her too.
“That’s Eva Grayson,” I said.
Finn’s green eyes latched onto Eva. He smiled and sat up in his seat. “Really? Owen Grayson never told me what a looker his sister is.”
“Then he knows you well enough to know not to do that,” I replied.
As I watched, a man about my age followed the girls into the parking lot. His head swiveled right and left, and he stayed as close to Eva as her own shadow. His bulky windbreaker had ridden up, revealing a Glock tucked into the small of his back. Looked like Owen Grayson had gotten his sister that bodyguard after all.
Violet and Eva stopped in the middle of the lot and exchanged a few words. Violet said something that made Eva laugh. Then Violet waved her hand and started walking toward her aging Honda. Eva waved back. The man grabbed her elbow to escort her out of the parking lot, but Eva gave him a nasty glare and shook him off. The two of them turned, walked back through the gap in the concrete barrier, and disappeared from sight.
Since we’d already disabled the light in the front of the car, I opened the door of the Aston Martin and swung my legs outside.
“Well, she’s alone now.” Finn reached for his own door handle, but I grabbed his arm.
“Wait,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s see who else is around.”
“You think the shooter is here?” he asked. “We would have seen him by now.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on how good he is. He could have slipped in the other side of the lot. The point is he missed her at the Pork Pit and probably couldn’t get to her on campus today. Too many witnesses, too many security guards. This is his last shot at her before she goes home for the night.”
“And you think he’s going to take it,” Finn said.
“I would.”
So we watched. Violet Fox was no fool. She approached her car cautiously. She looked right, then left, in front and behind her. She also stayed in the middle of the lot away from the sides of the parked cars. Making sure no one was sneaking up on her or was waiting underneath one of the vehicles to grab her ankles and pull her down. Smart girl.
But she wasn’t quite smart enough. Violet Fox reached into her purse, and her steps slowed as she fumbled for her keys. She didn’t immediately find them because she stopped, dropped her head, and peered into her bag.
And that’s when I saw a shadow slither out of the bed of the monster truck and head toward her.
“There he is,” Finn said, scrambling to open his door.
“He was hiding in the truck bed the whole time.”
I didn’t respond. I was already out of the car, running toward the girl.
8
Even as I started running, I saw the shadowy figure creep closer to Violet and take on the form of a short, stocky man. A dwarf. I was two hundred feet away. I wasn’t going to make it in time. I was going to be too late.
Again.
I opened my mouth to shout a warning, when something skitter-skittered across the pavement. The dwarf must have stepped on a soda can. Violet froze at the noise, one of her hands still in her purse. Then she bolted.
Didn’t look back, didn’t check to see what the noise was.
She just ran.
She got maybe twenty steps before the man grabbed her by her frizzy blond hair. Violet shrieked in pain and turned to flail at him, her hands arced into claws. He let her slap at him. Those sorts of blows would mean nothing to a dwarf. Magic and weapons were the only things that got their attention. Violet paused half a second to draw in another breath to scream. That’s when the man punched her in the face—hard. I heard the crunch of bone a hundred feet
But she wasn’t alone. Another girl was with her. Blueblack hair, pale eyes, slim figure, designer jeans. I recognized her too.
“That’s Eva Grayson,” I said.
Finn’s green eyes latched onto Eva. He smiled and sat up in his seat. “Really? Owen Grayson never told me what a looker his sister is.”
“Then he knows you well enough to know not to do that,” I replied.
As I watched, a man about my age followed the girls into the parking lot. His head swiveled right and left, and he stayed as close to Eva as her own shadow. His bulky windbreaker had ridden up, revealing a Glock tucked into the small of his back. Looked like Owen Grayson had gotten his sister that bodyguard after all.
Violet and Eva stopped in the middle of the lot and exchanged a few words. Violet said something that made Eva laugh. Then Violet waved her hand and started walking toward her aging Honda. Eva waved back. The man grabbed her elbow to escort her out of the parking lot, but Eva gave him a nasty glare and shook him off. The two of them turned, walked back through the gap in the concrete barrier, and disappeared from sight.
Since we’d already disabled the light in the front of the car, I opened the door of the Aston Martin and swung my legs outside.
“Well, she’s alone now.” Finn reached for his own door handle, but I grabbed his arm.
“Wait,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s see who else is around.”
“You think the shooter is here?” he asked. “We would have seen him by now.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on how good he is. He could have slipped in the other side of the lot. The point is he missed her at the Pork Pit and probably couldn’t get to her on campus today. Too many witnesses, too many security guards. This is his last shot at her before she goes home for the night.”
“And you think he’s going to take it,” Finn said.
“I would.”
So we watched. Violet Fox was no fool. She approached her car cautiously. She looked right, then left, in front and behind her. She also stayed in the middle of the lot away from the sides of the parked cars. Making sure no one was sneaking up on her or was waiting underneath one of the vehicles to grab her ankles and pull her down. Smart girl.
But she wasn’t quite smart enough. Violet Fox reached into her purse, and her steps slowed as she fumbled for her keys. She didn’t immediately find them because she stopped, dropped her head, and peered into her bag.
And that’s when I saw a shadow slither out of the bed of the monster truck and head toward her.
“There he is,” Finn said, scrambling to open his door.
“He was hiding in the truck bed the whole time.”
I didn’t respond. I was already out of the car, running toward the girl.
8
Even as I started running, I saw the shadowy figure creep closer to Violet and take on the form of a short, stocky man. A dwarf. I was two hundred feet away. I wasn’t going to make it in time. I was going to be too late.
Again.
I opened my mouth to shout a warning, when something skitter-skittered across the pavement. The dwarf must have stepped on a soda can. Violet froze at the noise, one of her hands still in her purse. Then she bolted.
Didn’t look back, didn’t check to see what the noise was.
She just ran.
She got maybe twenty steps before the man grabbed her by her frizzy blond hair. Violet shrieked in pain and turned to flail at him, her hands arced into claws. He let her slap at him. Those sorts of blows would mean nothing to a dwarf. Magic and weapons were the only things that got their attention. Violet paused half a second to draw in another breath to scream. That’s when the man punched her in the face—hard. I heard the crunch of bone a hundred feet
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