door.
“I’m sorry,” Lennox whispered and slid out the front door, locking it behind her as she went.
They knew. Long before she reached the car she saw Kanon look away. Tegan tensed beside him, hand fisted as it rested across the armrest on the door. They didn’t say a word when she slipped inside, rolled the engine over, and drove away.
Lennox put a good hour between Aibileen’s neighborhood and them before she pulled over in a Wal-Mart parking lot, her head slumping to rest on the steering wheel. She needed sleep and food. And lots of them both.
Kanon leaned against her chair. “You all right? I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be fine. I just...” She blew out a breath. God. Now what? “Either of you guys got somewhere safe we can go? Hole up somewhere for a night?”
“Besides home?” Tegan shook his head. “No.”
“Family?”
Kanon’s laugh came bitter, sharp. “Lions, honey. Your pack might be mighty glad to see you come home every holiday, but for the cat side of things, not so much.”
Fair enough. Lennox rubbed her forehead and dug out her phone. “Stay here.”
Neither protested as she slipped out of the car, shutting the door between them so she’d have the illusion of privacy. They’d hear. She’d have to cover half the damn parking lot so they wouldn’t, but this had to be good enough. Bree had called once more, probably wondering where the fuck she’d disappeared too.
Kanon was supposed to be an easy snatch and grab. Now how did she explain this? She couldn’t. Lennox punched in the number automatically—it was faster than scrolling through her contacts—and perched up on the hood of her car. It took Mel six rings to answer her damned cell phone.
“I thought I was going to get kicked to voicemail.”
“Cut a woman some slack. I was getting ready for work.” Heels clacked the ground on Mel’s end and Lennox couldn’t help but smile. Her friend danced, served bar, and did show girl renditions for a living. And it made her happy. About all someone could ask for in life. “What’s up?”
Lennox toyed with the hem of her shirt. How was she supposed to bring potential trouble to her best friend’s doorstep? Whoever this was, he’d already slaughtered two wolves and a snake-shifter. He’d have no qualms ripping Melody apart.
“Lennie, you okay?”
A groan stole out of her at the sound of the amused snorts from inside the car. “You’re the only one on the planet who calls me that.”
“Mmhmm. What you calling for? You sound sad.”
“I need a place to stay.”
The high heels stopped clicking and Lennox waited in the silence for Mel to say something, anything. They’d been best friends for as long as she could remember. “You in trouble?”
“Kinda. Yeah. A lot.”
Melody blew out a small huff. “You know where I live. You coming then?”
“Uh.” Lennox fought not to glance back at her car. Just the sight of them might make her change her mind. Shit. She was not going to live this down. “It’s not just me.”
“Is it a man? ‘Cause girl, you’ve been needing a man.”
Lennox rolled her eyes skyward. The boys needed some cheering up, something to make them smile. Comic relief. That was all this was. “So you’ve told me.”
“What’s his name?”
Scrunching her nose she ground out, “Which one?”
“There’s more than one? Is that the kind of trouble you’re in, cause Lennie, seriously. I can fix that real easy. Call one over first, roll around in the hay a bit, and then call the second one. Whoever makes your toes curl...”
“Mel.” The car rocked slightly behind her, but the doors stayed shut. How did she explain that they’d share? That she could have both of them at the same time.
“Are they both hot?” Click-clack, click-clack. A car door opened on the other end and Lennox knew she’d lost her. “Oh, and please don’t let it be that husky you were seeing last winter. Sure he could ski the slopes honey, but any woman could see he
“I’m sorry,” Lennox whispered and slid out the front door, locking it behind her as she went.
They knew. Long before she reached the car she saw Kanon look away. Tegan tensed beside him, hand fisted as it rested across the armrest on the door. They didn’t say a word when she slipped inside, rolled the engine over, and drove away.
Lennox put a good hour between Aibileen’s neighborhood and them before she pulled over in a Wal-Mart parking lot, her head slumping to rest on the steering wheel. She needed sleep and food. And lots of them both.
Kanon leaned against her chair. “You all right? I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be fine. I just...” She blew out a breath. God. Now what? “Either of you guys got somewhere safe we can go? Hole up somewhere for a night?”
“Besides home?” Tegan shook his head. “No.”
“Family?”
Kanon’s laugh came bitter, sharp. “Lions, honey. Your pack might be mighty glad to see you come home every holiday, but for the cat side of things, not so much.”
Fair enough. Lennox rubbed her forehead and dug out her phone. “Stay here.”
Neither protested as she slipped out of the car, shutting the door between them so she’d have the illusion of privacy. They’d hear. She’d have to cover half the damn parking lot so they wouldn’t, but this had to be good enough. Bree had called once more, probably wondering where the fuck she’d disappeared too.
Kanon was supposed to be an easy snatch and grab. Now how did she explain this? She couldn’t. Lennox punched in the number automatically—it was faster than scrolling through her contacts—and perched up on the hood of her car. It took Mel six rings to answer her damned cell phone.
“I thought I was going to get kicked to voicemail.”
“Cut a woman some slack. I was getting ready for work.” Heels clacked the ground on Mel’s end and Lennox couldn’t help but smile. Her friend danced, served bar, and did show girl renditions for a living. And it made her happy. About all someone could ask for in life. “What’s up?”
Lennox toyed with the hem of her shirt. How was she supposed to bring potential trouble to her best friend’s doorstep? Whoever this was, he’d already slaughtered two wolves and a snake-shifter. He’d have no qualms ripping Melody apart.
“Lennie, you okay?”
A groan stole out of her at the sound of the amused snorts from inside the car. “You’re the only one on the planet who calls me that.”
“Mmhmm. What you calling for? You sound sad.”
“I need a place to stay.”
The high heels stopped clicking and Lennox waited in the silence for Mel to say something, anything. They’d been best friends for as long as she could remember. “You in trouble?”
“Kinda. Yeah. A lot.”
Melody blew out a small huff. “You know where I live. You coming then?”
“Uh.” Lennox fought not to glance back at her car. Just the sight of them might make her change her mind. Shit. She was not going to live this down. “It’s not just me.”
“Is it a man? ‘Cause girl, you’ve been needing a man.”
Lennox rolled her eyes skyward. The boys needed some cheering up, something to make them smile. Comic relief. That was all this was. “So you’ve told me.”
“What’s his name?”
Scrunching her nose she ground out, “Which one?”
“There’s more than one? Is that the kind of trouble you’re in, cause Lennie, seriously. I can fix that real easy. Call one over first, roll around in the hay a bit, and then call the second one. Whoever makes your toes curl...”
“Mel.” The car rocked slightly behind her, but the doors stayed shut. How did she explain that they’d share? That she could have both of them at the same time.
“Are they both hot?” Click-clack, click-clack. A car door opened on the other end and Lennox knew she’d lost her. “Oh, and please don’t let it be that husky you were seeing last winter. Sure he could ski the slopes honey, but any woman could see he
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