Mortal Defiance by Nichole Chase Page B

darted through the door when the Dark One held it open.
    His BMW was already idling; the heater had thankfully warmed the cold leather seats. Pulling out of the parking lot like he was driving a race car, Roland made the car’s tires squeal. Ree grabbed the bar on the car door and hung on for dear life. It was only minutes before Roland pulled his car up to the curb at Ree’s house. They hadn’t spoken since leaving the shop, and Ree had divided her attention between the clock on the dashboard and silent prayers that they didn’t wreck. Now that she was home and had a few minutes before she was late, she wondered what she should say.
    “Uh, thanks for the ride.” She unbuckled her seat belt and offered him a tentative smile. “I appreciate you getting me home on time.”
    “Anytime, Ree.” Half-lidded eyes met hers, and she knew that he was considering something. “Shall I drive you to Sophie’s in the morning? Or would you rather let the girls pick you up?”
    “Probably best if I ride with the girls so that my parents aren’t suspicious.”
    “Well, then. I will see you tomorrow morning.”
    “Should I leave the window unlocked?” Blushing, Ree looked down at her hands. “You know, in case you need to come in for something? That way you won’t accidently wake up my parents?”
    “That would be… appreciated.”
    Grabbing the handle, Ree opened the car door and stepped out. “Thanks.”
    “Nothing to thank me for, Ree. I am happy to help you.”
    Smiling, Ree closed the door, ran to her house, and jammed her key into the lock. The door opened before she had finished turning the lock and she almost fell into her father.
    “Cutting it close, sweet potato.”
    “Sorry, Dad. It took longer than we thought.” Ree took her jacket off and hung it carefully on the coatrack. Sitting on the bench near the door, Ree pulled her shoes off and checked to make sure the sequined flowers were unharmed.
    “Well, try to keep it down. Your mother is finally getting some sleep.” Turning, he headed down the short hallway toward the kitchen. “I’ve got some leftovers on the counter. I wasn’t sure if you had eaten.” As if to answer him, Ree’s stomach growled loudly. Chuckling, her father pointed at the barstool in front of the kitchen island, where there was fried chicken and mashed potatoes.
    “So, how was work?” Picking up one of the spoons on the counter, Ree scooped a heaping amount of potatoes into her mouth.
    “Actually, I stayed home with your mother today.” Leaning on the island across from Ree, her father grabbed the other spoon and helped himself to some of the potatoes as well. “I guess we should be grateful for her odd cooking obsession. These potatoes are delicious.”
    “Yeah, but Dad, you can’t take off a lot from work. What about tomorrow?”
    Grabbing some chicken from the platter, her father put a piece on a plate and pushed it toward her. “You let me worry about my job. I have some floating holidays I haven’t used and your mom needs me more right now.”
    Ree pulled a piece of chicken off and popped it in her mouth. She couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her as she chewed. Silence descended on the kitchen as they polished off the leftovers. When she was finished, Ree rinsed her plate in the sink before kissing her dad on the head.
    “What’s that for?” Smiling, her father turned to look at her.
    “Nothing. Just love you.” Ree shrugged.
    “Love you, too.” Standing up, he grabbed the platter off the island and headed for the sink. “Go on to bed, I’ll take care of the rest of the mess.”
    “Thanks, Dad.” Grateful to skip the cleanup, Ree grabbed her backpack off the ground and headed for her room. Pulling the rubber band out of her hair, she walked into her room and almost screamed.
    “What’s gotten into you?” Roland was lying on her bed, her favorite book open next to him.
    Closing the door behind her, she fumbled with the lock and took a deep breath