Secrets of the Demon

Chapter 28

I clenched the ragged steering wheel tightly in an effort to keep my hands from shaking. If Rhyzkahl hadn’t woken me, I’d have been killed in my sleep. I didn’t bother worrying about how the demonic lord had known I was in danger. He’d saved my life, no doubt about it.

I didn’t even know where I was going, where I was driving. I glanced down and groaned. And wearing nothing but a T-shirt and undies. Niiiice. And my phone ... I groaned again. Still plugged into the charger by my bed. Oh, extra nice.

And, because bad things come in threes, the red coolant light flickered on as the car began to shudder. I pulled to the shoulder and turned my emergency flashers on, desperately trying to think of anything I might have in my car that was wearable. I needed a tow, and I needed a phone. Because obviously I’d stumbled onto something bad enough to make it worth sending the golem after me. And if one was sent after me, then Zack and Ryan could be targets as well.

I radioed the dispatcher to notify them that I needed a tow and to please have an available unit swing my way. Then, after making sure that there were no cars coming down the highway, I went digging through the trunk of my car for something to preserve what little dignity I had left.

About ten minutes later Scott Glassman pulled up behind my car and got out, frowning at me as I leaned on the trunk of my car. A second later Officer Gordon stepped out of the passenger side, looking at me dubiously. Great, now even the new guy would get to experience Weird Kara.

“Why the hell are you wearing your rain gear?” Scott asked as his gaze swept over the knee-length yellow slicker that I clutched around me.

I gave him a dark glare. “It’s a really long story,” I said, knowing well that I needed to come up with something plausible to explain the extensive damage to the car. And why I was half-naked, barefoot, and forced to dress in a damn rain slicker. “Right now I really need to use your phone.”

He chuckled and passed his cell over to me while I struggled to remember Ryan’s number. I had it stored on my phone, not memorized. “Shit. Do you happen to have Jill’s number?”

Scott had begun walking toward the front of my car. “Yeah, it’s under J for Jill. What the hell did you hit? A concrete post?”

“Something like that,” I muttered as I dialed Jill’s number. A few seconds later I heard her sleepy “hello.”

“Jill, it’s Kara. Yeah, I know it’s two A.M., but I need Zack’s number. And, yes, I know about you two.”

“Yeah,” she said after a couple of seconds. “He told me you knew. Here, talk to him.” I heard a rustling sound then heard, Wake your butt up, Kara sounds freaked.

I did? Great.

“Kara? What’s wrong?” Zack asked.

I lowered my voice and checked to make sure that the two officers were still examining the front of my car. “The golem attacked me at my house. I ran it down with my car and got away, but I broke down on the side of the road. I wanted to warn you and Ryan in case there’s more than one.”

I heard him curse. “Where are you?”

“Highway 1792. I can get a ride over there, though. Make sure Ryan knows, all right?”

“Will do. We’ll talk more when you get here.”

“Why the hell are you wearing a raincoat?” Zack asked when I climbed out of Scott’s car.

Unfortunately, since Officer Gordon had the passenger seat in front, that meant I’d had to ride in the back—usually reserved for prisoners. I could only imagine what Jill’s neighbors were thinking as Gordon opened the back door to release a raincoat-clad woman into their neighborhood.

I thanked the two officers for the ride, then turned back to Zack as Scott drove off.

“Because I was asleep when the damn thing attacked me,” I grumbled, stalking to the door where Jill was waiting. “And apparently my wards only work against living creatures. And I didn’t have time to grab clothing on my way out my bedroom window. And the only options that were in my car to cover my girly parts were my rain gear or a strategically placed gun belt.”

Zack grinned. “I vote for the gun belt,” he said, then laughed as Jill thwapped him on the back of the head. “What?” He put on an innocent expression. “I was merely thinking that she might need her gun to defend herself!”

Jill snickered. “Oh, yes. Always thinking of others!” She turned to head back into the house just as a screech of tires from down the street caught our attention. A heartbeat later a dark blue Crown Victoria hurtled into the driveway, slamming to a stop millimeters from Zack’s car. I stared as Ryan practically flew out of the car and toward me, dressed only in running shorts, a T-shirt, and untied sneakers with no socks.

He stopped and raked a gaze over me, expression relaxing once he determined that I was in one piece. Then he frowned. “Why the fuck are you wearing a raincoat?”

Zack burst out laughing. I turned to Jill with a pleading look. She draped an arm over my shoulder and gave me a comforting squeeze. “Poor Kara. C’mon, I’m sure I have something you can wear that doesn’t make you look like a sex offender.”

“I’m still voting for the gun belt!” Zack called after us as we headed inside.