Truce and Lies

Chapter 13: everything changed

"What the hell!" Stefa demanded, wrenching her hand away from my grasp.

"Jackson told me they were never going to let you back on the council," I told her. "They were going to kill you, Stefa."

"Well, you should have told me instead of ordering me about!" she snapped. "We had plenty of time this morning. You could have said something on any number of occasions."

"What would that have changed?" I asked sharply. "Tell me, Stefa. What would have been the plan? You would have gotten both of us killed. I had Jackson call a driver and now we're out of there."

"Yes, why did you help?" she questioned, turning to Jackson.

He gaped at me and then at Stefa. I had order him not to tell anyone, so I loosened my tie, peeling back my collar to show the bite mark Jackson had left on my neck. Stefa became very still and her eyes shifted to a dark red as she wheeled on Jackson. Lacy put her hands over her face in fear. I touched Stefa's arm.

"He tried to kill me this morning. But the two of us are past it, or at least we're even now. Please let it go, Stefa."

"But..."

I pulled Stefa into my arms, and she held me tightly, burying her face in my chest. Jackson let out a sigh.

"Thanks Paul," he said. "How are we on gas?"

"Fine," Paul replied. "So...I take it we're not going back to the hotel?"

"No," Jackson snorted. "God. We'd be murdered before we made it inside. New York's too far; Stefa, how many people know where you live? And by people I mean vampires who want to kill us."

"The farmhouse?" she inquired, lifting her head up. "Um, none, as far as I know. But Helen knew a lot about my clan; someone is talking."

"Yeah, we have hours yet and we'll call everyone we can," Jackson promised. "Also, Conor. Damn. I take back nearly every rude thing I've said about you. You are hard-core going toe-to-toe with Juan and winning. Nobody saw that coming."

"He should have," I grumbled.

"Hold up, this human in my car just fought Juan?" Paul asked. "Dude. That guy is scary."

"Was scary," Jackson corrected. "He's probably dead now."

"Damn," Paul whistled.

Stefa shuddered and let out a sigh. "I don't have my phone on me," she said. "Jack, can I borrow yours?"

"Paul, lend the lady your phone, will you?" Jackson requested of his driver. "I, apparently, have to tell my whole clan to go underground. Thank god Reece's clan is in between Juan's and mine. They'll be on the warpath for sure."

Paul reached back to hand Stefa his phone. She scooted away from me, beginning the process of texting or calling her lieutenants. I knew that I had made life very complicated for us, but we were at least alive for the complications.

"Are you really immune?" Lacy asked me.

"Yes," I replied.

"Were the hunters really so bad?" she pressed.

"Some of them," I answered.

"I'd always wondered," she mused. "You know the movies and shows always make them like, these rugged do-gooders with a tragic past. But they're government employees. They're like postmen, but with guns and knives instead of the mail."

"That's quite the analogy," Jackson laughed, setting his phone down "Okay. Cathy is going to call the rest of the clan and get them to safety. We're headed that way ourselves. Stefa, what's that look for?"