Anna tried to ignore how Rhys was watching her as she analyzed the artwork. Her head was cocked to the side as she stared at a colourful abstract painting. They were the only two in the room, except for the security guard that was wandering through the exhibits. Rhys was busy watching Anna and was ignoring the paintings on the wall.
Anna only looked over at him when she heard his cell phone ring. Rhys sighed as he pulled the phone out of his jacket and placed it against his ear. Anna returned to looking back at the art and she listened to the one side of the conversation.
"What, Drew?" Rhys asked.
Anna could hear Drew's voice on the other end of the phone, but she could not make out what he was saying. Rhys shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You have got to be kidding me," Rhys said. "We drove halfway across Canada for nothing?"
Anna's eyes widened as she looked over at Rhys. Did Jonathan track down their location already? He was smart, their grandmother had trained them well, but how could he find them so fast? She really was going to be on the run forever.
"Where are you?" Rhys asked. "Have you called Hux and Calvin yet?"
Anna chewed on her lip. Rhys said they would always be on the run, but the Nightingales were not even giving them the chance to rest. It was hard to believe that this would be her eternity.
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes," Rhys said. "Try not to fuck anyone else while you wait for us."
Anna raised an eyebrow as Rhys shoved the phone back into his pocket. His last statement did not align with her thinking.
"What is going on?" Anna asked. "Do hunters already know where we are?"
"What? No." Rhys shook his head. "Drew was just caught having sex with Sybil by her husband. We have to find somewhere new to stay."
Anna's heart sank in her chest when she thought about a husband coming home to find his wife having an affair. Watching Drew and Sybil making out in the kitchen was one thing, but having a full-blown affair was different. Maybe she should have let Drew know she saw them. That could have made him rethink his actions.
"Let's go," Rhys said. "We have to meet him in a parking lot down the street."
"What about our stuff?" Anna asked.
Her stomach clenched. Her grandmother's notebook was in her duffel bag. If Sybil saw that, she would surely tell the others that Anna was a Nightingale.
"Drew got all of our bags before leaving Sybil's," Rhys said. "Come with me, sweetheart."
Rhys held out his hand, and without thinking, Anna reached out and grabbed it. They took a few steps before she realized what she had done. She tried to pull away, but Rhys tightened his grip. She could not convince herself to try and yank her arm away from Rhys again.
Anna stayed quiet as they walked out of the art gallery. The cold wind bit at Anna's skin as they stepped outside. She buried her face down into her scarf as they went down the sidewalk. She let Rhys guide her through the city until they came to an empty parking lot. Only a few cars were parked, and she could see Rhys's car in the middle. Drew was leaning against the car with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood straighter when he saw them, and his eyes glanced down to Anna and Rhys's intertwined fingers.
"Don't be mad," Drew said.
"I'm not mad," Rhys said. "I'm infuriated."
"Richard was supposed to be at work!"
"You should have not slept with our host. We have been together for the last sixty hours in a small car. You are lucky that I am not beheading you right now."
Drew rolled his eyes. There was a sharp whistle, and Rhys and Anna looked behind themselves. Calvin and Huxley were walking toward the car. Huxley had two fingers in his mouth and let out another whistle.
"There's our stud," Huxley said. "Did you do the dirty? How far did you get?"
"Hux, this is no time for jokes," Rhys said.
"Who's joking?" Huxley asked. "I'm a blabber-mouth. I like to know the details."
"Can we crash at a hotel?" Calvin asked. "I will probably murder all of you if I have to get back into that car."
Rhys was no longer paying attention to Anna, so she was able to pull her hand out of his. He glared at her before looking over at Calvin.
"Maybe for one night," Rhys said. "At least until we find another place to go."
"Any ideas?" Huxley asked. "I'd prefer a place where Drew is not going to bang someone."
"Let's stop talking about my sex life," Drew said.
Anna bit down on her lip to stop herself from giggling. Rhys held out his hand and Drew passed over the keys to the car.
"I don't know," Rhys said. "I really do not feel like turning around and going back out West."
Anna groaned when she thought about being crammed into that small car with the four other vampires. She did not want to live like this for the rest of her life. She did not want to be running away from her family and fearing her murder.
"What about Niagara Falls?" Anna said without thinking.
"Niagara?" Huxley raised an eyebrow. "I could go for some sightseeing."
"Why would you want to go to Niagara Falls, Anna?" Drew asked.
"Alice mentioned Niagara Falls when we were leaving," she said. "She said a bunch of vampires were banding together. They were hoping to overcome the hunters."
Calvin chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Not a bad idea, Blondie," he said. "I would enjoy killing a couple of Nightingales. I know Rhys would personally love to rip Jonathan's head off."
Anna swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. The thought of her brother dying a horrible death hit her with a wave of nausea. She had to remember that he would kill her if he knew the truth. Anna's eyes darted over to Huxley, and only he could tell that she was feeling uneasy.
"Alice has been texting me and trying to persuade us to go down there," Rhys said.
"So why is this just becoming an idea now then?" Calvin asked. "Thanks for keeping us in the loop."
"Because I don't want any of us getting hurt," Rhys said.
"Correction," Calvin said. "You don't want Blondie getting hurt."
"Well, she's one of us."
"I don't know how you guys have spent hundreds of years on the run," Anna said. "It's been two weeks and I'm already tired of this."
"You may have been able to kick Alice's ass," Rhys said, "but you are not ready to take on a group of Nightingales."
Anna glanced back over at Huxley. Rhys cleared his throat, and she turned to look at him. He was raising an eyebrow. Anna and Huxley's friendship always bothered him, but he was starting to seem suspicious. Anna flashed him a smile to try and ease his worries.
"Don't worry about me," Anna said. "I want to take part in it."
Rhys crossed his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at Anna.
"I am not sure," he said.
"Let's go to a hotel then," Calvin said. "Gives us time to think this all over."
Calvin pushed past Rhys and climbed into the backseat of the car. They all stayed silent as they exchanged glances. Huxley shrugged and took a step forward.
"I guess I'm sitting in the middle again," Huxley said.
He climbed into the back of the car. Drew followed Huxley into the car. Rhys uncrossed his arms and bit down on his lip.
"We'll talk about this at the hotel," Rhys said.
"So we're going to Niagara Falls?" Anna asked.
"Yes," he said. "However, you are not fighting."
Anna rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but Rhys held out his hand and she did not say a word.
"We are not fighting about this here," he said. "Now, get in the car."
Anna lowered her head as she followed his orders and walked around to the other side of the car. She climbed into the passenger seat. Calvin and Huxley were arguing over leg room. She looked behind her to see Drew was staring out the window while he was deep in thought.
Rhys waited a minute before getting into the car. Huxley and Calvin silenced their fighting after Rhys glared at them. They drove out of the empty parking lot in silence.