Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance by Tara Shuler Page B
Authors: Tara Shuler
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wants you to be safe.”
“I never thought you’d be telling me good
things about a hunter!” I said, chuckling at the
irony.
“He’s not like any hunter I’ve ever heard of,”
Mother admitted. “He’s a good guy.”
“I know,” I agreed. “I’m going to go check my
email. Check in later.”
“Okay, honey,” Mother said. “Bye.”
I hung up and looked at my computer, but I
had no new messages. This was maddening. How
could I possibly just sit around and do nothing?
Around noon, Kai decided to take a shower. I
felt guilty. After what had just happened between
us, he was taking a sideline while I worried about
Max – a guy he couldn’t stand, and who wanted
to take me away from him. Not only that, but I
should be doing more to help Max, a guy who
had saved us all more than once. I felt like the
worst person in the world.
Max had said he was in Alabama. Maybe I
could get there before Jamie. If I slipped out
now, they wouldn’t have time to catch up with
me. I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit
around and do nothing – not after all Max had
done for me.
Before I left, I sent an email to Max with just
one word:
Lake.
I quietly packed my laptop and slipped out the
door. I had no money and no car, but I had a plan.
I called a taxi from the motel’s office, and when
it arrived, I asked the driver to take me to the
nearest pawnshop.
I pawned my computer for $400. I was
desperately hoping it would be enough to get me
where I was going. I hoped Max would get my
email in time, and I hoped he would get there in
time. All these things I had to hope for, but one
thing I didn’t. I knew Max would know what I
meant with that one word.
My one-way plane ticket cost $275. That left
me enough to take a taxi home. Once there, I
could get my phone so I could contact him, and I
would take Kai’s car so I could meet Max at the
lake.
On the plane trip, my mind was reeling. Kai
would be feeling betrayed and frightened, and
Max would probably be furious. I couldn’t think
about all of that. I tried to push it out of my
mind. All I cared about was making sure Max
was safe.
Hours later, I had a taxi drop me off a block
from my house. I didn’t know if the hunters
might be watching it, because I had no idea if
they knew who I was or where I lived. I surveyed
the house and surrounding neighborhood
carefully before I went home. Nothing seemed
amiss.
I found my phone inside the house, along with
the rest of my things. I grabbed my bags, along
with Kai’s, Will’s, and my mother’s, along with
Kai’s painting, and I squeezed them all into the
truck and backseat of Kai’s car. I located his keys
inside the pocket of his coat where they always
were, and I jumped in his car and sped toward the
lake.
I was about a mile from the old drive-in when
my phone rang. The sudden noise startled me,
and the car lurched. I pulled into a parking lot
and fumbled for my phone, which had fallen into
the floorboard and slid underneath the
passenger’s seat. I got out of the car to stretch my
legs and answered.
“Hello?”
“Alice!” I heard Kai yell. “Where are you?”
“It’s probably best I don’t tell you,” I told him.
“I don’t want to risk any of you getting
involved.”
“Involved in what?” he shouted. “Alice,
please. Tell me where you are so I can come get
you.”
I could hear the dread in his voice.
“It’s fine, Kai,” I said. “I’m fine. Don’t worry
about me.”
“How can I not?” he said, his voice breaking.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?
I’ve been emailing you and calling you all day!”
“I know,” I said meekly. “I’m sorry. I would
have left you a note, but I didn’t want you to try
to follow me.”
“Have you heard from Max?” he asked.
“No, why?”
“Jamie says she hasn’t heard from him all
day,” he replied.
If a freight train had crashed into me at that
exact moment,
“I never thought you’d be telling me good
things about a hunter!” I said, chuckling at the
irony.
“He’s not like any hunter I’ve ever heard of,”
Mother admitted. “He’s a good guy.”
“I know,” I agreed. “I’m going to go check my
email. Check in later.”
“Okay, honey,” Mother said. “Bye.”
I hung up and looked at my computer, but I
had no new messages. This was maddening. How
could I possibly just sit around and do nothing?
Around noon, Kai decided to take a shower. I
felt guilty. After what had just happened between
us, he was taking a sideline while I worried about
Max – a guy he couldn’t stand, and who wanted
to take me away from him. Not only that, but I
should be doing more to help Max, a guy who
had saved us all more than once. I felt like the
worst person in the world.
Max had said he was in Alabama. Maybe I
could get there before Jamie. If I slipped out
now, they wouldn’t have time to catch up with
me. I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit
around and do nothing – not after all Max had
done for me.
Before I left, I sent an email to Max with just
one word:
Lake.
I quietly packed my laptop and slipped out the
door. I had no money and no car, but I had a plan.
I called a taxi from the motel’s office, and when
it arrived, I asked the driver to take me to the
nearest pawnshop.
I pawned my computer for $400. I was
desperately hoping it would be enough to get me
where I was going. I hoped Max would get my
email in time, and I hoped he would get there in
time. All these things I had to hope for, but one
thing I didn’t. I knew Max would know what I
meant with that one word.
My one-way plane ticket cost $275. That left
me enough to take a taxi home. Once there, I
could get my phone so I could contact him, and I
would take Kai’s car so I could meet Max at the
lake.
On the plane trip, my mind was reeling. Kai
would be feeling betrayed and frightened, and
Max would probably be furious. I couldn’t think
about all of that. I tried to push it out of my
mind. All I cared about was making sure Max
was safe.
Hours later, I had a taxi drop me off a block
from my house. I didn’t know if the hunters
might be watching it, because I had no idea if
they knew who I was or where I lived. I surveyed
the house and surrounding neighborhood
carefully before I went home. Nothing seemed
amiss.
I found my phone inside the house, along with
the rest of my things. I grabbed my bags, along
with Kai’s, Will’s, and my mother’s, along with
Kai’s painting, and I squeezed them all into the
truck and backseat of Kai’s car. I located his keys
inside the pocket of his coat where they always
were, and I jumped in his car and sped toward the
lake.
I was about a mile from the old drive-in when
my phone rang. The sudden noise startled me,
and the car lurched. I pulled into a parking lot
and fumbled for my phone, which had fallen into
the floorboard and slid underneath the
passenger’s seat. I got out of the car to stretch my
legs and answered.
“Hello?”
“Alice!” I heard Kai yell. “Where are you?”
“It’s probably best I don’t tell you,” I told him.
“I don’t want to risk any of you getting
involved.”
“Involved in what?” he shouted. “Alice,
please. Tell me where you are so I can come get
you.”
I could hear the dread in his voice.
“It’s fine, Kai,” I said. “I’m fine. Don’t worry
about me.”
“How can I not?” he said, his voice breaking.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?
I’ve been emailing you and calling you all day!”
“I know,” I said meekly. “I’m sorry. I would
have left you a note, but I didn’t want you to try
to follow me.”
“Have you heard from Max?” he asked.
“No, why?”
“Jamie says she hasn’t heard from him all
day,” he replied.
If a freight train had crashed into me at that
exact moment,
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