Chapter 8

Jo brought her bike to a stop next to the SUV a few minutes before 8:00. Everything worth bringing with her was in the backpack strapped to her back, or in one of the many holsters she had hidden on her person--at least she hoped they were hidden. She hadn’t gotten too many questioning looks on her ride over, but then, there weren’t many people up this time of day either. When you had to stay up most of the night to make sure you weren’t some monster’s late night snack, you tended to sleep in.

No one was stirring near the SUV, which looked more beat up in the daylight than it had the night before. She walked around it, wondering where the rest of the family might be and noticed a few dents on the driver’s side that could’ve been popped back into place easy enough. She vaguely remembered the days of Lamborghinis and jet planes but didn’t let her mind stay there too long. There was no use thinking about what used to be.

The sound of Zane’s hog pulling into the parking lot had her coming back around to the trailer hooked up to the back of the vehicle. He didn't hesitate to load his bike right on, and Jo wondered what resolve he had that she hadn’t found yet. “Morning, beautiful,” he called, cutting the engine. Talking about beat up--his bike wasn’t in much better shape than the SUV, but he loved that ride, and she wasn’t about to suggest he trade it in or leave it behind.

“Morning. I don’t know where the hell they are.”

He shrugged, slinging his leg over the bike and coming down off of the ramp like it was no big deal. “Maybe they got hung up.”

She nodded. Using her IAC to call her uncle or brother was an option; so was her cell phone, but she didn’t want to seem so eager. She looked back toward the Best Western, listening for any sounds of engagement but heard nothing but the cars on the highway.

“Toss me your keys?”

With a sigh, Jo fished her keys out of her pocket, not sure she wanted to see her bike loaded up on the trailer. Not that she’d ever leave it behind. That bike had been her mom’s at one point, and even though it had over 300,000 miles on it now, it was still faster than shit. Zane knew that, and he took care loading it onto the trailer, making sure both bikes were secure before he closed up the ramp and double checked their babies weren’t going anywhere.

She noticed his backpack was a little fuller than hers and chalked that up to him living in these parts his whole life, though she knew it was probably because he had more attachments than she did. Jo checked her watch, glad he was standing next to her, but not wanting to make small talk. That was the thing about Zane. He knew her well enough not to force her into chit chatting when it was obvious she really just wanted everyone to leave her the hell alone.

At 8:05, he said, “It’s not like your aunt to be late, is it?”

“No, not at all.”

“IAC?”

Jo shrugged and looked back to the motel. Obviously, they were going to know she was there when they walked out of the establishment, so she wasn’t sure why she cared so much if they found out she was waiting on them before they saw her. Maybe she thought they might change their minds and not want her to come. Maybe they were standing in the lobby now, looking at her, waiting for her to go so they could come out and drive back across the country without her.

“Jo?” Zane questioned, his tone that sympathetic one people used when they were trying to remind her that they knew her mom was gone without coming out and saying, “Hey, I’m sorry about what happened to your mom, and I’m super sorry you’re so fucked up because of it.”

“Fine,” she said, taking a deep breath and clicking her IAC on. But before she could make contact with Elliott, sirens lit up the parking lot, pouring in from the two entrances across from them, as at least ten police cars pulled to screeching stops on the back side of the hotel, leaving only the entrance she and Zane had used as a viable escape. “Shit!” Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good.

Gunfire erupted on the far side of the building, and before she knew what was happening, Zane dove to the driver’s side door of the SUV. It was locked, but that didn’t stop him. He had it open in seconds, ducking down below the dashboard.

“What are you doing? You can’t hotwire it. It’s too new for that.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start it!”

She had no idea how he managed it, but a few seconds later, the engine fired up, and Jo dove into the back seat, all thoughts that it would’ve been quicker to get their bikes down and get the hell out of there leaving her mind as Zane hit the gas pedal.

But he wasn’t headed for the exit. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Tell them we’re coming!”

“What?” He didn’t answer, though, only steered the SUV around the corner of the hotel. Gunfire hit the passenger side, and Jo ducked. Even though the bullets couldn’t kill her unless those cops happened to be Vampires, which she doubted, she didn’t want to eat lead for breakfast.

Over her IAC, she managed to send an urgent message to Elliott that they were coming around the corner, but by the time he would’ve been able to respond, she could see him. Her whole family, backpacks on or in hand, lined up on the sidewalk outside the second story walkway, shooting back at the cops. Jo pulled her Glock out of its holster and kicked through the passenger side door, opening fire as Zane stood and pulled himself through the driver’s side window, doing the same. Four distinct thunks sounded behind her, and Jo knew that was the sound of her family members landing next to the SUV.

“Go! Go! Go!” Cass shouted as Jo pulled herself back inside the SUV, and Zane threw the vehicle into reverse, managing to spin around without throwing the bikes off of the trailer.

The cops continued to fire after them, other lights coming into view ahead of them and to the left, but Zane’s foot was on the gas, and he managed to squeeze out of the parking lot, tires squealing, as the police cars careened to a halt in order to avoid a collision. A few seconds later, they were in pursuit, but even the police didn’t have the same power their souped up engine had, and soon enough the red and blue lights faded into the distance.

“Ha! Ha!” Elliott laughed, slamming his hand on the roof of the SUV before he rolled the window up and turned back around. “That was some driving!” Jo realized she was practically sitting on her brother’s lap which disgusted her, so she flopped over the seat to the back, glad to see it was Brandon in the way-back and not Cassidy. “Who the hell are you anyway?” Elliott asked Zane, and Jo hid her snicker.

“Zane O’Braonian,” he said offering one hand while he drove with the other.

Elliott looked at it for a second and then shook it, looking back at Jo with a huge question mark hanging over his head as Cadon said, “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

Zane caught her eyes in the rearview mirror, and Jo looked away. She had a little bit of explaining to do… to both parties. But not now. Now, she would just let them be happy they’d invited her.