The Dream Crafter(24)

Laire snorted as she began the fast walk needed to catch up to Fallon. “Don’t think you’re getting off that cheap. Dealing with Griffith? You’re buying me a whiskey neat – and I’m talking the good stuff.”





Chapter Thirteen




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Amana had long ago exhausted counting cars, humming songs, playing Can I find a license plate from every state? and anything else she could think of to distract her from the roar of thoughts and fears storming around in her head.

Merc said nothing, had said nothing from the moment he put the car in drive. He pulled her around for three difference car swaps, the final one he had swapped a license plate with another car of the exact same make and model. Right now they were in a minivan, and on the bumpy, backwoods road they were travelling, the car’s lack of suspension was bruising.

She hazarded a quick glance at the quiet man. Merc drove with only his right hand, while his left elbow rested on the car door, that hand hanging loose. He appeared assured, in control, emotionless – the opposite of all that she was right now. She wanted to scream and kick at the door, demanding to be let out. The only sign of his possible anxiety was the way his eyes flickered back and forth, jumping between the mirrors every few seconds.

The silence was too much. There was no lying to herself – she was in a dangerous position. But the last thing she wanted was this pulled out, stretching her nerves and her sanity. Whatever would be done, let it be done. With that in mind, she broke the silence. “What are you going to do to me?

He didn’t physically acknowledge her, but he at least answered the question. “I don’t have a standard way of dealing with people who betray me. Most people are smart enough not to.” His voice was ice, no emotion in the tone even as the words used conveyed personal hurt.

She flinched, her own guilt rising again to beat at her. “I didn’t want to.”

“Somehow, I knew that would be your answer.”

“I’m serious, please.” Even if he wouldn’t believe her, even if this was going to end in her death, she wanted him to know the truth. “Please, I’m not Guild. I’m not one of them. This is the first time I have ever dealt with them.”

He said nothing, only took a sharp right turn with no hesitation, the same type of easy assurance a racecar driver would show. If it came to a high-speed chase, she could see him doing the same type of maneuvers that were common in the movies. “Who are you? What’s your name?”

“Amana. I’m not Guild,” she repeated, and a sudden desperate wish rose up in her, a desire to see him upset, mad at her, yell at her, something that told her their nighttime visits had meant to him what they meant to her, and that this situation was destroying him the same way it destroyed her. “I never wanted to betray you.”

That got a slight tightening of his hand around the wheel but nothing else. “The fact is you did. Wanting to or not doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t you want to know why?”

“No. Not really.”

Whether the words were said because of anger or indifference or something else didn’t matter. He was going to hear the truth. “I only did it to save my brother. The Guild came to me and said if I helped them, they would get my brother free. That’s the only reason I helped them. But you have to understand something. Those first two visits, those weren’t because of the Guild. Those were you and me finding each other.”

“I really don’t want to hear it,” he said, the snap of anger in his voice a crack through the air, contained but undeniable. “I don’t care to hear you anymore. Stay quiet before I decide to silence you.”

If that threat was real or not was impossible to predict. He was controlled anger now, and it was apparent he didn’t believe her. The man from the dreams wouldn’t hurt her, but this was not that man.

A few more minutes of silence as they rode. The sky had been going through a gradual darkening, but in these last minutes total darkness descended.

The tip of his right middle finger beat a drum on the wheel of the car. His long bangs covered his eyes, stopping her from seeing any feelings or thoughts. All she could do was wait as he came to a decision.

After long moments, he spoke. “We’re stopping for the night. Don’t make a sound or attract attention to yourself in any way.” He looked over at her for the first time of the ride. “I will silence you if you try.”

“Yes.” Of that, she had no doubt.

“You can have the first sleep shift.”

“You’re going to let me sleep?” She wished she could take back the question the moment she asked him. Red in front of the bull, and she kept waving as hard as she could whether she meant to or not.