Hunting Tess by Kathryn Summers (best novels to read in english .TXT) 📗

she questions, her voice sounding more metallic letting me know I’m on speaker phone.

Licking my lips to moisten them, I wish I had either drank more water at the restaurant or had the foresight to put my water bottle in the car. “They found me. It isn’t safe for you two there. Maybe go to the mountains for a little while.”

“We will do no such thing,” my father’s voice rumbles and I can imagine the stubborn look on his face. “Addams do not run from oncoming danger. We face it.”

“But—”

“Your case was different. Are you coming home?”

“Tomorrow,” I breathe out in acceptance. Guilt of running has gnawed at me off and on over the years, and while I have been vigilant about staying hidden in Boulder, I must admit it has been nice taking a break from constantly battling evil. But all vacations must come to an end. “There’s something I need to take care of first.”

“Good. Stay smart and alert.”

“Keep the doors locked.”

“We always do.”

After getting off the phone I see Nathan itching to get in a word before anything else distracts me. So, like the well-adjusted adult I am, I made another call.

“Tess, I was just about to call—”

“There’s a problem,” I start to explain before a heavy sigh comes through the speakers, that one sigh telling me Eliza already knows what I am about to say.

“They found you,” Eliza whispers, and it isn’t hard to imagine the tears forming in my best friends’ eyes.

“I just don’t understand how—”

“Sam is dead.”

It’s as if the air is sucked from the car and my head feels light. A faint buzzing starts ringing somewhere in the back of my head and my body goes on autopilot.

“I’m so sorry Tess,” she chokes, her voice breaking. “He didn’t want our protection anymore and I can’t blame him. He’s been looking over his shoulder for three years. Three years! That’s too long for anyone to be followed around even if we were friends. He wanted to move on with his life.”

My mind races through memories of my time at Hillbrook Academy. The private school was weighted with expectations for someone like me, but Sam was normal. He and I were always paired up as dancing partners, and though we never went further than friendship I definitely had a special place for him in my heart. He is the one who helped me escape from Dmitri and Viktor, escape from those trying to get rid of me.

I begged him to let Eliza and Ben watch out for him. He and Ben became roommates at Utah State, because Dmitri and Viktor would never confront Eliza and Ben. They are too strong. But they could get to Sam. And they did.

“Where?”

“His body washed up from the river yesterday. Ben had a warning, but he was too late.” Even now I can picture one of Ben’s ancestors appearing, warning him of the murder about to be committed. His ancestors, though many times only materializing to deliver a message, also have a proactive streak involving drums, mysterious wind appearing from nowhere, and the ability to scare the heebie-jeebies out of anyone in a very physical way.

I’ll need to send flowers to Sam’s mother. It’s the only thing I can do.

“But where are you?” Eliza demands, returning to the problem at hand. “Are you okay? Ben and I should be there in about two hours. Stay inside until we get there.”

“You’ve been driving for six hours? And it’ll be fine. The situation is being dealt with,” I say, trying to shake off the melancholy before a deafening thud rams into the passenger side door nearly sending us careening into oncoming traffic. Sharply swerving to avoid a rather nasty incident, my head lights catch the tail end of a figure as it darts back into the cover of thick trees.

“Drive faster, Ben,” I hear Eliza’s muted voice say before the phone returns to her ear. “We’ll meet you at your apartment.”

“I was out when we were ambushed.” My eyes flicker to a silent Nathan who looks pale even in the darkness. “Yes, there is someone with me, no, you do not need to come. I’ll be fine.”

Fervent whispers come through the speakers but even with my heightened hearing I can’t make out all the words.

“We haven’t driven all this way just to turn back. Stay safe and we’ll see you soon.” The phone cuts off before I have any chance to persuade the two that I’ll be as safe as possible before Nathan explodes.

“Ten minutes is up,” Nathan gushes so quickly I can’t help but think he may have skipped one or two words. “Who were those men where are we going how did you learn to punch like that and why—”

“First of all,” I interject, much to his frustration. “This is a long and complicated story. Once you hear it you cannot unhear it. Are you sure you want to know? Because this isn’t something you can safely walk away from.”

Spending all of half a second making his decision, I worry he didn’t take enough time weighing the risks.

Taking the next rarely used off-ramp, I slow my speed only enough to safely make a left turn. My body yanks against the seat belt cutting into my stomach and I hear Nathan smack into the window. Increasing my speed once more, I search the surrounding trees for any more nasty surprises running in the night.

“You know I went to a private school growing up,” I start. “What you don’t know is that this school taught not only prodigies in the Arts, but kids with . . . abnormal talents. Some of those kids fought to keep the peace while others tried to destroy it. It’s the classic good versus evil.”

A disbelieving scoff from the passenger side clams my lips and I find it easier to simply not talk. If he doesn’t believe this, the simplest part of the story, there is no way he’ll take anything else seriously. After a moment