Derik's Bane by Davidson Maryjanice

Author:Davidson, Maryjanice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2010-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

18

THEY WERE STILL DEBATING THE MERITS OF LOVE-MAKING—OR not—when he pulled up to the Kwik N’ Go. “Gotta use the phone,” he explained.

“How?”

“Huh?”

“The phone,” Sara said. She still reeked strongly of bug spray, but driving around for hours with the windows open had alleviated some of the damage. At least he could think about kissing her without gagging—a crucial step. And the wind had tossed her curls around and around; she looked like an adorable red dandelion. “You can’t use your cell phone, for obvious reasons. But how are you paying for a phone call to the Cape from here? You can’t use your credit card.”

“Oh.”

“And you can’t call from the safe house?”

“They’d hear me anywhere in the house,” he admitted.

“Oh. Creepy. I suppose calling collect is out of the question?”

“Only if you don’t mind a bunch of werewolves tracking you down.”

“Okay, well, let’s try this.” She hopped out of the truck and walked up to the pay phone on the sidewalk. “This works for me sometimes,” she explained over her shoulder. “I used pay phones a lot before I got my cell, and it usually worked out.”

She picked up the receiver, listened, then asked, “What’s the number?”

He told her.

She tapped in the number, listened, then handed him the phone. “It’s ringing.”

He took the receiver from her, staring. It was ringing. “Won’t it ask me for change, or—”

“Wyndham residence.”

“Oh, hi, Moira. Listen—”

“Derik! Hey, where the hell are you? How’s it going? Are you okay? Michael’s been going out of his mind, here! Me, too,” she added.

“Tracking her down has been a little harder than I thought,” he said with a nervous glance at Sara. Thank God, thank God Moira wasn’t anywhere near him. She’d smell a lie, and then kick his ass righteous. He’d deserve it, too. He couldn’t remember ever lying before. It was a waste of time in the Pack. It made him feel like a real rat turd now. “But I’m closing in. Just wanted to let everyone know I’m okay. Got that? I’m okay, everything’s fine right now. Tell Mike, okay?”

“Okay, honey. Things out here are fine, too. We’re basically hanging around, waiting to get the word, you know? So you take care of yourself, okay?”

“Sure. Um, patch me through to Antonia?”

“Sure. She’s had a migraine since you left,” Moira warned, which made Derik cringe—Antonia was a bear when she was feeling fine—“so I’m not sure she’ll be good company, to put it very, very mildly, but here she comes, so hold on to your fur.” There was a click as he was put on hold.

“I guess this phone’s screwed up,” he said to Sara. “It’s not asking for change or anything.”

“Guess so,” she replied, looking smug.

“You’re scary,” he said, and then, “Hello?”

“What are you doing? Owww!” Antonia complained. “My head, goddamn it!”

“Well, don’t yell if you’ve got a migraine,” he said reasonably. “Listen, Antonia—”

“You chimp, what the hell are you doing?”

“Saving the world,” he replied shortly. “My own way. And don’t call me that.”

“But she’s right there!”

“Duh.

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