Violet Forsythe has been through hell.
Her entire family is dead, her daywalker best friend hates her guts, and her vampire boyfriend is giving her the silent treatment all the way from Italy.
But Violet is anything but a quitter, and she has a few...
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It wasn't until a little after 3am when Demetri told Andrei to pull the car over. We were hurdling down the empty highway at an appallingly high speed, deep in the woods in Switzerland. There were still a few more hours left before daylight, which gave us plenty of time to find a spot to wait the day out.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jane asked Demetri coldly as Andrei continued to drive without slowing down.
"I'm interested in enjoying the scenery," Demetri said with a hint of sarcasm, turning in his seat to look at her.
Jane gave him a cold, hard look.
"I need to get something out of my suitcase," I blurted out, understanding that Demetri was trying to lure Andrei out into the woods like we'd discussed. "While we're pulled over, I mean," I added sheepishly when everyone turned to look at me.
"No," Jane said firmly.
"Why?" I protested.
"Because you and Demetri are clearly up to something," Jane said.
"As usual," Alec added sourly.
"Okay? So what?" I asked, annoyed.
"You don't get to conspire on the side," Alec said sharply.
I winced at how harshly he spoke to me.
"I run the missions. Everything goes through me," Jane elaborated.
"Jane. Do you remember that thing that we talked about?" I asked her, being as vague as possible. I knew I was taking a risk alluding to the conversation we had when I confessed to about the murder pact, but I needed her to agree to pull over the car. I just prayed that Demetri wouldn't piece together what I was talking about.
"No," she said stoically.
She was being difficult on purpose.
"Don't be a bitch - you know what I'm talking about," I told her.
"Don't you dare speak to my sister that way," Alec snapped at me, making me flinch.
Jane smiled broadly, obviously very pleased that her brother jumped to her defense.
"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" Demetri asked haughtily.
"That implies that I'm, in fact, speaking to a lady," Alec scoffed.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded hotly.
"No lady would fall under men so quickly," Alec sneered. "Only a common whore would do such a thing."
His comment knocked the wind out of my chest. I felt like I'd been slapped in the face.
My jaw went slack, but I couldn't speak. I was completely floored.
Then, all hell broke loose.
Demetri threw up his arms and snatched Alec by the throat and began to strangle him.
Jane, in response, used her "talent" on Demetri in order to get him off of her brother.
I ripped my seatbelt off and launched myself over the seat in front of me and grabbed Demetri.
"Jane!" I cried, clutching him helplessly. "Stop hurting him!"
Jane grabbed me by the waist and yanked me backward, throwing me back into my seat.
I, of course, fought back with every ounce of energy I could muster.
"Let go of me!" I screamed as I flailed and squirmed against Jane's arms, which were securing me into my seat. "Let go! Let go!" I wailed.
The screaming startled Andrei behind the steering wheel, who unintentionally swerved the car violently.
And he ran us straight into the trunk of a gigantic spruce tree.
