Just Another Job

Backseat Seduction

I know it's shortish, and I'm sorry! But I felt like I had to give y'all something, so here you go. Big stuff happening in the next chapter that I think you'll like!

The picture on the side is of Jo

"Get the car!" I bellowed at Ian. I was still trapped under Jo's lithe body. Without a questioning glance, Ian raced out of sight to fetch his beloved piece of machinery. Jo pushed herself off of me, staying low to avoid any more bullets.

"Shit, I didn't expect Harting to be here so soon!"

"He's wealthy, resourceful, and diabolical. Why would he not be here this soon?" said Jo sarcastically.

"Come on, we have to get to the car." I ran in the direction Ian had taken, keeping my head down low. I heard Jo's shuffling footsteps behind me and knew that she was doing the same. Another bullet whizzed overhead. That head of bright blonde hair behind me wasn't doing us any favors. I had pulled a beanie over my own easy-to-spot hair as soon as I could. I always carried it with me for situations like this when I needed to hide. 

"Here, put this over your head," I hissed, tossing her my black hooded jacket. She scowled at me but hastily slipped it on as we moved, pulling the hood up to conceal her hair. Now we might have a chance of evading Harting's goons.

"Do you have a plan?" Jo whispered. I could see the dirt road we had come on in front of us, but I couldn't risk going out there. It was much too exposed.

"We'll wait for Ian to drive up," I said, pulling us into a semi-protected pine tree. It wouldn't hide us for long though. Ian, where are you? Jo stiffened next to me, and I guessed that she was hearing approaching footsteps out of my range of hearing.

Are they close? I mouthed at her. She nodded, eyes wide. I looked down and saw the gun still tightly clenched in her hand. Good girl, managing to hold on to that. I gently pried it from her fingers, ignoring her reluctant expression. She would have to learn to trust me sooner or later. 

I heard the roar of a car starting somewhere up the road. C'mon Ian, c'mon. The footsteps were upon us. I looked at Jo and mouthed How many? She held up two fingers. Well, that wasn't impossible. Maybe Jo could shift and tear them apart. What kind of shifter was she anyway? Her scent was odd, undecipherable, though I thought she might be a cat. Focus, man!

I jumped out of our cover and put a bullet in the forehead of the first man. The second one jumped behind a tree before I could shoot him. He fired his weapon at me, making me duck back into the pine tree's flimsy cover. Jo was hunched down next to me, bright blue eyes peering out from my dark hooded jacket. Shit, we didn't have time for a gun fight. I felt the familiar tingle of my body trying to shift into panther form, as it always did when I was stressed. We didn't have time for a cat fight though. We just needed to get out of here. 

"Someone's coming on the road," Jo whispered. 

"Better be Ian," I whispered back. If it wasn't, we were both screwed. 

"Tell me when," I told her, ready to run. I watched her face as she listened, jumping to my feet when she finally nodded. We raced for the nearby road as fast as we could. Immediately, shots rang out behind us. I could see the black Mustang approaching in a cloud of dust. We were almost there. 

I heard Jo gasp and cry out behind me. I turned my head and saw her clasp a hand to her leg. Shit, she'd been hit. I skidded to a stop and put my arm around her shoulders to support her, almost carrying her. She managed an awkward run, trying to favor her injured leg. 

"Silver bullets," she panted. Damn. Harting knew what he was doing and who he was after. Unlike the legends of old, silver wouldn't actually kill a shifter, but it did prevent healing. Meaning that the silver would fester in our bodies and weaken us until removed.