Free Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1) by Lanie Jacobs

think for one damn second you would realize this. Now stop being so freaking hardheaded and get your ass in the car. For heaven’s sake, think about your safety, my safety, and if that doesn’t worry you, think about Fatin!”
     
    The sudden thought of her mom interrupted her thoughts of clawing Luke’s eyes out, hysteria beginning to tighten her chest as the fear of losing her mom crept through her body.
     
    “Luke, what about my mom?”
     
    “Car… NOW!” he snapped angrily as he stormed to the driver’s side. Getting in, he turned the car on, revving the engine to life, reminding Khalida of his impatience.
     
    Khalida, consumed with worry, rose from off the ground and got into the car with a now fuming Luke.
     
    Luke shifted gears and took off, refusing to look at her or answer her question until they were on the road.
     
    “Khalida, listen to me. Right now, we just have to be safe. When we get to my house, we will call your mom. For now, my only concern is your safety.”
     
    Khalida eased back onto the leather seats, swallowing the rejections she had about the whole thing. She convinced herself that he was just being overly cautious and rather ridiculous. There was no proof the Ubil’s knew of her existence. Luke reallyjust had an over active imagination. Plus if hanging out at his house for a few days made him feel better, then whatever, that was fine with her.
     
    “I’m no good to them until I turn eighteen, rig ht?” she asked, succ umbing to her overactive imagination.
     
    He looked at Khalida and sighed.
     
    What? Why do you look at me like I’m crazy?
     
    Khalida was suddenly glad she hadn’t thought that out loud.
     
    I ‘m sure he could give me a dozen reasons why .
     
    “Better to be safe than sorry. I could be overreacting, but I don’t want to take any chances,” he said, not taking his eyes from the road.
     
    When they got to the house, Razi and a few other people were standing by the gate of the cast-iron fence that surrounded the whole property.
     
    Wow.
     
    They were dressed in black from head to toe with military style weapons draped over their shoulders. Razi had shiny blades strapped around his legs and along his chest. He was dead serious and all business, they all were. As the car stopped, Luke leaned closer to her, softly placing a kiss on her cheek.
     
    “Wait for me inside,” he said just as she was swept out of the car by the guards at the gate, leaving Luke behind with Razi as she was led up the stairs to the house. When she looked back, Khalida could have sworn she saw a streak of strawberry blonde hair from a petite girl dancing around that looked a lot like Vega.
     
    Was that Vega? What the hell?
     
    Against her protest, the armed guards wouldn’t let her go until she was at the door of a room on the second floor of the house. The tallest of Khalida’s unwanted escorts rapped on the door of the room where they stood, the last room at the end of the hall. The woman who called out for them to enter was Luke’s mother, Josephine. The guard opened the door, bowing he allowed her inside first. Josephine was on the phone and pacing. She waived the men away, and after the door shut behind them she smiled at Khalida, motioning for her to sit. Josephine looked tired and worried. She came to a stop in front of a chair next to her desk and sat. Khalida could tell whoever she was on the phone with was talking about her, and after listening to all the reassurances she gave; Khalida knew it was her mother on the other end.
     
    “We will take care of her, Fatin. Yes, of course,” s he went on, “no, you don’t need to go back to that ho use either. It’s not safe any longer. They will track her back there, and when they do, I do not want anyone there. Well, we have been expecting this for some time now. We had just banked on a couple of more weeks. Yes, we both should have seen that coming,” she laughed into the phone.
     
    Khalida looked around the room,