The Deal Changer (Book IV)

Chapter Seventeen - Unlikely Encounters

                                                              Chapter Seventeen

                                                             Unlikely Encounters

I DIDN'T STAY FOR THE BURIAL.

I knew I needed to get on the road and I had already paid my respects. Also, Jeremy wasn't about to give me any more information on the vampires who attacked him. I did press him, but he as just about as stubborn as I am. We left on good terms with a promise to make our phone calls a routine. With nearly twenty-four hours without sleep, I drove for several hours until it got dark out.

My phone vibrated about a dozen times, though I never answered any of the calls. I didn't want to talk to Matthew. If Matthew was the one to have my father killed as some kind of revenge tactic or a warning, I hated him even more.

Another reason why I didn't want to talk to him was because I didn't know what to do anymore. When I first found out about the things Matthew had been hiding, I knew exactly how to handle it. I knew I wanted revenge, and I knew I was going to do it by destroying the things around him. But then I ended up destroying my own life and almost taking his in my destruction. I couldn't risk it again, taking out more of his men. I would have to do far more planning and be far more careful if I were to ever do anything like it again. But for now, avoiding Matthew was all I could do.

It occurred to me how I could actually avoid Matthew longer than just a day. Of course I could stay at a hotel for one day and tell him I was too tired to drive, which was true. But I could also avoid him longer if I couldn't drive. If something happened to happen to the car, so to speak. It would buy me a few nights, at the very least, and give me time to think of my next plan. Matthew couldn't blame me if the tire blew out and it took a few nights for them to get a replacement tire.

This new plan sent relief through me and I tried to think of exactly how I planned to destroy a tire. I'd need a knife or a screwdriver to slice the tire, of course. But I'd have to do it tomorrow. Tonight I planned to stay at a hotel, something already planned because Matthew was afraid of me driving while tired. Tomorrow I'll slice one of the tires and buy me some time away from him.

I am such a coward.

I pulled up to a Wal-Mart to buy something to slice one of the tires with and a bag of chips, only to be distracted by my phone vibrating like crazy. It was Matthew, of course. He has practically been blowing up my phone all day. I thought about ignoring it until I saw a text message immediately after his call.

Call me back or I am getting in my car and meeting you somewhere. I haven't heard from you and it concerns me. -M

Matthew driving here was the last thing I wanted. I gritted my teeth and immediately pressed the call button. He didn't even wait until the end of the first ring.

"I was beginning to believe you were taken hostage," Matthew immediately said without so much as a greeting.

I rubbed my eyes and began fiddling with the radio. "Sorry. I haven't had much time to call."

"Is everything okay?"

I'm pretty sure you killed my dad because I killed your friend, but other than that...No, wait, still not okay. "Yeah. I'm just super tired. I'm stopping at a hotel soon."

"Okay. I don't want you driving while you're tired. Do you want me to meet you somewhere? I can—"

"I'll be there tomorrow night," I cut him off, praying he wouldn't.

He was quiet for several seconds, I actually had to check to make sure he hadn't hung up or was now on his way. "...Did I do something?" His voice was quiet, almost small.