Ari
Shit.
I wasn’t positive what terrified me more: the look of abject horror on Shaw’s face or the flashing lights and the siren of the car gaining on us. This was the first time I’d ever seen him look at me this way. Was it fear, disgust, or something else?
“Please whatever you do, just don’t stop,” I begged him, hoping he would listen to me despite whatever was going through his mind.
Even before he eased his foot off the gas pedal, I could see from Shaw’s features that he wasn’t going to disobey the law. Wasn’t that one of the things I loved about him? How innocent and good he was? Why did I expect him to do differently because I asked him to? Still, disappointment and terror filled my insides like maggots eating out the remains of a decomposing body.
“What are you doing?” On instinct, I reached for my knife, but when Shaw glared at me, I dropped my hand. What was I going to do? Attack him? He was the one person in the world I could never hurt. But I couldn’t sit here either and allow myself to be thrown in jail for someone like Rich, who’d only gotten what was coming to him.
“I don’t know what the hell you’ve done, Ari,” he said quietly, “but we’re not going to run from the police. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Unless they asked him to pop the trunk.
Shaw pulled off to the side of the road, and all I could do was sit and wait for my fate. Or was that the only thing? I leaned sideways and fondled the switchblade in my shoe. I’d die before I let them take me to prison and away from Shaw. Not after just getting the chance to be with him. I needed more time.
The squad car parked behind ours, and a tall, lean man stepped out. He seemed to be alone.
“Now’s our chance to get away,” I urged him.
“I said we’re not running from the police.”
The police officer stopped at the driver’s window and tapped on it. Shaw lowered the window, and the man peered inside with a flashlight. It would be so easy to reach across Shaw and plunge the knife in his neck. But was that the way I wanted Shaw to remember me? If he couldn’t manage to do something as simple as to run from the police, how could I expect him to understand me?
“Good evening, Officer. Is there a problem?” Shaw sounded calmer than I thought he would be. A part of me had expected him to point the police officer toward his trunk. It wouldn’t be out of his character.
“Vice Principal Wheeler, that you?” The man poked his head even more inside the car with a big grin on his face. He looked quite young, a few years older than me.
“Nathan Graham,” Shaw said. “Yes, it’s Principal Wheeler now. Isn’t this a nice surprise? You made it through the police academy.”
“Passed with flying colors.” He beamed, patting his badge. “What’s with the colorful decorations on the car?”
“Some kid at the high school. I’m sure you can understand that. Didn’t you snatch the librarian’s wig and hoist it up on the flagpole outside the school?”
“There’s still no proof I did that.” But from the way he laughed, he sure as hell had. “You’re not going to get me to admit to anything.” His gaze landed on me, and his laugh fell away. “And who’s this?”
“You remember my stepson, Ari?”
A thrill ran through me. That dirty little secret of how he’d come down my throat just a few minutes ago, plus the heightened adrenaline from this close encounter, turned me on.
“Wow, you’re all grown up now, huh?” Nathan said. His gaze wandered over my frame. I brushed at my hair and smiled demurely at him.
“Just a bit.” I bit my bottom lip, and sure enough, his eyes remained on me. Straight guys who weren’t interested would have looked away already.
“I’d say a whole lot. The principal ever give you a chance to go out? Or is he just as strict at home?”
Oh, how I would love for Shaw to get all strict and domineering on me, but Shaw was my sweet teddy bear of a Daddy.
“He’s as strict as he needs to be,” I replied.
“You wouldn’t mind going out with me, would you?”
“Depends on where you’re taking me,” I murmured.
Shaw shifted. “Didn’t they teach you it’s unprofessional to pick up men while wearing your uniform?”
He groaned. “Always so proper, Principal Wheeler. All right, how about I come over when I’m off and take him out. That all right by you?”