Chapter Ten

"I know what you're up to, little pixie."

Pax glanced at Python and then looked back out the windshield. It seemed to take forever before Python could even make up his mind which car to take. All Pax knew was it was a bright red one and at least it seemed to go fast.

"I don't know what you mean." No one could do an innocent look like Pax could. "I just thought I'd check on my apartment, make sure everything was all right there. You know how it is."

Python chuckled and the sound reminded Pax of sexy things. Sexy things he'd wished he'd done with Storm instead of being seduced by the promise of donuts. I'm on a mission, he reminded himself.

"Are you going to sit there, with that butter-wouldn't-melt-in-your-mouth expression and expect me to believe you aren't going after Storm? Come on, little one. Don't disappoint me. I pulled out my fastest car and tightest pants for this mission."

"I still don't know what you mean." Pax found it easier to look out of his passenger window. Then at least the demon couldn't see his face. "It's just coincidence that Storm was going in the same direction of my apartment." He sighed. "It's not like we know where he's going and as he's been gone for absolutely hours , we couldn't catch up to him no matter how fast this car might be."

"Six and a half minutes, you mean," Python said.

"Excuse me." Shocked Pax turned to look at the demon again. "What do you mean six and a half minutes? What's been six and a half minutes."

"That's how long it's been since Storm took off on the back of that bike that was being driven by another crocodile. It took you six and a half minutes to decide to follow him."

"I'm sure it was longer than that." Although, as Pax thought about it, and the way his mind jumped around... "It felt longer."

"Of course it would. That was your mate who disappeared. I'd go after him, too."

"It's not like it makes any difference." Slumping in his seat, Pax sighed again. "He could be on a plane on his way to New York by now for all I know."

"He couldn't do that in six and a half minutes, no matter which direction he was taken." Python overtook the car in front, and Pax felt the pull as Python accelerated. "You would do good to remember Storm was taken. He didn't leave willingly."

"Did he tell you that with his magical woo-woo signals, too?" Pax looked down at his own fingers. "This is probably what my uncle meant when he said I wouldn't get a mate. Maybe when pixies like me do find a mate, they lose them again within half an hour of finding them and never see them again."

"We can go and kill your uncle once we've found Storm and got you two claimed," Python said as casually as if he was talking about picking out a couch. Although, Pax reasoned, the demon was an assassin so maybe that was an inside assassin joke. "If you're looking for some good news, at top speed, this car is almost three times as fast than the bike that took your mate."

"It is? How do you know?"

"Because me and Cyrus weren't just fucking in the office after Storm was taken. We were watching you and working out how fast they might be going on that bike."

"Thank you." That was them being nice, wasn't it? "How long will it take to catch up to them?"

Python snorted. "Do I look like the type of person who does math? You know those ridiculous things they teach at school about how if a car is traveling in one direction at fifty miles an hour and another one is traveling in a different direction at thirty miles an hour, blah, blah. Or it might be trains. Who knows. More importantly, who needs to know that sort of shit?"

Pax didn't have a clue, but he felt compelled to say, "It might be helpful now."

"Nope, nope, nope, my little pixie, because no matter what the math nerds say, this car is a lot, lot faster than that bike, and we are going to catch them before they get to Bozeman. Buckle up, pixie, we're going on a car chase." Python thumped his foot down on the accelerator, and Pax grabbed hold of the arm rest on the passenger door as Python let out a yell. "Yeah, I knew this baby had some fire under the hood."

"What are we going to do when we catch up to them?" Pax said loudly over the noise of the engine.

"Did you have a plan?" Python actually turned his head and looked at him.

"Watch the road!"

I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

No. I'm on a mission as an equal mate. I'm on a mission. "I don't have a plan! I absolutely don't have a plan. Does it matter?"

"Nah, pixie. We deal with shit like this all the time. Relax. You're in the hands of a professional." Python turned and gave what he probably thought was a reassuring a grin.

"Watch the road!"

"Watching the road, little one." Python's laughter was really loud.