The Criminal Soulmate

Chapter Six

Leanna woke to the groaning of Dylan's ancient car. Shaking away the last remnants of sleep, she sat up and looked around.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Dylan sighed. "You wouldn't wake up, so I had to carry you here. And before you freak out, I got all your stuff. So save me the lecture."

The sky was still dark, not even a fraction of sunlight shining through the gray clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance, the sound so powerful it rattled the vehicle. Leanna shivered.

"Do you think we should try driving right now? It looks like a storm's coming." Her eyes searched the sky.

A few moments of silence passed before Dylan spoke again. He turned to face her when they hit a red light. "We're going to have to risk it. I didn't like the vibe those people were giving off. What were you thinking? Going outside the room was an idiotic idea."

"In case you've forgotten, you kidnapped me. Why wouldn't I leave? The way you function, I could just walk away and never look back. You're a terrible criminal."

"I'm not a criminal," Dylan growled.

Leanna snorted. That kind of statement didn't deserve a response. If Dylan wasn't a criminal, she wasn't human.

Lightning arced across the sky, lighting up the empty street. The white light flashed several more times before thunder roared around them. Leanna glanced down at the dashboard. It was just after seven in the morning.

They drove for another half hour before the rain started to pour down. Droplets bombarded the windshield, increasing in power until it looked like someone was throwing buckets full of water at the car. Dylan cursed, and the car swerved before coming to a stop.

"Stay here. I'm going to see if there's anywhere to stop nearby." He stared her down until Leanna swore not to leave the vehicle.

Once the door slammed shut behind him, she dove into the driver's seat. The idiot had left the keys in the ignition. It would be the perfect time to escape, if not for one major problem.

Leanna had no idea how to drive.

She cursed herself for always procrastinating about her license, slamming her head down on the steering wheel. Rain continued to assault the car at a steady rate. The only sound besides the constant pattering of droplets was Leanna's labored breathing.

Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, and this time the thunder boomed so loud it sounded like it came from inside the car. Leanna screamed when the second wave of electricity struck mere feet from the car. Clutching the keys in her right hand, she dared to roll the window down enough to stick her head out.

The car sat on the side of the road, nothing but field looming far into the distance. A dark figure pushed on through the storm, approaching the car. Leanna's heart doubled in speed before she recognized Dylan.

"—doing?" The words he yelled at her were drowned out by the noise.

Leanna leaned farther out the window, trying to make sense of the jumble falling from Dylan's mouth. Finally, he got close enough that she could see his vibrant eyes.

"Get back on your side of the vehicle!" he yelled, opening the door and shoving inside.

She scrambled back into the passenger's seat. A flood of water entered the small space with Dylan. He shook his head, spraying the cold rain everywhere.