Matt Archer: Bloodlines (Matt Archer #4) by Kendra C. Highley Read Free Book Online Page B

him. Instead, he said, “I’m fine. Coach Shaw has been giving me a
nonstop pep talk ever since you handed me my knife. He says I’ll be okay.”
    I had no doubt Coach Shaw was working hard to help Will
recover, but I’d been touched by the Dark—briefly—a couple of times, and it had
hurt like hell. I couldn’t begin to understand what Will was going through.
“All right. I’ll be back soon and I’ll be bringing you a present.”
    He laughed. “I always wanted my very own witch.” The smile
faded into a grim scowl. “Be careful out there.”
    “You be careful here.”
    An awkward silence followed. I couldn’t figure out how to
say goodbye, knowing each of us was facing an equally dangerous situation.
    “Archer!” Lanningham called. “We’re loading up.”
    Well, that was one way. “Coming.”
    I gave Will a fist bump then turned without saying anything
else. I was halfway to our Humvee when he yelled, “If you die out there, I’ll hate
you forever, dude!”
    I laughed. “And if you die before I get back, don’t even
think about haunting me. I’ll hire an exorcist if you do!”
    My dad was waiting inside, sitting next to Dorland in the
rear facing back seat, when I climbed in. He raised an eyebrow. “‘Don’t even
think about haunting me?’”
    “Gotta break the tension somehow.” I checked the front;
Blakeney was driving, with Lanningham riding shotgun. I had the best possible
team going with me, but I was antsy. Dad’s warnings about the coven still rang
between my ears.
    Uncle Mike, sounding bone-weary, said, “Here’s the
drill…we’ll stop a half-mile out and hike. I don’t care if these witches have
some kind of ESP or weird radar to tell them we’re coming. We’re not going to
drive up to their front door and ask if we can borrow a cup of sugar.”
    The image of a bunch of unwashed guys in camo showing up at
some grandma’s door, looking to bum a snack, set me off and I laughed until my
sides hurt. Mike rolled his eyes.
    “You okay?” Lanningham asked. “You sound like you’re about
to pop back there.”
    I struggled to regain my calm. “Sorry. Just letting off a
little steam.”
    Tink tsked in my head. I really should’ve regulated your
hormones a year ago. Maybe you’d be less prone to random mood swings.
    “It’s a little late for that now,” I said, secretly wishing
that she’d tried.
    Tell me something I don’t know. She sighed. You
need to focus. I need to see and hear everything during this trip, understand?
    “Sir, yes sir.”
    Tink let off a barrage of words in her own language, which I
interpreted to mean something like, “Get off my lawn, you damn kid!”
    I almost started laughing again, but Tink snapped me in the
forehead before I could. “Ow! Stop that!”
    Uncle Mike gave me a sidelong glance. “I’m guessing she
didn’t appreciate you calling her ‘sir.’”
    “Affirmative, Major.” I rubbed my forehead. “She’s a
vindictive little sprite, sir.”
    “Archer, I’m going to get demoted for this,” Lanningham
said, turning to look at me over Dorland’s shoulder, “but you’ve been a lot
more fun to work with since you got laid.”
    Dorland mashed his lips together like he was trying not to
laugh. Uncle Mike didn’t even bother, and he cracked up. “Oh, man. I wanted to
razz him about his newfound swagger at the meeting in D.C. before we shipped
out, but there just wasn’t an appropriate time.”
    “Wait…how did you even know? It isn’t like I talk about it.”
I grimaced. “Will told you, didn’t he? That bastard.”
    “No one told us,” Lanningham said, a big grin on his face.
“But thanks for confirming our suspicions.”
    “Is it that obvious?” I asked. A horrible thought entered my
mind. “Please tell me Mom can’t tell.”
    “It’s a guy thing,” Uncle Mike said. “Moms are really good
at ignoring the signs because they don’t want their babies to grow up.” He
paused, then asked, “You’re being safe,