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“The police?”
“Better. Guardian.”
“Federal police? That’s weird.” Her body sagged against his. “Good God.” A shiver ran through her body. “What about the men who took me? I saw one of them. I didn’t know them.”
“Max, turn the power on.” Lycos’s voice grated through the comms. Ethan heard Lutz pleading through his father’s comms.
“They aren’t a concern anymore,” Ethan assured her. The two who took her, he’d find and handle. The driver didn’t stand a chance.
Max counted down, “Three … two … one … The grid is hot.”
A high-pitched, strangled wailing made Star jump in his arms. “What was that?”
Ethan boosted her up as he opened the back door of the SUV and helped her sit down. “The power coming back on, I would imagine.” It wasn’t a lie. “It probably made contact with something.” Or someone.
“Oh.” She pulled back just enough to look up at him. Her face was streaked with dirt, rust, and … purple paint? He wiped at her cheek and showed her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I know. It sprayed me when I was spinning the bucket.”
“What?”
“Well, I had to get out, and a million razor blade edges were along the top of the shed. I found a rope. I threw it to the power pole. I was hoping I could get it over the lower arm. I used the bucket as a weight and launched it. The transformerblew up. When I saw the downed lines, I knew I had to find some plastic to stand on, or I could be toasted if they touched the shed.”
“And you thought that plastic bucket was enough to save you?”
“It worked, didn’t it?” Her eyes were bright despite everything when she told him what she’d done to escape. “You look terrible,” she muttered. “Tired.” She cupped his cheek with her hand.
Ethan kissed her palm and smirked. “You’re one to talk.”
Her lips twitched. “Do you think this will finally break my streak of near-death experiences?”
He huffed a soft laugh, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “No. But I swear to God, Star, if you don’t stop tempting fate?—”
She sighed. “But then you’d have no reason to play hero.”
Ethan’s heart clenched, but he smirked anyway. “Yeah, well … I could do without that for a month or two.”
“You need a break from me, don’t you?” Her eyes fell to her hands, and her shoulders drooped. She winced and adjusted her position.
When he took both of her hands in his, she looked up at him. With all the truth in his heart, he stared at her and told her, “No. Never. You’re stuck with me.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Promise?”
His voice was rough, filled with everything hefelt. “Yeah, Star. I promise.” He took off his shirt and wrapped it around her. And then, finally, he kissed her.
“Time to go, Ethan.” His father’s voice from beside him broke them apart. He nodded.
“We need to have her checked out by a doctor.” Ethan motioned to her leg. “Her shoulder is hurt, too.”
Star lifted her hand to stop them. “I’ll be okay.”
“No,” both men said at once.
Star’s eyes popped open. “Man, you can tell he raised you.” She pointed at Lycos and then Ethan. “You’re his dad, right?”
Lycos smiled. “I am and fucking proud of it.” Ethan tucked her into the back seat with him while his father took over driving.
“Power company has dispatched a repair crew,” Max said in their comm devices. “What are they going to find?”
Lycos looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Accidents happen all the time. Right?”