Page 15 of Sequoia Flames (Black Timber Peak Hotshots #6)

FIFTEEN

VERITY

Groaning, I open my eyes and stare around me, stunned. Clouds of smoke fill the air and there’s an awful dinging noise that won’t stop. Lifting my fingers up to my face, I pull them back when I feel something warm and wet.

My brows lift and pain splinters in my head.

I don’t know what happened or where I am but something’s clearly wrong.

I try to lift my head but it feels like it’s too heavy.

Like it’s fused to the seat back. Groaning, I turn my head slowly and whimper when I see Lassiter sitting in the driver’s seat.

His eyes are closed and a trickle of blood is running down the side of his unnaturally pale face.

His bright blue eyes are closed and my heart stutters in my chest.

What if he’s…

No! No, he’s not dead. But we’re both hurt.

I don ’t understand what happened. My forehead creases and I struggle to remember but it’s all a blur until I woke up.

“Lassiter? Are you alright?” I struggle to sit up and groan when my ribs protest. Hissing out a breath, I move slowly, the pain in my head muddling every movement and memory.

Inching over slowly, I hiss at the movement and reach across one inch at a time, my fingers trembling. I close my eyes and sob in relief when I feel a soft, warm breath on my fingers and his broad chest pumping up and down.

“Oh thank God!” I sob.

Something moves outside the door and my eyes widen. Alex’s pale face pops up outside the window, a long, dark trail of blood dripping down his pale skin.

“Alex? What are you doing here?” My brain is moving so slow that I can’t think. But considering his injuries I finally realize that he must have been the other vehicle.

“Are you okay? What happened? Did you hit us?” I whisper, my breath hitching. My whole body hurts so bad that it feels like I can’t breathe. Every time I try to I can feel waves of pain washing over me.

“Help us, please,” I whimper, closing my eyes, pain rippling over my entire body.

He chuckles and I open my eyes to see him coming around the car. “Luckily I hit the car just right. I can still drive mine. I don’t think Lassiter’s gonna be moving this thing any time soon. Hopefully nobody finds him until we’re well away from here.”

My brow scrunches as he reaches the door and pulls at it, realizing that it’s locked and reaching in the open window to unlock it. “What are you talking about?”

His hand reaches out and I slap at it weakly. He chuckles but it’s not a funny sound. He sounds… wrong. Strange.

“What are you doing?”

“I couldn’t leave you behind. I knew as soon as I saw you up on that mountain that you’re the reason I was here. We’re meant to be together.”

“Are you crazy? I barely know you.”

His features blur into an angry scowl. “Whose fault is that? I hope that Lassiter dies. He tried to keep us apart. He deserves to die. You can’t block fate and as soon as I saw your golden hair I knew why I was up here.” His fingers caress my wild hair and I slap weakly at his hands.

“Leave me alone.”

“I can’t do that. I kept him from taking off with you and doing, well, unholy things to you. But you’re still confused. He’s got you under some kind of spell so that you don’t understand how bad he is. He’s evil.”

Glaring at him, I shrink back towards Lassiter. “That’s surely the pot calling the kettle black. He’s not evil, you are.”

“I guess we’ll agree to disagree on that. But I made sure that you’re free of him. And I’m gonna keep you away from him. You’re confused now but you’ll realize soon that we’re meant to be together and you’ll marry me.”

“I’d sooner die.”

His face freezes and the cold fury in his blue eyes chills me to the bone. “That could be arranged. Now come here. Unless you want me to kill Lassiter right now.”

I glance behind me, hoping and praying that he’s awake. That he can stop this. But he’s still out cold. Pale and still.

Fear trickles along my nerves as I look back at pure evil standing there grinning at me. The redheaded man grins and holds out his hand.

“Let’s go, darling. I need to get you somewhere safe.”

With one last glance at Lassiter, I slowly inch my way across the seat and hold my hand out, shuddering when he touches me. Ripples of distaste turn my stomach and my head swims.

But I don’t have any time to think about it when he yanks me out of the seat. Yelping as pain rips through me in a torrent. I give in to the darkness washing over me.