Page 75 of The Saviors: Part One

Pop! Pop! Pop!

During the second round of shots, people finally realize that it’s gunfire, pandemonium erupts, and I lose sight of Chelsea. I search frantically until I catch sight of her blonde hair. “Get her out of here!” Cole hooks an arm under her ass, lifts her, and takes off running.

“We aren’t strapped. We have to go,” Kai says.

“We aren’t either,” Ari adds. “We didn’t think a fair full of kids was a good place for a gun.”

I nod, and we take off after Chelsea, the sounds of gunshots sounding off behind us. What the fuck? Is this Charlie? Axel isn’t even here, or is he after Cole?Fuck!We skid to a stop next to Kai’s truck, scanning the lot. I finally spot Cole’s black Range Rover but no sign of them. A bullet whizzes past my head, shattering the driver’s side window of Kai’s truck.

“We need to move!” Ari yells.

“Not without her,” Kai growls.

Cole whistles, our signal in any situation, and we jog toward it. Bullets shred the car in front of us, blocking us from getting to them. “Shit,” I hiss as one of the bullets tears through my upper arm. “Get her home!” I hope like hell that she takes him to her fortress and not her townhouse.

I don’t see him, but I see the driver’s side door open. I can’t see inside the car because of the dark windows, but seconds later, he’s tearing out of the parking lot.Thank fuck.Kai and I jump into his truck, following behind them. Neither one of us breathes until we hit the main road, and we figure out that no one is following us.

“What the fuck was that?” Kai finally says.

“I don’t know.” I pull my phone out and dial Chelsea.

“Sean?” she answers, voice wobbly.

“Gorgeous,” I breathe. “Are you two okay?”

“I think so. What about you and Kai?”

“We’re fine. You’re going to the big house, right?”

“Yeah. I figured it would be safer there.”

“Good. We aren’t far behind you. I love you.”Holy fucking shit, Sean.Talk about word vomit. I’m not taking it back, though.

Her breath hitches then the phone goes silent. I close my eyes, thinking she hung up on me, when she whispers, “I love you too.” The line goes dead, and I flop back in the seat.

“Did you really just drop the L bomb after getting shot at?”

“Shut up, Godzilla.”

When you get a girl like Chelsea, you let her know as soon as you figure it out. That’s not something you can wait on.

Just ask Axel and Cole.

Chapter24

Chelsea

One second, Cole and I are talking, and the next, my nose is buried in his shirt. All I could do was inhale the scent that was just…Cole.

At first, I thought the fireworks had started early, but then Cole whispered that they were gunshots. When Sean’s panicked voice yelled for him to get me out of there, Cole scooped me up and ran like the hounds of hell were after him. We were hiding beside the car when we heard the other guys talking. I heard the shots rip through the night and started shaking. I was in full meltdown mode until I saw Sean’s contact picture flash across my phone.He told me he loved me.I have to remind myself that it might have been in the heat of the moment, and maybe he didn’t mean it. But it made my heart melt to hear his gruff I love you.

“You’re shaking,” Cole comments, digging around in the backseat. He tosses a hoodie onto my lap. “Put it on. It’s the adrenaline.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, sliding it over my head.

“Are you okay?” he asks for the millionth time.

“I’m fine, Cole. I promise.”