Page 92 of You Can Make Me

We crashed into each other and held on tight for a brief moment until the pressure made me yelp.

“What the hell? You’re burnt! What?—”

“I’m fine. Where are they?”

The front door burst opened, and Walt and I took off running.

Cooper’s eyes went wide as I approached, and he burst into tears. “Don’t you ever do that again, you asshole!”

I laughed as I let him squeeze me, even though every inch of my body was starting to scream in pain.

“I love you, baby. Where’s Evans? I’m going to rip his spine out with my bare hands.”

Cooper’s eyes flared, and he looked to Dane, who was huddled against Walter.

“We can’t find him,” Dane said. “The board went silent when we asked.”

I exhaled and looked at the gathered men. The six of us were surrounded by first responders examining the front of Walter’s house for hotspots and tending to a body…

“Dax. He set himself on fire.” Walter’s eyes were red and wet.

“Fuck. Kid had no chance. This Evans guy has got to be put down.”

“But how?” Ryan had his hands planted on his hips. “I’m so sick of this fucking guy!”

I took in a breath as the others started to argue, and then held up a hand. “This shit all started with the board? Then we go back to the beginning.”

“The witches.” Dane turned to Walter. “They helped me figure it out last time. I can’t think of anything else.”

“Let’s go.”

Walter looked around at the chaos helplessly. “What do I tell them?”

Cooper put his arm around me. “That we’re taking him to the hospital, which is where weshouldbe going.”

He was right, but there was no time. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

I let Kal and Ryan guide me over to Walter’s truck, while Walter and Dane talked to the officers on scene to tell them he’d be available by phone but that he needed to take me in. Cooper opened the backseat door and they helped me inside.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Ryan said, and Kal shut the door. The two of them ran off to Ryan’s truck and Cooper climbed in beside me. With Dane and Walter in the front seats, we took off, and I focused on staying upright. I was quickly running out of gas, but I had to hold on…for Cooper, for my best friend, for every victim of John Soto and Virgil Evans and whoever else they had in their cabal of cruelty.

A few minutes later, Walter pulled up in front of the Canyon Store and cursed.

“They’re not here.”

“But they’re always here.”

Dane and Walter traded looks.

“We’re on our own.”

“Wait, what about Charlene?” She was the only other person I could think of who knew about woo-woo that I trusted.

“She’s our next best bet,” Walter said to Dane, and he nodded.

“Can you hang in there, Den? We need to get you seen?—”

“Just go,” I said. I lay on my side with my head in Cooper’s lap and blew out a breath. “I’ll rest here.”