Page 8 of Taboo

"Who was that?"

"A woman is here."

"911, we need help. A lady has flipped her Jeep and I see fluid running all over the ground. Please hurry." I can hear her voice getting quieter as she talks to the dispatcher. "Shit, Levi. There's fluid leaking from the Jeep."

"I'm almost there. Can you get out?"

"The Jeep is on its side. I can try."

"Are you sure you should move?"

"I think I'm ok." I put him on speaker and start to pull myself up from around the steering wheel. I'm feeling sore across my chest from the seatbelt and this is sure to be one hell of a bruise.

I can hear the squeal of tires just as I free my legs. "Shit, please tell me that's you."

"I'm here." His footsteps are pounding on the road just as I hear him say it.

There's liquid everywhere. I can smell gas as I finally start to get a grip on my surroundings. I'm just about to lift myself out of the passenger door when Levi scoops me up in his arms and runs from the Jeep. His strong body is an instant feeling of safety and I try not to be the typical damsel in distress wrapping my arms around his neck, but shit, I'm trying to support myself a little.

He's still running when I feel the blast. The heat from the flame surrounds us as I watch the inferno reach out and send us to the ground. He's somehow covered me with his entire body and we're face to face in what has to be a rock garden with grass growing through it. His eyes search for mine and he drops his forehead to rest against mine just as he locates them. His body collapses onto me when he sets his elbows next to my face and his arms around my head. His fingers get tangled in my fucked-up hair and I scream out in pain.

"Oh, shit. Sorry. Fuck, that was close." His breath across my face smells of bacon. This isn't quite as romantic as the movies, but right now in this moment, that bacon breath just saved my life.

"Damn, Levi. You're heavy."

"Shit, sorry. I guess I collapsed on ya." He rolls off of me and starts to look me over.

"Thank you for saving me." I try to sit and I wince from the pain I feel everywhere.

"You're going to the hospital to be checked out."

"Ouch. Shit, what am I on?"

"Well it's a shitty patch of grass and stickers. I'm pretty sure there's rocks too."

"Can this day get any better?"

"Well, I for one thought it started off great." I ignore him as I move to stand. My Jeep has rolling black smoke filling the sky overhead. The sound of many sirens are in the distance. I look for the woman and see her across the parking lot walking, so I know she's ok.

As I move, I can feel the piercings of many stickers across my back and ass. This is going to fucking suck.

"Can you help pull some of these out?"

His eyes widen when he sees what he's up against.

"Oh, baby girl. This is going to hurt."

"After the morning I've had, this should be a cakewalk." He starts to pick out each sticker one by one just as I see the fire trucks round the corner.

"This is not how I pictured this day going." I'm not sure how I had it pictured, but this is the farthest scene from it. I watch as the firemen rush to the Jeep and put it out in no time. Everything I worked so hard for, up in smoke. My Jeep was the first thing I actually had fully paid off on my own. I probably should've kept that full coverage insurance.

Levi

She has stickers everywhere. I haven't even touched the mess in her hair yet.

"Damn it. My Jeep!"

"I'm sorry this happened Kali, but at least you're not seriously hurt from what I can tell. That fuckin' Jeep can be replaced."

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