Page 49 of Fatal Vengeance

This time, Creed’s smile is more genuine, his eyes lighting up like I’ve just professed my undying love and he’s been waiting endlessly to hear it. Creed moves in so fucking quick, I don’t have time to react before his lips are pressing into my cheek with a loud, wet pop. He’s gone a second later, backing up with a smirk, his moods changing with the wind today, apparently.

"The fuck?” I choke out as I wipe my cheek dry. I don’t know whether to fall apart laughing or rush to lay down some boundaries — I love the guy, but I’m not into Creed like that — so I end up just standing here like a dick, waiting for his explanation.

With a wink, Creed saunters toward the front door, calling over his shoulder, “I love you too, you big sappy fuck! But this doesn’t mean I want to cross swords with you, so get your boner under control before you get back in the car.”

“My— Creed! I don’t have a boner,” I growl, stalking after him while he laughs like an asshole, and goddamn him and antics because my lips twitch up into a goofy smile right along with him.

“Whatever you say, Griff,” he muses. “Just don’t let me see it, and we can pretend all you like.”

I roll my eyes so hard, I’m shocked they don’t fall right out of my head. So glad he’s feeling more like himself already.

Dick.

Even though it's late, and he should be sleeping, I send a text off to Asher to let him know we're going to find a motel for the night and we'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. I'd drive through the night if I could, but exhaustion is weighing heavily on me and if I don't find a bed to collapse in soon, I might just pass out behind the damn wheel.

Creed gets back in the car from our quick stop for a piss, and I set Genevieve's phone down in the cup holder. Girl's a real blessing. First, inviting a bunch of strangers into her secret cabin to hide out in, the way she's just rolled with the punches and already started bonding with Prudence, and now letting me take her phone and car so I could get Creed some help. Honestly, if it weren't for Genevieve's help, we might not have made it this far.

"All set?" Creed asks while buckling himself in.

I nod and back out of the parking spot of the shady gas station we'd stopped at. The phone buzzes with Asher's reply, but I ignore it for now. I just want to find a place to crash for the night first, and then I'll give him a call.

We're not on the road for ten minutes when Creed shifts in his seat and curses under his breath. “We’re being followed.”

My spine snaps straight, my eyes darting to the rear-view mirror while I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. I narrow my gaze, locking onto the black SUV three cars behind us. Whoever it is has been keeping a safe distance the last few blocks, so I didn't think it was a threat. But now that Creed has pointed it out… Fuck, he's right. They’ve been there since we left the gas station. My gut sours with the truth, but I still ask, “You sure?”

Creed nods slowly, drumming his fingers on his thigh while he watches the traffic all around us. The light ahead turns red, and tension explodes through his muscles as we slow to a stop. “Another one at two o’clock. Just pulled up to the light.”

I look right, finding an identical black SUV a few cars back. Shit… We’re being hunted, blocked in like prey. If a third SUV joins the party, we might not make it.

“Hold on,” I order a second before slamming my foot on the gas and swerving around the vehicles in front of us, rushing through the red light and taking the left turn. We very narrowly avoid a four car collision.

Creed whoops in excitement as I straighten the wheel, the tires screeching while I battle for control. I flick my gaze to the mirror, cursing when I find the two SUVs racing around the turn and keeping close. Too damn close. Horns blare all around us, but I can’t be fucked to care about all the accidents I’m likely causing in my wake. The only thing I can focus on is getting Creed and I the hell out of this shitshow with our lives intact.

“Now would have been an excellent time for Prudence’s weapons guy,” Creed mutters under his breath, glaring out the window. “Where’s a fucking gun or twenty when we need one?”

I blink over at him for a second, trying to see if he’s joking with me right now, in the middle of a street chase. But nope, as I take in his rigid posture and stony expression, the way his fists ball with anger, I realize he’s being very serious.

“She doesn’t have a weapons guy,” I grit out as I swerve around a semi truck and almost slam headfirst into the car coming at us from the other lane. I correct us at the last possible second, air whooshing by as our car and the other one pass only inches apart. Fuck. My stomach swoops and drops and roils while sweat beads on my forehead. I'm so thankful Prudence isn't in the car with us. She's already got trauma from a car crash. She'd never recover from this shit. At least with Asher and Prudence back at the cabin, if the worst were to happen today, they'll be safe.

But fuck me, I so do not want to die in a car crash today. I want a long, rich life with my family. I want to fuck and love and laugh for the rest of my days and never worry about The Celestials ever again.

Creed shrugs at me, frantically reaching forward and digging through the glove box for something that might come in handy. “New rule,” he snaps after a moment, not finding anything useful. “From now on, we all carry guns. No excuses.”

“Agreed,” I rasp, looking into the rearview mirror again right as one of the SUVs catches up to us. I gasp, tension coiling in my gut. “Fuck, Creed, hold on,” I shout, because that fucking asshole is about to ram us. This is gonna hurt, but we can survive. We’ll fight our way out and it’ll be fine.

I hope…

Creed’s hand darts out and slams against the dash to steady himself. “Oh fuck! Shit, shit, shit! Griffin!”

I tear my focus from the SUV behind us, slamming on my brakes, but it’s too late. A third one has come out of nowhere, directly ahead of us and charging in fast. I jerk the steering wheel to the left — the only direction now without a raging SUV chasing us — but it’s no use. Seconds later, before I can get us to safety, two of the vehicles hit us, on our left and on our right. The collision is so loud and jarring, my head snapping to the side and hitting the window, and within moments, I’ve lost all sense of time and space.

I’m just floating, neither here nor there, but lost to endless pain.

Glass shatters around us, thousands of little cuts stinging across my body. Our airbags deployed at some point, and it takes me a while to regain myself, but once I do, I can tell the impact did some damage. Blood is raining down from my nose over my lips and chin, tainting the air with the acrid, metallic scent, and igniting panic deep in my bones.

Do not think about the blood. Don't go back to that day in the garage, that blade on your throat. Don't you fucking do it, Griffin.

Footsteps crunch on the glass outside, but my head is too fuzzy from the crash. I know I should be moving, trying to run or fight, but I can’t relay that message from my mind to my body. It’s like I’ve just shut down, my ears ringing and my lungs feeling like they’re fucking collapsing.

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