Page 33 of Fastlander Fealty

They’d been at the river. They’d been at the river! Miles away! And Ace had what? Transported the entire Crew here?

What the fuck?

Rook didn’t know. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t fathom the power that existed in this Crew.

Owen was still beside her, and as she caught her breath, she took him in. His skin had burns on it, and his hip was bleeding bad. His glowing blue eyes were on her. He blinked slowly. She’d never seen anyone look so pale before.

“Owen,” she whispered, forcing herself upright. She gasped at how awful it felt just to move.

“I need food,” he murmured hoarsely.

“Okay, okay. I’m going to get food! I’ll be right back. Gunner? Gunner! I need help! Owen needs help.

Gunner seemed to be doing the best out of everyone and was already upright and striding for Owen. His eyes were glowing that intimidating silver and blue, and his teeth were gritted as if he were in pain, but he wasn’t even limping.

“He needs meat,” Gunner snarled as he knelt beside Owen.

Fuck, okay. Okay! She tried to ignore how messed up her body was as she staggered into the cabin. For a moment, she was disoriented and forgot what direction the kitchen was, righted herself and bolted for it. She had roast beef deli meat that was easy to get into him. Silver yanked it out of the fridge and turned for the door.

“Toss it to me,” Captain said gruffly from where he was striding into the kitchen.

She did, and he caught it easily, then stumbled back out the front door.

Frantic, she pulled a box of frozen breakfast sandwiches out of the freezer, piled them onto a paper plate with shaking hands and shoved them into the microwave, set the timer and while those heated, she rummaged through the refrigerator and pulled out anything she thought could help any of them.

“More,” Captain urged as he returned.

“In the microwave!” she said as she fumbled to open a package of uncooked steaks.

Captain yanked open the door and disappeared out the front door with the pile of sausage egg sandwiches.

She didn’t feel well. She didn’t feel well! As she slammed a large pan onto the stove and turned it on, her skin blistered again just being near heat. The memory of that strange fire haunted her for a moment and she thought she would retch, took a break and locked her arms against the counter, breathed shakily in and out, in and out. Everything was okay. She was alive. The Fastlanders were alive.

God, everything had gone so wrong.

She pushed off the counter and poured a drizzle of oil into the pan, then set the steaks in there, wrenched up the fire. She didn’t care if they were good steaks, she just needed a quick seer for the Crew.

Captain returned. “Rare works,” he said, and she didn’t miss the frantic edge to his voice.

“Yep,” she said as she forked the steaks onto a paper plate and handed them over.

“You need to eat too! Owen said to eat.”

“Is he okay?” she asked as he jogged for the door.

“He’s already bitching about you eating, so I would say he’s fine. More food.”

She was running low on meat, so at this point, she filled a grocery bag with anything she could get to easily in the pantry, then staggered outside to find the Crew hanging loosely around Owen, who was sitting upright. He still looked pale, but his lips quirked up into a smile when he saw her. Around a mouthful, he asked, “You okay?”

And for whatever reason, that simple question gave her body permission to rest. She sagged to her knees in front of him and dropped the bag of food between them. She swayed slightly. “I don’t know if I can make it to the rodeo tonight.”

Owen’s face froze, and then the smile was back as he dropped his head and chuckled.

Off to the side, Captain was squatted down, staring at Owen’s face, and he huffed a low laugh too.

“Girl, you have been here for one day and you already have Wreck trying to burn the entire Crew alive,” Corey pointed out. “You aren’t invited to the rodeo.”

“Hey now, that isn’t entirely her fault,” Hallie said kindly.

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