Page 49 of Overcast

A burning sensationstings at my forehead, and I jerk my head to stop it. Jilting forward, my focus immediately slams into Emric, who leans back just in time to keep our heads from colliding.

But it doesn’t cease his brows from doing it.

“Lie down,” he commands gruffly, glaring at me with the same animosity that always occupies his cogent hazel eyes.

His brow ticks upward when I don’t straightaway do as he asks, and I raise my chin. “No.” It’s the first response that comes forthright to my brain.

He. Is. Insane.

I relive what he did—vividly—when he slammed his vehicle into ours. How our young driver was cursing and trying to think of a way to lose him.

Then the truck skid, catching on the road and began to flip. It started on my side, the shattering of glass, the piercing scrape of metal along the cement that was just a door away from being my body. I remember each time we hit the ground, and one of my limbs collided with something inside the vehicle.

Emric didn’t care if he killed us.

He didn’t think, he just acted, and I’m lucky to be alive, however not here.

Back in the grips of the man who executes unconventional things to persuade me to speak up, and now he’s—trying to bandage me up?

I shift, greeted by a razor-sharp pain to my left side. My hand immediately goes to the source, but Emric seizes my wrist.

“Don’t touch it.” He then forcefully shoves it back towards me while keeping his focus nailed on my face.

My eyes narrow, I can’t help it because what is he mad about?

Yes, I’m scared of him still. He’s unpredictable and a looney tune. But I’m the one who just went through a SUV being flipped in the air multiple times because of him.

And for what?

“Did you shoot me?”

His forehead creases deeper as though he just got offended. “No.”

I remember seeing Emric standing there, the headache, and achy legs. His arm was bleeding down his inked forearm, but he didn’t seem affected by it.

My attention trails down to it, wrapped with a white bandage.

“You should’ve picked better men to rescue you,” he chides, causing me to peer back up at him as a muscle ticks in his jaw. “Maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Yeah, because I’d be dead already if you would’ve gotten me to that cemetery.

I shake my head, feeling a pounding in my skull every two to three seconds. “I didn’t know them prior to today.”

“You can stop shooting for an academy award now,” he chides off a scoff then nods his head forward. “Lie back.”

“Why?” I counter, fighting back a raging headache that is wanting to form. “Why did you save me? Why are you keeping me? I’ve told you a million times, I had nothing to do with hurting that woman. I’m not who you’re looking for. You have to—” The rest of my words are muzzled when he grabs my shirt and twists it around his fist.

“I’m not keeping you,” he grounds out, his hazels boring into my face. His cologne clogs my nose, cedar, and a hint of weed that—for some reason—makes my body relax.

Even with his menacing tone and lips twisting in dislike for me—I must be losing my mind right now.

Hit my head way too hard because my belly flutters at his contact.

“You’re not doing what I said fast enough,” Emric deadpans even though he’s still holding onto me. “You must want something.”

My initial reaction surprises even me. My eyes latch on to his lips, and he follows where my attention goes.

I don’t crave him.

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