Page 102 of Scent of Home

I swallow hard and realise I’m perilously close to tears.

“Okay?”

“Okay?” Jason mocks me. “Get in the fucking car, you piece of shit!”

I reach for the handle and look up, locking eyes with Shane. I know I won’t be able to get in the car if I don’t at least say goodbye in this small way. I lift my hand, watching his expression morph to fear. I tear my eyes away and throw myself in.

I slide into the back and close my eyes as the car starts, but as soon as we start moving, I open them, lunging across the seat, my hands on the window, staring at Shane, who is running towards us.

I fucked up.

I made a mistake. I need to get out. I let my fear make my decision when I should have fought for them.

“Stop! STOP!”

Jason turns the music up and keeps driving. I glance at the windows and see Shane and Bray racing towards the car.

They turn with us as Jason drives past them. Shane charges towards the car, veering, trying to keep up, but Bray turns away.

And then we’re gone and crossing the bridge. We’re going to head up through the mountains.

No.

Tears burn in my eyes. I can feel the hell I’m going back to threaten to swallow me up. The familiar feeling of wanting it all to end, the desperation.

But this time, there are four reasons to stay. Four reasons to fight back. I watch the road and wait for the right moment.

“Jason, what the fuckare you doing? This is kidnapping,” I say five minutes later. I’m calmer now, and Jason doesn’t look nearly as smug and happy as I’d assumed he’d be. He turned down the radio as soon as we left town and spat out a steady stream of curses.

He actually looks quite ill.

“You’re a pain in my ass, Locke Raines. I don’t give a shit if they say it’s going to end me. I’m more afraid of Typhor Raines than I am of you.”

I snarl in frustration. But this makes sense. I’ve seen Typhor end careers because they brought him the wrong coffee.

“This is my pack. I found them. I don’t want to go back. Being the lead singer of Derision is hell!”

Jason looks in the rear-view mirror. “I know you think you believe that, but this is just a phase.”

I stare at him silently, weighing my next words. “Did you set my mansion on fire?”

Jason jerks the car to a screeching stop. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

If he didn’t do it, who the hell did?

“Someone keeps trying to kill me.” I growl. “The overdose at Cressia Falls Festival. I had one bottle of water. One. I didn’t take any drugs.”

“Your tox screen-”

“I know what the damn tox screen says, exactly the same as it always says, all drugs that normally are given by someone else, not ingested myself.” I snap at him. “The limo I was in that suddenly lost control of its brakes.”

“That was an accident.”

I nod my head sagely, watching him intently. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me in that mirror.

“And then the stage lights falling on me?”

Jason finally looks away, his fingers tighten on the steering wheel. “I checked. For days, I looked at the security footage. I couldn’t find anything.”

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