Page 15 of Love Fire

I doubt she was waiting for my permission, but Erin floors the gas even harder as her wild driving gets even crazier. She runs red lights and stop signs, practically drifts around corners, and doesn’t slow down for even a moment. Who taught her to drive like this? Who is she?

I don’t have much more time to consider Erin’s driving as Maria begins convulsing. Her body tightens and twitches. I lay Maria down and keep her held on her side. I don’t know what this actually does to help Maria but Erin did it when we found her, and Erin seems to know what she’s doing.

“Are we almost-!” As if on cue, Erin takes a sharp right into the parking lot of a hospital. For what I think is the first time since getting behind the wheel, Erin uses the brake and we slam to a stop in front of the emergency room entrance.

I pick up Maria and hop out of the car, once again Erin is right behind me. We bring her inside and immediately we are swarmed by some orderlies. They take Maria from me and lay her down on a gurney. They all look at me for information but Erin jumps into action.

“Iridescent overdose, maybe about thirty minutes ago. She has no allergies to any medication.” She speaks with the clarity and confidence of someone who has likely had to do this before.

“Thank you,” one of the orderlies says. They wheel Maria away and she disappears behind a pair of swinging double doors.

Erin gives a deep breath and finally lets herself cry again. She turns to me and buries her face in my chest as the sobbing begins. I wrap my arms around Erin and hold her tight. She does the same to me, but her arms can’t quite reach all the way around me like mine do on her.

Regardless of what I thought about Erin earlier today, I know she genuinely cares for Maria. I still don’t know who she is or what her true connection to iridescent is, but Erin is a good person. She has a good heart and that is hard to find in this world.

I continue to hold her tightly. Just a few hours ago, I was interrogating her. She was the enemy. But now, I want nothing more than to protect her. To pick her up and take her away from all this and keep her from harm.

A strange voice cuts through Erin’s sobbing. “Erin?”

We both look up at the voice towards a doctor who has just entered the room. Erin immediately lets go of me and rushes over to the man. She wraps her arms around him and begins to sob.

What the fuck? Who is this guy? Her boyfriend? Of course, she would bring her dying friend to her boyfriend’s hospital. Why not?

This asshole has nothing on me. Sure, he’s tall by human standards, but I’m much taller. I’m also handsomer. That isn’t even a question. I have nothing to worry about with this guy. I’m not jealous. He should be jealous of me if anything.

He wraps his arms around her and holds Erin gently. “It’s okay, it’ll all be okay,” he whispers through her sobs.

Seriously, who the fuck is this guy?

15

ERIN

Iwrap my arms around Nate and bury my face in his chest. Like the big brother he is, he comforts me. The tears just won’t stop flowing. In his arms, I’m able to feel truly safe for the first time in a while.

Ever since Leanne went missing, Nate is the only one in my family I can feel safe with. In many ways he’s the only person I feel safe with at all. No one understands what I’ve been through like him, especially when it comes to our father.

I can tell he’s whispering something to me but I can’t hear it over the sound of my own sobs. Today has just been far too exhausting. I just need this day to end, but there is still too much to do.

I pull away from my brother and look him in the eyes. “We need to talk.” He nods and we move off of the lobby, away from anyone that might be listening in. I can still feel Brent’s piercing eyes on me, but if we whisper, it should be fine.

“Are you being followed?” I also turn my head so Brent won’t be able to read my lips. I don’t know if that’s something he can do, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Nate picks up on what I’m doing and follows suit. “No,” he whispers back while trying to look as natural as possible while covering his mouth. “Are you?”

I nod. “The past couple of nights I’ve seen a black escalade following me.”

“Well, that’s father for sure.”

“Yep, one even tried to follow me here, but I’m pretty sure I lost him. But you never know.”

“Father must be on to us. We have to be careful moving forward. We can’t afford any mistakes.” Nate’s voice has more certainty in it than I expected.

“What do you mean? What do you know?”

Nate shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

“Nate,” I say. “We need to be honest with each other. This doesn’t work if we don’t tell each other everything.”

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