Page 80 of Captured Immune

At the row of tires farthest from Trey’s ears, I give the bottom tire a gentle push. It doesn’t budge. I push again, harder this time. With a light dragging sound, the tires shift forward a tiny bit. I stop and eye Trey. Thankfully, his eyes are still shut.

I’m about to push the tires again when a rustling sound makes me freeze. I think it’s coming from the other side of the wall. It might be a small animal outside or the wind blowing leaves around. When the rustling stops, I resume my escape.

The tires make another small noise against the floor as I push them again. Trey doesn’t move. I give them another shove. This time, I feel resistance. Something on the other side is blocking the tires from moving any farther.Dang it!

I peer out the small opening I’ve made. It looks like I’m in a barn. Straight ahead is a rusty car—or what’s left of it. Next to that are a couple of old tractors with missing wheels. More rubber tires lie in a pile near the wall. A line of old, broken shovels leans up against some shelves. Everything is covered in dirt.

Trey lets out another tiny moan, making me stop and stare at him. A beam of moonlight shines through my small opening, hitting him just right. I let out a little gasp. Trails of dried blood drip from his temples, all the way down his neck. The bruises on his cheeks are a bright shade of red and purple. A cut on the side of his lip is crusted over in blood.How did he get so banged up?It must have happened after I passed out.

Even with all the gore covering his face, he looks peaceful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him asleep before. Correction, I’veneverseen him asleep before. I almost feel bad for leaving him like this. Not bad enough to stick around though. I want nothing to do with him and his supernatural friends. Not unless one of them has the power to turn back time to before I was kidnapped.

Since the opening isn’t big enough for me to crawl through, I’ll have to move the row of tires next to it. It takes me a few pushes, but eventually, my opening becomes big enough. I’m about to crawl out when another rustling sound stops me. I yelp as a huge rat scurries across my legs, making me jerk backward, straight into Trey.

“Ah!” His arms flail around as the rat climbs up the tires and weasels its way out the other side.

All the tires fly across the barn as Trey shoots out from under the table and onto his feet. Two fireballs magically burst into his hands, one in each palm. They’re so big and bright, they illuminate everything around us.

“Stay down!” He takes a firm stance in front of me as his head swivels from side to side. “Where are they?”

“Who?”

“The bad guys!”

“Not here.”

He turns to me, still holding the flames. “Then why did you scream?”

“It was a rat.”

Finally, his fire goes out, drowning the barn in darkness again. He slaps a palm against his forehead. “Fuck.”

He dashes across the barn toward the pile of tires and seizes one off the top. It must have belonged to a tractor because I’ve never seen a car with a tire that big before.

“What are you doing?” I ask as he rolls the tire to me and flops it at my feet. “You know we’ll need the rest of the vehicle for this to be of any use, right?”

A little smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Only you can make me laugh when we’re being hunted by people who won’t hesitate to drive tree roots through my heart.”

The mental image of that makes my throat tighten.

Trey points at the large tire. “Do you think you can work your magic on me?”

Funny that he callsmemagic whenhe’sthe one who can make flames come out of his hands. “Why?”

“Because all they need is my DNA to give to a Tracker, and they’ll know my exact location by sensing the use of my powers. If they were tracking us when I used my powers just now, it probably won’t take ’em more than a few minutes to know we’re here. Then all they need is a Teleporter, and they’ll be here within seconds. I need you to make me immune so I can fly us outta here before they arrive.”

Andthisis why I need to get away from him.He’sthe one they’re tracking. Not me. Still, my current choices are to get out of here fasterwithTrey or slowerwithouthim, so I offer him a firm nod. “I can do it.”

“Great.” He sits in the hole of the tire, then spreads his legs apart and pats the space between them.

I accept the invitation by leaning my back against his front. He hisses through his teeth, and I stiffen up. “Are you okay?”

He groans and winces. “I’m fine.”

My heart pounds uncontrollably as he wraps his arm around my waist like a seat belt. Internally, I scowl at my heart for betraying me. My body can’t react this way around him anymore.Not allowed.

My stomach betrays me with butterflies when Trey slips his fingers between mine. Everything in my body tells me I’m safe—except for my head, which is shouting,He’s dangerous! Get away from him!

I flashback to the night I questioned Trey about his abnormalities. After he refused to tell me his secret—one I didn’t realize could be this insane—I asked, “Are you dangerous?”

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