Page 73 of Throne of Secrets

He glanced at her white shirt tied around her leg. The lacy bra she was wearing would be sexy at any other time. Ethan carefully stepped forward. “You’re bleeding. Shit. That fucker is going to pay.” Rage pounded through his veins.

“Can we worry about my cut later? I don’t want to get pierced or toasted.”

Yeah, that would be a problem. Ethan saw the metal laid in a twisted, snarled mess. The ends of the wires outside weren’t touching the metal walls, but it was a disaster waiting to happen. They were a hazard, even powered down, especially for someone like Star. One wrong step, and she could be skewered and flamed.

He assessed the structure, the way the metal had caved, the weak points in the debris.

“Hang tight. I’m coming to you.”

“Yeah? Could you hurry? My bucket and I are having serious trust issues right now.”

Ethan climbed onto the wreckage, boots crunching over jagged metal. Sweat slicked his back. His pulse was a drum in his ears. Every muscle in his body was coiled as he stepped over the tangled mess of debris.

Star wobbled slightly. “Ethan?—”

“I’m here. You’re going to be okay,” he promised, closing the distance between them.

She swallowed hard. “I know.”

He reached her, one steadying hand wrapping around her waist as he braced them both, his footing precarious on the slanted metal roof. “Okay. I’m going to lift you. When I say go, jump to me.”

Her hands fisted in his shirt, feet still precariously perched on the small bottom of the overturned plastic pail. “If you drop me, I willhaunt you.”

He grinned. “Noted.” Then … “Go!”

She launched forward, and he caught her against his chest, his arms locking around her with a crushing force. Her legs twisted around his waist, and she hissed.

“What is it?”

“My leg and shoulder.”

“We’ll get you to a doctor.” Her breath hitched. He could feel her heart hammering against his.

For a moment, they justbreathed.

Ethan closed his eyes against the overwhelming relief threatening to pull his knees out from under him. He held her tighter, as if he could physically anchor her to him. “Jesus, Star. I was so fucking worried.” He breathed her in, then looked up to the sky. “Thank you.” He was shaking he was so fucking relieved. He’d gotten to her in time. He squeezed her tighter just to make sure she was real and it wasn’t a dream.

Her fingers curled into his shirt. “Ethan … I was so scared.”

His hand slid into her tangled hair, cradling the back of her head as he exhaled into the crook of her neck. “I’ve got you, babe. I’vegot you. I always will.”

“I knew you’d come.” Her breath shuddered.

His chest clenched. His grip tightened. “Always.”

He turned, keeping her wrapped against him, and carefully stepped out the wreckage. The second his boots hit solid ground, her arms fully wrapped around his neck, and sheheld on.

“Take her to the truck and wait for me there.” His father’s calm voice in his ear pushed his feet in motion. When she lifted her head, Ethan pushed it back into his chest and kept his hand there, not letting her look around. He knew what his father would do, and he didn’t care, but Star didn’t need to see it or know what would happen.

“Just keep your eyes closed. I’m taking you to the SUV.”

“It was the police officer, Ethan. The one who drove me to the precinct when I found the body.”

“We know.”

She stiffened. “Is he here?”

“Shhh … Don’t worry about it. The right people are here to take care of everything.”

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