Page 2 of Fervent

“Theywhat?” Of course, Zach was my first suspect, but something seemed off, especially since Rafe was still alive, trapped in the trunk with me this time, and I couldn’t think of a single reason why my brother would take the time to burn the island. “Who else could’ve done this?”

“Your father, maybe? And I’m not ruling out Zach.”

“But you said there were four or five of them?”

“Yeah.” He tried to hide a groan, and I imagined him biting his lip to silence the sound.

“What is it?” I asked, wishing I could see his face.

“The drugs are still in my fucking system. I’m useless, Alex. They broke in, and I didn’t even realize it. I shouldn’t have let this happen.” He grabbed the base of my neck and tilted my head upwards, and his worried sigh breezed across my lips. “If they hurt you…”

I couldn’t dwell on what they wanted, on how they outnumbered us. I clutched his hair and held him to me, finding sanctuary in his presence even if we were trapped in a trunk together, half dressed, drugged, and possibly facing death.

“At least I’m here with you.”

“I don’t want you here with me. I want you somewhere safe.” He abruptly let go and rolled to his back. “If I can find an escape latch, or maybe break a taillight…” He kicked several times, eachthwackof his foot escalating in effort. “Fuck!”

I pushed up on my elbows. “Something’s glowing over there. See it? By your feet,” I said, realizing he couldn’t see where I was pointing in the blackness.

“Yeah. Looks like the escape latch.” A loud thunk sounded, as if he’d bumped his head. “Damn it! I can’t reach it.”

“I might be able to.” I leaned over him and inched my way down his stomach and thighs. Stretching for all I was worth, I curled my fingers around the glowing handle and yanked, but nothing happened. “It’s not working!”

“Shit. They probably fucked with it.” He shifted underneath me, and I planted a palm on the fabric lining of the trunk to steady myself. I gripped his leg with my other hand.

“Check down there for anything we can use as a weapon.” He scooted again, causing me to plop between his legs, and we became a tangle of twisted limbs as we maneuvered.

I reached out but only found empty space. “There’s nothing here, Rafe.”

“There’s gotta be a spare tire under here. Maybe I can find a lug wrench. Hold on.” He rolled, taking me with him, and my backside pressed against the back of the trunk as he lifted the flimsy floor beneath us. “I feel the tire.”

“Is there a wrench?”

A few seconds of unbearable silence passed before he answered. “No. Can’t find shit. Can’t see shit either.” We rolled again, and his fingers clamped around my bare thigh. “Give me your hand.”

I complied, and he yanked me up his body and back into his arms. “Alex…we don’t know what’s coming. When I tell you to run, promise you’ll do it and never look back. Promise me.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

He grabbed my chin, as if to force my gaze even though we couldn’t see each other. “When we get out of here, you’re gonna run for your life. Do you understand me?”

I tried shaking my head, but he wouldn’t allow it. “I mean it, Alex.”

“They could kill you.”

“I can’t defend us both against a gang of men. You running gives me my best chance.”

He was feeding me a line of bullshit.

“Don’t choose now to be stubborn,” he said, as if he’d heard my internal protest. “Just do as I say.”

The next few moments held me in a death grip, and a shiver went through me. This could be it. “Kiss me,” I choked out.

“Alex…” he said, a touch of warning in his tone.

I angled my face, sensing the heat of his mouth. “Kiss me.” The demand whispered from my lips, and I cursed the fear and grief stinging my eyes. He wanted me to fight, to believe we’d survive, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me. Too much had happened and I didn’t have any fight left.

But I needed his kiss. No matter what came next, I wanted the taste of him with me, on my tongue, branded in my memory. Maybe I could survive if I had that to hold on to.

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