Page 55 of Reckless Games

“Boss.” Cillian’s voice snaps my vision back to focus, from where I’ve been drifting off, staring at the dark tree line.

He starts to slow the car, and I’m about to ask him what the fuck he’s doing when my gaze slides to the road directly ahead. Two cars are in the middle of it, headlights lighting the scene. A mess of metal being slowly blanketed in falling snow.

My stomach drops, and Cillian barely has time to stop the car before I’m climbing out.

There’s a body in my path. His blood splatters starkly against the snow-covered road. He clearly went through the windshield, and he’s too mangled to tell if it’s one of my drivers or whoever ran into them.

Whatever happened isn’t good. Doors and frames are twisted. Smoke billows from one of the cars, but nothing will keep me back. I’ll go up in flames before I lose her.

I run to the first car, and in the darkness, it’s hard to make out anything inside, except for the faint sparkle of a pale blue dress.

“Lake.” I grab at the door handle, but it doesn’t budge.

Cillian runs around the car for the other side, where the door is slightly bent, and starts pulling. I head to him and help, and between the two of us, we barely get it open.

Climbing into the bent car isn’t easy, and I can hardly maneuver between the seats with my large frame.

“Lakeyn.” Her eyes are closed, and her dress is stained with blood. All I can do is hope it’s not hers.

It can’t be hers.

Her blonde hair is falling from where it was tied off her face earlier.

“Lake.” I finally reach her, wiping her hair from her cheeks and searching her for a breath.

I swear I lose my own looking her over. Holding my fingers on her pulse.

The faintest heartbeat floods me with relief as her eyes flutter open.

“Adam.” My name makes her wince—or it might be the pain.

Her fingers clench on the seat beside her, and I lay mine over them.

“I’m here, Lake. It’s going to be okay.” I rub the backs of her hands, hoping I’m right. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Adam,” she says my name again, blinking the scene into focus. “You’re here.”

“Of course, baby girl.” I lift her hand to kiss the back of it. “You’re mine. I’m never letting you go.”

Tears puddle in her beautiful honey eyes. “We were turning around. I asked him to… and then… I don’t remember.”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to right now.”

Outside, Cillian yells something about smoke, and my awareness of the situation forces me to focus.

“We need to get you out of here, okay, Lake? Can you move for me?”

I’m not sure if she should be moved, but she can’t stay here. If the car goes up in flames, there’ll be no getting out.

I reach for her seatbelt and slowly peel it off her. Once I do, she leans forward, wincing.

“Careful.”

“I’m fine,” she says, taking a deep breath. “Just a little sore. And unsteady.”

I wrap my arm around her. “Cillian, door.”

He manages to peel it open a little bit further, and I help Lake climb forward to get through it. She’s clearly in pain, but nothing is as important as getting her out of the car. And only once Cillian takes hold of her, do I finally relax my shoulders.

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