Page 281 of Boys Who Taint

Straight into a tree.

Stars fill my sight as the airbag explodes, and I try to breathe.

One. Two. Three seconds.

Just breathe.

Keep going.

I push the airbags down and open the door, sucking in a breath as I stumble out of the car. I’m not hurt, but the engine is destroyed. There’s no way it’s gonna drive.

Shit.

The motorcycle stops nearby, and my eyes widen.

Two more cars drive around the corner, bumping into the other cars like they’re in a fight who gets to be there first.

Did Silas alert the entire fucking family?

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

I run to the passenger’s door, which is still open, and I grab Levi’s hand and drag him out with me. “C’mon! Run!”

As the cars drive up to us, I can hear Grey shouting from a stolen motorcycle behind us. “Aspen, here!”

BANG! BANG!

The person who came in on the motorcycle shoots at Grey, who ducks and crashes the motorcycle on the road.

“Grey!” I shriek.

“Go to him,” Levi says, releasing my hand. “Leave me.”

“No, I can’t.”

He pushes me away and falls to one knee. “Do it.”

I hesitate, just one second, before I dart toward Grey to pull him out of the active fire that’s engulfed his motorcycle.

Apollo’s car drives up to us from the distance, carrying Heath and Cecelia, whose heads peek out the open windows to see what’s going on. Another car races right behind it, with Max and Ivy sticking their heads out their respective windows.

“No, not my baby!” Max screams at the sight of his dinged motorcycle.

BANG! BANG!

Shots come from the other cars behind them as they drive closer, windows lowered. It’s Mom and Dad shooting at the motorcycle lady who was trying to kill us, and she takes off her helmet, her long, black hair flipping out as fast as her middle finger. It’s Lana, Levi’s mom. She thinks I’m out to hurt Levi just like Silas was.

She aims and shoots again, and I grab Grey and duck behind a big tree stump.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Fuck, it hurts,” Grey groans as he shows me the bullet hole in his shoulder.

“Stay put,” I say.

“Why is she shooting at us?” he asks. “We’re not the bad guys here.”

“She wants to protect Levi. She thinks we’re gonna kill him,” I reply.

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