She bounded off him.But before she could do more than that, he’d locked an arm around her waist.He shoved at the door to the side.It was jammed, didn’t open, and the smoke in the back grew so thick that she started to cough.And the flames—Lily could hear them crackling up front.
What happened?Why is the car on fire?
He kicked harder at the door.Yelled in fury andshovedeven as he kept a tight hold on her with one arm.
The door opened.
“Atlas!”Desmond was there.Standing just beyond the open door.Wide-eyed.Frantic.He grabbed her.Grabbed for Atlas.
They tumbled away from the vehicle, and she looked back to see that the front of the now upside-down limo wasblazing.The hood, the engine area—it had ignited.The front seat was full of smoke and flames and—“Carl!”Lily screamed.
Atlas pushed her back.“Get away!Get away from the flames!We’ll get him!”
They wouldallget him.She scrambled to help.
Atlas shoved her back once more.“Lily, dammit,no!I need you safe!Get to Desmond’s car!”
“Left my phone there,” Desmond shouted.“Grab it.Call for help!”
He and Desmond barreled toward the front of the limo.
Her breath shuddered out.Fury and fear battled inside of her.They were punching at the glass.The car was upside down, and Atlas was trying to slideinthe driver’s window in order to get Carl while the flames just burned higher.
A bomb?Did the killer set this, too?And if so, there could be another one waiting to explode.One near the gas tank, and if it erupted or if the fire spread, then the car could go up completely, with Atlas inside of it and…
She stumbled back.Help.She’d call for help.Her new phone was somewhere in the back of the limo, so she had to use Desmond’s.Carl was going to need EMTs.Swiping at the blood on her forehead, the blood that wanted to drip into her eye, she darted for the nearby sedan.Desmond’s car.The driver’s side door was open.She reached inside.
And she felt a little sting in her side.Just a prick.There one moment.Gone the next.Automatically, she swatted with her hand toward the sting?—
Felt a syringe.She glanced down and saw the syringe.The needle.It had gone in her side.
“I think they’ll get him out, Lily,” a low voice told her.“And we really have to hurry.”
The…the hell they did.She grabbed for that open car door, her body slumping toward it even as the man holding her tried to haul her back.
Her strength was waning, a weight settling over her, but even as darkness pulled at her, she grabbed that door…
And hauled it shut on the hand that held her.She slammed it into him.Trying to crunch his bones.Trying tohurthim.
“Fucking bitch…”
You have no idea.Her last thought.When she woke up again—ifshe woke up—then he’d learn that she was truly her mother’s daughter.
Flames bit at his hands.Atlas ignored the flash of fire and grabbed tightly to Carl’s shoulders.He’d had to break the driver’s side window and crawl in to reach the man, and Carl was out cold, no help at all.
The flames had been flying over Carl’s shirt, his chest, and Atlas had slapped at them, and now he was going to haul Carl out of there.Dammit, hewasgetting Carl out.
“Pull!”Atlas bellowed.
Desmond had a grip around his waist and his friend hauled back with all of his strength, yanking Atlas out and, since Atlas was not letting go of Carl, pulling the driver out, too.
As soon as they were clear of the car, he and Desmond grabbed Carl.They carried the unconscious man away from the growing flames.Cars were screeching to a halt near them.Reporters jumping from their vehicles.People filming frantically with their phones and camera equipment.
Filming.Nothelping.“Call nine-one-one!”Atlas shouted at them.Were any of the reporters listening to him?
He spread Carl’s body on the ground.A big gash poured blood from the man’s forehead, and blisters had already risen on Carl’s chest and arms.His pant legs had been eaten away by the flames, but they’d gotten Carl out before those flames raged out of control.
Atlas’s gaze cut back to the car.What in the hell happened?
