“No,” I whisper. “Luke, please.”
“Get in!” he shouts, slamming his hand against the steering wheel, making the horn blare.
The door to my left flies open. Then Knox is running to me.
And he’s not alone.
Fallon is right behind him, his phone already pressed to his ear, his eyes cold and focused as he speaks rapidly into the receiver.
Eli steps up from the darkness, positioning himself between me and the open van door, his back to me.
“Is there a problem?” Knox asks, his voice a lethal quiet. He looks past me, straight at Luke.
Luke looks up, startled. His eyes dart to the three men blocking him. Then he sneers. “The help. And here I thought you were upgrading your life, Amber.”
“She said no,” Knox says. He steps closer, invading Luke’s space, his broad shoulders blocking the light. “Step away from the vehicle.”
Luke looks Knox up and down, assessing the threat. He looks at the suit, the glasses, the sheer size of him, then at Fallon on the phone and Eli’s tense stance.
The drugs make him paranoid, but he’s not stupid enough to take on three Alphas.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Luke says, though he puts the car in reverse, his hand shaking on the gearshift.
“She’s our employee,” Eli says, his tone dropping into a register that vibrates in the cold air. “And our girlfriend. Step away before I drag you out.”
Luke laughs, shaking his head, but there’s sweat beading on his upper lip. “Unbelievable. You pick them up everywhere, don’t you? Trash attracting trash.”
“Leave,” Knox says. “Now. Or we end this right here. Fallon is already on the phone with the cops. They’ll be here any minute now.”
Luke hesitates, his jaw working. He looks at me, his eyes filled with a vile promise. “I’ll be seeing you.”
I feel braver with Knox beside me. “No, you won’t.”
Luke revs the engine once, a threat, then throws the van into drive. It fishtails, tires spinning on the ice, before correcting and peeling out of the lot.
He speeds down the road, vanishing into the dark, the smell of burning rubber lingering in the air.
I stand there, my knees shaking so bad I think I might collapse. Eli turns immediately, his hands gentle on my arms.
“You okay?” he asks, his eyes scanning me for injuries.
“No,” I breathe, leaning into him. “No.”
Knox turns to me, hands gripping my shoulders. “Amber. Look at me.”
“I thought... I thought he was going to...”
“I know.” He pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me, sandwiching me between him and Eli. “Are you hurt?”
“Just scared,” I gasp against his coat. “He said... he said he’d burn the shops. He said he’d hurt Norah.”
“He won’t get close,” Fallon says, lowering his phone. “Police are on the way. They’re putting out an APB on the van.”
“We need to go back inside,” Knox says. “Jude’s waiting. He’ll worry if we are gone too long.”
“I can’t,” I say, pulling back, the cold air rushing in. “I can’t go back in there and pretend. Everyone is waiting for the celebration. I can’t... I need a minute.”
He studies my face, then nods. “Okay. One minute.”
