“Please.” Frustrated tears well in my eyes as I attempt to help her up one more time. “You have to get up, love. You have to.”
Saffron shakes her head weakly, a pained moan brushing over her lips as her eyes close fully. I shake her, screaming in her face, but she’s stopped responding altogether now.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”
I can’t move Saffron. It’s impossible. And if I can’t get her to a hospital, she’ll die.
My hope is dying when the rumble of a car engine makes its way to my ears. Without thought, I jump to my feet, pushing through the bushes so they might spot me. I run into the road waving my arms wildly, shirtless, screaming, and covered in blood and dirt. The taillights come closer, stopping just in front of my half-naked body, and I sink to my knees in relief. The driver side door opens, and a man steps out—though, I can’t clearly see his face from the beam of the lights.
“Please, sir!” I jab my finger in the direction of the bushes where Saffron lies. “My friend—she’s dying. Please,please,help me. I’ll do anything.”
The man stops in front of me, and I jut my chin up to look him in the eyes. Only, there are no eyes to speak of. No features at all—just a menacing, bloodred mask.
“Anything? I think we could work something out.”
I stumble back on hands and knees, the air rushing out of my lungs as I stare up at the man from my nightmares.Red 7.
“How—how did you find me?” I reach up to cover my breasts as horror rips through me. “How…?”
“Tracker. Your phone,” he says, as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. Red 7 walks to the back of the van, pulling the doors open with a loud clank. “If you want your friend to live, let me help you.”
Heart thudding loud in my ears, I look from where Saffron’s body lies, to the car, then to Red 7’s masked face. I’m topless, scared, and utterly vulnerable. But Saffron needs my help.
“Please. Help her.”
Red 7 nods, grabbing a tarp from the back of the van and making his way over to the bushes. I run to catch up as he pushes through the brush, stopping on the other side when he catches sight of Saffron.
A low whistle punctuates the silence, making me wince. “The bandages. Yours?”
I nod, my arms tightening around my chest. “Yes.”
He places the tarp over Saffron’s naked torso, never taking his eyes off me. Red 7 stands there staring for a beat, then reaches for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head in one fell swoop.
“Here,” he says. “For you.”
I have a moment to ogle the intricate swirls of ink covering his sculpted forearms, and then Red 7 is shoving his shirt into my face, pulling my attention away. I pinch the fabric between my fingers, weighing my options.Is it better to stay naked and cold, or bite the bullet and wear the deranged serial killer's Jacket?
Another chill runs through me, and I pull the shirt over my head, breathing in deeply as I’m enveloped by warm notes of tobacco and musk. It’s familiar and comfortable, easing some of my nerves and allowing me to take a few deep, even breaths.
Red 7 stands, holding Saffron’s limp body in his arms. He jerks his head toward the van, and I follow at his heels as he hurries to the back, placing Saffron delicately in the trunk.
“You should sit with her.” He holds out a bloodied gloved hand to help me inside the van. “In case she passes on the way.”
I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat as I take his hand. He helps me inside, seeming reluctant to let go of my palm.
He slams the doors shut, leaving Saffron and me in the dark.
Red 7 settles into the driver's seat as I curl my body around Saffron’s, keeping her stable for the drive and offering her as much comfort as I can. As we drive, I run my fingers through her hair, listening for the sounds of her breath, counting her heartbeats to make sure she doesn’t miss a single one.
I’m so entranced by my task, I don’t realize we’ve made it to the hospital until Red 7 yanks open the back doors, spilling light into the darkened trunk of the van.
“ER staff are on the way with a stretcher.”
I squint up at the masked killer, unsure whether I should thank him or curse him. “You helped us. Why?”
He doesn’t answer. “They’ll be out in a few moments. I can’t stay much longer.”
“Okay…” I look over his shoulder as the ER doors slide open and a team of medical staff rushes through, their eyes trained on Saffron and me. “Where are you?—?”
