Page 61 of Crimson Love

My breaths are coming fast and hard. My lungs, heart, and brain barely keep up with what just happened. I force myself to move, but just barely. My eyes shift first and then my head.

Jett places a hand on my face and inspects me. “Are you okay?”

I focus on breathing.

It’s all I can manage.

“Answer me, Lennon,” he bites. “Are you okay?”

I allow my arms to fall and struggle to catch my breath. “What just happened?”

He turns my face farther and inspects every feature before running a hand down my arms and body. Despite what I wanted just moments ago, his touch is efficient. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so. Are you okay? Your kidney —”

I’m not sure if he’s angry or still in shock like me. “I’m fine.”

“Are they gone?”

Jett looks out the back window before turning forward and messing with the gearshift. He turns off the engine and then tries to turn it on again. “We need to get out of here in case they come back.”

My tone is shaky. “Who was that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” He tries to turn the engine over two more times. “Dammit.”

“Jett—”

After the fourth try, the engine turns over. “Fucking finally.”

It sounds like metal grating on metal, but he gets it into drive and hits the gas. I have to hold on all over again as he maneuvers back to the highway over the low growing forest and rocks back to the pavement. When he turns back to the road that heads up the mountain, he flips his headlights off.

I turn to look at his profile as we bump along the highway. His alignment is off, and I wonder if we’re driving on one busted tire. His truck wasn’t new, but it was nice when we started off the night. I’m afraid to see what it looks like.

I have to find my voice. “Jett?”

He’s continually scanning the area around us. “Yeah?”

Tears aren’t a threat any longer. They’re streaming down my face. I have no idea what I’m going to say or what needs to be said. I’m sorry for what happened to your truck isn’t enough. Thank you for keeping me alive is lame.

I shake my head.

He reaches over for my hand and doesn’t press me for anything.

He knows.

This is because of me. This has to be Andrei.

“It’s okay, baby.” He gives my hand a squeeze that isn’t reassuring at all. “It’s all going to be okay.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

BEG

Jett

“Y eah, I left it for your valet to deal with. I’ll apologize tomorrow, but I’m not going to allow her to be a target again. I’m getting her upstairs and locking her up for the night. The only reason we’re not headed north to the border is because you’ve got cameras everywhere.”

“Bloody hell, you both could’ve died,” Devon growls.