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“Lake!” Dash roars. “Get up here!”
I push myself up and make my way forward, bouncing all over the damn place. “What’s going on?” I cry. Finally reaching the front, I grip onto the nearest seat and peer through the partially open partition at our maniac driver.
Just in time to see him throw his door open and jump out of the vehicle. The limo is going way too fast, out of control, and my jaw drops. Up ahead, the road curves sharply and if we don’t turn that wheel, we’re going to fly right off the edge of a cliff.
“Dash!” I yell, paralyzed by fear.
He’s grunting and groaning, using all of his might to force the partition down so he can get into the front seat and try to stop this death trap. I snap out of it and immediately begin to help him. We both pull down as hard as we can, but it barely moves.
“Goddammit!” Dash puts all of his weight into it and I do the same. Then, miraculously, it drops down. “Watch out!” Dash yells and throws himself over and into the front seat.
I duck out of the way and pop back up just as Dash slides into the driver’s seat, his booted foot slamming down on the brakes. He jerks the wheel hard to the left, but it’s too late.
The entire limo fishtails sickeningly, and the edge of the cliff comes screaming up fast. Metal screeches and wood snaps as we crash through the guard rail.
“Hold on!” Dash yells as we soar over the side of the cliff.
I scream and the last thing I remember is the limo rolling upside down and seeing glimpses of blue sky before I hit my head and the world goes black.
Chapter Fifteen: Dash
I do everything in my power to try to regain control of the limo, but it’s going too fucking fast. We skid sideways, barrel into the guard rail and all I see is blue sky and the top of trees as we sail over the edge. Then we drop, crash into the side of the mountain and roll. There’s no time to put on my seatbelt and I hope to God that Lake is holding on tight to something or she’s going to get bounced around back there like a rubber ball.
I also hope like hell we survive.
I’m clinging to the steering wheel with a death grip, legs wedged beneath it, trying to keep myself from flying out the shattered window beside me. After flipping a few times, the limo abruptly stops hard and fast. My head slams against the seat’s back and I bite my lip. It’s nowhere near as pleasant as when Lake did it earlier.
Pressed to the seat, I’m looking straight up through the broken windshield at a tree branch and the cloudless sky above. I see the side of the rocky cliff and realize that we must’ve gotten snagged on something. I’m not sure what, but it feels like we’re hanging by a thread, and I know that we need to get the hell out of here fast.
“Lake!” I call, turning around and trying to see into the back of the limousine. Loose pebbles fall through the smashed windshield, pinging off my body. My heart speeds up when I spot her at the opposite end of the vehicle, lying there, eyes closed.
A panic like I haven’t felt since being captured by the enemy sears through my gut. Is she alive? Is she breathing?
“LAKE!” I roar and immediately start to crawl into the rear section. But when there’s an ominous creak and the entire car jolts and slides down a few inches, I freeze.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I can see straight out the tinted back window, the glass now cracked and splintered. Pieces break free and drop into the rocky ravine, at least 200 feet below. Chances of surviving that aren’t great. Possible, of course, but Lake is positioned in a bad location and can’t brace for the horrific impact that would occur.
She needs to wake up.Now.Everything in me screams her name, willing it to happen. I call out to her again, demanding that she open her eyes and start crawling toward me.
“Open your fucking eyes, Red!” I yell. The sound of another branch breaking has bile rising in the back of my throat. The limo slips again and desperation washes over me. I want to jump down, pull her into my arms and slip out the back door, but any major movement on my part has the entire vehicle rocking.
I’m going down to get her.
The thought consumes me, motivates me. I carefully slide a leg through the partition, holding my breath and calling on all the luck in the world. If I had my rope, I might be able to rig something, but I don’t. All I have is me, and that’s going to have to be enough.
Suddenly, her eyes flutter open and I pause, trying to ignore the menacing groan of the limo as it shifts on the unstable mountainside.
“Lake!” I call, relief pumping through my veins. “Don’t move.”
“Dash?” She touches a hand to her forehead and I see a bloody gash at her temple.
“Red, listen to me. We’re hung up on something and it’s really fucking unstable. You’re light enough that your weight shouldn’t affect that balance. I’m going to need you to climb up here to me, okay? But carefully. No sudden movements. Got it?”
For a moment, she doesn’t say anything and I’m scared she either has a concussion or she’s too terrified to move. But then she gingerly sits up, checks out her surroundings and slowly stands. She tilts her head back, staring up at me.
“Where should I climb up?” she asks, voice steady.
