Page 83 of Burn for Me

“Jas’?”

I grasp the handle, ready to jump out as voices scramble, but the car is already speeding off.

“We’ve pinpointed his location.”

“You could’ve killed someone! Or gotten yourself killed!” It feels like someone is softly punching my back as if they're not even trying to hurt me.

“Stop yelling! She has every right to be angry.”

“Don’t interfere; this is probably your fault anyway!”

I can’t think. I can’t move. There’s too much going on, too many voices getting louder and louder, but none are theoneI want to hear. I’d rather walk over burning coals than continue feeling my head throb like this.

Okay, what would Sam do?Kill everyone. Probably not the best choice right now…think.

“Melione!”

My head snaps up at the sound of my name, and I finally look at the person beside me. Her long blonde hair is pinned back messily, and her makeup is darker than I'm used to, but those light brown eyes give everything away.

“Dove?” I say.

“What’s going on, Jasmine?”Moe comes through, and I'm grounded back to the moment, focusing on the earpiece instead of taking in all the changes in my little sister.

Another grunt follows a crackling sound, so I clasp my hands over my ears, trying to listen better. I don’t want this adrenaline to fade away just yet; I know I can do this if I can hear him. If I can't, I'm afraid my world might crumble under the weight of endless possibilities of what it might mean.

Dove tugs at my arm, trying to get my attention, but I swat her hand away like I used to when we were kids, and she would try to take my last pancake. The car suddenly jerks to the side. Keeping a finger to my ear, I pull off my heel and throw it at the driver. Dove's laughter overpowers the noise in my ear, blending with the muffled crunch of the tires spinning against the concrete.

“Where… is she…?”

My heart skips a beat.There he is.He’s okay, and judging by the breaking of his voice in screams and the huffs of his breath, I’d say he’s still fighting.

“I’m here, I’m—” I pause, slowly narrowing my eyes as I focus on my little sister, then shift my gaze to the front seat to recognize Rurik.

“Where is he!?” I snap, lunging forward, but Dove pulls me back by my arm.

“Hey Jas’ if you’re done throwing your fucking temper tantrum, then I need you to get to the equipment. Jonathan and Delilah are already en route to the location. We’re loading up to get there, too.”Sharkie crackles through, and I nearly yellbecause it overpowers Sam’s side of the line. Granted, there’s not much happening on his end besides heavy breathing and occasional curses, but it's still something that I'm desperate to hold onto.

“Your vehicle is moving on our monitor, so I will assume you’re in it. Uploading coordinates to the GPS.”

As soon as Moe speaks, Rurik tilts his head toward the screen, which adjusts on its own. I scramble to the front seat to reach him.This is his fault. My house, my life, my husband—he's ruined all of it. I don’t care if I’m compromised or what my team will do to me.

“What the—” Rurik starts speaking, but I cut him off.

“I swear I’ll kill you!”

The car swerves as I wrap my arm around his neck from behind. Dove pushes against my body, sprawled across her lap.

“Is Jasmine compromised, too?”

“I don’t know, but her vehicle is following the same route, so I guess we’ll find out.”

As Sharkie and Tide start to bicker, I understand why Sam gets so tense with these earpieces, but I refuse to take mine out.

“Damnit Mel! Just stop. I don’t think he did this!” I continue to strain my bicep against his neck despite Dove's constant yelling. He just holds his breath, occasionally flicking his gaze back to the road from the dashboard with a wheel jerk.

“He’s why I knew you were there, and I’m here now!” I want to call her a traitor for being with this man in the first place. After all, everything I did was to ensure her safety. That thought makes my hold tighten hard enough that it feels likeI'mthe one being deprived of air.

The car skids to a halt, and I glance around. A large metal gate stands in front of an open, barren expanse of dead-looking land, with a few rundown buildings oddly situated alongside the road.Frames of structures are being built, and very few street lamps give the impression of a city in the making.

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