Page 84 of Burn for Me

We weren't driving for that long, were we?

A gunshot rings through my earpiece, and I freeze. My breathing becomes ragged, and my grip falters for a moment.

“Bloody bastards.”

“Sam!” I yell, and he laughs, but then the scrambling starts again.

“Can you…” Rurik rasps as he pries his fingers under my bicep, easing my grip despite my desperate struggle to maintain it. “Let go?”

I glance at the GPS again. He’s in one of these buildings.Sam is so close; I’m sure I could reach him in minutes if I run. If I can just get to my equipment and change…

Dove grips the back of my dress and starts tugging. “You know I hate not knowing what’s happening, and you're about to kill the one person who tells me the shitty truth.”

“Thanks,” Rurik mutters as they both successfully manage to pry me off.

“Shut up. I still hate you.” Dove grumbles.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly exit the car and rush to the trunk, sifting through the empty space to find where Sam put our belongings. Dove steps beside the trunk, and I can already tell from the shadow her frame casts that she has grown into herself. She’s taller than I am now, and her body has more curves and contours than I remember. As much as I’d love to have some heartwarming moments with the one person I’ve spent years wishing I could see and talk to like I used to, I have more important matters to attend to.

“Update, Jas.”

I need to come clean. This is the moment because if my superiors arrive soon, there’s no way I’ll be able to keep my double life a secret. I unclasp a hook with shaky hands, revealingour hidden belongings beneath a thick compartment. As much as I appreciate Sam's protection, there are some things I need to handle on my own. I pull out a pistol first, followed by a set of handcuffs.

“I messed up, Sharkie,” I mutter, feeling my heart clench. As soon as Rurik opens the driver’s door, I aim my weapon at him and hold up the cuffs.He better cooperate.With an annoyed huff, he rubs his fingers over his brow.

“You do realize this isn’t my doing, right? Why would I bring you here if it was? I could’ve killed you at the ball.” His voice is casual, as if the thought doesn't bother him. I laugh.Probably because it doesn't.

“Dove, link him to the steering wheel for me. I don’t have time for this.” I grumble. She responds eagerly, kicking his shin as he tries to get out. While he's distracted, she cuffs him to the steering wheel.

“What the fuck—”Tide is cut off with a deep breath and Sharkie butting in.

“Don’t start. I’ve made mistakes too.”she hisses, but I don’t think it’s directed at me. Her tone softens as she sighs, adding,“Just tell me what you did.”

I begin from the start, summarizing the main points similarly to how I did with Sam while I fight into some black cargo pants, stripping off my dress to put on my top.

“I stopped months ago. Before the plane. I just…” I pause and glance at Dove, realizing she has been listening the whole time. “I wanted to protect the ones I love, but when I realized I was hurting those who loved me back, I couldn’t continue…”

“Is that it?”Sharkie laughs, and I feel a wave of relief wash over me.“We can fix that.”

Tide is quiet, and I know he’s probably angrier than ever right now, but my mind feels lighter. Now, I can focus on what’s truly important.

“Mom made you do that? They told me you ran away...” Dove mutters. I check the bag Sam filled with weapons and equipment. Once I note everything I need, I throw it over my shoulder. It’s not surprising that they kept it hidden, especially my father; after all, she’s the only daughter he has been able to protect, so I’m sure he figured it would be easier.

“Anytime I wrote to him, I wrote to you. Even when I stopped, I kept doing it…”

Dove smiles and squints her eyes as she brushes her hands down her dress. Meanwhile, I take off my mask and gently place it in the trunk.

“I’ll have to find them, then. I need to know everything you’ve been getting into over time. You included details of your wedding, right?” She laughs, and I try to laugh in response, but I'm too stressed to manage a proper one. I put in a new earpiece.

“I didn’t have a wedding, but that’s still my husband in there.” Then it hits me, and I stop midway as I pass her. “How did you know it was me?”

Rurik and she were waiting, so I’m assuming Casey was yelling. Logically, I can understand that if Rurik had nothing to do with this problem, he would want to clear up what happened at the ball. However, he brought her with him, and she mentioned my name long before I said anything.

Dove shrugs and glances at the car.

“Rurik mentioned that he saw you at his restaurant, but I assumed it was just another one of his stupid ‘payback’ tactics. Then tonight, he found me hiding in the library and said you were in trouble.” She pauses, fidgeting with the necklace around her neck. “I thought he was trying to kidnap me again, so it turned into a fight. But then you came running out, and I would recognize that blonde hair anywhere.”

I open my mouth to inform her about his drugging tactics, the cameras, or even to yell that I was compromised the whole time,but a vehicle spins its tires as it stops a short distance in front of ours. The driver and passenger doors fly open, and Delilah and Jonathan jump out with large smiles, so I take off toward them. Delilah’s smile fades when Jonathan says something to her, but I don’t dwell on it. I have the backup I need for now, and that’s all that matters.

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