Page 83 of Wicked Fate

“They’ve boxed us in,” I rasped.

Ryker threw the gear shift into reverse anyway. “Hold on.”

Tires screamed as he punched the gas. The bumper smashed a body I couldn’t see; bone crunched, metal dented, and the whole frame shuddered. The engine roared but refused to climb the mound caught behind the tires.

Shit. We were pinned between cloaked vamps and the woods.

Go forward!I pointed to a narrow gap between the trees.There!My heart hammered against my ribs as I felt Ryker's desperate determination surge through our bond.

Ryker slammed the SUV into drive and turned the steering wheel hard. The tires spun and finally found traction, lurching forward. Claws scraped against metal as we hurtled toward the tree line.

Loudthudscame from on top of the SUV.

"They're on the roof!" Briar shouted.

A fist punched through the ceiling, and a shadow hand came through. Gage removed his knife and squatted on his feet from his place in between the mid-row captain seats. He swiped aimlessly, trying to hit something.

The vampire removed its hand, but before I could tell Gage to stop, the hand came through again, opening the hole wider as another arm went through.

It was enough for Gage to sever two of the shadow’s fingers, spraying himself, Cassi, and Briar with blood.

A shadow landed on the hood, and the windshield cracked.

Take a sharp right at the tree.It was the only way I could see the shadow falling off.

Ryker floored the accelerator. The SUV lurched forward just as the shadow gouged deep furrows into the windshield. Cassi screamed as Ryker took a hard left and the shadow figure tumbled off.

Just when I thought maybe we’d gotten away from them, another crash came from above. Gage drove his knife upward just as something black covered the hole in the roof, and a high-pitched shriek pierced the air.

Briar's voice broke through the chaos. "Is that the main road ahead?"

I squinted through the fractured windshield, warmth exploding in my chest for the first time since we'd fled the house. The narrow dirt path was widening, the trees thinning, and the night sky mere minutes away.

"Almost there," Ryker confirmed, knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Two minutes, maybe less."

We barreled toward safety. My eyes darted between the road ahead and the shadows that seemed to be receding. Were they giving up? It felt too easy.

A subtle shift in the air made my skin prickle. "Ryker—"

The explosion was deafening. The SUV swerved violently as both passenger-side tires blew, sending us into a wild skid.

Metal groaned as we lurched sideways and slammed into a tree. The impact threw me against my door, pain exploding through my shoulder. Glass rained down as the windshield spider-webbed completely.

"Everyone okay?” Ryker barked, trying to start the car again.

Moans and curses answered from the back. The engine sputtered, died, then caught as Ryker cranked the ignition. We inched forward on the rims, metal bumping over dirt.

"We can make it," he growled, determination flooding our bond.

A shadow dropped onto the hood with enough force to dent the metal. The engine made a sickening grinding noise then went silent. Ryker tried the ignition again—nothing.

"Dammit, we’re going to have to run on foot," he snarled, slamming his palm against the wheel.

Cold terror swept through me as shadows converged on us from all directions, materializing out of the darkness like smoke taking form. With all the pressure on me, I couldn’t breathe.

“We’ve gotta run while we still can,” I screamed, fumbling for the door handle. "They’ll be here in seconds!"

The SUV doors flew open as we scrambled into the night. Ryker dragged me out his side by my arm, his grip bruising. Cassi tumbled from the back door and hit the ground hard with a cry.

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