Page 101 of The Saint

Camden grabbed her around the waist. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

She couldn’t see anything. The smoke burned. Snot and tears covered her face. The front door flung open, and a wave of fresh air smacked her. The relief vanished with instantaneous pain, as though she’d run into a lightning bolt. Shock. Pain. The jolt froze her muscles and killed her scream. Everything went black.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“You’re not going to die on me today, asshole.” Beth’s familiar voice grated over Camden’s senses. He wanted to get away from it but needed to wake up. “Open your eyes.”

Damn.He was trying. An angry brunette came into focus, along with everything else. Camden jerked away from her. His head spun. His arms reached for Amelia. He was on the floor. His hands reached to find her.

“Stay awake. But take it easy.” Beth squatted next to him then spoke into her phone. “Just him. Two tangoes down. We’re going to need a cleanup team and medical transport.”

Nausea swam over him. He fought to sit up. “Amelia?” His throat hurt, and her name fell short on his lips as though his lungs didn’t have enough oxygen.

Beth grabbed his arm as he tried to stand. “Try the couch first.”

He didn’t agree so much as he stumbled onto it. “Where is she?” His brain rattled behind his eyes. He couldn’t think for the pounding. Even sitting up was too hard. His equilibrium couldn’t find its center. Camden propped himself up on the arm of the couch so that he wouldn’t give in to the pain and lie down with his eyes closed again.

Beth took his hand. “Water. See if you can drink.” She wrapped his hand around a cold bottle. “Try.”

He squinted at her. “Amelia?”

“Drink first.”

God, this lady.He gagged on a sip. His stomach convulsed. Pain made the small amount of water he’d drunk want to come back up. “Where’s she?” Stringing words together was killing him.What the hell happened?He hadn’t been shot.What had happened?

Beth sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

That didn’t calm his panic. “Where is Amelia?”

“I don’t know.”

Fuck.His eyes pinched shut.Damn.His chest hurt. His chin dropped, and his gaze partially focused. Charred fabric hung in ribbons down his torso. Burned flesh marred with blisters and singed skin made his stomach turn again.

“Who is this? Brock?” Beth snapped into her cell phone. “I don’t know. Gone.” She shook her head. “Don’t know how, but he’s still alive.” Beth stepped gingerly over a body on the floor. “I’ll get it to Parker ASAP.” She ended the call and snapped pictures of the dead men’s faces then turned toward Camden. “Drink more.”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “What happened?”

“Looks like someone rammed a cattle prod into your chest.”

Why couldn’t he remember anything? The effort to raise his arm made nausea roll over him again. Sweat tickled his brow. His stomach dropped. Amelia was gone—just like Hailey.

Beth’s frown indicated that she shared his same thought. She gripped his shoulder as he struggled onto his feet. “No. Wait. You need to see a doctor before you go outside and drop dead.”

Amelia had washed her face half a dozen times and couldn’t remove the scents of chemicals, smoke, and Camden’s burned flesh from her nose. Her cries and demands went unanswered for hours. No one released her from the windowless bathroom she’d woken up in. Hours had passed since her eyes opened—no telling how long she’d been unconscious.

What happened?For the hundredth time, she tried to remember and came up with nothing except the certainty thatthe haunting smell of burned flesh was Camden—that and the excruciating memory of an electric shock.

What if he was dead? She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet.Think. She’d been screaming. Her throat felt like it was bleeding. There had been gunfire. Her ears still roared from the loud explosions.

The doorknob twisted. The man she’d seen at Hailey’s and then Esme’s glowered. “You are a fucking pain in my ass.”

He left the bathroom door open and stepped back. “Walk out here”—he gestured to a rundown motel room—“or I’ll drag you out.”

Behind him was the way to escape. All she had to do was get out. Camden’s words from the phone call on the first night rushed back to her.If he finds you, fight back. Don’t freeze. Don’t try to reason. Don’t waste your energy screaming. Bite. Use your elbow. Use your fingernails. Knee him in the nuts. Fight dirty. Do you hear me?

Amelia lunged. Her fists slammed into the man’s chest. She needed to get around him and fought for the door. He was stronger than he looked, but he wasn’t fighting for his life. She smashed her head from under his chin, snapping his head back. He groaned but didn’t let go. Amelia had to fight. She smashed her knee into his groin.

“Shit,” he wheezed and doubled over.

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