Page 174 of Crave
I hit the ground hard. Gravel tore into my palms. Sharp. Burning.
My elbows cracked against stone.
The air punched out of my lungs before I could scream.
Hands—rough, cold—clamped around my ankles. My wrists.
Dragging.
Dust filled my mouth. The sting of blood.
NO!
The scream rose too late.
I kicked. Hard. Fighting like an animal.
My boot connected with flesh. A grunt.
I twisted. Bit down. Screaming.
The taste of sweat. Salt. Skin.
A curse—sharp and furious—in Spanish.
Then a crack across my cheek.
My head whipped to the side.
Strands of hair lashed my cheek before the burn came.
Searing.
Scorching.
White light.
My vision dazed.
But I didn’t stop.
Couldn’t.
Wouldn’t.
Not until I saw him.
A sound broke through.
Faint. Distant.
Gabe.
His voice—shredded with fury. My name torn from his throat like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
“Angel!”
The scream cracked the silence like shattering glass.
