Page 132 of Until We Burn
His wallet clatters out of his pocket.
Simon scrambles for it. I hurl Sophia’s heel at him before he can reach it. Simon screams and crumples to his knees, hands grabbing at his crotch.
“You bitch!” he howls.
I wrest the wallet back just as Kai pulls me close. His hands cradle my face. He brushes the tears out of my eyes and kisses my cheeks.
“You alright?” he gasps. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine!” I tug impatiently at his costume. “But we have to get out of here!”
“Alright.” Kai looks over his shoulder and shouts at the boys. “Let’s go!”
He takes my hand and pulls me down the stairs. All six of us hurry out of the lounge. To my surprise, Luke takes Sophia with him as we spiral lower and lower towards the landing.
Thunderous footsteps fire out behind us.
My head flies back. I gasp at the horde of Vipers coming down the stairs.
“They’re onto us!”
“Just keep going!” Kai shouts.
I keep my face down when we drop onto the stair landing. I shove past all the bodies crowding around me. Hands swivel near my face. Torn costume pieces smack into my head. Glass cracks under my heels. Ruined props litter the dirty bar tops. Over my head, the “bad decisions only” sign flickers on and off in a mocking, red glow.
Kai and I break out of the nightclub doors and cold air bursts across my face.
The girls and I hurry to the parkade with the rest of the boys.
Heart racing, hair flying out, and rips tearing the lace of my gown, I’ve never felt so free.
I snicker before a laugh flutters out.
Kai furrows his brows. “Why are you laughing?”
“I hit Simon Valdis in the balls!”
Kai’s worry eases into a laugh. His eyes look so vivid and green like they did the first night we ran away together like this.
“Je suis tellement amoureux de toi.”
The nightclub doors creak behind us. Kai and I look back to see the Vipers coming down the sidewalk.
“Go! Go!” Kai shouts.
We quickly get into his car. The wheels back out with a screeching shriek before the car takes off into the night. The car veers down the direction of the highway. Soon, forests and mountains loom tall around us and the Vipers are out of sight.
The car stopsat an empty backroad.
A long wooden fence runs down the length of the road. The pale moonlight glimmers down on the dark trees surrounding us.
I drop back into my seat.
Kai shuts his eyes. His breaths tremble in and out.
“Kai?”
I lean over the center console to brace his face between my hands. Kai swallows hard. Anxious lines scar his features.
