Thea blamed me for this shit show. I knew she’d have a few things to say to my face when I deposited Verity on US soil. None of them would be complimentary.
If my brothers wanted to pursue a relationship with Verity, that was their decision, but whether they liked it or not, we were leaving her in the US, where she’d be safe.
“How far?” Ronan asked while checking his gun for the millionth time. He’d been mostly quiet since we set off, but Iknew my brother well enough to recognize when he was close to losing his shit.
“Another mile.”
“There could be cameras monitoring this road,” Conal pointed out, scanning the trees ahead.
“We have enough weapons to take down a small army.” Ronan cracked his knuckles. “It’s been a while since we let loose.”
I’d called in some favors and collected a fuck-ton of guns and ammo from a local guy before we set off on this rescue mission. While I’d come armed from Ireland, a couple of handguns would not be enough if we met serious resistance while rescuing Verity.
“Verity is our priority,” I reminded him. “We find her and then we get out. If di Luca dies in the process, then fine, but do not take any chances with her safety.”
“They all die,” Ronan muttered darkly. “Anyone who touched my Pixie girl dies.”
“Yep,” Conal agreed.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the trees as I swung the SUV around a bend in the track, narrowly avoiding a pothole. It was times like this when I missed my Defender 4X4. The SUV had the height, but the suspension wasn’t coping so well with the rough terrain.
“Looks like we have company,” Ash observed as a small figure shot out of the trees ahead.
The SUV's headlights snagged on a familiar pair of joggers, long dark hair, and ashen cheeks as Verity slipped and fell forward into our path. I heard one of my brothers yell a panicked warning.
Time slowed down.
The car’s tires lost traction in the sticky mud, causing the vehicle to slide. Verity scrambled to get out of my way, but I saw the defeat in her eyes when she realized it was too late.
I wrenched the steering wheel hard, ignoring the yelling in my ear.
Miraculously, right at the last second, the tires caught on a rock and we swerved sideways, missing our girl by mere millimeters. She was the last thing I saw before the SUV slammed into a tree.
53
Verity
I’d always wondered whether at the point of death, your whole life really flashed before your eyes. Twenty years’ worth of experiences and curated highlights condensed into a microsecond. The ultimate social media reel.
When I saw the car heading right for me and realized I didn’t have time to get out of the way, the notion of a life not lived hit me hard.
So many opportunities wasted.
So many chances to be a better version of myself.
Shake off the shackles of my childhood.
In the last moments before the impact, I vowed that if I survived, I’d embrace my life with open arms and stop hiding in the shadows.
Just as the SUV bore down on me, I recognized the driver.
Declan.
I almost laughed. How ironic that the man who’d saved me many times was about to play an instrumental part in my death.
But there was nothing I could do apart from pray to a god I didn’t believe in. If my guardian angel was close, I hoped she was ready to do her thing.
I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. Being hit by a car had to hurt, right? Only nothing happened. An engine roared as the vehicle swerved past me, followed by a dull bang when it hit a tree.
