The BMW hummed down the dark backroad steadily as the forest swallowed us in shadows and streaks of moonlight cutting through the canopy in silvery slashes. My pulse still hadn’t decided whether it wanted to calm down or sprint a marathon through my veins, hammering against my ribs in an erratic rhythm that made my chest feel too tight.
Holy shit.
Did that just happen?
Is Rusty really dead?
I had no idea how I would feel once Rusty was gone. Relieved, I guessed, but I wasn’t sure if that was what was going on inside me. It didn’t feel like it. My apprehension probably had to do with Donovan killing Rusty on my behalf, and now…
Fuck.
Now I owed him a debt.
Which was bad. Really bad, but…it would have to be a problem for another day because I needed a freaking minute to just breathe.
I sat in the passenger seat next to Carson, my fingers fumbling asI struggled to figure out what to say to Kreed. I had a lot of explaining to do, a theme that was developing in our relationship. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me since we pulled away from the cabin, his gaze burning into the side of my face.
“Care to explain what the hell you’re doing withhim?” Kreed finally asked from the back seat.
Here we go.
Twisting so I could see Kreed’s gorgeous but furious face, my gaze glanced over the scar below his right eye. “I asked Carson to backstab me this time. It was my idea for him to reach out to Rusty.”
“You what?” Kreed’s eyes were wide, silver blazing in the dim light filtering through the windows.
I lifted a shoulder in a tiny shrug, trying for nonchalant even though internally my emotions were still a tangled mess. “I figured I could use his betrayal in my favor by letting Rusty believe Carson still hated you.”
From the driver’s seat, Carson’s reflection appeared in the rearview mirror. “I still do, by the way. That part wasn’t a lie.”
I rolled my eyes.
Kreed snorted harshly. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” he replied to Carson.
Having my best friend and my boyfriend at odds wasn’t new, but it was exhausting, especially after a night like tonight. I really needed them to chill. “Carson relayed his conversations with Rusty to me,” I continued, needing him to understand. “So we could come up with a plan and keep track of his whereabouts.”
Kreed’s glare softened but barely. The hard edges didn’t disappear, but they dulled fractionally. “If you weren’t the girl I love, I’d be impressed.”
My stomach did a stupid flip at the word love. Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading outward. I twisted farther in my seat to look at him fully, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. “You’re proud of me. Admit it.”
“No,” he said instantly and then sighed. His hand dragged down his face, pulling at his features. “Maybe. A little. But you could’ve died. Both of you taking off like that… Things could’ve ended so differently if Evan hadn’t been following you.”
“Give me a little credit. You don’t think I knew Evan was behind me the entire time tonight?” I asked, tilting my head. “I was counting on him trailing me. How else were you going to know to come?”
Kreed’s hand fell from his face, slapping against his thigh. “I swear you’re going to drive me insane, little raven.”
From the front seat, Carson muttered, “The fact that you two are together is scary, but the idea of what your minds could come up with together? That’s fucking frightening. I didn’t understand before what you saw in him, but I see it now.”
Kreed leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “This doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
“Far from it,” Carson agreed.
Kreed’s voice dropped. “She might be able to forgive you so easily, but I can’t. I won’t forget what you did.”
Carson’s foot stepped a little harder on the gas. “It’s a good thing I don’t give a shit about your forgiveness.”
“But you do care that she is in love with me,” Kreed said, eyes narrowing. “I need to make sure that isn’t going to become a problem.”
Carson swallowed, the corner of his eyes twitching as his gaze remained straight ahead on the dark road. “She chose you, but I won’t stop being her friend either.”
