“You okay?”
Looking up at him, a current of emotions rushed through me. His mere presence stirred up a longing that I had tried to suppress for years. The yearning I felt for Mythic was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and it was a force that I could no longer deny.
But I had to.
Standing there, I felt like my parents’ and God’s eyes were on me, ridiculing me.
“I’ll be okay.” I forced my eyes off him and unlocked my Jeep with my key fob.
“I know you will.” I could hear his sexy, deep rumble as he followed me.
As we reached the curb, I paused when I noticed a car speeding down the block. I was instantly relieved as I realized that it was Mia’s Audi. I looked back at Mythic, who gave me a reassuring, supportive smirk.
As the car slowed to a stop in front of me, I discreetly smiled, grateful that Mia was at least willing to talk.
As her tinted window began to roll down, I stepped forward, saying, “Hi, M—”
But Mia’s arm shot out of the window, clutching a glass bottle with a flaming cloth rag, which made my whole body freeze. She hurled the bottle through my driver’s side window. The window and bottle shattered on impact, engulfing the Jeep in flames.
“Oh my God!” I shrieked, just as Mythic’s large arm snatched me back. We stumbled over the curb, tumbling into my parents’ yard.
Panicking, I scrambled to escape the inferno. The heat and smoke choked me as I crawled away from the wreckage. Gasping for air, I felt Mythic’s presence shielding me from the chaos.
As the adrenaline began to subside, he gently lifted me to my feet. His concerned voice cut through the confusion. “Are you okay?” he asked as he scanned my face and body for any injuries.
Gasping for a steady breath, I couldn’t find words as I stared at the flames engulfing my Jeep.
All hope of reconciliation with Mia vanished in that moment, replaced by a blinding reality of her unhinged wrath.
CHAPTER 6
MYTHIC GREY
FINALLY, AVIANA WASable to find words “Y–Yeah.” She nodded slowly, blinking owlishly at the flames. “I–I’m okay.”
But I wasn’t. As I watched the flames swallow up Aviana’s car, a fear hit me so deep I could barely breathe. My heart was pounding like I had never felt before. In that split second, knowing her life was in danger, it was like my whole world flipped upside down. The idea of losing her shook me to my core. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around living in a world without her. Just the thought alone had me spiraling, damn near panicking.
Suddenly, she erupted into horrific coughs as she stared at the flames with a bewildered expression.
Taking her hand, I led her several feet away from the flames.
“Oh my God!” Her mother’s shrieks tore our awed gawks away from the flames toward Avi’s parents’ home. Her parents were storming down the porch. Their terrified stares darted between Avi and what was transforming into the corpse of her Jeep.
The fire on the Jeep raged. Flames shot up, licking at the sky like they were trying to swallow it. Thick and dark smoke was everywhere.
“Avi!” her father called out as he approached her with open arms. “Jesus! Are you okay?”
Even her father taking her into his arms caused jealousy to erupt in my gut. I wanted to be the one to protect her.
“I’m okay, Daddy,” she breathed into his chest, as her mother wrapped her arms around her as well.
“This is ridiculous! Who did this?” her mother shrieked.
Still in her father’s arms, Avi looked over her shoulder at me with conflict in her eyes.
“Some neighborhood kids playing around too much. I’ll take care of it,” I told them.
I knew that Aviana’s hesitation was in putting Mia in more trouble than she was already in. That’s how loving and humble Avi was.
