“I don’t know,” he muttered. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Are you like Declan now and getting feelings?” Lucien inquired.
“Maybe if you showed some feelings you’d get laid more often,” Saxon retorted.
“Enough,” Killean growled as the uneasiness in his stomach spread into his chest and lodged in his throat.
Declan rose and looked to Lucien. “Call Ronan.”
“And say what, Killean has developedfeelings?” Lucien demanded.
“Call him!” Declan commanded.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed, but he pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a number. Declan rarely raised his voice, but when he did, they listened to him.
Killean!The scream, issued from Simone, burst into his head with so much force it rocked him back a step. Her terror battered him like a tornado tearing apart a home before he cut it off. If he didn’t sever their mental connection, he would become trapped in her fear and wouldn’t be able to react.
A cloud of red descended over his vision, and a snarl erupted from him. He still felt her through their bond, and he followed that connection as he leapt off the porch. The trees blurred when he raced by them with far more speed than he’d ever exhibited before. If the others followed him, he’d left them far behind.
With every step, his driving need to get to her propelled him faster, but he didn’t think it would be enough to save her.
Chapter Forty-Five
The vehicle skiddeda few feet before finally coming to a halt on its crumpled roof. Hanging against the seat belt, Simone studied her surroundings as she fumbled for the release. A tree had dented in the side and wedged itself against the space between the front and back passenger seats. It blocked part of the window, but if she could get free, she’d be able to climb out the window. The driver’s side of the vehicle faced the road and remained on it, but her side faced the woods and was partially off the road.
The dented roof was only an inch or two above her head, all the passenger side windows and the back had shattered, but the windshield remained intact. Beside her, Sully grunted as he twisted in his seat. Edgar and Felipe hung in front of her; they were both gripping stakes while trying to unfasten their seat belts.
From out of the shadows, something metal glinted in the headlights before it smashed into the windshield. Spiderweb cracks spread out across the glass, but it held firm. The metal was yanked away and then swung forward again to batter the cracked glass. Simone instinctively jerked back when the glass fell apart and maniacal laughter sounded from outside.
The laughter continued as feet ran across the front of the vehicle and past Felipe and Sully. Like children playing a game of tag, she realized these creatures were toying with them and loving every second of it.
What was going to happen when they got tired of playing? She didn’t want to know the answer to that question, but she had no doubt she would learn it.
Beside her, Sully braced one hand against the roof as he undid his seat belt and toppled from his seat. Kneeling in the middle of the glass-covered roof, Sully bent to peer out the windows. In the front seats, Felipe and Edgar freed themselves and landed soundlessly on the roof. Simone jerked at the button as she tried to get it to unlatch.
“Easy,” Sully said as he crawled over to her.
Simone stopped yanking at the belt and took a deep breath to calm herself. Panicking now wouldn’t do them any good.
“Brace yourself,” Sully said.
Simone placed both her hands on the roof, and a second later, the seat belt released. Sully darted out of the way when her legs swung down, and she found herself kneeling on the roof. She rotated her shoulder to ease the discomfort from the belt digging into her skin.
“Do you see them?” Felipe asked as he craned his head to peer out the driver’s side window.
“No. What was in the road that we hit?” Edgar demanded.
“A road spike, I think,” Felipe said. “They set a trap for us.”
“Assholes,” Sully said.
A piercing screech suddenly filled the air. Simone almost covered her ears with her hands to block out the nails on chalkboard sound, but deafening one of her senses would be a horrible idea right now.
As the hideous noise continued, feet began to circle the vehicle as if the Savages were the monkey chasing the weasel around the mulberry bush. She realized the Savages were using their fingernails or branches and rocks to scrape along the SUV as they walked and some actuallyskippedaround the vehicle.
It’s a game; it’s all a game, and we’re the prizes.
Beads of sweat dotted Simone’s forehead as she glanced at the others. When would these monsters stop playing and launch their attack? It had to be soon as these things must realize Killean and the others were nearby, and they wouldn’t have much time to play these games before help arrived.
