Page 67 of Fallen Flame

Lark stood frozen exactly where she’d been left.

One hand clutched her upper arm. Her breathing came in short, uneven gasps. I crossed the distance in two strides.

“Lark.”

She looked at me, fear filling her eyes.

Real fear.

Not the joking, playful Lark I’d been getting to know.

This was raw.

“What the hell...” she whispered. “What the hell was that?”

I gently took her arm.

“Let me see.”

“It hurts.”

“I know.” I carefully turned her arm over.

Red, finger-shaped marks were already blooming across her skin where the guy had grabbed her.

Anger hit me so hard I thought I might be sick. I pulled her against me without thinking. She came willingly, burying her face against my chest. My hand rested against the back of her head. “I’ve got you.”

Her fingers twisted into my shirt.

“I’ve got you,” I repeated.

Jude walked over with Ever tucked tightly against his side.

His expression was murderous as he stared in the direction the van had disappeared.

“That,” he said through gritted teeth, “was the Northbound Reapers showing their damn faces again.”

Lark looked between us.

“You think so?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Jude already had his phone out. “I’m calling Wrecker.” He dialed the number and put it on speaker.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Wrecker answered. “Talk.”

Jude didn’t waste a second. “They made a move.”

A pause. “Who?”

“The fucking Reapers.” The temperature around me seemed to drop. “They tried grabbing Ever and Lark at the Kwik Trip.”

Another pause. Longer this time. “Are they alive?”