Page 136 of Trick Knot Treat

She rolls her eyes, but bounces up and goes and pulls open a drawer. She mutters as she searches.

“Uh-huh! Found it.”

She rushes over to kneel on the couch beside me. She holds out a ring.

I look at her, then the ring, then her again.

“This is so sudden. I don’t know what to say.”

Holly hits me on the head. Hard.

“Ow!”

“I found this, and I just had this feeling.”

She hands it to me, and I stare, for a moment, my whole world disappearing to a point. The ring is delicate and thin, gorgeous, with a tiny red heart. There’s a photo of my mum wearing a necklace that looks so similar they could be part of a matched set.

“Give that to your girl when you grovel.”

I blink at her and wipe away a tear.

She slaps me again. “What the hell is wrong with you? Get a grip, McGowen!”

I laugh. “It’s perfect.”

“Of course, it is; I found it. Now, stop freaking crying. You’ll ruin my breakup ice cream.”

That’s when the power goes out.

Three hours later, we’re standing on the road, staring at the blackened, smoking husk, while the police drag her crazy stalker away.

She tried to kill us. It was just so sudden. We were eating ice cream and talking shit, then we were trying not to burn. I shudder.

“Come on, son. You both need to go to the hospital.”

My phone is in those ruins. My car exploded. I have no ID, no money, nothing but the charred clothes on my back. But we’re alive.

Holly is weeping in my arms, completely shut down. I turn and climb into the back of the ambulance. Holly needs to get to the hospital, she’s got a nasty burn on her leg and smoke in her lungs.

I cough and can’t stop. The paramedics shove a mask on my face as they hustle Holly away.

I watch the firefighters and think of Zaire. He would be holding me right now. If they were here, everything would be okay. Instead, blue and red lights flash, and people walk around, and I don’t know anyone. And my best friend is hurt.

I need to get back to my pack. I try to fight them, but I can’t breathe, and Holly needs me.

“Hey, Alpha, listen to me, mate!”

I lift my eyes to the paramedic's incredibly kind face.

“Relax, you’re not too bad. We’re going to take good care of you and get you home okay? It’s going to be fine.”

“Promise?”

He nods. “You’ll be checked over and probably released tonight. So, stop fighting me and let’s get you patched up and heading back home. Where is home?”

“Sunshine Cove.”

“Ah, beautiful place. You’re lucky.”