She knew exactly how deadly Saxon could be. Once upon a time, he’d been her only friend. She knew him so well…
Well enough to know how this would end.
The sunlight flickered through the top of the trees and fell on Drake, turning his hair a shade brighter.
“Another time,” Jasmine whispered as she stared into Drake’s eyes, “another place, and things could have been so different.” She wished they had been different.
“Move the gun away from her head,” Drake snarled. His body was so tight with fury. She knew he was about to advance and attack Saxon.
And Saxon’s team wasn’t far behind.
“Put your hands up, hero,” Saxon ordered right back. “And get on your knees.”
“Let him go, Saxon,” she whispered. “Just take me, and let Drake go.”
Saxon laughed.
“Not happening.” Drake’s voice was lethal.
“Maxwell can’t get him,” she told Saxon. “He can’t.”
Then she spun in his hold. The gun was still at her head. She stared into her friend’s eyes. He won’t pull the trigger. “I want Drake safe,” she whispered to him. “Please, I’m begging you…”
But the others were there then. Surrounding them. And Jasmine found herself being forced to walk back toward the SUV. Two SUVs were there. A few scattered motorcycles.
Maxwell had sent a full force after them. And now…
Drake was pushed toward the second SUV.
Saxon hauled Jasmine toward the first one.
“You so much as bruise her,” Drake shouted, “and I’ll make you pay.”
Saxon tilted his head as he studied Drake. “Am I supposed to be scared?”
A gun was at Drake’s back. Another pointed at his head. He smiled. Smiled. “No, you’re supposed to know that I’m stating a fact.”
Saxon lifted Jasmine up and tossed her into the SUV. When another guy tried to climb inside, Saxon barked, “Watch the jerk. I’ve got her.”
The door slammed. She was in the passenger seat of that SUV. Saxon was in the driver’s seat. He had his gun on her.
“What in the fiery hell am I supposed to do now?” he whispered to her.
“Saxon…”
“There was a plan, Jazz. A plan. Now it’s all screwed.”
Because of her.
“There’s no way out. Not for you. Not for me.” His gaze slid toward Drake. “And not for him.”
“Please.”
Would begging even work?
Saxon cranked the vehicle. “Maxwell’s waiting on you, and sweetheart, what he’s got planned won’t be pretty.”
***
They were idiots. Fucking idiots. They didn’t cuff Drake’s hands. Didn’t tie him. Didn’t restrain him at all.
They loaded him into the backseat of that SUV. Idiot Number One sat beside him, with a gun shoved into Drake’s side. Idiot Number Two climbed into the front seat and cranked the engine.
“You got him?” Number Two called back.
The gun dug deeper into his side. “Hell, yeah.”
The SUV shot forward, sending mud flying in its wake.
The others were behind them. Still at the scene. Collecting the wounded. Watching the cabin burn.
Assholes. You’ll pay for that fire.
Jasmine was in the SUV in front of him. He didn’t want to be away from her. Drake needed to make sure she was safe.
“Hope that piece of ass was worth all the trouble…” Idiot Number One muttered. “Cause you’re gonna be in a world of hurt soon…”
Drake waited until they’d put some distance between the SUVs and the cabin. Was Trace on his way? Had to be. And since there was only one old dirt road that led to his cabin, his buddy might even be waiting for them up ahead.
“Always thought Jazz would make for a good screw,” Idiot Number One told him.
Slowly, very slowly, Drake turned his head to stare at the man. “She was more than good.”
The guy’s mouth dropped open, then he gave a surprised laugh. “Hell, yeah!” The gun slipped away from Drake’s side, just a few inches. “With that red hair, I knew—”
Drake slammed his head into the man’s face. Then he rammed his elbow into the jerk’s throat. The gun discharged, but Drake had already heaved up, and the bullet blazed past him, shattering the window. The man in the front seat was yelling, trying to turn and grab his own weapon.
Not going to happen. Drake surged toward the front seat even as the SUV started to careen toward the trees.
***
“What in the hell…?”
The sound of a crash had Jasmine jerking around in her seat. The second SUV had just plowed into a tree. “Drake!”
Saxon slammed on the brakes. His head snapped back as he glanced at the wreckage behind them.
And as they watched, Drake emerged from the vehicle. Only Drake.
He was armed.
“Interesting new boyfriend you have,” Saxon murmured. He started to lift his own weapon.
Jasmine’s fingers clamped around his wrist. “No, not him.”
Saxon’s gaze held hers.
“Let’s go,” she whispered. “It ends now.”
“Jazz…”
“Not him.” She was pleading again.
“Give me Jasmine!” Drake yelled.
Saxon’s foot slammed down onto the gas pedal and they lurched forward.
She glanced back once more at Drake. He was running after them. Bleeding from a cut high on his cheek. This would be her last sight of him.
“Thank you,” she told Saxon.
“Don’t thank me.” His voice was hard. “Because you’re going to die.”
***
Drake ran after the SUV. “Give her back to me!”
The SUV was flying fast, and Jasmine was vanishing. “No!” Drake roared.
The SUV didn’t stop.
Neither did he. He ran back to the wrecked SUV. Shoved the two limp bastards out of the vehicle, got that piece of shit working, then gave chase.
There was no way that he’d just let Jasmine go back to Maxwell. He knew what the man would do to her. Jasmine would suffer. She’d hurt. Jasmine should never hurt.
He drove as fast as the beat-up SUV could travel, but it just wasn’t fast enough. When he hit the main road, there was no sign of Jasmine.
Drake glanced to the left. To the right.
He turned right. Tried to floor the SUV, but that was then the thing died on him. “Sonofabitch!” Smoke billowed from under the hood. Drake got out. Started running.