𝐅𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 [𝟏𝟖+]

16

"It's like an hour from here. Keep calling her," Xayvion said.

Sprinting towards Cyrus' table, I plucked his car keys from the tabletop, grunting, "I'm leaving."

"I'm coming."

Without waiting, unable to afford time waste, I rushed down the stairs after kicking my high heels off of my feet. Did I look like an uncivilized mad woman? I didn't care. There was someone's life on line and looking pretty and composed was the last thing on my mind.

Rushing to the basement, I surveyed Cyrus' car and pressed the key fob before sliding into his car. Then I drove the car out of the basement, heart racing in my chest.

It took me nearly seventeen minutes of driving before the car was stuck in a traffic jam. Abandoning the car, I ran down the footpath, dashing through the crowd to reach the coffee shop, pinpricks of pain assaulting my calf and feet. Even as I stepped on some sharp object, I couldn't wait to see it. My feet halted when I reached Rise & Grind.

And there she was inside her car, so far away from me. My knees threatened to give out and my breathing stuttered.

"Kate!" I screamed, unable to walk anymore, energy stretched to the breaking point. "Get down the car."

Her head swiveled in my direction, the question in her eyes very clear.

"Hayden met with an accident. Get down!" I lied, despite my parched throat and racing nerves.

Instantly, she threw open the car door and ran down the fairly empty street toward me. Hands catching my shoulders, she shook me, screaming at me, her voice trembling while my eyes stayed on the car, waiting for the disaster to happen.

And it did. It exploded within seconds; a shocking blast of heat accompanied by an explosive roar, shaking the ground beneath us as the car doors went flying and the windows cracked. Fire licked at the walls of the car, promising to turn it all black, while a cloud of smoke surrounded it.

"WHERE IS HAYDEN?!" Kate screamed, fingers clutching my chin, demanding my attention.

My lips parted, surprised by her love for her husband. Tears were gushing down her face and she seemed like she was immersed in a world of grief; she didn't seem to understand what just happened behind her. She could've died, but there was no sign of that cognizance; she just seemed worried about her husband's being.

"Katrina." Her fingers loosened, and her eyes drifted to the person behind me.

"Hayden!" She rushed past me.

Blinking my eyes, I whirled around to see what she would do.

Sprinting towards him, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in a bone-crushing hug. Hayden's eyes roved from me to the burning car before he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Even as his stance and expression remained static, the promise of vengeance in his eyes pronounced his love for his wife.

Pulling back, Kate inspected him. "She told me about the accident. Where did you get hurt?"

"Turn back and look, my stupid, stupid Spitfire." Hayden frowned. Hands sliding to her waist, he twisted her around. Surprise coated her features as she whirled around and gazed at the whirling smoke and fire.

"Are you hurt?" Hayden's voice was low.

Sirens blared around us.

"I would've died if..." Kate's gaze met mine. "You lied about his accident."

"I had to get you out of the car immediately." I shrugged.

"Thank you," she whispered before her eyes flicking back to her car. "It was the car that you gifted me, Hayden. He burned it to ashes."