Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

My feet were snatched out from under me as I was tossed like a feather, my head landing with acrackagainst steel. But I had no time for pain before I pitched forward once more, coming to a stop against the rain-soaked asphalt. A scream sounded, muffled at first before it turned shrill and deafening. I didn’t know if it was mine or someone else’s. But it never ended, even as the pungent scent of rubber and grease invaded my lungs.

Rain fell into my eyes, forcing me to close them.

Please…

The plea filled me.

The heavythudof footsteps sounded and a dark shadow descended, blocking the headlights. I blinked and tried to lift my head, until agony split my skull.

“Jesus fucking CHRIST!”The deep male roar came above me.“What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Oh, my God!” a woman howled, ending that godawful scream. “You just hit her! You justhit that poor woman.”

A moan ripped free. That one was mine, deep and choking, until I tasted blood.Shit, that was hard…fucking rain.This was no feigning being hit anymore. This wasreal.

“You were speeding.” The woman’s voice grew in octaves. “I saw you flying around those cars!Someone call the police!”

“No,” that voice boomed. Then silence. Silence while darkness rose inside my mind to greet me. Silence while the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Silence…until he spoke again. “I’ll take her to the hospital myself.”

What?

Terror rose.

This wasn’t the plan.

This wasn’t…

I tried to open my eyes and agony drilled through my skull.

“Just call an amb—” My breath caught as the pain split my head in two.

Strong arms slid under my back and my hips. My head dropped backwards, sending a stabbing wave through my temple.

“Wait,” I mumbled as that desolate emptiness grew bolder and darker in my head.“I said…wait.”

He said nothing, nor did he wait.

Just lifted me from the street and carried me through the night.

Pieces of my memory were snatched away by that rising tide of darkness inside me. My eyes stopped twitching as the rain suddenly slackened. The muffledthudof a car door followed, before a dark, masculine scent pushed in with every draw of my breath.

And I couldn’t stay awake anymore.

I was falling, slipping into that emptiness, but I fought it.

I shifted in the back seat, pushing against the rich black leather, knowing deep down the car was turning. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was just supposed to glance off the car with barely more than a scratch. An ambulance would be called. Riven Cruz would demand my details, and just like that, I’d have an in.

But not like this.

This was too close.

This was…terrifying.

That pulsing wave pushed deeper. I moaned, fighting to stay awake.

Tires squealed against concrete. We turned again and again and again.

Until we stopped. I forced my eyes open, wincing as that unbearable wave slammed forward time and time again. The engine died. A car door opened and closed. Cold air washed in, stealing that masculine scent away. There was nothing for a second. He was a dark blur to my squinting eyes, standing in the open car door, staring down at me.