Savage Craving - Cecilia Lane Page 0,20

every move felt like a losing choice?

Red cheeks. Blue bathroom stalls. Lilah took a deep breath, held it, then let it go with control.

She couldn’t wish her problems away. Whining wouldn’t change her circumstances. She had to stick her hands into the jumble of puzzle pieces and start putting them in order. She couldn’t do that without staying alive.

Lilah splashed water on her face and eyed herself in the mirror. She looked like a mess. Bags lined her eyes from lack of sleep and mountains of stress that threatened to bury her. Her clothes were wrinkled and unchanged from the ones she wore walking into the prison. Still, a fierce glint reflected back at her.

She’d survived three attacks. She’d live to see that bastard Jasper put back behind bars where he belonged. Cedric deserved nothing less.

Lilah paused outside the bathroom. Seth wasn’t at the table where she’d left him.

A sliver of panic wedged itself into her heart. Gone. He’d either ditched her or something happened to him, which meant something was coming for her.

“The meal was excellent, we just had an emergency and need to get back on the road. Thanks, Marla,” Seth said graciously.

Lilah peeked around the corner and found him at the register in front of the main entrance with a to-go bag in hand. Relief soothed the rough edge of her panic. Not gone. Simply paying the bill.

Which left her momentarily alone. Unwatched. Unguarded. The door leading outside was right there.

And what then? She’d throw out a thumb and hope someone picked her up before he figured out she’d bolted? Flag down cops who wouldn’t do much more than take her back to the apartment where she’d nearly been killed? Seth was, as much as she hated to admit it, her best bet at staying alive.

She took a step back toward the table as the side entrance swung open. A hand latched around her wrist and dragged her out into the sun.

“Se—”

Another hand slammed over her mouth to keep her quiet. The arm around her middle and the feet kicking her legs forward made sure her struggles were in vain. Still, she twisted and turned, tried to bite the fingers against her lips. She grabbed hold of the fire Seth filled her with and held on for dear life.

She wouldn’t fall apart. She wouldn’t give up.

One hard stomp of her heel against the foot of her abductor loosed his grip enough for her to wiggle free.

She spun around to see Seth stride into the little alcove. His head swung from side to side as he searched for her.

Here, she urged. Look here.

Time slowed as he took a step toward the bathroom and swung his gaze through the window. They locked eyes, and he jumped toward the door.

She’d had black edging in her vision the night before, then blindly ran when he gave his order. Now, in the clear light of day, she saw him in action as his powerful legs carried him across the parking lot. Gold flared in his eyes. No warmth existed there. No fire like the sparks when their eyes met. Cold, icy cold, unnatural color fixed on the man regaining his hold on her.

Whatever he was, it wasn’t entirely human. At that moment, fist flying just past her face to connect with the bastard stealing her away, she didn’t care.

Seth threw all his weight into the punch. The asshole let go of her with a howl of pain. She stumbled away to see him lift his hands to his bloody nose.

Seth wasn’t done. Snarl on his face, he kicked a booted foot into the fucker’s knee, sending him down to the ground. One more hard kick to the stomach curled the man in on himself.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” Seth growled and spat on the ground next to her abductor’s head.

Eyes still blazing, Seth advanced on her. He bent to scoop her into his arms like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold.

But this wasn’t a happy ending for either of them. They were simply stuck together with the threat of death breathing down their necks.

Lilah wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his chest.

“You’re okay,” he murmured as he carried her toward his truck.

She really wasn’t, and she doubted she would ever be again.

Chapter 8

Too close. Too fucking close.

Seth ground his teeth together. His hands screwed tighter on the wheel. The poor thing groaned in complaint, but he barely heard anything over the blood rushing in