Devil's Girl(36)

He blanched. My mouth flapped uselessly. Get it together. "Bomb," I finally spit out, pointing at the second vehicle. I stood halfway out the door and screamed back at them, "Bomb!" They had the vehicle surrounded and were pulling more girls out.

"Move! Run!" Theo roared. They sped up their work, tossing the underweight women over their shoulders or lifting them in their arms and bolting for the woods.

Theo leapt on me, pinning me the floor of the van and shielding me with his body.

It all happened like it was underwater. Theo's chin stubble was abrasive against my forehead. His chest felt so solid above me, it could have stopped a truck. Orange light flickered through the van, followed by a wave of intense heat and sound like thunder that made my ears explode with pain. Glass shattered; the very ground rocked beneath us. But I'm safe. I reached up and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, breathing his name like a prayer, "Theo, Theo." I couldn't believe he was there.

He lifted me from the van as soon as the noise subsided. Someone was screaming. Black smoke roiled from the destroyed van, and somewhere behind it, I could hear gunshots. More Eagles? I didn't care, it was all so far away. I kissed his neck, tasting his hot skin, his sweat.

He shuddered as he squeezed me tight against him. He didn't say anything - what was there to say? - but he held me in a fierce embrace as he took long, deep breaths, struggling to stay in control.

Finally he loosed his grip. He gave my eyes an examining look and hissed, "Shit. Can you stand?"

"Yeah." He carefully placed me on my feet and held me around my waist until he was sure I wasn't going to fall. Then he opened the driver's side door. The driver, bleeding from deep gouges in his face, was still trying to fend off the girls. They bled from multiple cuts as well - all the glass in the van had been blown out. One of them had taken his gun but didn't seem interested in using it as anything more than a bludgeon.

Theo grabbed the man and yanked him out. He dropped to the ground with a yelp. "Crazy fucking bitches!" Theo planted a heavy boot on his chest.

"In the car with them," he said to me, "Can you drive?" It would take me forever to turn the key but fortunately the engine was still running. I nodded, though my chest ached at the thought of leaving his side already.

"Just be ready," he said, "If any Eagles come at you, then drive as fast and as far as you can. I'll be right behind you. You still have the watch?" It had to be on the floor somewhere, so I just nodded. Below him, the driver groaned in pain, gripping Theo's ankle. He ignored him. "Good. I'll be right back."

I grabbed his arm. Gunshots still rang out beyond the smoke - I knew he had to go. We weren't out of danger yet. But my hands acted on their own.

He guided me into the driver's seat. His face twisted momentarily, considering his options. "Go," I said, "Go. They need you." But he had to pry my fingers loose.

"We'll be fine," said the girl with the gun, showing him the weapon. He nodded.

He lifted the driver to his feet and, his own gun unholstered and in hand, led him forward into the smoke and chaos.

When the girl leveled the gun at me, I thought she was joking. "Get in the back or get out. We're leaving."

I blinked. "What?!"

"You heard me. We ain't sticking around for any of this."

"They just saved you!"

She shook her head. "I'm through with all these fucks. Move!" Feeling numb, I let myself out of the van. I had to dodge as she immediately jumped behind the wheel and backed away from the motorcycle’s wreckage, then swerved around it and sped away from the scene, tires squealing.

I staggered towards the side of the road and dropped to the grass. Voices were shouting. Gunshots still rang out and a woman was still screaming. I laid back and watched the black smoke dissolving into the blue sky. I'm still high as fuck. Maybe if I just close my eyes for a minute... The noise began to fade...

"Ivy!" Someone was calling me from miles away. Maybe if I ignore it, they'll stop. The feminine voice was familiar, but I couldn't conjure a face or place. "Ivy!" Closer now. Just a few thousand feet above me, calling me from the clouds. Wait there, I'll be right up.

"Ivy, please, open your eyes!" Someone was shaking me. I groaned in protest. "She's alive," the voice said, cracking with relief.

Dawn.

I forced my eyes open and blinked up at her. "Thank God," she said. She disappeared from my vision. I sat up and saw her pulling Irish's arm over her shoulder, supporting him as he staggered. He dropped to the ground next to me, smelling of smoke and burned flesh. He had a gun in one hand - the other arm was a black and bloody ruin.