He bent, lips coming to mine and โ 'Derek? Chloe?' It was Kit, opening the back door. Derek let out a low growl. 'Never fails.' I turned to Kit. 'How is she?' 'Weโre going to take her back to the house now. Sheโs unconscious again.' 'Then weโll walk back,' Derek said. 'Give you room in the van to lay her down.' His dad agreed and went back inside. As we walked toward the steps, I looked down at Derekโs hand, holding mine. 'No oneโs around,' he said. 'And we can take the back way.' 'Good,' I said, and entwined my fingers with his.
Kelley ArmstrongI remember hearing myself start to whimper, a five-year-old, crouched by the side of the road, staring into my father's eyes, whimpering because it was so dark and there was no one coming to help, whimpering because my mother was back in the crushed car, not moving, and my father was lying here in the dirt, not answering me, not holding me, not comforting me, not helping my mother get out of the car, and there was blood, so much blood, and broken glass everywhere, and it was so dark and so cold and no one was coming to help.
Kelley ArmstrongI'm behind you." I spun to see Derek. "I can't win," he said. "You're as skittish as a kitten.
Kelley ArmstrongNo", Tori said, " I kidnapped her and forced her to escape with me. I've been using her as a human shield against those guys with guns, and I was just about to strangle her and leave her body here to throw them off my trail. But then you showed up and foiled my evil plans. Lucky for you, though. You get to rescue chloe again and win her undying grattitude.
Kelley Armstrong