Jolts of electricity ripple from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, and without another thought, I lunge at Derek with the sole purpose of tearing his eyes right out of his head.

"You asshole!" I scream, catching the side of his face with my nails. "Rot in Hell!"

Derek is quick to grab my arms and twist them to the side, yanking me against his chest so hard, it knocks the air out of me. Holding back a scream, I throw my weight back as hard as I can to slam the top of my skull into his jaw. For a second, I see stars, and then a crippling pain tears through my leg when he throws me to the ground.

"Bitch!" Derek roars.

I know I should take what I have and haul out of there as fast as I can but white-hot fury propels my body forward. "Fuck you!" I grab his ankle and give him a hard punch to the kneecap that makes him stumble. But instead of falling to the ground like my irrational mind anticipated, he swings his leg around, ready to kick me in the face. His boot barely misses.

Okay! Time to go!

"Ember!" Derek roars. I don't bother looking back to see what he's going to do next. Scrambling to my feet, I make a mad dash down the dock like my life depends on it—because it does—grabbing trash cans and old dock supplies and throwing them in his path. I hear him barrel through the obstacles like it's nothing. Crap! I'm dead! I'm so dead!

Move! Move! Move!

"Ember!"

My foot catches a notch in the ground and I catch myself before I can hit the dirt, only to look up and see something that makes me stumble again. Hayden Cross races behind Derek Rodriguez with murder in his eyes, but instead of attacking the man, Hayden barrels right past him towards me.

What the hell is going on?

Derek looks just as freaked out as I do. Lips twisting in a snarl, he picks up his pace and jump to knock Hayden to the ground, but Cross is too fast, and he throws his weight to the side, sliding right past him and tripping him in the process. Derek slams straight into a water fountain.

I smile. Yes! That's what you get!

But as Hayden gets closer, he shows no sign of slowing down. He doesn't match my smile and his expression wavers.

"Hayden!" I gasp. "What are you—whoa!"

Hayden Cross runs straight into me, but instead of knocking onto the ground and finishing me like I expect, he circles his arms around my waist, lifts me up, and hauls me over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I scream, pounding my fist against his back. "Put me down!"

"Saving your ass!" Hayden barks. It doesn't help that he has a hand on my backside to steady me against him while he runs. Part of me thinks he did that on purpose. "Stop squirming!"

"I'm not!" I fight back and his shoulder digging into my stomach makes me nauseous. "Slow down!"

The high-pitched screams of police sirens ring in my ears. Horrifying images of my mother covered in blood flash through my mind.

"We have to get out of here before backup arrives!" Hayden grimaces, breathing heavily. "Give me your keys!"

"You have to put me down!" I insist.

"Ember! Just give me your keys!" When Hayden veers to the right, I slide further down his back. Okay, I'm definitely going to throw up this time! "Tell me where they are!"

I let my nails sink deep into the fabric of his sweatshirt. "They're in the breast pocket of my shirt, you moron!"

Hayden falters a step, sending me flying. "Shit!" He catches me before I break my face on the pavement, the world moving in an anxious cocktail of motion and color. Pain shoots through my leg when I touch the ground but I shove it aside and fumble with the zippers of my windbreaker.

"Hurry!" Hayden urges. The sound of tires screeching blasts through the park. Camo Boy 1 and 2 speed around a bend in the road lightning fast in their broken-up pick up truck.

He grabs my hand. "Forget it! Come on!"

"I got them!" I tell him, throwing my jacket aside. Derek roars another string of gruesome threats. Sliding to a halt in front of my car, I throw the door open and jump inside as fast as I can. Hayden does the same, barely able to close his door and lock the car before Derek can grab him. The drug dealer slams his fists into the glass as hard as he can.

"We don't have all day, Emmy!"

More sirens follow.

My car roars to life.

"Hold on!" Blue and red lights dance in the reflection of my mirrors and Derek stops his assault on the window, disappearing into the trees in a flash of movement. Behind us, the truck slams to a halt as well. Police cruisers fly into the parking lot at ridiculous speeds and I take it as my queue to get the hell out of here.

"Where are we going?" Hayden asks me, twisting around to watch the scene unfold behind us.

"Derek said my mom is involved in this!" I say, the panic coming back with full force. "He said she's Marked!"

Hayden swears under his breath. "How?"

"I don't know!" Fuck speed limits. I have to find her now! Throwing my phone at the bad boy, I scream, "Call my mom!"

"She's not picking up!"

"Try again!"

"I am!"

Tears blur my vision and Hayden lets out a long string of curses when I accidently swerve into oncoming traffic.

Snap out of it!

When I get home, her car is still in the driveway, but the front door is left unlocked.

"Ember! You can't just barge in there!" Hayden calls from behind me. Too late.

"Mom!" I shout, ready to tear anyone and everyone in half if anything has happened to her. "Mom! Where are you?"

Silence. A sob wracks my body. This can't be happening!

The groceries are where she left them on the kitchen counters. Her purse is still on the island. It's like she just disappeared. "She's not here!" My chest is on fire. The kitchen begins to tilt onto its side. There's no room for air in my lungs. "Hayden! Where did they take her?"

A series of loud bangs makes me jump. Hayden flies downstairs. "She's not upstairs," he gulps. "Where is your brother?"

"He—he's out of town," I wheeze, taking a step towards him when my legs threaten to give out. "Oh My God." Suddenly, the floor disappears from under me. Pain blossoms in my head.

The world goes back.

* * *

"Ember."

At first, it's a startled whisper. But then it grows louder and louder with every second until I can't ignore it any longer.

"Dammit, Ember! Snap the hell out of it!" A sharp sting on my cheek rips me into reality.

Opening my eyes, I lift a hand to my stinging cheek in disbelief. "You slapped me." I say, voice thick. And then my disbelief is replaced by confusion. "Why are you upside down?"

Hayden rolls his eyes and I can hear the panic in his voice. "You fainted and almost cracked her head open on the counter." He adjusts my head in his lap.

"My mom," I choke, pushing myself up. "I need to find my mom."

Hayden holds me down. "We'll find her, Ember. Right now we—"

"No!" I shove him away and clumsily climb to my feet. Dizziness punches me in the gut but I push through, sprinting to the door.

She could be anywhere! Her phone isn't on! What if I'm too late?

But as I move to race down the porch, I miss a step, tumbling forward and hitting the ground with a thud.

"Fuck!" I scream. "My ankle!"

Hayden jogs over and crouches in front of me.

"You're stupid," he whispers. As he speaks, Hayden kneels beside me and pulls me forward by my hips, lifting my jeans at the ankle to examine my leg. His steel eyes pierce into mine. "Do you want brain damage and a broken leg?"

"Too late. I think I already have it," I whimper, dizziness washing over me.

"It doesn't look broken," he says more to himself, poking at the skin. I clench my teeth and pull away, growling. Hayden catches my chin between his fingers and forces me to look at him. "My connections tell me your mom is okay."

Tears stream down my face. "Thank God."

He shakes his head. "They shot her," he murmurs, voice void of any emotion. "But they missed something important. She was alone when they found her."

The pain in my chest melts away. "He fucking left her," I hiss. "Jason. He bailed, didn't he?"

Hayden answers with a curt nod.

"Where is she?"

"They have her at Valleyfield Medical Center."

A sob lodges in my throat when I try to shift my weight and stand up. "Maybe we can be in the same hospital room."

"It's fine." Hayden's hands brush my shoulders. He takes a deep breath. "We need to get you checked out."

The next thing I know, I'm being picked up off the ground. Hayden tucks his arm under my legs and lifts my stiff body into his chest. Neither of us dares to breathe and I hate the fact that I have to wrap my arms around his neck to keep from falling forward.

"Oh, so I can go to the Emergency Room for an ankle injury, but when you're practically turned into deli-meat it's okay?" I chuckle darkly. The muscles in my neck strain from forcing my head up, so I reluctantly let cheek rest in the crook of his neck. Adrenaline slowly seeps out of my blood stream and newfound pain throbs in my veins.

"That's different," Hayden informs me. I can feel the rapid pulse of his heart beneath my skin. "I've dealt with knife wounds before."

"I can't believe it."

"Well, I did." Hayden walks towards my car. "Cuts and bruises are different from broken bones."

"My ankle is not broken." I insist more to myself than him.

Hayden pulls the passenger side door open and plops me onto the seat like a sack of potatoes. My ankle twists beneath the seat and I bite my lip at the pain.

"Did your contact say how she's doing?" I ask anxiously. Hayden climbs in front of the steering wheel and checks his phone. "Do they know who did it?"

"She's okay. And no, they don't know who did it."

Twisting in my seat, I stare at him. "Derek would've broken my skull."

"I know," he simply answers. Lines of tension thread along his jaw.

"You were just in time."

"Yeah, I was."

"Thank you," I whisper. Hayden doesn't answer. So I continue. "How did you know I was going to be there?"

"I didn't," he explains. "I knew about the hit on a few Marked agents but I didn't think anything about it. I was going to find Derek and ask him about it." Hayden meets my eye. "And there you were with him on the docks. Did you honestly think you could win against him in a fight?"

A traitorous smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "Maybe."

"You've got guts, Emmy. I'll give you that much."

My eyes drift to the trees that pass while we drive down the winding roads. The moving objects make my head throb so I lean back against the headrest and close my eyes. "You out of everyone should know that, Hayden." A sharp pain courses through my temple, wrapping around the top of my head. It's agonizing.

"I do."

Just as a comfortable silence enters the car, my phone starts to ring. "Gabby?" I croak.

"Ember what happened?" she screams from the other end. I flinch. "My mom called from the hospital! Ember! Your mom!"

"I know," I breathe, the thickness returning to my throat.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Gabby cries.

Fresh tears pool in my eyes. "I don't know, Gabby. But the cops will take care of it. Are you going to the hospital?"

"No," she answers in frustration. "They have all the roads closed. Where are you?"

"I...I..."

"Ember, what happened?"

"I hurt my ankle," I cave. "I'm going to the Emergency Room."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Gabby, I don't think that's a—"

"No," she insists. "I'll see you there."

The line dies.

I swallow the lump in my throat. I'm going to find whoever pulled the trigger and hurt them so much they'll regret ever setting a foot near my mother. I'm going to gut Jason. I'm going to gut Derek. The throbbing in my head recedes slightly and I look at Hayden from the corner of my eyes.

"Your dad is going to ask me more questions, you know."

The car comes to an abrupt halt. I grip the armrest with a gasp, feeling my head spin uncontrollably with new nausea and the shock of the stop. I scramble into a sitting position and turn to Hayden, ready to smack him upside the head for driving so recklessly.

Climbing out of the car, Hayden rounds the front, and swings the door open to yank me forward. He wraps his arms tight around my waist and hauls me into his arms like it's nothing.

"Careful!"

Onlookers loading in and out of cars at the door of the ER don't bother to hide their stares. It must be a weird sight. A boy with bruises all over his face holding a girl who clings to him not because she doesn't want to feel like a damsel in distress, but because she let her emotions get to her and now her ankle is twice the size it should be. A woman's eyes soften and she tilts her head in admiration, giving me a small smile when I look at her.

The fuck, lady! You should be rushing over to help us, not admire us!

A man looks at Hayden and murmurs something to the woman in a wheelchair beside him. She whispers something back. They probably think he's a hero like the ones seen in movies.

A brave, hunky guy who risks himself to save the girl.

When in reality, the two of us can't stand each other.

Are you sure about that?

"I can walk," I insist when Hayden reaches the front door.

"No you can't."

"Let me down, Hayden. I can walk."

Hayden exhales deeply. "If you really think so."

The second I touch the ground, I'm a crumpled mess on the floor. Hayden laughs out loud, receiving huffs and murmurs from the curious bystanders. Their once admiring looks have melted away to annoyance and disbelief. Hayden acknowledges them with a flick of his head in a half nod. The woman from before looks like she's in the presence of rotten cheese. Her eyes find mine and they shine with disapproval. Hayden looks down at me with his arms crossed.

Hayden grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet. I hop on one leg, careful not to touch it to the ground. Wordlessly, Hayden moves my arm around the back of his neck and shoulder, doing the same with my arm, making a human crutch. We hobble into the bustling ER.

I've never seen this many people here all at once.

There are other people here with shopping bags still grasped in their arms. My mom must have gone to the store when she was attacked.

Oh, please tell me no one else got hurt.

"Ember!" A startled voice calls. My head whips in the direction of the voice. Gabby races over and tackles me in a hug before I can say or do anything. The force sends me stumbling back and I groan at the spasm in my ankle. Gabby pulls back in alarm, eyes flickering from me to Hayden. They narrow into disgusted slits and she glares at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"He brought me here."

Gabby sputters a cough and her look of disbelief is enough to make Hayden roll his eyes and whispers inappropriate words under his breath. I ignore him and look at my friend, taking in the faded black marks of running mascara on her cheeks. "Long story."

"My mom said she'll let us know as soon as your mom's surgery is done," Gabby tells me.

"Surgery?" I breathe.

Gabby grips my arm tight. "Some internal bleeding." Her eyes turn curiously to Hayden, mouth parting from his bruises. "What happened to you?"

Hayden averts his gaze. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Hayden and Gabby lead me to an open seat on the other side of the waiting room. A nurse stops to get my information, telling us that an officer might want to interview us. Hayden insists we have nothing to do with what happened, but I can see in her eyes that she doesn't believe him.

"What happened?" I ask in a breathless whisper. "Why are there so many people here?"

Gabby looks down at the ground with disgust. "I don't know. The cops think it's got something to do with criminal activity? Why here? Out of all places?"

My stomach clenches into a knot. I could think of a few reasons.

An old woman's voice catches my attention. Her frail body shakes as she speaks frantically to an officer, tears glistening in her old brown eyes. A younger woman who resembles her holds the distressed woman by the shoulders softly, asking for her to calm down. "I saw one of the shooters!" the old woman shouts. She raises a hand in the air, waving her firsts frantically. "He was a young one! Barely twenty-five! I saw him! With the strangest tattoos on his neck and arms!"

"That sounds a lot like Derek." Gabby grabs my hand. "Ember. Why does that sound like Derek?" Bile rises in my throat.

She already knows. You have to tell her.

Motioning her to get closer, I whisper. "I think Derek shot my mom."

Horror flashes across Gabby's face. She looks like she's about to be sick.

I know I am. Saying it out loud makes my head spin out of control. Rage and agony mix into a lethal poison that burns my veins. I don't know what to do all of a sudden. Sitting in this chair in the Emergency Room, I'm falling. Not literally, but it feels like someone's strapped me to a chair and pushed me off the edge of the Grand Canyon.

"And you know about all of this?" she demands, staring daggers at Hayden. Clenching his jaw, he nods. Gabby's bright eyes return to mine and the hurt that settles into her gaze makes me feel even worse than before. "You could trust Hayden Cross with all of this but not your best friend?"

I shake my head. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it?" she demands with quiet rage.

"It's all my fault," Hayden answers and to my shock, flinches when Gabby snorts a laugh.

"I'm not surprised." She bares her teeth. "You just couldn't let her have some peace, could you?" Curious stares come our way. I'm too afraid to say anything. Hayden and Gabby are too heated in a glaring contest to care. "What the hell is wrong with you, Cross? Did jail teach you nothing?"

"It's not what you think," Hayden responds.

"Then what is it, Hayden?" she demands. "Why can't you leave Ember alone?"

A mask of anger encases his angled features. But instead of answering her, Hayden abruptly gets to his feet and stalks off, brushing past a confused nurse. The older man calls for Hayden to come back and get checked out, but he doesn't listen, and continues towards the vending machines.

"I will never understand that kid."

My eyes don't leave Hayden.

I can't say I agree with her.

* * *