I could see. I could see something. It was working.
“Middle of nowhere. Some kind of warehouse. It’s abandoned.” God. That wasn’t fucking helpful!
“What kind of warehouse?” Dastien asked.
“How the hell am I supposed to know? It’s fucking abandoned! There’s nothing here. No—”
“Is there a sign? The walls of the warehouse. Anything painted on them? Look around.” Lucas stayed calm, despite my panic. “Look. See it. Tell me what you see.”
I wasn’t sure how it was working, but it was. I couldn’t second-guess myself, not when Axel’s life was on the line.
“I…” I looked around, trying to see something that could give me a location.
And then I saw it. The sign was faded and hidden behind a tree, but I moved and…
I couldn’t make out some of the letters, but I could fill in the blanks easily enough. “Abe & Cole Brewery.” I opened my eyes, gripping Dastien’s arm tighter. “Tell me that’s an actual place and that I didn’t just make up this shit.” Because my mind could’ve invented any damned thing from desperation, and I was beyond desperate.
Lucas was on his phone. “It’s a place.” He handed his phone to Dastien.
Dastien looked at the map. “I know where that is.” He didn’t wait for anyone to buckle up or even for Claudia to get back into her seat.
He started the car and moved it into reverse so quickly, I had to slam my hand into the window to keep my head from hitting it.
“Dastien.”
“You said blood. We’ll be there in ten minutes. Depending on how badly he’s bleeding, that might be too late.”
Shit. He wasn’t going fast enough. “Go faster! Move it!”
The tires squealed and I prayed that we’d get there in time.
Because if we didn’t, I wasn’t sure how I would live with myself.
I should’ve answered the first time he called.
Why hadn’t I answered the phone?
Chapter Three
DASTIEN
I felt her fear and worry as if it were my own. Each beat of my heart felt leaden and slow and painful, and there was this overwhelming urge to fix this. To somehow make this right. To save Axel. But the only thing I could do was drive. Drive fast. Drive fast enough to save her brother.
I pressed the gas, but the car was already going as fast as it could. The warehouse wasn’t that far away, but when seconds could mean the difference between life and death, I wasn’t sure we’d make it in time. I couldn’t tell Tessa that. I could barely let myself think it.
If we didn’t get there in time, I wasn’t sure what that would do to my mate. He’d called us, and we hadn’t answered. Twice.
We hadn’t answered.
I should’ve answered.
It wasn’t my phone, and I took her lead, but I was her mate. I was supposed to protect her. But I wasn’t sure I could protect her this time.
With every passing second, I grew more and more sure that the worst was going to happen, and when it did, Tessa would break. She was already at her breaking point, and even as bad as losing Axel would be, losing Tessa terrified me more.
I glanced in the rearview mirror, meeting Lucas’s gaze. He checked his watch and then shook his head slowly.
He didn’t think we’d make it in time either.