I glance over at her and strap myself in, the deep rumble of her engine coming to life beneath us.
“Didn’t Seb ever tell you about the night I drove Theo’s Ferrari?”
Before I get a chance to answer, or even remember the night in question, I’m thrown into the passenger door as she spins the car on a dime and shoots off down the street.
“Jesus, fuck, Stella,” I bark, pain radiating around my body.
“Whoops. You said you wanted to be quick.” The grin she shoots me is pure trouble, and on any other day, it would light me up with pride, knowing that she’s my sister. But right now, I feel nothing. Nothing but despair and unfiltered fear.
Dragging my phone from my pocket, I find the screen shattered into a million pieces. It illuminates behind the glass, but I can barely read it.
“Fuck,” I bark.
“Use mine. It’s in my ass pocket.”
Stella lifts from the seat, allowing me to pull it free.
I hold it up to her face to let it unlock before diving into her messages and finding our group chat.
Stella: The bookies and the flat have collapsed. Someone needs to find Jesse NOW.
By some fucking miracle, the dots start bouncing immediately and I breathe a sigh of relief that at least one of them is fucking alive right now.
Theo: We’re on it. Where’s Toby?
Stella: This is me. Stella’s driving.
Nico: Jodie okay?
My heart jumps into my throat once more as the memory of her passing out in my arms comes back to me.
Stella: I don’t know. They’re still trying to get Sara out. It’s fucking bad.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force the image of watching that building collapse around them out of my head.
Theo: We’ll be there as soon as we can.
The phone trembles in my hand as a million questions I need to ask them slam into me. Theo and Nico are breathing, but what about Alex and Seb? Are they anywhere fucking close to winning this thing?
“Everyone good?” Stella asks, the back end of the car spinning out as she takes a corner at blood-curdling speed like a fucking pro.
Swallowing down my concern, I force some positivity into my tone.
“Yeah. They’re gonna meet us at the hospital.”
“Jesse?”
“They’re on it.”
Tipping my head back, I blow out a long breath and squeeze my eyes tight. Every single fucking inch of me aches, but I don’t care. I’ll happily take worse, so much fucking worse if it means Jodie will come out of this in one piece.
Stella takes another hair-raising turn that forces me to pay attention once more. The blood coating my arms and chest catches my eye, and my heart clenches at the sight.
Please let all of that be mine.
Everything was too much of a blur as I dragged her from that building. I have no idea if she was hurt—I didn’t have time to look. I just knew I needed to get her free before shit got even worse.
Stella’s warm hand lands on my thigh as if she can read my thoughts.