Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove, #1)(42)

The glass I was holding slipped from my fingers, shattering on the floor as my phone fell with it—like I didn’t have any control over my hands or body at all.

Fear flared and mixed with desperation as I dropped to my knees, not giving a damn about the glass biting into my legs and palms. I fumbled for the phone, snatching it up and jabbing at the screen.

It took three messy tries to hit Accept and shove it against my face. “Nova! Where are you? Are you there?”

My words tumbled and jumbled as if one tangled with the next, but there was no response. Only the sound of rushing water.

“Nova?” I croaked, my voice breaking.

I heard it then. Breath. Raspy. Ragged. The kind of heavy breathing you heard in slasher movies.

A second later, the phone was being pulled from my hand by a man with a thunderous expression. Some part of me recognized Dex as he pressed the phone to his ear. The moment he heard what I had, his expression went from thunderous to murderous.

I’d seen grumpy on Dex’s face. Even pissed off. But I’d never seen cold.

A tiny piece of my brain told me I should be fearful. But I wasn’t. Something about that coldness was comforting.

I watched, transfixed, as Dex pulled out his own phone, tapping on the screen and holding it up to my device. All I wanted to do was to crawl through that cell and into Nova’s—to get to her.

My phone flashed and then went black. Dex cursed.

I let out a pained sound, trying to grab for the device.

Dex quickly set it on the bar out of my reach.

“No,” I croaked. “It was her. I need to know where she is. I need to find her. I need—”

Pain streaked across Dex’s face. “I don’t think it was her.”

“You don’t know that!” I bit out. “Maybe she couldn’t talk. What if she’s hurt? What if—?”

“Hellion,” Dex said softly.

Tears filled my eyes. “Where is she?”

The muscle that ran along Dex’s jaw twitched wildly. “We’re gonna find out. But I need to help you first. Okay?”

My brows pulled together. I didn’t need help. Nova did. We had to find Nova.

As if understanding my confusion, Dex spoke again. “You cut yourself. You’re bleeding.”

I looked down at my hands. Cuts of varied lengths and depths crisscrossed my palms, and blood smeared my knees. But I didn’t feel anything—not a damn thing but the gaping hole in my chest.

“Can I lift you out of the glass?” Dex asked, his voice so gentle it hurt.

I had the faint awareness of nodding, and Dex didn’t wait; he scooped me into his strong arms as though I weighed nothing. When had someone last held me? I couldn’t remember.

Through the numbness, I felt Dex’s presence. The steady beat of his heart. The silent fury coursing through him that was a balm to my agony. The feeling of not being alone.

Some part of me was aware of Travis putting his phone to his ear and Cora and Aidan looking on worriedly. But they were all fuzzy.

Dex set me on a chair at one of the tables as Wylder moved in behind him. I knew I should be embarrassed, having this kind of meltdown after just starting a new job. But I couldn’t find it in me.

That embarrassment should’ve flared brighter as Travis and Cora moved closer. “Called for backup,” Travis said quietly.

That had a fresh scowl twisting Dex’s lips, but he nodded.

A man I’d never seen before with the same eyes as Dex and Wylder moved in, setting something on the table. “Got the first-aid kit.” He sent me an easy smile. “Hate meeting this way, Brae, but I’m Maverick. These two idiots’ younger, hotter brother. My friends call me Mav.”

My mouth tried to smile but couldn’t get there. And I swore I heard a faint growling noise come from Dex.

Maverick held up both hands. “All right, all right. I get it. No flirting.”

Dex’s hand cupped my cheek. “Is it just your hands and knees that hurt?”

“Nothing hurts,” I croaked. “I don’t feel anything.”

Maverick frowned as he glanced at Dex. “She’s in shock.” He moved to the first-aid kit, briskly pulling out supplies as Dex grabbed for some gloves and quickly donned them.

Maverick moved in closer. “Why don’t you let me—?”

“I’ve got it,” Dex clipped.

Maverick’s brows lifted, but he nodded slowly. “I’ll be your assistant, then. Even though I’m the one with the medic training.”

“Mav,” Wylder warned.

“Can we do anything?” Cora asked softly, Aidan moving in beside her in a silent offering of help.

Dex’s gaze flicked up. “Help Trav corral the deputies when they get here.”

I heard the sound of multiple people arriving and Wylder greeting them. There were so many voices, but I didn’t have it in me to try to identify any of them. I was suddenly exhausted. So damn tired I could’ve slumped in the chair right then and there.

Dex sank to the floor in front of me, his eyes lifting to mine. “I’m going to treat your knees, okay?”

I gave a jerky nod of assent.

Those strong fingers moved quickly but gently, almost tenderly, as he carefully prodded my knees. A soft curse filtered out into the air between us. “Tweezers?” Dex asked, his voice tight.