Jared's POV
My tires screeched as I swerved through traffic, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. The phone call had ended mid-scream, Zina's voice echoing in my ears like a bad dream that wouldn't stop replaying.
"Come on, come on!" I growled, slamming my palm against the steering wheel as I sped down the highway. The GPS said I was still ten minutes away, but that wasn't fast enough.
I should've stayed on the phone. I should've told her to keep talking, to let me hear her voice until I got there. Maybe then I wouldn't feel like my chest was caving in with every second that passed.
The only thing keeping me sane was the tiny voice in the back of my head whispering, She's okay. She has to be okay.
But then I saw the smoke.
Thick, black clouds billowed into the sky, twisting and curling like fingers trying to pull me closer. My stomach dropped.
No.
Not her. Not Zina.
