Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 223

Cassian’s mind was a chaotic storm, but he followed Mira’s anxious gaze without hesitation.

His phone screen lit up—a glaring warning flashed across it.

He snatched it up, hands trembling.

A single message stood out in his inbox, so urgent it sent a jolt through him.

“I’m in danger! Please call the police for me!”

Just a handful of words, but Cassian’s pupils contracted in shock.

He realized instantly—this was an emergency SOS, the phone’s automatic distress feature.

Which meant Ruby hadn’t even been able to text him directly. This cry for help was all she could manage.

Cassian felt as if an invisible hand had clenched around his heart, squeezing so tight he could barely breathe.

There was a link at the end of the message. He tapped it, and a map popped up—a live location.

It showed Ruby’s phone on the outskirts of Quinborough, far to the east, with a trail marking her movements over the past hour.

Cassian forced himself to stay calm.

The route was clear: Ruby was heading toward the farthest edge of the east side—there was only one place out that way: Soltria.

His blood ran both hot and cold in his veins.

“To the east side—toward Soltria!” he barked, already sliding into the driver’s seat before anyone else could react.

Bennett, still on the phone, startled and scrambled to catch up, quickly making arrangements as he followed.

Suddenly, Mira, who’d been silent all this time, burst into loud sobs, struggling in the nanny’s arms, reaching desperately for Cassian.

The toddler was surprisingly strong, almost wriggling free. The nanny shot Cassian a desperate look for help.

Cassian paused mid-ignition, thoughts racing. “Get in,” he said, nodding toward the car.

It took a beat for the nanny to realize he meant her, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Mira quieted instantly, as if she understood.

Bennett, watching, raised his brows in surprise.

Was this that legendary mother-daughter bond?

He didn’t have time to ponder; Cassian floored the gas, sending Bennett—and his phone—slamming into the dashboard.

Bennett caught himself, barely.

The car shot off like an arrow, tearing down the road at breakneck speed. They flew past traffic, drawing more than a few stares. A traffic officer tried to wave them down, but before he could get close, a call from higher up came through and stopped him cold.

With no one left to block their path, the rare Maybach soon barreled onto a rough gravel road, the ride turning bumpy.

They’d been driving less than an hour when darkness began to settle over the land.

Meanwhile, Ruby was curled up as small as she could inside a shallow pit she’d clawed out of the earth with her bare hands.

The field stretched out in all directions, a sea of wild grass. Her dark clothes, though meant for hiding, were still far too visible.

The murderous driver was combing the area in his car. Two legs were no match for four wheels, so Ruby had chosen to hide—wait him out, then make a break for it when he was gone.

“You little bitch!” The driver’s voice was getting closer, every curse and threat hammering away at Ruby’s fraying nerves. “Once it’s dark up here, the bears come out. If you come back with me now, it’ll be better than getting torn to shreds by some animal!”

Every time a breeze stirred the grass, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She couldn’t be sure if the driver’s bear story was real, but the threat felt like a sword dangling over her head, ready to drop at any moment.

At last, the grass thinned out and shrank, revealing a hard-packed gravel road beneath her feet.

Hope flared in her chest. She pushed through the last tangle of weeds and finally stood, solid ground beneath her.

But the road was empty. No sign of life.

She followed it further, until she spotted a building up ahead.

Her spirits soared and she broke into a run—only to stop cold as she got a better look.

It was an abandoned cabin, the walls and door battered and splintered as if something massive had torn through them.

The words “bear country” flashed through her mind, chilling her to the bone.

Ruby stumbled back, scanning the shadows around her.

Nothing but the wind, sighing through the grass.

She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, desperately trying to steady herself.

But fate wasn’t done with her. Suddenly, a rustling noise sounded behind her.

Ruby froze, spine rigid, feet rooted to the spot.

And then she saw it—a huge, ominous shadow falling across the ground behind her.