Chapter 104

Another hard tug, and the tree slid off the roof and hood of the car with the snap of wood. Vic barreled through the leaves, crunching branches underfoot as he dove for the driver’s side door. “Matty!”

He felt a murmur inside his mind, a stirring, as if a part of him were slowly awakening. Then Matt’s voice whispered through him, ::Vic is my home.::

::Matty!::

Vic glanced inside the driver’s side window—Sadie’s face was pressed right up against the glass, her breath fogging the view, her wet nose and tongue smudging the window. “Get back!” he cried.

For once, the dog listened, bounding into the passenger side seat to crouch against the far window. Vic could see Matt crumpled over the steering wheel at an odd angle, as if he’d been thrown from his seat against the windshield on impact. There was no airbag—Matt’s car predated them, as did Vic’s, though to be fair, Matt’s black Jaguar was in much better shape than Vic’s battered old shit-colored Toyota Corolla.