A Whole New Crowd(50)

Tray frowned at me. “What are you doing?”

“I might have forgotten to tell you something.”

“Might?”

The guard was coming towards us, reaching for his gun. I froze. Then another guard joined him.

I appeared on the other side of Tray and held up my arms. “Please don’t shoot me! Please don’t. Jace would be mad. I promise. He didn’t mean what he said before.”

Tray whipped back around. “What?!”

The guards were so close now. I could hear the one saying, “Got it, Boss.”

Oh god. I closed my eyes tight. The other guard had been raising his gun. The bullet was going to hit me. I tried to prepare myself.

Then I heard, “Girl, you shouldn’t be here.”

I opened one eye. The gun was put away. “Oh my god.” I patted myself down. “I didn’t pee myself, did I?”

Tray was glaring at me.

The guard shook his head. “You’re lucky Jace had a change of heart. He took the order down the next day and said to notify him the second you showed up again.” He grunted, taking my arm. “He said you were trouble no matter if you had your limbs or not.”

The other guard poked Tray in the back, gesturing for him to follow us.

Tray shot me a dark look. “You and I need to learn how to talk a lot more.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Just as soon as we rescue my sister and your shitty friends, it’s on the agenda.” I ignored Tray’s growl and asked the guard, “Is Jace here?”

“He’s in a meeting.”

We were taken through a back hallway and waited. After ten minutes passed, I sighed. “How long do we have to do this? My sister is here. That’s why I’m here. Just let us go and get them, then we’ll leave. I don’t need to see Jace.”

The guard didn’t care. I looked to the second one. Neither did he.

“Come on.”

They still ignored me, then the radio beeped and a voice said, “Almost there. Hold tight.”

The guard lifted it and pressed his button. “Got it. Out.”

I didn’t recognize the voice, but the door opened from down the hallway and Krein stepped out. His hair was messed up and he wasn't wearing a shirt. He gave me a crooked grin when he came closer. “Hey there, Taryn. How’s it going?”

I gestured to his pants. “I’m thankful your pants are on.”

“Yeah.” He laughed, but his hand dropped to double check they were fastened. Then his grin spread. “So what brings you back? I heard big brother Jace wasn’t too nice to you when you were here last.”

I rolled my eyes. “My sister is here with a bunch of her friends. One of the guys got beaten up and some other guys won’t let them leave.”

“Oh.” He frowned, scratching his head. “That’s not good. What’s your sister look like?”

I held up my phone and showed him a picture. He nodded. “Got it.” He gestured to the guards. “Show her to the back room. I’ll get some other guys and get her friends.”

“My sister,” I corrected.

He wasn’t listening. One of the other guards asked, “What back room?”

Krein started off, but shouted over his shoulder, “The big back room. The main one. Keep ‘em entertained. Taryn talks big, but her attention span is like a fly. She’ll be buzzing around and getting into shit if you don’t distract her.”

“Hey!” I shouted at him, but it didn’t matter. Krein disappeared around a door and my arm was taken in a hold again. The guard led us further down the hallway until we were shown in to a big room. It was empty. A few tables were set up in one corner, but no one was in there. The floors were made of cement. The lights barely worked and it looked like the floors had recently been hosed down. Puddles of water were spread out all over.

I didn’t want to ask what that room was for. As soon as we were inside, I pulled my arm from the guard.

He protested.

I pointed to the table. “I’m going to sit. I’m not going anywhere.”

He frowned, but kept quiet. Tray followed me and I was relieved when the two guards remained by the door.

It wasn’t long before the door opened again and Krein led the group in. He walked towards me and spread his arms wide. “I deliver, Taryn. I always deliver. You can remember that for the future.”

I sighed in relief when I saw Mandy run around him and head towards me. Catching her in my arms, I hugged her tight. Her arms wrapped around me. I cupped the back of her head, holding her close. “Taryn, thank you so much.”

Four guards walked around us, carrying Samuel. He was laid out on the table and Amber went to him, crying, as she held his hand. The others sat around him. I was going to ask Krein if they could help with Samuel’s wounds, but a first aid kit was brought over and two of the guards started treating him before I could ask. Krein stopped beside us. “So this one’s your sister?”