Fire (Beautiful Ashes Series, Book 2)(66)
E glanced over at Lacey worried sick about her. His instincts told him he shouldn’t have let her come. But his heart and mind learned their lesson. “We’ll find her, Sweetness. You have to have faith.”
Her sad smile spoke volumes. “I’m trying. But if she does something stupid after being clean for so long, her odds of survival are low.”
They were, yet E couldn’t bring himself to confirm or deny what his wife just said. Instead he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “My gut says she’s somewhere in this area.”
Lacey took in the row of warehouses. “Shelby should be the one helping us.”
A soft, “you rang,” came from behind her.
She turned toward her and gasped, “Oh my God! How did you two find us?”
Mitch held out his cell phone. “Technology comes in handy.”
E gave her a half-smile. “Did you really think I wouldn’t call in the cavalry? She’s my sister, too.”
Lacey hugged him hard and whispered, “You’re the best.”
He tipped her chin and placed a light kiss on her lips. “You can show me your gratitude later.”
Shelby hobbled toward a fire escape peering closely. “Someone used this recently.”
Mitch shook his head with a grin on his face at Even Strand and went over to investigate. A heavy groan of the metal above told them someone was still on it, and it was protesting. Nik leaned over the edge. “Fucker better not give out on me!”
Alex was already off the weak ladder standing on the floor just below the roof. “If you didn’t weigh as much as a gorilla it may be able to hold you.”
E barked out, “Get the hell off that thing before we’re putting your Humpty Dumpty ass back together.”
“Shit,” Alex called out, “Aimee would never forgive us. Get off that rickety thing.”
Another loud crack pinged off the walls and then a series of loud bangs and booms. The fire escape lay in a heap barely missing those standing below it. Nik jumped and was hanging from a window when E exclaimed, “Mother fuck!” and took off at dead run.
Shelby and Lacey stood in awe as E managed to pull his brother to safety. A chill went up Lacey’s spine as the memory of E rescuing her not so long ago resurfaced. Shelby turned to her, “Have you seen anyone about your recent trauma?”
Lacey stared at her. “Damn your good. And no, I haven’t had time.”
“Make it,” she affirmed while patting Lacey’s shoulder.
Mitch was up on the roof, staring west of where they were. From the distance Shelby was at she couldn’t tell what the look on his face meant, but she felt horror in her gut. His finger came up pointing as he yelled. “Over there!”
Both women screamed and Nik, E, and Alex moved as a unit.
They all raced frantically to the other warehouse where two people were dangerously close to the edge. From that height they wouldn’t survive if they fell.
Keeley couldn’t care less that she was one baby step away from her death. She was the life of the party in her mind, transported back in time to when she didn’t give a fuck about anything but feeling good. Her demons surrounded her and kept the images flashing until one slipped up and appeared as David. The visions now were of terror as he raped her repeatedly and had his friends join in. She stood on the ledge attempting to focus and erase the face in front of her. But then another demon provided an even more terrifying memory, Caleb and his diabolical ways of torture. Not hers, the nameless girls he murdered and made her watch while chained to the cement wall. The things he did to them were unspeakable. She thought she’d lost those thanks to the trauma involved, yet there they were in vivid colors and sounds, like she was right there once again.
The demon took on Caleb’s form and hissed in her ear. “You like what I do to you. You crave what only I can give. Come, my dear. Be with me forever.” He nudged her to the side.
Keeley’s brain was misfiring. She could’ve sworn Caleb was trying to kill her. Her scream was deafening as she fought to live. A shocking revelation, she didn’t want to die. And that was what Tar was trying to do, save her as he lunged forward and came up against a force. Ice cold and pure evil. It surrounded her and he couldn’t seem to break through it. “Fight, Keeley. You have to fight. I can’t do it for you.” He watched in horror as she wrestled around on the ledge. A fall from that height would kill her.
She was trying to break free of the demon’s hold as he pushed her backwards. Keeley pleaded, “No, Caleb. Please. I don’t want to die.”
Tar once more reached for her. “Beautiful, it’s me, Tarius. Caleb is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.” God, what was she battling in that gorgeous head of hers.