“Where do we go from here?”
I turned looked to James. There was no way I was bringing him into all of this. Bree had already lost one father… She shouldn’t lose her real one.
“You aren’t going unless it’s to drive the vehicle.” My phone chimed in my pocket, and as I glanced up at the clock on the wall, I realized it was time to go. Six is the time we agreed.
Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the phone. Sliding my fingers over the screen, I read the message.
Devon: She’s asleep. Hysterical, of course. Mack’s getting antsy.
That was all the message said. Not that I expected much more from him. I couldn’t expect him to give me the whole fucking update in 160 characters. I wouldn’t be okay until she was in my arms.
“We go now,” I commanded. My gun was strapped to my side, and on my backside, knives were hidden where I could easily grab them. My black boots were in place. I was ready to take his heart and rip it the fuck out.
“Then let’s go. I’m ready.” I wanted to tell Jared he couldn’t come, but I needed someone else. I needed someone to take her and get the fuck out of dodge if shit got bad. I knew it would—this was Mack, and he played nothing less than dirty.
I stood in silence as I watched Jared pull out his piece and place it at his back. He was trained well.
James slipped into his coat and out the door. For a second, I wanted to breathe in the air inside the house. Her scent surrounded me and invaded every part of my body. She wasn’t just mine; she was a part of me. Her body lived through mine. I stopped outside the car looking at the house where, for just a small amount of time, I had a taste of normal life. I didn’t know what would happen after all of this, but I knew if I had one wish, it would be to be able to come back here… When all this was over.
“Coming…” Jared questioned opening his door before hopping in the back seat. I nodded my head, jumping in the SUV as I told James the address to the place.
This all had to end with Bree alive. I owed her my life.
Pulling up to the abandoned factory, I sighed. There wasn’t a car in sight. We were miles off a beaten path, and if someone called the police, I wasn’t sure they would find us. Good, I thought to myself. So when Mack was screaming for me to stop breaking his bones over and over again, no one would hear him.
“Ready for this?” Jared asked as if he could simply talk me out of it. There was no way I was leaving her with that monster; after all, I had trained him to be that way.
Gripping my gun in my hand hard, I opened the car door and signaled for James to circle around as if he was turning around somewhere. Then I crept to the nearest door and busted into the place like I owned it. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty. I wasn’t sure what I would discover—if he had downright killed Bree knowing I would come or not.
As I pushed through the door, my eyes took in all the metal beams surrounding us. Machinery was pushed out of the way and littered throughout the building. In the center of the room was a small body lying on the floor. Even from the distance, I could see it was Bree.
Her hair was matted, and though she wasn’t bound or tied to anything, I knew there had to be a reason she was lying on the ground.
“Nice of you to join us.” Mack’s sickening voice sounded throughout the room as I watched him grip her by the back of the head. She cried out in pain as our eyes met across the room. Terror filled them and I almost slipped. I almost let the mask fall from my face, even just to give her a chance to see I was here.
Before I could even respond to him, I watched him pull a gun out and point it at her head. She didn’t move. Her eyes never left mine, and I could tell she thought this was the end.
Bree
I heard the sound of a door being knocked down and then Mack was yanking me by my hair. My eyes focused on the figure standing across from me, and it took every bone in my body to not cry out in happiness as our eyes connected. His were void of all emotion. A cold, hard stare was all I saw, spiking my fear more as the hold Mack had on me grew tighter.
Zerro said nothing to Mack’s welcoming, and as the gun came into view, I thought I saw a sliver of fear fill his eyes, but as fast as I saw it, it was gone.
“Come to collect your whore?” Mack’s voice boomed in my ear as he cocked the gun against my head. I knew there was no way of getting out of it this time. This was far different from the time Zerro had held a gun to my head.
“My whore?” Zerro’s face turned business-like as he raised an eyebrow up in questioning. My eyes lingered to Jared, who was standing behind and to the right of Zerro. Why would he bring him?