“Ok, I think I get it now,” I say, shaking my head.
“What’s that?”
“Why you and Bryce got along.”
She grins; “Enlighten me.”
“You’re both completely nuts.”
Sasha laughs as she turns towards me and winks; “Oh, dear, I am far crazier than that man could ever hope to be.”
I wince as bullets being to pepper the outside armor of the tank as we break through an old wooden fence and make the final approach, but Sasha just laughs and guns the engine into the highest gear, belching smoke as the thing roars towards the massive wooden gates of the stronghold; “Hold onto your ass,” She mutters.
The doors come rushing towards us, and I shut my eyes as my fingers dig into the seat beneath me; here goes nothing.
There’s a wrenching shudder as the massive tank goes crashing through the doors, splintering ancient wood and mortar across the courtyard as we come barreling through. There are men in black uniforms running everywhere, bullets falling like hail on the outside of the tank, and I can feel the rush of the adrenaline slamming through me. Sasha’s hooting out loud and she revs the engine as she points us towards the wall of the main building.
“How close to the outside wall are they?” I say suddenly, as she begins to roar the tank across the courtyard, Blackriver personal scattering away from us.
She’s quiet.
“Sasha!” I yell, the wall rushing towards us.
She shoots me a quick look; “Well how the bloody hell should I know?”
Oh shit.
We hit with the sound of a bomb going off inside my head. The tank lurches and wrenches wildly as we go crashing through brick and mortar, white stone dust pouring into the tank as the whole thing tips at an angle and comes crashing to a halt amongst the rubble. The ancient engine finally gives out as the rumbling, hulking thing shudders still.
I’m tearing at the handle to the hatch above, wincing as brick rubble tumbles onto me as I clamor out and jump down, peering and choking through the stone dust.
Please be ok, please be ok.
I’m whirling in the chaos of the crumbled room, whirling around in the ashen white dust choking the space.
Please be ok, Oh God, please be-
And there he is; kneeling in the rubble with chains dangling from his wrists. I’m crying out as I run across the room to him, kissing him and wrapping my arms around him as tears stream down through the stone-dust on my cheeks; “I love you.”
The words I haven’t said in forever, and yet here they are sounding like the most natural thing in the world to say right now. And I’m saying them over and over as I kiss him, holding him tightly to me and crying; never wanting to let him go, and never wanting to stop telling him.
“Took you long enough,” he says with a grin on his face, and I sob out a laugh; “I love you too,” He whispers, pulling me close and searing my lips with a kiss.
“Who the fuck taught you how to drive stick?”
I choke out a sob at the sound of Logan’s voice, and I turn and throw my arms around my brother; “You did, asshole, but I wasn’t driving anyways.” He winces; “Watch the arm,” he says, nodding at the askew-looking limb at his side. He chuckles and hugs me tight with the other as he nods at a broken spot on the wall right next to where the tank came through; “Well whoever was cut it pretty fucking close there, kid.”
“I-” I glance at Bryce and reach out to grab his hand before I turn back to Logan; “There’s something I need to tell-”
“Yeah, no, we’ve covered that,” Logan says with a grin as my jaw drops.
“I’m- I mean, Logan, I’m so-”
“You don’t owe me a thing you know, least of all an apology,” He says quietly, wrapping his arm around my shoulder; “I just want you to be happy and safe.” He arches a brow at Bryce; “Happy and safe; you got that, Connors?”
Bryce grins; “I’m on it.”
The top to the tank bangs open again, and Sasha comes sputtering out, frowning as she brushes dust and debris from her sleeves.
“What’s she doing here?” Bryce mutters.
“Oh, we’re friends now,” I say with a grin, wrapping my arm around his waist.
“Lovely to see you too, darling,” Sasha says wryly, jumping down from the tank and tossing him a handgun before she hands one to Logan. She suddenly frowns and kicks at the rubble beside the tank; “Oh, dear, is that?-”
“Anderson?” Logan says evenly. My eyes go wide as I turn towards him. He shrugs; “Like I said,” He nods at the jagged hole in the wall; “You cut it pretty fucking close there.”
Sasha shrugs; “Well, that’s what happens when you don’t keep your hands to yourself.” She looks up, totally calm; “Now are we quite ready to get the fuck out of here?”