word. How hard it must be to feign bravery beneath the stare of a heinous monster with a malicious smile.
The smoke is beginning to thin. Bodies are strewn across the cave, an ocean
of blood soaking into the rock. Following Claire, my foot knocks against a severed arm, the limb rolling directly into a decapitated head, the man’s face frozen in terror.
The howls of pain are slowly fading as the mortalities grow, and I can’t help
but marvel at the fact that the Society sacrificed their own people’s lives just to
ensure that I would be caught. That speaks volumes.
Not only am I a threat, I am catastrophic.
Claire leads us to the door that she disappeared out of after handing me the knife. From the quick sweep of the room, I hadn’t seen any of my own men, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not mixed in and possibly dead.
My chest tightens, hoping that’s not the case. They understand the risks, but
their deaths would be another responsibility to shoulder.
We follow her down a dimly lit hallway, an exact replica of the one I entered
the cave through. Strips of LED lights line either side, giving off an ominous glow against the black walls and tiles.
This hallway steeply inclines upward now that we’re coming from
underground. It feels like climbing a mountain with the way my body aches.
Jay walks stiffly beside me, periodically glancing at me with fear and anxiety.
It’s clear that he’s never been in a dangerous situation like this before. He’s always behind the computer, never on the front lines. I don’t know how to assure him. I’ve never been one to lie, and while I’m confident I’ll get us out alive, I
can’t guarantee it.
In a matter of minutes, Claire is pushing open the door and leading us out into
a dark alleyway, scarcely lit by the moonlight and a streetlamp at the end. The sweat gliding down the sides of my face is instantly cooled by the brittle, Seattle air.
Claire wastes no time leading us toward a nondescript black van waiting at the mouth of the lane, its tinted windows so dark that you couldn’t see through it even if your face was smashed against the glass. Incredibly fucking illegal, but
those license plates will prevent them from getting pulled over. They would only
need to see Claire’s name to look the other way.
The closer we get to the vehicle, the more Jay stiffens.
I lean closer to his ear. “Just think of Claire as your fairy godmother, and this
is the pumpkin carriage that’s going to whisk you away off to your princess.”
“Or prince , ” Jay corrects through gritted teeth. He’s sweating profusely and his eyes are dilated. “I wouldn’t mind either.”
I shrug. “As long as you still make me Uncle Z.”
He scoffs, peering over at me as if I’m cracked. “You seriously think I’m going to have kids after seeing this shit every day?”
I shrug a shoulder again, pursing my lips. “Why not? Uncle Z will keep them
safe. I can be their personal bodyguard. They may not like it, but I’ll fucking do
it.”
He shakes his head, the tiniest of smiles tipping up his lips, understanding precisely what I’m doing.
I’m giving him a future. Painting a picture of him surviving and finding happiness, whether he decides to breed mini gremlins or not.
As we step off the curb and approach the black van, the back double doors
open wide. Claire turns and nods her head towards the dark interior, indicating for us to get in.
Shooting her a wink, I make my way into the depths of the van with Jay close
behind, her irritated huff following us in.
If this were anyone else, I’d tell them not to antagonize their kidnapper. In fact, knowing that Addie is in the same exact situation right now, I’d spank her ass if I knew she was being reckless. The smartest thing to do is keep your
fucking mouth shut and listen to orders until you find a way out.
But putting Z in the back of a van will never be the same as putting an innocent civilian in it. For now, I can rely on the fact that they won’t kill Addie.
She’s worth too much. And seeing my situation laid out in front of me, I am even
more confident Claire isn’t going to win this round.
She may be smart, but she wasn’t smart enough to knock my ass out. That could’ve given her a solid chance.
I sit down on the cold metal bench, gritting my teeth against the pain, and train my feral gaze on Claire again. She stands right outside the doors, staring at me with a slight grin. Her tight red curls are glaring beneath the streetlamp, and
for a moment, she appears innocent. She looks like a woman who has endured years of abuse in all forms and just wants to live a life in peace.
But the mirage shatters and all I see is a woman who became everything she
hates.
She shoots a loaded look of warning my way, then slams the doors shut,
triggering LED lights rimming either side of the floor to flicker on.
Jay settles on the bench across from me, immediately putting on the seatbelt
attached to the van wall, while Patrick sits next to me. So close that he is practically sitting in my lap.
My eyes drift to him, a blank expression on my face. “You don’t want to get
in a swordfight with me, Patrick. I promise I’ll win,” I deadpan, glancing down
between his legs.
Jay hisses at me to shut up, but I don’t tear my gaze away from where I feel
his eyes hiding within the deep hood.
"You don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?"
“What’d I say?” I ask, feigning innocence. “I thought that was your intent with the way you’re sitting in my lap."
“It’s going to be hard to get in a swordfight if you have no sword to speak of,” he retorts, his tone dipped in malice.
I arch a brow, unimpressed with his threat. “Even with a chainsaw, it takes time to cut through a tree trunk. You’ll be dead before you get that far.”
“Keep talking,” he snaps, daring me.
I smirk, but keep my mouth shut. If Jay weren’t here, I would continue to antagonize him. It would be my goal for him to attack me and hopefully pull a weapon on me. Thus, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to disarm and
kill him instead.