Chaos spun a web around us and didn’t let go as we dove behind the bar out of sight.
“What do we do?” I demanded of Fox who looked ready to run back into the fray and go after Rogue. I was desperate to go after her too, but that asshole was coming this way with Jolene and we needed to form a fucking plan. Now.
Fox stuck his head out over the bar and ducked back down again just before a bullet struck overhead and smashed a bottle of vodka which had been sitting on it.
“Rogue,” he growled through his teeth, his focus locked on her. “We have to get to her.”
We looked between each other, trying to form a plan and one finally sprang to mind.
“Fire,” I said jerking my chin at the bottles above the bar. “Maybe I can cause a distraction.”
“Jesus,” he gritted out. “Aright, I’ll keep them back.”
Fox peeked around the bar, firing out at Chester as more bullets whipped through the air above us.
“Give yourself up, Fox!” Jolene’s voice rang out before more gunshots cracked through the room.
I lunged toward the bottles of alcohol, grabbing a bunch of them along with a lighter off that had been abandoned alongside some cigarettes and a bar towel. Then I set about making Molotov cocktails as quickly as I fucking could before throwing a look out at the emptying bar. Lights flashed and the music still pounded through the air, Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz and Yacht Money taking on a whole new fucking meaning as I took in the mayhem in one sweeping look and prepared to burn this place to shit. Most of the crowd were gone already and Jolene and Chester were taking cover behind the DJ booth as they shot at us.
“You fucking traitors!” Fox bellowed at them.
“You wanna know about treachery, Fox?” Jolene snarled between firing her gun. “My asshole brother refuses to allow women into his crew for my entire life but then he initiates some random whore into the fold just like that?”
Fox narrowly avoided a shot to the head as a piece of wood was blasted off the bar and I cursed in alarm, hurrying to get the first cocktail lit. I crawled to the end of the bar as fast as I could, setting my gaze on the long pink curtain running down one wall beside the DJ booth. With one furious swing of my arm, I threw the blazing cocktail at it and it smashed against the curtain. The material went up in flames fast and Jolene shrieked in horror at her bar being destroyed just as a deafening boom sounded somewhere deeper in the building.
“My sugarplum!” Chester wailed to Jolene. “Shawn’s bringing the club down.”
“Not if I can help it, I’ll kill that traitorous little shit,” she spat, then dove from her hiding place and I launched a cocktail between her and Chester as her husband tried to follow.
He was forced to dive back into the safety of the DJ booth and Fox stood up, trying to gun down Jolene as she sprinted along on her high heels with far too much speed than should have been possible in the things and turned down a corridor out of sight.
I launched the next cocktail at the DJ booth and it smashed all over the speakers in a blaze as Chester squealed like a pig.
“Come on,” Fox commanded and I ran after him, throwing another cocktail to keep Chester down as we sprinted back upstairs and I saved my bullets for Shawn’s skull. I didn’t wanna reach Rogue and find myself lacking and it looked like Fox agreed as we raced along the balcony in the direction we’d last seen Shawn and Rogue, my heart beating out a frantic tune. We had to take a corridor to the right of where the ceiling had fallen down and I just hoped we could circle around to find her.
“Shawn!” Fox bellowed as we raced down the hallway that was thronging with running people. “You’re dead, so fucking dead!”
We battled our way against the tide as scantily dressed women ran past us and drunk idiots stumbled everywhere.
“Get out of my way!” Fox roared, firing a bullet into the ceiling and they all screamed, ducking their heads and parting like the red sea for us.
We picked up our pace, tearing along together and I tried not to fall into a state of terror as I thought of my girl in the hands of Shawn Mackenzie.
She’s strong, she can handle herself. She’ll be alright.
Another resounding boom made the whole building shake and a crack shot along the wall to my right, making my gut tighten with anxiety.
Just keep going. Find Rogue and get out.
My breaths came unevenly, my instincts telling me to run from this building and get as far away as possible, but I wouldn’t do that until Rogue was in my arms and Shawn was laid out dead before me.
We ran through another bar and Fox rammed his shoulder against mine as one of Jolene’s men fired at us, knocking me out of harm’s way. Fox gunned him down with a snarl on his lips and we kept going as I thanked my brother and didn’t stop running.
Our breaths came heavily and I saw the same unending desperation in Fox’s eyes to find Rogue as I felt in my own heart. I saw his love for her as clearly as I felt it in my chest, like it was connected somehow, forged of the very same thing.
“We’ll find her, brother,” I promised through my teeth and he nodded firmly as we ran down another corridor and searched for our girl.
I realised she’d always been ours, even when I wanted her for myself. We all belonged to each other in a way that defied the laws of nature, like we were one soul torn apart at the beginning of our creation and housed in five bodies that could never escape one another. I’d lost too many pieces of that soul already, and tonight I would not lose another. So if I had to face death itself to hold onto her, then I would. Because Rogue Easton belonged to us.
T he air was coloured with screams as I ran through the Dollhouse, trying to navigate my way past chairs and stages as I sprinted through a performance room in hunt of an exit.
"Come on, sugarpie, don't be like that!" Shawn called after me and adrenaline surged through my body as I ran faster.
An emergency exit sign lit up a door in the corner of the room and I raced for it, slamming against the metal bar securing it and almost sobbing with relief as I found a dimly lit staircase behind it.
I just needed to get outside. I needed to get away from Shawn and find my way back to Fox and JJ. I had to focus on that and nothing else and it would all be okay.
I gripped the railing and started running down the stairs, my stupid heels clicking loudly against the concrete with every step I took and making certain that Shawn would know exactly where to find me. But that didn't matter because I was still ahead of him and he still had to catch me if he wanted to stop me. Every step I took was freedom, each one bringing me closer to escape.
I ran down flight after flight, not paying attention to anything other than making sure I didn't fall and break an ankle in these damn shoes. I tuned out the things Shawn was yelling after me and just focused on running. Only running.
Down and down I went until the stairs ended and I found myself at another door.
I ripped it open, expecting it to lead outside but I recoiled in horror as I realised I'd missed the ground floor. Beyond the door was nothing but a concrete passageway filled with electrical wires and pipes which were clearly for the building above me. I’d run all the way down to the fucking basement in my haste to escape the man hunting me.
I whirled around to turn back but found Shawn there, grinning at me as he leapt down the last few stairs and I screamed as I was forced to turn and flee.
I ran several paces before another explosion rocked the building overhead and dust rained down on me as I stumbled and fell against the wall, looking up at the ceiling in fright. What the fuck was he thinking? He was going to bring this entire place down on our heads.
I started running again but a gunshot ripped through the air and I cried out in fear as I ducked my head, cradling my arms over myself protectively. I still didn't stop, but the pounding of Shawn's footsteps at my back sent panic flooding through me and his weight suddenly collided with me as he hurled me against the wall.
I kicked and punched and he
drove his body against me, a laugh escaping him as I tried to fight him off until his hand locked around my throat and the back of my head slammed against the bricks hard enough to steal the energy from my limbs.
"Well, look at you," Shawn purred, cocking his head at me as he jammed the gun into my stomach and held me in place at his mercy. His eyes were alight with excitement and I feared how insane this asshole had to be to blow up a building he was standing inside. "Don't you look good enough to eat?"
"Let me go," I hissed with all the venom I could muster while trying not to lose my shit altogether at the feeling of his hand locked around my throat like that.
"Come now, sweetcheeks, don't be salty with me," he said, eyeing me hungrily like he was planning out where to take his first bite from my flesh. "You know it wasn't personal. And now that my plans have all come together, there's no need for me to finish what I started." His fingers flexed around my throat as he cut off my air for a moment before relaxing them again. "But we might have a few other issues we need to work through before I can claim that sweet ass of yours again."
"Fuck you, Shawn. I'd rather die than let your cock get anywhere near me."
Shawn tutted in disapproval, shaking his head like he didn't believe me for a second.
"See, that's where I know you're lying to me. Because you always did love a good fuck. Always willing and wet for me, touching yourself to take even more pleasure. But that also causes us some problems, because I mighta liked you being my whore. But I don't like thinking of you being my enemy's whore. So tell me..." Shawn slid the gun down my stomach until he was pressing it to my pussy through my skirt. "How much making up do you gotta do for me, sugarpie? How often did you let my enemy fuck you, little whore?"
"I'm not a whore," I snarled at him and he laughed in my face, holstering his gun and moving his hand to the hem of my skirt.
"Let's see about that, shall we? What's the betting I can feel the imprint of another man's cock down here?"
My heart hammered as he hitched my skirt up and moved to force his hand between my thighs, his blue eyes shining with amusement like he thought I'd love this, or maybe like he was hoping I wouldn't so he could enjoy doing it even more. He’d never forced me to do anything when we were together but then he’d always been rough and taken without asking. I didn’t know what might have happened if I’d tried to say no one time.
I closed my eyes as I froze, the fight falling from my body as he gripped the edge of my panties and yanked them aside. But that movement sent a flood of memories rushing through me. Memories of some asshole trying to do this same fucking thing to me when I was just a kid and he thought he could take whatever the fuck he wanted from me.
But I'd killed that asshole for trying to touch me against my will and there was no way in hell that I was letting fucking Shawn violate me without doing everything in my power to fight him off.
I swung my head forward with a snarl and slammed my forehead down on Shawn's nose, a harsh snap filling the air as he bellowed in pain and stumbled away from me.
I didn't waste another second as I turned and fled into the darkness of the passageway, running as fast as I could while he cursed and swore at me, a few bullets flying after me as he bellowed in pain.
"You'd better run, little whore!" he roared. "Because when I catch you, you're gonna wish I killed you more thoroughly the first time around!"
I drove like a motherfucker on my motorcycle beside Maverick on his, tearing along the cliff roads towards the Dollhouse. The screams carried through the air before we even got close, and tremors ran through the cliffside that had my pulse hammering with terror.
We rode like maniacs towards our destination and finally flew up the drive where a clamouring, panicked crowd of people were gathered outside the massive building.
Dust and smoke was rising into the night air at one end of the huge white house which was half collapsed and the foundations were shaking ominously. Holy fucking shit.
“Move!” I bellowed at the crowd, carving a path through them as I got as close as possible to the building, then threw my bike to the ground as I leapt off of it.
Maverick was at my side in a heartbeat, shoving some guy out of his way before leaping on top of a truck parked beyond him and cupping his hands around his mouth as he stared around at the mass of people.
“Rogue!” he shouted and I climbed up too, searching the sea of faces for any sign of her or my boys.
“Fox – JJ!” I cried.
“They’re still inside!” Di called to me, forcing her way toward me through the crowd with a terrified looking Bella and Lyla behind her. “They haven’t come out. I saw them near the bar on the top floor.”
“Fuck,” Maverick swore, diving off the hood of the truck and I leapt after him, the two of us shoving our way to the front of the crowd and running for the entrance of the house.
Panic coated my veins and fear daggered through my skull as we made it inside and the floor beneath us trembled violently. I wasn’t afraid to go in here because so long as my family were within these walls, I couldn’t be anywhere else.
We raced through the entrance hall and up some stairs as a few party goers fled past us in the direction of the exit. At the top of the stairs, we met a fork in our path, one corridor leading left and the other to the right.
“Rogue!” Maverick roared, his voice filling the halls, but no answer came in response.
My breaths became shallow as a huge boom split the air apart and the two of us dove into an alcove as chunks of masonry tumbled down from the torn open ceiling above.
I shared a frantic look with Maverick, my brother from the past, a man I’d once trusted as surely as I trusted the sun to rise. And I didn’t have much choice but to place that faith in him once more. “We have to split up, it’ll give us more chance to find them.”
“Them?” he spat. “I’m here for Rogue.”
“Well find her then, Maverick,” I demanded. “And get her the fuck out of here no matter what it costs.” I shoved him toward the left corridor and he nodded tightly to me before turning and running away.
I took the other corridor, watching the ceiling carefully as a spiderweb of cracks spread across it.
“Fox! JJ! Rogue?!” I called into the rumbling house, upping my pace as I searched room after room.
The building was starting to empty out but as I made it onto a stairway, I found a blonde girl there in a flouncy blue dress, hugging the railings and shaking. A fire was roaring across the room, flames curling around a DJ booth and licking along the walls.
I dragged the girl to her feet, making her look at me and realised it was Rosie fucking Morgan.
“Oh my god, Chasey,” she gasped, clinging to my arms. “You came to save me!”
“Have you seen Fox, JJ or Rogue?” I demanded, shaking her and she screamed, clamping her eyes shut. “Look at me for fuck’s sake,” I barked and she opened her eyes, her lower lip trembling with terror. “Have you seen them?”
“What are you talking about?” she cried, trying to pull me down the stairs as she hobbled along. “We need to go, but I’ve sprained my ankle. You need to carry me to safety, baby.” She clung to my arm and I yanked it free of her.
“Listen to me,” I snapped and her face paled. “I’m not leaving without them, so have you seen them or not?”
“I -er, I saw Rogue a while ago,” she said with a pout. “She went um, that way.” She pointed and I turned my back on her and ran.
“Wait! Come back! What about meeee?” she wailed.
I pushed myself to my limits as I turned the way she’d pointed me, hoping beyond all hope that I was going to find my little one.
When I made it to a dead end, I doubled back and tried to calm my thrashing heart.
Think, just fucking think.
“Rogue!” I cried in desperation.
I’d let her down before and I couldn’t bear to do it again. I had to get her out of here because her death would be the end of me if I di
dn’t. That girl might not have been destined for me, but she was destined for life. A good fucking life. She deserved that more than anyone and if I could just give her a chance for it, maybe my soul would be worth something in this wretched fucking world.
Don’t take her, she’s the best thing this town has ever had. Please don’t take her away. I know I fucked up, I know I let her down before, but she and my family need to walk away from this. I’ll pay any price, face any fate for that. Just don’t let them die.
A scream pierced the air that I would have known anywhere, in any universe and suddenly I had a direction and a vow to save the girl I’d failed.
I’m coming, little one. Just hold on.
J olene and her men were blocking our path to the door beyond this room and I sat with my back to a wall, shooting through a set of open French doors at any chance I got to try and finish her. JJ took shelter on the other side of the doors, his brow gleaming and tension knitting his features.
My gun rang empty again and I cursed as JJ slid a round of ammo across the floorboards to me. I loaded it into my gun and fired again, throwing a look around the wall and counting three dead men on the ground within the large lounge.
Jolene was hiding behind a brick fireplace, firing off shots at me as she shouted in anger while I returned fire. The corridor we’d come from had collapsed and our only way onwards was through this room. My aunt needed to fucking die, and quickly so we could keep moving and looking for Rogue. There’d never been much love lost between Jolene and I, she’d been a pretty absent woman in my life growing up and now she’d turned on us, I would put her down just like she was any other of my enemies.
Another two men ran through the door we needed to get to on the other side of the room followed by Chester who was sporting some pretty ugly burns on one of his arms. He had an Uzi in his hand and I ducked quickly back behind the wall as it went off, bullets rat-tat-tatting through the air as my heart thrashed in my chest. A fucking Uzi??
“How many rounds have you got left?” I called to J.
Dead Man's Isle (Harlequin Crew #2) Page 52
