“Mine,” I snapped. “I’m not working for anybody. And right now, no one gets it. I have to find it first.”
“So what?” Tracker sneered, his eyes darting to Warwick. “He let us live, do his bidding like little bitches, because you are the fae lord’s little whore too.”
Crack!
A fist smashed into his face, snapping cartilage and bone. Blood spurted everywhere as Tracker crashed to the ground with a howl of agony.
Warwick moved over him. Leaning down, he fisted Tracker’s jacket, yanking him until their faces were inches apart. I could already see the bruise pillowing the side of Tracker’s face, his lip and nose cut and bleeding all over.
“I warned you,” Warwick seethed, furiously spitting his words. “You speak to her again like you did, and I will have no problem cracking your human spine like a twig. Or I’ll let her do it.” He flicked his head to me. “Don’t for one minute think she couldn’t kill you and not even break a sweat. You are nothing but a puffed-up façade. You have no idea what true strength is.” As Warwick brought him closer, Tracker’s swollen and wounded face tried to glare back. “I know you’ve heard the tales about me. They are all true. Give me a reason to kill you... I’m begging you.”
“Warwick.” I felt his rage humming like a live wire, summoning up the darkness of death. He was close to slipping, to falling over. My invisible hand slid up his spine. His muscles locked at my touch, then relaxed, his shoulders lowering. He took a deep breath, growling at Tracker before shoving his head back into the cement and stepping back like he was a vile piece of shit.
“Next time you’re dead,” Warwick snarled at Track, pushing past me to where the motorcycles were hidden in the brush. It wasn’t a threat; it was a promise. I remember him killing Rodriguez’s buddy in prison without hesitation or conscience. Tracker was lucky to be getting more than one warning. And I knew it was only because of me.
Ava darted to Tracker the moment Warwick was no longer a threat, pulling him into her lap and inspecting the damage.
“Damn, that was so hot.” Kek blew out, cutting through the thick silence. “Anyone else so fucking turned on right now they could dry hump a wall?” She peered around, and her hand raised. “Just me?”
“I’m a tree fairy... when am I not turned on?” Ash rubbed his head, hitching his bag with the book and my two friends higher on his shoulder. Taking a moment, he closed his lids briefly before he glanced up. “So, what now?”
“I have no idea.” I shrugged. I felt so lost, like being told I had to find one single strand of hair in the entire world. “But I think we need to get far away from here, regroup, and talk then.”
“We can’t go to my house, too many people, and it’s certainly being watched.” Ash frowned.
“Kitty’s?” I spoke to Warwick privately.
“Fuck no. I don’t trust anyone except you and Ash. I’m not putting her in more danger. It’s enough when I do it.” He straddled the bike. “But she’s not the only place that takes in vagabonds and the depraved in the Savage Lands.”
“So, we’re going to your house then?” I sneered.
Warwick’s brow arched up at me, dripping with carnal wickedness, the feel of his mouth grazing my pussy. “Don’t have one... there’s only one place I plan on burrowing into.”
He smirked as he watched my breath hitch, turning to the group.
“Follow me,” he said, revving the engine and pulling the motorbike up to me. I hopped on behind him, feeling eased and turned on when I tucked myself behind him.
“What about Tracker?” Ava hissed, waving down at him.
“Figure it out.” Warwick gave her no shred of concern. “Or leave him here. I don’t care. We ride now.”
Ava’s face twisted with anxiety, probably knowing she would be left if she didn’t act quickly.
“I’ll take him.” Luk rushed over to help her pick Tracker up and set him on Luk’s bike. Tracker was conscious, but not alert enough to be the one driving. “You two ride together.” Luk nodded at Ava and Kek, neither looking happy about the switch.
Without another word, Warwick tore down the road, away from the place where we used to be imprisoned. We had left this hell before on a bike, but this time we weren’t shredding through wilderness, being shot at, with guards on our tail and an owl overhead tracking us.
Though I strangely felt we were still running for our lives.
Chapter 14
The others finally caught up with us at the bottom of the hill. Our group traveled over the Elisabeth Bridge this time, crossing the line between the fae kingdom and the human one, heading for the lawless land in between.
As soon as we got off the bridge, I felt a tingle at the base of my neck, a shiver of dread chafing my spine.
The awareness of being watched.
Preyed on.
It was the same feeling I had when we had entered the city hours earlier. The one I should have listened to.
Everything was too quiet. Too still.
“Warwick...” His name barely made it off my tongue.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots inundated the night, fracturing the peace that once hung in the air. Bullets volleyed around us, kissing the space near my ears, blowing out our front tire. My forehead slammed into Warwick’s back, the wheels rolling to a rough, bumpy stop, air wheezing out of the tire.
Everything turned to chaos as gunfire descended on our group.
“Go!” Warwick yelled, both of us clambering off the motorbike, darting for safety.
Peering over my shoulder, my eyes caught on shadowy figures moving up the road toward us in formation while we dove into the shadows.
It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. The familiar uniforms and formation.
An army... once my army. One that was fully loaded and ready to put down an HDF traitor and anyone with her.
“Fuck!” Warwick grabbed my hand, yanking me from the defenseless shadows to what looked like the remains of a small burned-out car next to a crumbling church. Eroded and thin, the hunk of metal wouldn’t stop the bullets for long.
They waited until we were in a place where we had nowhere to hide and could pick us off one by one.
Ash crawled in next to us while Kek, Ava, Luk, and Tracker scrambled to the other side of the road, hiding behind signs and cement road barriers.
“HDF, right? How did they know we were even here?” Ash hissed, pointing his gun over what was left of the scrap of metal.
“Why don’t you go ask them?” Warwick replied dryly, his weapon turned toward the enemy.
The three of us fired at anything getting near us. But we all knew we had to be smart, not waste the ammunition we had.
Killian’s men had stripped us of the majority of our weapons, and now we were faced with what looked like the entire HDF army. Far too many against seven. Istvan clearly didn’t want to leave this to chance.
We were going to die here. No way my group, fae or not, could fight against all of HDF, and they were gaining ground. We needed help.
There was no conscious thought, only survival instinct that brought me to a small windowless room. Two sleeping forms filled the cots, and I felt the strings pulling me to one.