“Baz?” I whisper.
“Never trust the Savages, baby. I thought you would’ve been smart enough to know this by now.”
A broken sobs rips through the air, and I choke on my breath. I dig my fingers into the floor, trying to find even ground, but the world feels like it’s spinning around me.
“I trusted you. We trusted you! How could you do this?”
“Because. It’s what needs to be done. Now shut up.”
I feel the moment my heart stops beating. The deadened organ being stomped out on the cold hard ground. And it’s Baz’s foot doing the stomping. With each word, each cold look in his eyes, I feel myself shriveling, dying a little more on the inside.
Zach hauls me up by my shoulders and shoves me forward, toward Baz, when my legs refuse to cooperate. I’m pushed right into his arms, my body slamming into his firm chest and abdomen. He doesn’t catch me or wrap me in his arms. He lets me right myself, as he stares down at me with vile boredom in his eyes.
A sudden spark of anger fills my chest. I grit my back teeth, forcing the words past my lips. “I hate you.”
His brow quirks. “Is that so?” he asks quietly, his voice tinged with an eerie note I can’t quite place. He leans into me, getting into my face, his lips thinning into a grim line.
“Do I look like I give a single fuck?”
I glance around. Zach and Trent look like they’re thoroughly enjoying themselves, and Vincent is standing there, watching us closely, too closely, his face giving nothing away. I try to jerk away from Baz, but his arms dart out, snaking around my biceps, holding me in place. He bends near my ear, and it takes me a second to realize he’s whispering covertly in my ear.
“She’s safe. In fifteen seconds, you need to run and get help. Don’t look back.”
I yank myself away from him, searching his eyes, and there, for a split second, he allows me to see it. The real emotions.
It’s all an act.
He wants the guys to believe he’s on their side, so I can get away. He’s somehow managed to get Ava out of here safely. I just need to do as he says.
But how can I leave him?
His lips thin, and I realize my fifteen seconds are up.
Inhaling a deep breath, I spin away from Baz, and I run. I run away from him and the rest of the guys, not looking back, not even once. Because I know if I do, I’ll never leave. I’ll stay by his side and try to protect him in any way that I can.
I hear the guys shouting, the sound of something crashing to the floor, flesh and fists colliding, before I make it outside, a blast of cool air slapping me in the face.
With that sick feeling in my gut, I hauled ass to Mackenzie’s place and dialed Marcus, waiting impatiently for him to pick up.
“Do you know what fucking time it is?” he answers groggily on the fourth ring.
“Meet me at Mackenzie’s place. Something’s wrong.”
I hear rustling on the other end of the line, then a less groggy, “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know yet. I just have a bad feeling.”
We get to Mackenzie’s place in record time. I’m surprised Marcus pulls up at the same time I do, considering we’re coming from two separate places. We pause outside the house, listening. At the sound of shouting, we spring into action, running up the immaculate lawn. I pause near the windows, trying to peek inside. I freeze when I realize one of the back windows is open. The voices inside trail out, meeting my ears. I still when I realize whose voice it is.
As stealthily as possible, we climb in through the back window into Ava’s room. My heart stills in my chest when I see her little body splayed out on the bed, unconscious. There’s no way in hell she’d be able to sleep through this. She’s a light sleeper. Even I know this.
Marcus curses when he sees her. I hurry to her. Skidding to a stop at her side, I feel for her heartbeat and pulse, making sure she’s okay. I try to wake her, but she’s out, completely unresponsive. I check her for wounds, but the room is dark. When the yelling in the other room escalates, I glance back at Marcus and nod toward Ava.
“Get her out of here and call the police.”
“I’m not leaving you here.”
“Go!” I hiss. “I need to get to Mackenzie.”
With a frustrated growl, Marcus scoops up Ava and climbs out through the window with her in his arms. When they’re a safe distance away, I close in on the voices. Keeping my footsteps light, I creep down the hall, slowly turning the corner and taking in the scene before me. I pause, uncertainty keeping me still.
There’s only one logical way I can get Mackenzie out of here safely, and it’s going to take a lot of trust on her part. I need to make them believe that was always part of the plan. I need them to believe I’m on their side, despite everything. Because the only other option is letting them hurt her to punish me, and I won’t let that happen.
As soon as I step into the living room, making my presence known, everyone freezes. I see the pain on her face when I say the words, and goddammit, I want to shake her and tell her it isn’t the truth. I thought she trusted me enough to know that it wasn’t the truth, but obviously, I was wrong. Apparently, she still can’t trust me.
When I tell her to run, I breathe a sigh of relief that she follows through. Zach tries to chase after her, but I cut into his path, blocking him with a solid plant of my hand on his chest. He swings his gaze to mine, murder and intent written there. It’s obvious he’s not leaving here tonight until Mackenzie is taken care of.
“What the fuck are you doing? She’s getting away!”
I glance at Vincent, waiting to see if he’ll go after her, but much like he was during the whole exchange, he remains quiet and calculating, watching as everything unfolds. Something isn’t right with him. He’s not on my side, but it doesn’t seem like he’s on Zach’s side anymore either.
“I know. This ends tonight. This is done. Come near her again, and you’re dead.”
I see it. The moment something snaps inside of Zach. He charges me, and I go sailing back. We exchange blows, fighting for dominance, until I get the upper hand. My fist plows into his face over and over again, thinking about all the ways he could’ve hurt Mackenzie and Ava. Anger takes over, clouding my vision and my rational thought.
I’m so consumed by anger, I don’t see it coming till it’s too late. The shot rings out only seconds before pain explodes in my side. My breath catches, my lungs restricting air as it processes the mind-numbing pain. I roll off Zach, clutching my side, as I realize he shot me. Gritting through the white-hot pain, I prop myself up, not finished with him, only to realize he’s aiming the gun at my head. Time slows as we stare at each other, the intent clearly there in his eyes. There’s a shrill scream that I recognize as Mackenzie’s at the same time another shot rings out. I wait, expecting the pain and darkness to envelop me, but it never does.
Instead, Zach crumples to the floor, and when I crane my head to the side, I spot Vincent with a gun, staring down at Zach, who’s sprawled out on the floor, bleeding out. Our gazes clash, and I tense, waiting for his next move. Something passes between us at that moment. Though it may not be over, it is for now.
Mackenzie runs to my side, her hands coming to the blood that’s seeping through my shirt.