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“Your bark is bigger than your bite, Riv,” the guy on the other end says. Unlike his buddy, he doesn’t hold a dark edge. His blue eyes spark with mischief and the casual way in which he dresses makes him look like he has a boy next door type of vibe. He catches me staring and shoots me a wink before running a hand through his brown hair.
“She comes with us and you live.” I stifle a gasp at the sound of the guy in the middle’s voice—it sends a shiver down my spine. I’ve heard that voice in my dreams. I run my gaze over him. I can tell without anyone needing to alert me that he is the leader of this… gang. Power wafts off him in waves, the clothes he wears are nothing but a mask. The Converse, blue jeans and black shirt may make him seem approachable but the sneer on his full lips would have men running in the opposite direction. Unlike his friends, he has dusty blond hair that is just the right length to give you something to tug on. His green eyes draw you in but even from this distance I can see the haunted look inside them. There is no mercy in his gaze as he flicks it to me. I feel nothing but deep seated hatred. My lips part in a gasp as I get locked in his eyes and not knowing why he would look at me with utter disdain when he doesn’t even know me!
But why does he seem so familiar?
“You are not taking my sister, Knox.” A strangled sound escapes me at the mention of his name. I awoke in the hospital six years ago not knowing how I ended up there. My father had to tell me what happened. I was run off the road by a local thug by the name of Knox Bronson all because my father refused to help him with his company. Dad has told me for years that this man has been coming after him and trying to tarnish his reputation.
His gaze is still locked on mine when he answers River. “How many shots need to be fired before you give her up?” He doesn’t give River a chance to answer before he fires a shot. Colson roars in pain as he drops to his knees clutching his thigh. I drop down beside him and apply pressure to his wound.
“You’re gonna be okay, Cole,” I say, pain is etched into his features.
“You son of a bitch!” my sister screams.
“I’m telling Mom you said that.” The blue-eyed one says with a smile.
“Fuck off, Taylan,” River grits out as another shot rings out. I scream when I feel the bullet whizz past me and lodge itself in Cole’s shoulder, sending him sprawling backward. I don’t think as I jump on top of him and press my hand against his shoulder. I ignore the sounds of footsteps closing in around us as I continue to use my thigh to press against his leg wound and then use my hands to keep pressure on his shoulder. Me straddling him like this puts me in a compromising position but I don’t care. Colson will not die because of me!
“You’re gonna be okay.” He grunts but I can tell he doesn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.
“You need to run, Lake,” he mutters. I shake my head, refusing to run and leave them behind. “He will kill you,” he says low enough for only me to hear.
“Why?” I whisper.
He smiles sadly. “Because all great wars start over the love of a woman.” Before I can figure out what the fuck that means, another shot rings out but this one comes from my sister.
“Try that shit again and the next shot goes straight through her fucking head.” I peer over my shoulder to see Knox’s gun trained on me while the other two have theirs on my sister. A grunt from the other side draws my attention. A man lays on the ground clutching his stomach.
River just fucking shot him!
“You have three seconds to step aside or I kill you and that fucker before I take her. Either way you look at this, Deveraux, I’m still walking out of here with that bitch. It’s up to you whether or not you are breathing when I do.” Knox’s words wash over me, sending anger coursing through my body. My sister is stubborn and there is no doubt in my mind that she would choose death over allowing these low life thugs to get their grimy hands on me.
“Look after her,” I whisper to Colson before I climb to my feet. He tries to grab for me but I step out of his reach. River keeps her gun trained on the thugs as she turns her head to me, her green eyes implore me to not do it but I won’t allow her to be hurt because of me.
My gaze remains on my sister as I speak to them. “I’ll go with you if you give your word that you will allow my sister and Colson to leave unharmed?”
“Lakeland, no?—”
“You don’t make any fucking demands, bitch!” Knox roars. If he thinks his callous words hurt me, then he has another thing coming. My father calls me many different names and none of them are the one on my birth certificate.
“Put the gun down,” I urge her. She shakes her head but the sight of unshed tears in her eyes is what prompts me into action. I reach out and grip the gun. She reluctantly lets it go. I hold it out to the thugs as my sister wraps me in a tight embrace.
“I’ll never stop coming for you. I’ll find you wherever they take you. Stay strong and never let him break you—” A scream tears out of me when I’m pulled back by my hair. River screams and tries to reach for me but Taylan and Xander are there holding her back. Knox uses his other hand to pry the gun from my hand, as he drags me through the barricade of cars to a black SUV at the back. “I’ll fucking kill you, Bronson!” River screams as I’m shoved roughly into the back seat. I quickly scurry to the other side and turn to face the devil who stares at me with pure malice.
“Your sister already did that.” His words confuse the fuck out of me. I press myself flush against the door when he climbs in next to me, the moment the door closes I feel claustrophobic. “Feel chosen yet, kitten?” I suck in a sharp intake of air as shock ripples through me, then blinding-hot pain erupts inside my head.
Knox
I watch her with a frown as she clutches her head in her hands letting out a scream so fucking loud I recoil into the door. If this bitch thinks faking agony is getting her ass out of this, she is dead ass wrong. She owes me a pound of flesh. I swore I would never touch her as long as that fucker kept to his side and stayed out of my way. For years I wanted to hunt her down and ruin her like she did me. The only thing that saved her from me was my memories, without those she would have been dead years ago. Clearly fate chose a different route for her and now that I have her in my grasp, she won’t be going anywhere until I get the fucking answer and the reason why she did what she did!
“Make it stop!” she screams out as she hunches over yanking on the strands of her hair. Taylan and Xander open their doors ready to climb in but when Lakeland lets out another harrowing scream, they pause.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Tay asks.
“Bitch is faking,” I snarl. She throws herself back against the door screaming. But this time I can hear the pain in that scream. My eyes narrow at the sight of blood dripping from her nose. Without thinking I reach out and grip the back of her neck hauling her to me, her eyes snap open.
“Make it stop!” she screams right in my face. It’s not her words that have me tensing, it's her eyes, the whites of them can no longer be seen, they are bloodshot. “Help me!” she cries out before her eyes roll into the back of her head she slumps forward against me. I sit here stiff and unmoving with her draped over me, her face buried in my chest.
“What the fuck was that?” Taylan mutters, the distress in his voice is mimicked by Xander when he speaks.
