Dusty
“Don’t move. My name is Alfarez, and I’m the only one other than Cameron that knows you’re here.” He pointed a gun at me. “If you do what I say, I can get you out. If you don’t, you’ll die right here.”
That old fuck thought he could scare me? “Where the fuck is she? Why isn’t she here? If you did anything to hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Cameron is my friend. It’s your family that’s been hurting her. She didn’t check in as we agreed, and when I came to see if she was okay I couldn’t find her anywhere. That means one thing. The Night Skulls got to her before she could arrange for the trade.”
“Fuck!” I pulled hard at the shackles on my right arm. “You gotta get me out of here. Now. I gotta save her.”
He unlocked the safety switch on his gun, aiming it firmer at me. “You won’t make another move until I make the call and set the meet or you’re dead.”
“No. You idiot, you gotta take me to Rosewood now. There’s no time. If they have her and still haven’t arranged for the trade yet, that means they have nothing to trade.” They killed Annie like I suspected, and now Cameron must have lost the will to live, burdened by guilt so huge that she’d let them hurt her. “Please. I know how to get her out. I won’t let anyone touch Cammie.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and then swiped them over my free arm. “Cammie?”
It was nearly impossible to believe that the woman who kidnapped me now meant the world to me. How could I make him believe I was ready to die for her? “I care about her. I literally just broke my hand and was about to break the other and both ankles, without even knowing how to open or break that fucking door when I’d be crawling on my fucking ass, just for a chance to get out of here only so I can fucking save her. If that doesn’t convince you that I’m on her side, I don’t know what else can.”
His skeptical stare gave me a flicker of hope, but every second we were wasting here was a matter of life or death for Cameron.
“Please, Alfarez. She’s gonna die if you don’t take me to Rosewood right fucking now.”
CHAPTER 28
Cameron
I let the pain swallow me as I welcomed death, Annie’s face keeping me company. My only solace in this hell was that I’d see her and Dad soon.
In my heart, I apologized to Dusty, too. He’d be safe, though. Mr. Alfarez and I had agreed to check in twice a day. It must have been hours since I failed to do the last check in. He must have found Dusty by now and would take him out of the bunker soon enough. Taking Dusty to trade him with Annie was his idea after all. He was the only one I told where Dusty was in case things—like now—went south and I never made it out of here alive.
Killing Dusty was never on my agenda. In fact, my only condition to go on with that crazy plan was that Mr. Alfarez made sure Dusty would be safe either way. I couldn’t have his blood on my hands even when he was my enemy, let alone when he was my…
Bang!
I flinched, blood dropping on my shoulder and back. Was it mine? Was I dead?
Suddenly, everything stopped. There was nothing in my butt anymore, and it hurt even more. I couldn’t be dead if I still felt pain. Or heard sounds? Right?
A clink.
A big thud.
A faint kick on my bruised soles.
Another bang.
I finally opened my eyes and dared look behind me. The view took a second or two to register in my head. Roar was on the ground, his arms spread limp, a hole in his skull, another in his heart.
Maybe I died after all and was imagining all this.
I glanced to the side. Smoke was coming out of a gun. Not the one in Beth’s hand. Her face wasn’t the one filling my blurred view. It was Dusty’s.
Yeah, I was definitely dead.
“Cammie. Cammie! Wake up! Cammie, I’m here.” It was Dusty’s voice in my ears as I was being shaken fervently. “You’re safe. Wake up!”
I forced my eyes open, and Dusty was still there. A familiar warmth engulfed me. His, wrapping around me like a fuzzy blanket. “You’re here? You’re really here?”
“Yes, baby. I’m here, and you’re safe now. You’ll always be.” He glanced at my naked body. He covered me with his T-shirt, sobbing. “Jesus fuck, what did he do to you? I’m so sorry. I wish I’d been here earlier. I’m so sorry.”
