Page 96 of Kyle

A close range .223 round to the head was never pretty. The white metal wall behind where the man once stood was now painted with red.

Women screamed. Then as if the shock of the event had waned, they ran for the open door.

“Whoa.” Declan stepped forward, putting his hands up. “Everyone is safe. But you have to stay inside.”

One woman did a flying leap out of the truck. Her feet barely touched the pavement before I grabbed her around the waist, turned her in my arms so her back was to my front, and held her there. I had to swallow back a gag as the smell of piss and bad body odor overwhelmed me. Her legs thrashed, her bare feet barely registering as they made contact with my shins.

“You’re safe now,” I told her. “We’re gonna get you home.”

She had no verbal response but she fought harder, wiggling and digging her fingers into my arm. I had no choice but to let the girl wear herself out, and by the energy she was putting into escaping my hold, she’d be exhausted within minutes.

She felt like a malnourished feather. The only danger her exertion posed was her hurting herself.

Declan was explaining to the others what was going to happen next, but none were listening. All eyes were on the girl struggling.

This had to end. We couldn’t stand on the side of the road for much longer.

“Enough!” I barked, but didn’t tighten my hold. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get all of you to safety and we can’t do that until you calm down.”

Her movements started to slow but her whimpers did not. Low, guttural, soul-shattering sounds that conveyed all she’d been through.

“Come on, honey. Slow down and breathe. You’re safe now. No one is gonna hurt you, but I need you to go back with your friends.”

“Don’t put me back in there. Please.” Her request broke my heart but I had no choice.

“You’re not going back in. All of you are getting in the van with us.”

“Come on, Scarlett,” one of the older girls called as Declan helped her down. “Please come over here so we can leave.”

The young woman in my arms nodded. With my arm still around her, I walked her to her friends. Scarlett was immediately engulfed into the huddle.

“In less than an hour this will all be over for you,” Dec told the girls.

None of them looked like they believed him. All of them looked broken and defeated.

Fuck Harry Landry and his band of pissants on his payroll.

“Come on, the rest of you come down.” Then to Thad, “Check the guard.”

Thad moved slowly, making sure he entered into the back of the truck as far away from the girls as he could.

“Easy,” Declan gently told the girls. “No one’s gonna hurt you.”

Scarlett’s eyes came to mine, wild and full of fear. But in that moment, all I could see was the way Anaya had looked at me when I found her chained in the hull of the boat. Same stare—haunted, scared, alone.

My gut soured and heart throbbed.

I needed to get to Anaya. I could feel it.

Chapter 29

“Snap out of it,” Jeremy demanded.

“I can’t.”

He’d pulled Monica’s dead body into the room she’d been using and shut the door but I was still staring at the spot on the floor where she’d laid.

“You can,” he coaxed. “And you didn’t kill her, I did.”