Page 92 of Tempest’s Torment

"Still fighting."

"Always." I slam my heel down on his foot.

He swears, and briefly, his grip loosens. I wrench backwards, almost free, but the other man catches me from behind, and an arm locks around my waist.

I scream. Not because I think anyone will save me. But because Kai told me once that if somebody ever tries to take me, to make as much fucking noise as possible. So I do, I scream until my throat burns. I kick, scratch, bite. My nails catch skin and somebody curses.

Evan grabs my face. "Enough."

I spit at him and his expression changes. There he is, the man from the cabin. The calm mask slips and I see underneath it. "You should've stayed gone," he says.

"I tried."

Something hits the back of my legs and my knees buckle. Hands drag me toward a black SUV parked beyond the alley.

No. Not again.

I fight harder. Then I remember, my phone’s still recording. Kai will come here, I know he will. I loosen my fingers and let it fall; it hits the ground beneath the fire escape.

The rear door of the SUV opens, and I catch the frame with both hands. "No!"

Someone pries my fingers away; I kick backwards and connect with something solid resulting in a grunt. Then I'm shoved inside; I twist immediately, but Evan climbs in after me, and the door slams shut, locks engaging.

My chest heaves, my hands shake, but I look him straight in the eye.

He smiles. "You really thought that biker could keep you from me?"

Kai. God, I’ll never forget the sound of his voice on the phone. Stay exactly where you are.

The way he looked at me this morning when I called him by his name.

I swallow. "You've made a mistake."

Evan leans back against the seat. "Have I?"

"Yeah."

The SUV starts moving. I look through the rear window as the alley disappears behind us, at my apartment, and my phone.

I turn back to Evan. "He's going to come for me."

His smile widens. "I'm counting on it."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

tempest

I'm sorry.

Those are the last words I hear before the line goes dead. I hit redial before the phone is even down from my ear. It rings, but there’s no answer. I dial again, and again, straight to ringing, then nothing, no voicemail, nothing. I already know what she did.

Evan had a gun to Jinx's head. Lilah watched her sister die, and she couldn't stand there and let it happen to another person. There was never a chance she'd stay on that fire escape.

I'm so furious with her, fuck, I'm furious with myself, because of course she went down. This is Lilah, and Evan knew that.

I open the throttle as I dial Ghost; he answers on the second ring. "They have her." I keep my voice level because losing it while riding my bike at speed doesn't help anyone. “Evan Calloway took her from the alley behind the building. He had a second guy with him, holding a gun to Jinx’s head. She went down to get Jinx out."

He’s already moving, I can hear him barking orders to someone. "Where are you?"