Page 75 of His Hostage

“I’ve got an idea,” Jeffco says.

“What is it?” I ask him, waiting for his master plan.

“You all got some old tires?” he asks them.

The men nod.

“How about some nails and motor oil?”

They nod again.

He smiles, thinking some. “Okay, melt down that rubber. Throw in anything you can find that won’t explode. Cook it up. We’re going to need some large pots of this shit. If they get near the door, we’ll have the guys on the roof pour it down on them.”

“It’ll melt their bones,” someone says.

“Exactly,” he smiles.

“Jesus, you’re sick. You know that, right?” I laugh.

He shrugs. “Welcome to war,” he says.

As hours pass, we make sure we’re ready for the next round of attacks. Night has turned into day, and all I can do is hope and pray that the Hell Squadron is on their way.

Iago seems worried, but I have to remain in good spirits for Caroline. Still, I don’t want her to fight.

“I want you stay in the room,” I tell her. “Just hold tight in the corner of that closet. If anything happens, you have a gun. But I don’t want you fighting these men.”

“Don’t, Rowan,” she says. “I’ve been through enough. I’m helping out. I’m already too involved in all of this.”

“I’m not going to lose you,” I say. “I love you too much for that to happen. It’s safer for you to be in that closet.”

She finally budges, on the condition that she can glance out the window every now and then to see what’s going on.

“Fine,” I say. “But you need to be careful. Their aim will be a hell of a lot better.”

“Rowan?” She asks, as I’m leaving the room.

“Yeah?” I turn to her.

“You promise you’ll get out of this alive? You’ll come with me to Pennsylvania?”

“I promise you,” I say. “I think I’m just about over this lifestyle. I just want to make sure my gang has their place back when I leave for good.”

“Things will be better, right? We can get a place and fuck all day, and move on with our lives?”

I smile and look her up and down, remembering what all this fighting is for. Her. Not my gang, not Andy, not anyone else. I’m doing this all for her now. Keeping her safe is my top priority.

“Things will be better,” I say. “Things will be perfect.”

I head out the door, but I know there’s an air of uncertainty that surrounds all of us. Who the hell knows if things will be better? I sure don’t. All I can do is rely on hope. It’s about the best I can do right now.

“They’re coming!” Iago screams. “Get everything ready, now.”

I run out the front door, feeling my heartbeat against my chest. “No, it’s too early,” I find myself saying, despite the facts that face us all now. “They can’t be here yet.”

Jeffco grabs me and says, “Snap out of it. They’re here. We have to fight. Give it your all because we’re not coming back from this.”

I nod and grab a rifle that’s set on the weapons’ table.

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