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Ace is searching for us. I know that without a doubt. Whether he finds us alive or dead, Hector and his club will pay the price until they have nothing left to give.
He smirks with a small nod. “That’s what I thought.” Hector goes upstairs, leaving us alone, but the house is full of his gangsters. I can hear them walking around above us.
“You shouldn’t antagonize him, Kenna. He’s dangerous.”
I shrug off Kelsey’s words because I know she’s scared, but that’s not helping us. “He’s dangerous whether I antagonize him or not. Grace did nothing wrong, and he did horrible things to her, all because her boyfriend Nico wouldn’t.”
Kelsey is staring at me like I’m someone she doesn’t recognize, and I glare at her. “You’re different. Braver than I realized.”
“Thanks, I think.” I shake my head. “This isn’t about bravery, Kels. It’s about survival.”
“Coop will find us.”
I nod. “I know you believe that, but we’re not in Angel Harbor, Kels, so it might take them a while to find us. We can’t just wait for them, no matter how comforting that feels right now.”
“You don’t get it,” she sighs.
“You’re wrong about that, Kels. I do get it. A lot, in fact. I can’t just wait and hope for the Reckless Souls to save us. We have to get out of here.”
She swipes at her tears and nods. “I don’t want to die, Kenna.”
“You won’t.” I flash a smile I don’t feel because I don’t want Kelsey to be too stressed. It’s not good for the baby. “I’ll keep you safe. It’s my job as your big sister.”
“You’ve changed,” she tells me, and it doesn’t sound like a bad thing. “You don’t seem as judgmental, but more than that, you’re strong, Kenna. So much stronger than you realize. Don’t ever change that part of you.”
“I won’t,” I assure her because facing down Hector has shown me that I can stand up to anyone with no problem.
The sound of a window breaking upstairs takes my focus from Kelsey, and I freeze. I put my fingers to my lips and stare up as if I can see through the ceiling.
“What?”
“Did you hear that? It sounded like a window breaking. I wonder if someone’s here.”
“Maybe someone just dropped a glass, Kenna.”
I laugh. “Do these guys strike you as the type who drink from glasses? Shh, just listen.”
More glass breaks as heavy footsteps move with purpose, heavier and louder across the wooden floor. A scuffle and then the basement door opens, and Hector runs down, an expression in his eyes that isn’t quite fear but definitely isn’t excitement.
Someone’s here. I know it instinctively, and I pull Kelsey closer to the corner behind us, shoving her behind me.
“Kenna,” she whimpers, and I turn to soothe my terrified sister.
“It’s all right. Maybe this will be our chance to escape,” I tell her even though I’m not sure I believe it.
“It’s them,” she whispers, excitement and hope swimming in her blue eyes.
“It might be,” I tell her, knowing that it could also be any of their other enemies who won’t think twice about killing us as collateral damage. “Be ready to run just in case.”
Kelsey’s eyes go wide a second before an arm snakes around my neck and yanks me backward too far to maintain my balance.
“McKenna!”
“I’m keeping you real close bitch.” His hot breath fans against my ear and neck as he moves toward the back of the basement, keeping his back facing the wall. I can barely walk with the way he’s holding me, and I decide to go slack.
“Don’t play games with me, bitch. I’ll shoot you in the head just for fun.”
“Kenna, please!” Kelsey’s strangled cries reach my ears, and I glance at her for one hot second before the lights go out.
Again.
“Kenna!” Kelsey’s terrified scream makes me freeze, and I squint, trying to see if she’s all right through the darkness.
In the dark, Hector struggles to get me to my feet, and I offer no assistance, hoping that delaying the inevitable will delay the inevitable. It’s difficult for him to lift me with the gun in his hand, and I make myself as heavy as I can.
“On your fucking feet, bitch. Now.”
The scuffling upstairs continues, and I know, without a doubt, this is our chance to get away. The fear in Hector’s eyes, the urgency in his actions, all tell me to resist for as long as I can. I make a half-assed attempt to stand but fall back down.
Hector growls in frustration, and I know if the lights were on, I’d see another flash of rage in his dark eyes.
The lights flicker on, and yep, there’s that rage. Hector pulls his arm back, and I know he’s about to hit me with his gun, and I shrink away from him.
The door at the top of the stairs flings open, but instead of hitting me, Hector wraps a hand around my throat and squeezes. He lifts me to my feet and turns me away from him. Footsteps sound on the steps, and I try to look up to see who’s coming. Hector’s arm tightens around my throat and pulls me flush against him.
