AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Faith had better be safe and sound, or I’m going rip these fuckers’ spines out and beat them to fucking death with them and not lose a minute of sleep over it.
We charge the store, taking cover behind posts and old sales counters. Now that we’re here, I see how a doorway’s been knocked out through the wall into the next store.
One of the fuckers makes the mistake of peeking through just as we get to it, and I grab him by the fucking throat. Fuck, it feels good to feel him squirm in my grip as I lift him off the floor and slam him into the wall. He drops like a sack of potatoes. I think he’s out, but I slam the tip of my boot into his side and throw his gun across the room.
And then we’re in.
The place is a fucking maze. The customers are long gone, but so much shit has been left behind, and it’s been blocked and arranged into defensive barriers. If we’re not careful, they’ll fucking take us out before we’re even close to getting through.
“Which way?” Animal looks everywhere at once, eager to prove himself.
“They could be fucking anywhere,” says Eagle-eye. “I don’t fucking like it.”
“Not much choice, is there?” Quickshot loosens his shoulders as if he’s about to get into a fistfight.
“Crow fucking knows we’re coming. He’s prepared, no doubt.” With only little gaps through the walls, every store we push through becomes another ambush opportunity. But we gotta get to Faith. “We move forward, but watch out.”
I take the lead. When we find the way through, I want to be the motherfucker that wrings Crow’s neck, so I’m not going to fucking let anyone beat me to it.
The maze leads us back and forth, but we don’t see anyone else. I can’t shake the feeling that this is all too quiet.
“Do you just hear something?” Badass cocks an ear. “Like a clicking sound?”
“Clicking? Fuck! Get down,” yells Ripper and throws himself at us.
The words are barely out when the wall explodes, showering us with glass, metal and wood.
36
FAITH
“What the fuck?”Crow forgets all about me for a moment, as he twists in the direction of the explosion.
A huge cloud of black-gray smoke billows up above the barricade like a bad dream. Something blew, but I have no idea what. I just know the Vipers are distracted. God, if it’s actually Ripper and Alpha, and they didn’t burn to death or got shot at the gas station, they better not have been blown up now. I will freaking find their ghosts and haunt them!
While the Pit Vipers aren’t looking, I scurry over and kneel next to Blade. His hand is shivering like he’s ill, but he’s still alive. He groans, clutching his gut tightly. I wanted to pick up the knife, but it’s gone. One of Crow’s men must’ve taken it.
Crow laughs harshly. “The rats got here earlier than I expected. And here I fucking hoped I’d be able to do some villain speeches and shit, but if Eagle-eye’s just going to fucking blow himself up and save me the trouble, I guess I can live with that too. Do you like doing puzzles with Daddy, Faith? There might be a new one.”
What? Dad? Oh God. The black cloud takes on a whole new meaning now, and I can’t tear my eyes away from it. I’m trying really, really hard not to despair, but they’re not making it easy.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I snap at Crow.
“I think I already did. I just have to make sure how many birdies we took out with one stone, and then… well, I can promise you this. You won’t have to look at my ugly mug any fucking longer after that.” The dark threat in his voice chills me to the bone. He’s obviously not going to let me live after all this. Not that I ever expected him to.
“Please don’t die,” I whisper to Blade.
His blue eyes are slightly glassy when he looks up at me and it scares me. “Why?”
“Because we aren’t done fighting yet.”
He laughs, and it turns into a wet cough. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve been the first thing in a long time that’s made me look forward to life and I guess I didn’t deserve it. I love you, Faith, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out.”
I lean down, nose to nose with him. “You willnotfucking die. Do you hear me? I’ve lost too much lately, and I have no intention of losing any of you.”
I refuse to believe that they’re all gone, not until I see proof with my own eyes. I pull off my t-shirt, ball it up and put it in Blade’s hands, making him press it against the gunshot wound.
I’m expecting to feel a panic attack clawing at the edges of my brain, but I refuse. There’s no time. Not now. If I’m going to get myself out of this, if I’m going to get Blade to a hospital, if I’m going to stay alive, just in case Alpha, Ripper and Dad aren’t dead, I need to stay in control. I need to outwit Crow.
