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WILLOW
“Easy,”Caz murmurs when I try to move. His eyes fall to my pants, which are halfway down, and a shadow spreads over his face. He looks at Rami’s body again, grimacing. One of his fist clenches, like he wants to further mutilate his dead body, but instead, he looks at me, breathes evenly, and the shadow is gone. I try to read his thoughts, but I can hardly keep mine straight.
He reaches down, helping me pull my pants up. “I should’ve known that dirty fucker would pull something like this. I never should’ve sent you in here to do this. I should’ve found another way.”
I stare at him a long time—so long I wonder if any of this is real. There’s no way this has become my life. Being constantly attacked and surrounded by blood and gore. I don’t know what comes over me, but as Caz helps me sit up, I throw my arms around his neck and hold him as tight as I possibly can.
He grunts and tenses, but I don’t let go. Ican’tlet go. Holding him like this feels like it’s where I belong. As I hold him, I feel his heart beating against mine, and the stubble on his jawline andchin grazes the side of my face as I bury it into the crook of his neck. It takes me a while to realize his body is still tense and he’s not holding me back.
And then I remember.
I snatch my arms away from him. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I touched you. I’m so sorry.”
Caz looks me in the eyes, and when they drop to my lips, I almostwanthim to kiss me. I want what just happened by Rami to be erased and replaced by something else—anything that’ll take my mind away from that paralyzing fear.
A tightness grips me, and a coolness runs from my throat to my stomach, and as if Caz can feel the same, he drops his eyes and places a gloved hand on top of mine.
“I took too long. I apologize.”
“It’s okay,” I whisper. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him apologize.
“Did he hurt you?” he asks in a low voice.
I drop my head, looking away. “A little.”
“Hey. Look at me.”
But I don’t. I can’t.
Caz presses his fingers to my chin, lifting it and locking eyes with me. “He won’teverhurt you again. Do you understand?”
My eyes slide down to Rami’s body on the floor, the blood pooled around his head.
“Can you walk?” he asks as he helps me up.
“Not really. What did he make me drink?”
“It’s a suppressant. It’s a famous kind here in Ripple Hills. Makes a person’s lower body go numb, causes dizziness, and many other side effects.” He leads me to a recliner and places me down gently.
“It should wear off within the next thirty minutes. Until then, I need you to stay in this room.”
“What?” I panic, reaching for him before he can go. “B-but I can’t stay here. What if more of those Rippies come?”
“They won’t. We took out all the guards. Now we have to stopthat.” Caz points toward the windows, and I follow his finger to the ring.
I can’t believe my eyes when I see Juniper in the center of the ring. She has a cut beneath her eye, her dark hair hanging in her face. She looks battered and awful. A man is standing in the middle of the ring, announcing the two fighters. When he points at Juniper, the crowd boos her and some even throw food and drinks at her over the fence.
“Stay put. I’ll be right back for you.” Caz leaves the room, aiming his gun ahead. When it’s clear, he shuts the red door behind him, and my heart thumps violently in my chest as I shift my gaze to Rami’s body, then out the window at the fighting ring.
A bell rings and makes my head throb, and I’m not sure what kind of suppressant I was given but I feel the urge to vomit. I lean forward, pouring out whatever contents are in my belly onto the floor, then wipe my mouth with the back of my arm.
When I look back up, I hear gunshots, and people are running, screaming, and scattering like roaches. More gunshots, and a bullet hits the screen hanging near the ceiling. One side of the screen falls off the brackets and dangles, and when I drop my gaze to the floor again, Rowan is running into the cage, aiming his gun at the referee and Juniper’s opponent, a beefy pale woman with cornrows.
He collects Juniper from the ground with one arm while barking orders and his gun still aimed, and the referee and opponent flee the ring.
Not too far away, Caz and Killian are standing outside the ring, holding their guns firmly and shooting at the armed guards bursting through one of the entrances.
They’ll be outnumbered if they don’t leave soon.
