Page 36 of Shattered Love

“Go wake your brother,” Warner instructed and I took one last glance at Rainer before following the orders.

Leaning over Aiden’s body, I shook him softly, whispering his name. It only took several seconds and then his eyes were peeling open, his face groggy.

“Lessy? What’s going on? Where are we?” He tried to stand to his feet, but I pressed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Plenty of time for questions later. Right now, you’re going to climb down a rope.”

Aiden’s eyes widened, shifting around the unfamiliar room, before landing back on me. Squeezing both shoulders in my hands, I stared at him. “Do not freak out. You are safe, I’m safe, and that’s all that matters.”

I glanced over my shoulder, Murphy throwing me a thumbs up. “But right now you’re going to climb out that window and then I’ll be right after you.”

Hooking my arms under his shoulders, I didn’t wait for a response, guiding him to his feet and toward the window. He was a little sluggish, his movements slow, but I had to hope that even if he slipped, Rainer would be there to catch him.

Aiden focused on the task at hand, sliding onto the sheets, his grip slick but steady. My hands twisted together as he lowered himself. He was about halfway down when his grip slipped, his body flailing in the air.

Rainer squatted as he watched, catching Aiden’s body on the way down. The two of them tumbled to the ground, Aiden on top of Rainer. I gasped, leaning over the edge of the window, praying they would be okay.

Seconds passed and then the two of them stood, Rainer holding Aiden’s weight. Shooting his gaze to mine, he threw me a salute, and then the two of them were off toward the fence.

“You’re up,” Warner said, gently pushing the sheets into my hands.

I climbed over the lip of the window, the material bunched tightly in my hands, and then I let my feet go, holding on with all my might. Murphy and Warner both looked at me as I began lowering myself.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” I whispered, holding both of their eyes.

I couldn’t survive if something happened to either of them. Not after everything we had already survived.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Murphy told me, the blue and purple shades of his face not taking away from his sweet smile.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Warner said with a smirk.

Shaking my head at him, I lowered myself the rest of the way, jumping the short distance and landing on the grass. With one last glance at the two men, I turned on my heel, hightailing it out of there, hoping I’d never have to step foot in this place again.

Chapter Twenty

Exhaustion tainted our bodies. Feet dragged sluggishly against pavement, the cheery sun contrasting our drooping eyelids.

Murphy and Warner had made it out of the window safely, the seven of us meeting in the woods outside the camp, none the wiser to our movements. Eventually, they’d break back into the building and see that we were gone and the destruction we had left behind.

But it would take them a while to appoint a new leader to take Vex’s position. It didn’t really matter though. All we had to do was survive out here for a month and then we’d be on those trains, headed for safety.

“Are we going to stop soon?” Sasha asked Rainer.

Now that he was back on two feet, he was in his comfort zone, leading our group through the vacant town. We weren’t being very discreet, not even bothering to keep behind buildings. At this point, we had four guns, and any guards we saw outside the walls of the camp had little chance of escaping alive.

“We need to find safe shelter. Then we can stop,” Rainer responded to her, continuing to peek inside different homes and stores along the sidewalk.

Sasha groaned, stopping in her tracks. Mina and I slowed with her, which had Aiden, Murphy, and Warner stopping. Once Rainer realized we were no longer following, he turned on his heel, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Is there a reason we’re stopping?” He barked out, and I knew I wasn’t the only one rolling my eyes at his attitude.

“Raise your hand if you haven’t slept in the last twenty-four hours,” Sasha remarked.

In unison, six hands raised in the air. Rainer was the only one who stubbornly kept his arms crossed, even though we all knew he hadn’t either, the purple bruises under his eyes not caused by a beating.

I took a step toward Rainer, recognizing the look in his eyes. He didn’t want to stop. He was in overprotective mode, his eyes never leaving Murphy for long. I knew he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.

“Rainer,” I began on a low whisper, “we’ve passed dozens of empty houses. No one is coming after us today. So, let’s find some place we can all sleep for a couple hours. Then you can lead us around town for hours until you find somewhere safe.”

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