Page 63 of Chase

We follow the arrow and are met with a metal grate that looks onto the in-use trainline. Connor is leading the way, with Hastings behind him. Connor stops, and his eyes run over the obstruction. His foot lifts, and he kicks it violently. It only causes it to wobble. I look to Hunter and Harrison. They both shrug, then my eyes land on an old bench sitting to the side of the corridor. The two men not related to me by blood read my thoughts and go to lift it.

“Out of the way,” I tell my brother, who places his hand on our captive’s chest, pushing him out of the way as the bench connects with the metal. It bends but doesn’t give way until the fourth hit. One side pops open, and between us, we’re able to bend it out of the way.

Hastings turns and tries to scurry off down the corridor. The fact he can still walk is amazing, but prey will always fight until they accept they’re beaten, even if the odds are stacked against them.

Connor strides behind him then grabs his collar, pulling him back to the tracks. He spins the bastard to face him, pushing him so his heels are only millimeters from the line. The sound of a train approaching echoes up the tunnel. Connor smiles menacingly at the man he holds. He grabs the top one of his arms and squeezes. Hastings yells in pain as the previously inflicted wounds strain with movement.

“Stop,” he pleads. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Too late. It’s time to end this.” The train gets closer, Connor holds his victim beside the tracks, pulling him away just in time as the hunk of metal passes. My brother turns to Harrison. “Call Violet and get the girls to meet us where we discussed.”

“What do you mean?” I snap, annoyed at being left out of an earlier conversation.

“Samantha needs to see this for herself,” Connor replies.

“No, she doesn’t.” My words are hard and acidic. I don’t attempt to hide my disagreement.

“Yes, she does. She must know this bastard is finished and has paid for what he did.”

“You’ve changed your tune. A matter of days ago, you wanted her to quit her job due to danger, but today, you’re inviting her to dispose of a body.”

My brother's eyes focus on me, and we stare at one another. There’s a new hardness on his features, an unrelenting hatred I’ve never seen before.

“Maybe I’ve accepted she’s much stronger than I gave her credit for.” He strides by me, and Hunter grabs for our victim, wrapping him in a blanket that seems to appear from nowhere. I limp after my brother, completely forgetting my crutches from the earlier room.

“Connor, are you sure about this? This will change her.” He stops then turns to face me.

“She changed the moment we fell in love with her,” he says simply, then walks away.

***

Deserted Warehouse, River Thames

After Connor left the underground tunnels, he pulled the car to the gray door, and we bundled Hastings into the back. The blanket covering him soaked through with blood quickly; we needed to leave fast. Once in the car, he passed out. Hunter called his right-hand man, Greyson, to come and clean the scene.

Now, the four of us and Hastings are standing at the river's edge, waiting for Samantha to arrive. She needs to see for herself that the bastard who hurt her is gone for good. I want her to know we sought revenge on her behalf, but she deserves to have a choice whether to be involved in his execution. Her being at peace with her past is my priority. Closure is part of that. Offering her all of the options is what is best for her.

The warehouse has been abandoned for a long time and is now owned by Hunter. He has big plans to renovate and build housing here in years to come once the surrounding area is developed, which is underway. The space is dark and eery, with hardly a sound beyond an odd owl hoot. A trash can clatters to the ground startling us, and a fox scurries across the asphalt.

Headlights appear from behind the building, and I see my sister’s little black Mazda MX-5 come around the corner.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Harrison mutters, annoyed by the unexpected arrival of his wife.

“And, of course, she had to bring the go-kart,” I add. Harrison grunts. The change in his expression tells me he is furious.

“She’ll be child-free, so she likes to use her sporty wheels. Makes her feel less mum-like,” he says under his breath. Harrison bought my sister the car as a present when she gave birth to my niece. He said it was her adult toy to use when she was off mum-duty. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for childless days out.”

As they get closer, Violet and Samantha come into view. She grinds to a halt ten meters away, slamming the brakes hard enough that they screech. Harrison shakes his head, then strides toward his wife as she climbs out of the car.

“Vi, light movements. You don’t need to stamp on the brake pedal. And what the fuck are you doing here?” She beams at him as she closes the door, then skips toward him before throwing her arms around his neck. He takes her in his arms naturally. “Thank God you’re good at things other than driving. Maybe you need more lessons.” She giggles but doesn’t respond. Even with his grumpiness, she looks so fucking happy.

“Why are you here?” he repeats.

“To support my friend, and I didn’t want to be left out of the fun.” She rises on tiptoe and kisses his lips. He visibly thaws in front of me. My sister has him on a leash; the man would do anything for her.

“You hate this stuff,” he counters. She looks up at him with wide eyes, then shakes her long dark hair down her back.

“Sam said you were taking out the trash. Well, I’m here to ensure you do a good enough job. Is that him?” Her focus moves to Hastings, her face pinching in disgust as she takes in his bloodied appearance.

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