Page 196 of Brutal Savage

“Rogue, please! Not today!” I plead, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.

His eyes lower to what I’m holding. “What’s in the box?”

I shut my eyes, knowing there’s no way out of this. He’s gonna insist on calling Tynan, and my grandma is as good as dead.

Letting out a heavy exhale, I give it one last-ditch effort to save her life. “Look, some bad people from my past are after my family and me. They sent me this.”

I open the box and he stares at it with a tight jaw. As he picks up the note and reads it, I continue.

“If I don’t show up—alone—they’re gonna kill her. I can’t let that happen.” My bottom lip quivers. “Don’t you have family you’d do anything for? That’s what my grandparents are. They’re all I have left. Please just let me go.”

He returns the note, and I shut the box, growing sick at the sight of her finger. The pain she must be going through. Nausea rocks me.

“I’ll help you. But I can’t just let you go alone. They could easily kill you and your grandma.”

I run a hand down my face.

“Look, it’s gonna be fine,” he tries to reassure me, yet all I feel is more anxiety. “I’ll text the other guys that we’re just heading to grab coffee and they can stay at the house. Once we get there, I’ll let you out and take cover where the people who have your grandma can’t see me. But…” He stares at me intently. “I’ve gotta tell Tynan and the other guys once we get there. They’ll back us up and get you two out.”

What he says makes sense. At least I think so.

“Okay. Fine. Let’s go.”

“It isn’t far.” He starts for his SUV. “It’s just a couple of towns over.”

I nod, getting into the passenger side while he jumps into the spot beside me, and we’re off toward the gate.

My foot bounces as I think about what Gran could be going through.

Rogue speeds down the road, zooming past other vehicles.

“How long?” I ask.

“Maybe another fifteen.”

Gran may not have fifteen minutes…

As we make another turn, I notice an SUV behind us doing the same. I saw it earlier, but thought it was just heading down the same street.

“I think that car is following us.”

“Shit,” he mutters, increasing his speed.

But so does the car.

It grows closer.

I gasp as tires screech, another SUV coming right for us.

They must’ve followed us from the house.

Rogue tries to pass them, but they block his way.

“Nonono!” I cry when a man in a ski mask jumps out and marches right for us, a gun in his hand.

“Get us out of here!” I scream at Rogue.

But when he looks at me…a shudder runs down my spine.

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