Page 157 of Hell and High Water

“Hellena!” A soft, terse voice interrupts us, followed by crunching footsteps. I turn to spot Evan, Gavin, Tell, Alaya.

And Ora, her eyes wide.

“G–Grandpa?”

“Heya, chipmunk.”

“No, no, no!” She’s at my side, cupping his face, patting his wrecked vest, her hands floating above him, afraid to cause more harm.

“Shh. Peace, child. You all need to go. Get out before they find you.”

He’s not wrong. The sounds in the woods are getting nearer. Shouts. More gunfire echoes occasionally crack through the trees.

“Papa, you get the fuck up. I mean it. If we go, you’re coming with us.”

“Girl, do not test me today. I need you to be the boss I raised you to be. Now.” His gaze hardens, making me straighten. “I will cover your escape. I love you all night.”

“I l–love you all day,” Ora sobs.

“You’re the light of my life, Ora May.” Clive finishes in sing-song, dragging himself up onto his knees.

“No! No!” Ora’s scream tears my heart out as he pulls out of her grip. “Get the fuck up, you tough sonofabitch! Come with me. I need you!”

“Rorshak. You owe me.” Clive looks back, his voice unwavering, locking with Gavin’s.

Gavin nods once, his jaw clenching. Without a word, he loops an arm around Ora’s waist, dragging her back, his expression pained. Ora wails, struggling against Gavin's impossible strength before going limp.

Just as she does, Tell and Evan pull at me, forcing me to let go of Clive’s hand. The last thing I see before we’re through the gate and down the hill is Clive standing there, cocking his gun as swarms of Marco’s men close in.

And I just make out the words, “Welcome to the Block, motherfuckers.”

I block out the hail of gunfire as we peel away down the trail, leaving part of the nightmare behind but carrying so much of it with us.

29

HELLENA

“Hang on!” Alaya growls, slamming the wheel back the opposite way and sending us skidding around another corner at breakneck speed.

It’s a fucking wonder we haven’t rolled.

“OW!” Tell yelps, thumping his head on the ceiling again as he’s tossed around in the back. With Ora smooshed between Gavin and me in the back seat, the car is a little over capacity.

“Hey, giraffe, they still on my ass?” She cackles, slamming on the gas pedal again.

Before he can answer, an armored Humvee barrels out of the woods behind us, but it takes the corner wrong, tumbling several times and plummeting over the edge of the slope.

“Yes!”

Several more minutes zip by before I can let out the breath I’ve been holding. It doesn’t seem like we’ve been followed.

Still, it doesn’t surprise me that she takes a roundabout route back to our base, Evan chiming in here and there on where to turn, checking to spot any signs that we’ve been tailed. It takes much longer than it normally would, but it’s worth it.

In the meantime, I’m content with my single job of holding Ora.

She’s been in and out of fitful sleep the entire ride.

And hasn’t said a word.

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