Page 51 of The Rise

“They’re outside waiting on the Doctor to get here,” Tamsyn tells her.

“Um … Okay. Let’s chain him up!” They both look at me and nod as we move toward him. Brandon isn’t a small man, but we easily chain his legs to the floor. Then I reach up and pull the chain for his arms down where we can reach them, but we can’t lift him.

“Shit, he’s too heavy,” Tamsyn grunts as we try to lift him to no avail.

“Go get help,” I tell Angel. “He can’t move with the chains around his ankles.” She nods her head and rushes out the front doors to find help. Tamsyn grabs the pan just in case he wakes up before they get in here.

“What the hell?” I hear Jimmy, one of the Gods. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“He was helping them! He was coming for Hunter,” I tell him as he looks at me. I see the anger as it simmers in his eyes before he moves to lift him off the ground.

“Grab the chains,” he orders as he hefts Brandon up higher. Tamsyn drops the pan to the floor, and we each grab a wrist and secure it. Once that’s done, Jimmy pulls the chain so it lifts Brandon off the ground. Now he’s stuck there, just like the others will be.

“Are you guys okay?” Jimmy asks as he looks between us. I nod before I move toward Tamsyn, pulling her into a hug.

“You okay?” she asks me.

“I’m fine. Thank you for that.”

“We heard him talking and fuck, Lana. That could have been bad,” she says.

“It could have, but it wasn’t.”

“Hunter is going to lose his shit,” she adds as we turn around and look at the asshole who’s now hanging there.

Just then, we hear a commotion coming from the front doors. Tamsyn and I share a look before the guys come stomping in.

“Clear the table!” Rylan yells when I see them carrying Hunter. My heart drops in my chest as Angel, Tamsyn, and I move toclear off the table quickly. The guys bring Hunter over and lay him down as he groans.

“What happened?” I yell as I look down at him. Hunter smirks at me.

“I’m not dead, little rebel.”

“What the hell happened then?”

“He got shot. One went through the others hit his vest,” Silas tells me. The doctor comes in right behind them and begins to check him over quickly. I don’t know what to do, so I stand here, staring at him while he stares back at me.

“I’m okay, Lana,” he says, but all I can do is nod my head. Is he okay? The doctor cuts his shirt off when I see the angry bruises all over his chest and gasp. I reach up and cover my mouth with my hand as Hunter hisses in pain.

“Pretty sure they’re not broken. Just bruised pretty good,” the doctor tells him. My eyes run all over his body, trying to see if anything else is wrong, but I don’t see anything. That’s when I heard him. Gabe.

“Lana!” I hadn’t even paid attention to the men bringing them in. I turn my head and look over to see them chaining them up next to Brandon. My eyes lock with Gabe’s, and that’s where they stay. All the air is sucked from my lungs, seeing him hanging there and knowing what’s about to happen to him. I take slow, deep breaths when Hunter roars, pulling my attention back to him.

“I’m fine! Let me handle this shit,” Hunter screams louder this time. I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know whatto do. So I stand still while Hunter walks past me and straight toward Gabe as if he knows exactly who he is.

“You’re the one,” Hunter states when he’s standing in front of him. Gags have been shoved in everyone else’s mouths so they can’t scream or say shit but not his.

“Lana!” He calls out to me again. I let my head drop down, my eyes on the floor. I don’t think I can do this.

“Now’s not the time to look down, little rebel. Now’s the time to show and prove,” I hear Hunter say. “Come here, Lana.” The demand in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. My body trembles as I turn and walk toward Hunter.

When I get close, he grabs my shirt and pulls me closer to him before ripping the front of my shirt open so that my bra is showing.

“On your knees,” he orders me. Now I lift my head, and our eyes lock. He’s trying to piss Gabe off right now. He wants him angry. “You know how much I hate to repeat myself, little rebel.” The growl that leaves his throat is rough and lethal, and I do as I’m told, falling to my knees at his feet.

“Lana! What the hell?” Gabe roars as he tugs at the chains. Hunter pulls a knife from his pocket and moves behind me, using the knife to brush my hair off my neck.

“Do you see this?” he asks Gabe, dragging the blade over the Gods tattoo on my chest. Gabe’s eyes move to the tattoo and back to Hunter unsure what he’s looking at. “It’s just like mine. Do you know what that means?” Gabe doesn’t look at him. Instead, his eyes fall to mine. I feel sick to my stomach. I start to stand so I can run, but Hunter knows what I’m about to do.

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