Page 69 of Shattered

“No…”

“What’s happening?” Turner asks, his voice strained.

I can’t think. Can’t breathe. “You need to drive faster,” is all I can spit out.

“I can’t.”

I know he can’t, he’s already driving faster than he should be. We’re no good to Lila if we’re dead in a ditch. But we’re out of time.

I watch helplessly as Lila’s freed from the table. She’s pale and weak, and her movements are sluggish as Rocco and Rooney help her up. They each take an arm and have to carry her out of the room with her feet dragging on the ground.

The moment she disappears through that door, my phone battery dies, and my heart shatters as the screen goes black when I need to see it the most. This is the part where she needs to fight. But she’s too far gone. There’s two of them, and one of her, and she’s nearly dead.

“She’s gonna die, Asher,” Raven says. “There’s no way we’ll get to her in time. All you’re doing is walking into a slaughter. Rocco and Rooney will kill you all.”

“Bane, tape her fucking mouth shut. She can direct us with her head,” Turner snaps.

My jaw falls open, and I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back whatever’s about to come out as terror overwhelms me.

Lila…

“There’s still a chance,” Turner says. The hollowness in his voice tells me he doesn’t really believe it, but he’s not going to give up.

And neither am I.

This is all my fault. I underestimated Rocco and Rooney, and now Lila’s paying the price. She’s so scared, in so much pain, and they’re walking her to her death. I’d do anything just to take her place. I think it’s time I admit it.

“Asher?”

They’re all waiting for me to decide.

“Look, guys, this may end up being a suicide mission. If you want to back out, I won’t hold it against you, but I’m going in there. Once she’s back in my arms, I’ll decide if she’s dead or not.”

“Asher, they’ll kill you,” Bane says.

My voice catches in my throat as I speak. “I won’t leave her.”

Turner nods, slapping me on the shoulder.

“We have to be smart about this. If we run in there without thinking, we’re gonna die.”

“You’re not backing out?”

“Never,” Turner says firmly. “We’ll either save her or avenge her.”

I nod, tears spilling down my cheeks. When I turn to Bane, I can see the conflict on his face. He may not care about Lila, but he does care about me, and he knows I’m not walking away.

“You’re my brother. You know I’ll do anything for you. I’m in.”

Chapter 25

Lila

Despite the horrific pain firing through my feet from the toothpicks dragging on the ground, I can’t find any of my muscles to move as I’m dragged out of the room and up some stairs, and then a second set of stairs. Everything feels cold and dark.

I’m about to die.

They’re bringing me to a bathroom to drown me, to make a video for some rich, heartless prick. My life is their entertainment. I can’t imagine a worse way to die: naked, bloody, and tortured. I should be horrified that this is being streamed online, but I’m not. I think it’s because I know I won’t be alive to deal with the aftermath.

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