Page 9 of The Pretty Psycho

I pushed my jacket off of my shoulders, wrapping her in it.

"Jax! Dante!" I shouted, knowing I needed their help. I didn't want them to see her like this, but I had no choice.

The sound of their feet as they came through the passage made me cover her with my body. "Holy shit," came from Jax as they saw the scene in front of them, their flashlights illuminating the space around us.

"Dante, we need to break her free. Now!" I barked when neither of them moved, both too shocked to react. "She's in bad shape."

Vega's dainty fingers wrapped around my wrists and as I looked down, I saw the fear in those brilliant eyes, begging me, pleading with me.

"They're not gonna hurt you, baby. They're going to help. It's Jax and Dante."

"C-Cold," she shivered. "I'm so cold."

"Hurry the fuck up!" I thundered, and before long, Dante slid to the other side of Vega, pulling out the kit he always carried around for locks. Logically, I knew it didn't take long, but itfelt as if an eternity had passed since he started unlocking the chains.

As they fell down to the ground with a clang, I wrapped her tighter in my jacket, lifting her up within seconds.

"We need an ambulance," I said as I started walking with her in my arms.

Vega's body was too cold, too fucking frail, and I refused to think about all the things she went through while she was locked in here. Who the fuck would do something like this? Why?

But there would be time for all the questions. I didn't like the way her head lolled when I lifted her up, or the gash on top of her hand and the way she didn't cling to me. She could barely look at me.

Did they even give her anything to eat?

There was dried blood on top of her thighs and my heart broke for the hundredth time, but I didn't want to think about that. Someone attacked her and they would pay with their life for trying to destroy her. For trying to destroy us.

I maneuvered us through the narrow passage, almost running toward the tunnel I came out of, all the way to the entrance I slid down, where the rest of our operatives waited. My mind ran with possible options to get her out of here without the rest of the team touching her, because we would need help. There was no way I’d be able to carry her out, considering the steep exit. Jax and Dante were right behind me, talking over their walkie-talkies with someone at the Academy, but I couldn’t focus on them and their words.

I couldn't care less about anything else that was happening. I just needed to get her out of here. I needed her to be all right.

"Hold on, baby. Just hold on for me."

"Tired," she stammered. "So tired."

"You're gonna be fine, Bambi. You have to be fine."

"I'm sorry, Adrian," she mumbled, and as I looked down at her I saw her looking at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

Her eyes fluttered closed. "For being a coward and running from you." Her head lolled back, her body going limp.

"Vega," I shook her. "Vega!"

"Adrian, we need to go. Ambulance is on the way."

"She's unconscious." I could feel the panic seeping through my words. "Why the fuck is she unconscious!" The sound of a siren echoed through the cave, and before Jax or Dante could say anything else, I started running up, pushing through the last reserves of energy I had, and straight out.

She had to be okay.

She had to be fucking okay.

But as I ran toward the ambulance with her in my arms, I knew nothing would ever be okay again.

Not after this.

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