Page 27 of Brutal Empire

It waslate at night when my phone rang. I instantly reached for it. Nothing ever good came from late-night calls. As soon as I picked up, I didn’t even get a greeting as Daphne was already speaking.

It had been months since I had last heard her voice, but it felt like the first time all over again. The way her accent pricked at me and embedded into my soul. All that came to mind was her telling me that I wasn’t strong enough to save Katia. I vowed that I would get strong. That I would get revenge and that I would kill those responsible no matter what. Here I was, years later, and sometimes it felt like I kept getting dragged back.

“Damian found out where you are hiding. Leave now, and trust no one!”

Fuck.

The call ended immediately. My mobility was way better now, so I rolled off the bed and pulled a duffle that I had under it.

I immediately went to Cam’s room as I kept an ear to see if people were already there. As soon as the door opened, her body jolted. She reached under her pillow, and I saw the metal glint from the moonlight that filtered into her room. Any other time I would have smiled.

“We have to go now,” I told her.

She didn’t ask questions and pulled her bag from under the bed, just like me. She followed behind me as I went to her window. She had a small balcony she had never used, but I figured she’d picked this room so she wouldn’t feel caged. From what I remember, Daphne said she was found in a basement, chained and begging to be killed.

I peeked outside and didn’t see anyone waiting for us. Maybe Daphne was able to give me more of a heads-up. We moved fast, and after Cam got out, I closed the door. That’s when I heard the rumble of a truck coming.

Fuck.

It wasn’t unusual for trucks to be out at night, but it wasn’t common either. Not since the cartels imposed a curfew because the cartels tended to shoot first and ask questions later at night.

Dogs started to bark at the noise.

“We have to get out now,” I told her.

Cam looked at me, somewhat panicked.

She wanted this life, and this was what it was all about.

“Once I’m down, throw me your bag.”

I climbed the railing and then used my strength to slide off it until I was hanging low enough that I knew I wouldn’t break my legs. Pain radiated through me with the sudden increase in physical activity. As soon as I was down, I looked up, and Cam threw me her bag. She then proceeded to do the same as me.

“We’re not dying today.”

She didn’t reply, and I took that as my cue to keep moving. I peeked through the side of the house, and sure enough, a truck was parked at the end of the street.

Fuck.

Roman had picked this house because it was at the end of an alley, so we couldn’t go that way. That only left the back, and we were up higher, so that meant we had to jump onto a rooftop.

Without thinking, I took hold of her arm and dragged her with me so we could take off running to the backyard.

TWELVE

My body was filledwith adrenaline. I didn’t know the time nor what was going on, but I was ready to run. What I didn’t expect was for Bastian to touch me. I froze when his skin touched my own, but the pull from him dragging me quickly snapped me out of it. As soon as I began to run, he let me go.

My arm felt weird. It burned from where his touch still lingered on my skin, but the fact that my life might be in danger made that take a back seat. Imminent death sure had a way of distracting you.

It was faint, but I heard footsteps coming our way. Bastian didn’t have to give me more directions; I was following his lead. I knew he would go to the left corner since the houses there seemed closer. Time to find out, right?

He took off in the air, and I stood there, mesmerized for a moment to appreciate his fearless appearance. Just two months ago, he was limping everywhere. Shaking the thought away, I began to run as he had and then jumped just as everything behind me began to burn.

I landed on top of something soft. My ears rang, and my back felt hot. It took me a second to realize Bastian was talking to me. His lips moved, but I didn’t understand the words. I lay down, looking at him. His head was angled to where we had jumped from, and I saw the orange glow.

“We have to go,” he barked.

I stretched out my hand, and one of his brows raised in surprise, but he took hold of it and helped me up.

---