Page 11 of Hellfire

Katrina

I paced back and forth in the room Molly placed us in. Apparently, this room belonged to the club's vice president. It's pretty spacious and way too impersonal for my tastes. There weren't pictures on the wall or a shirt on the floor. Not a single item graced the top of the dresser. It was almost as if the vice president didn't live in this room at all.

I didn't know why I was so fixated on this, but you can tell a lot about a person based on their bedroom. And what did I know about this guy? Nothing. That single fact alone put me on edge. But on the other hand, I was torn. The MC had proved they wanted to help us. If there was one hard truth I knew for certain; nothing in this life was free.

It was only a matter of time before they demanded something of us in return.

The sleeping girl in the middle of the king-sized bed was my reason for living. She deserved better than the life I'd lived. Even if I couldn't give it to her, I'd be damned if I didn't fight until my dying breath. That meant we could never stay in one place too long. Never put down roots. Never truly build a life where we could be happy. My throat tightened at that realization. I'd sacrifice it all if it meant she was safe.

We had to leave tonight.

"Hey baby," I whispered. "We got to go."

Pulling her into my arms, I slunk down the hallway toward the now empty bar. My heart pounded so loudly, I was afraid someone would hear it and give us away. We had one shot at this. I refused to fail her.

I briefly glanced at the bar where Steele and I met as I inched toward the exit. God, how I wished life could have been different. Even still, I left the club and entered the unknown.

The nights here in Leesville, Louisiana, were muggy and hot at best. The air was thick with the sounds of buzzing insects. Sweat dripped down my spine, my palms were slowly losing their grip on Leona. I didn't know how much further I could carry her. It had been hours since we left and we had already stopped multiple times.

The ground was soft and spongy underfoot, making each step harder than the last. The squelching sound made it literally impossible to be quiet. Let’s not forget I was completely out of breath and panting like a dog.

Buzz.

Another mosquito buzzed by my ear. Huffing, I blew my long black hair out of my face and groaned in frustration as more buzzed past my face.

"Stupid backwater bayou bullshit!" I attempted to bat them away but with Leona in my arms it made everything more difficult. "That's it," I grumbled.

My feet were sore, my throat on fire, and I was just too fucking out of shape to be walking around this stupid lake holding a fifty-pound child.

"Leona baby, wake up."

"Where are we?" she asked sleepily.

Glancing around the trees and murky water, I tried to identify if we were even traveling in the same direction anymore. I didn't want to admit we were lost.

In the distance you could hear the haunting call of the swamp birds, their eerie cries echoed across the stagnant waters. The sky overhead was overcast, the sun just barely breaking through the thick layer of mist. I shivered at the feeling of being watched.

"We're just going to rest here for a bit. Okay? Try to get some rest. You'll have to walk for a while. You're just getting too big for me to carry," I teased while I tickled her.

Her little laughter echoed around us. My heart swelled at that sound. I opened my arms to cradle her as I watched our surroundings. After a while, my eyes slowly drifted closed. The buzzing and chirping lulled me to sleep. The faint rustling of leaves had my eyes snapping open on reflex.

My gaze darted around frantically. My heart thumped against my rib cage in a wild frenzy.There was definitely something out there. I gently shook Leona until her eyes fluttered open. I placed a finger to my lips, silently asking her to stay quiet.Standing, I put Leona between me and the tree.

Think Katrina! I need a weapon. Why didn't I take one of Steele's?

Because you were too focused on those sexy gray eyes to do much of anything else, I scolded myself.

I spotted a thick branch a few feet away and darted to grab it. Now we wait.

Fuck, I felt like a sitting duck just waiting for the slaughter. But what else were we supposed to do? Run?Where would we even go?

I had left the comforts of the MC and got us lost in the swamps. This was my fault. My breath caught in my throat as I gripped the branch tighter.

In the distance, a dark figure emerged from behind the row of trees. The breath in my lungs rushed out as three more followed right after the first. Leona whimpered in fear, hiding her face in my back.

"It's okay baby," I soothed, but it was no use. They outnumbered us. How do you explain to a child the dangers you were in? You didn't, you lied.

As the figures moved closer, they appeared to be floating along the surface. Never once slowing their strides as they got closer.

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