Page 74 of Darkness Falls

Leaning down, I lift her up and throw her over my shoulder before walking toward the door. My eyes drift back to the box on the table, and I pause for a moment to decide if I want to grab it or not. Her phone rings, pulling my attention from the box, and I decide it’s not important right now. Whatever’s in there isn’t going to change the outcome of any of this. I’ll send someone to grab it.

Once I get to the car, I throw her on the back seat and grab some of the zip ties from the floor to bind her wrists and ankles together before leaning down to grab the duct tape. I rip off a moderately sized piece to place over her mouth. I definitely don’t want to hear the dumb bitch talk on the off chance the drugs wear off. She can still breathe out of her nose, so she’ll be fine.

I'll likely have to repeat the dosage before we make it back to Rogue, but I can do that when I stop for gas or something. I move to the trunk to grab the big blanket to cover her with so that if anyone happens to peer in, they don't see a tied-up body in my back seat. I can watch her better with her here rather than inside the trunk.

Now that everything is all set, I slide into the front seat to start my drive back to Rogue. I want to get Avery secured in the cell in Gabriel’s basement before I snap a few photos of her. MaybeI'll keep her sedated in the photos and tear some of her clothes for further effect.

I doubt I'll even need the pictures. My wife is so emotional she will come running to save her precious best friend the moment she hears I have her. That's one thing Gabriel was right about. Callie’s emotions are her weakness, and I know exactly how to exploit them.

I make it about halfway into the drive before I notice the gas gauge getting close to low. I should have prepared for this with gas cans in the trunk, but it slipped my mind. I drive a bit further until I find a smaller gas station. There are only two pumps and no one else in sight. Perfect. I'll be back on the road in no time.

Before I pump the gas, I lift the blanket to find Avery’s eyes still sealed shut and her body slack. Part of me is disappointed. I was hoping she might be awake to make this more interesting.

I pump the gas quickly and pull out my phone to call the team I purposefully left behind. The guy I call answers on the first ring.

"Sir, are you okay? We've been waiting for you at the hotel?"

"I'm on my way back to Rogue. I decided being in Braxton Falls was only bringing up memories that would distract me."

"You should have told us you were leaving. It's our job to keep you safe."

"I need you to do something for me," I tell him, fully intending to keep them busy so I can keep Avery's presence a secret. She's not a member, so I shouldn't be bringing her onto the compound without the council’s knowledge.

"What do you need?"

"There's a woman I need you to watch.I'll text you the address."

I pull the phone from my ear and send over the address of the location I saw Avery get out of the Uber. I thought the woman was an innocent hookup, but Avery didn't go there with that box, which means she knows something she shouldn’t. I have no clue what that may be, but as soon as all this shit with Callie is said and done, I'll get to the bottom of it.

"What do you want us to do, sir?" the guy says, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Just watch her for now. I'll send word in a few days." I roll my eyes.

"Sir, we're not supposed to leave you alone. We can't stay here."

"I'm already halfway to Tennessee. You won’t be able to catch up with me at this point, and I'm not waiting. The council has called a trial. I need to ensure I'm there with my wife."

"If the council called a trial, we should be in attendance. All male members are required to be there."

"I'm aware of the rules, but I’m telling you, as the leader of Rogue, you are to stay put and keep an eye on the woman."

The guy hesitates, clearly uncomfortable with having to choose between defying his leader and the longstanding traditions of the Society. "Okay, sir. We will await instructions."

“Oh, and I need you to stop at another house and grab a box with Rogue’s symbol on it for me. I’ll text youthe details.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?”

"No, that’s all for now. Don’t let that woman see you watching her."

With that, I hang up and get back on the road. I have a whole list of shit to take care of, and the sooner I can get back to Rogue and convince my wife to come home, the better. I'll finally be able to show her what she missed out on after our wedding.

Chapter 34

Avery

When I wake up, it takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the lack of light in the room. It's dark, cold, and damp. My head is throbbing, but I do my best to pull myself off the floor to see if I can figure out where I am.

My wrists hurt, and I look down to see a faint red line around them. He must have zip-tied them together. I rub my wrists, but the mark doesn't fade. I try to stand but fall. The lingering effects of whatever he gave me have me feeling wobbly. Once I finally feel confident enough to stand, I try to take a step forward, but something drags my ankle down. Did someone fucking chain me to the floor?

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