Page 98 of Darkness Falls

"If you met me six months ago, I wouldn't have been able to stomach the idea of killing someone in cold blood. That's changed, though. Want to know a secret?" I let out a manic laugh.

"I don't want to know anything from you. I'll kill your men and keep you here until I hear from Damien."

"Damien is a bit tied up right now." Kyler laughs.

Barrett and Kyler move to stand at my side, and Barrett reaches down to place his gun in my hand.

"STOP MOVING!" the guy yells.

"They're all dead, youknow. We blew up the compound. You, Damien, and Sebastian here are the last remaining adult male members of Rogue. How does that make you feel?"

"You're lying," he spits.

"I'm not, but you won't live long enough to find out."

Before I can bring the gun up to shoot him, I see movement from behind, and something swings to meet his skull. He crashes to the ground, dropping the gun in the process, and I stand there dumbfounded. Reese stands where he was with a baseball bat in her hand.

"Sorry, I was watching on my cameras and decided you might need help. Also, I'd rather not have gunshot holes in my house."

Avery steps into view of the front door to stand next to Reese. "I tried to tell her you had it under control."

"You were supposed to stay in the room and out of danger." I narrow my eyes.

"Avery isn't a big fan of staying in my bedroom, are you?" Reese turns and tilts her head in question.

"Fuck’s sake," I hear Avery mutter, and I can't hide my smile. I don't know this Reese woman very well, but I can tell Avery might have found her match.

"We should get going. I have to go check on my mom, and we have someone else to deal with, too."

"We’ll have someone come for the bodies and handle their car," Seb says as he leans down to check the pulse of the third man. He doesn't say anything, but when I see him twist his neckaround, I cringe a little. The guy must have still been alive. "Is that okay?"

“Actually, let me go check their car now to make sure there’s nothing important in it,” Kyler interrupts before walking out of the door.

"Just don't leave them here for too long, please," Reese says, refocusing her attention on Seb.

"It will be less than an hour."

"I'm going to hang back and talk with Reese, Cals," Avery suggests.

I smile and nod, knowing this is what she needs right now. As much as I would love for Avery to come back to the house with us so we can catch up on everything, she’s not ready for that. She needs to manage whatever is going on with Reese.

"Yeah, talk. Someone needs to learn their lesson for sneaking out," Reese replies.

"I like her," Barrett says with a smile.

"Of course you do. She's basically you but with a vagina." I chuckle when he shrugs.

I walk over and give Avery a hug before pulling back with a tight smile. My eyes land on Reese next, and I extend my hand, prompting her to shake it.

"Don't be too hard on her." I grin.

“Any idea what this is?” Kyler says when he comes back inside, carrying a box with Rogue’s symbol on it. This must be the one Avery was telling me about, but how did it end up in the car with these men.

“That asshole,” Avery mutters as she grabs it from him. “Damien must have had them take it from my house after he took me. This is the box my parents left me.”

“Did you want me to wait around to open it?” I don’t want to push her if she’s not ready.

I see the hesitation in her eyes. “I don’t think I can handle that right now.”

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