Page 95 of Broken Skulls

His pain pierces my heart.

A few minutes later, the wind changes direction, and a windchime plays an eerie tune from somewhere down the road.

“Fuck!” he shouts again. “There’s nothing here.” He starts to walk back to his bike when the wind blows again.

I lift my face, catching the scent of something. It comes on so suddenly that I wretch, doubling over. Jacob rushes to my side.

“Shit. I’m sorry. You haven’t had anything to eat all day. Let’s get you back to the warehouse.”

Dirk stops in his tracks, listening to me dry heave. Slowly, he turns around, and our gaze locks.

I take a deep breath, letting the nausea subside, and then I wait for the wind to gust again. This time I’m sure of what I smell.

“Blood,” I whisper as my hair whips around my face.

Dirk is now by my side. He and Jacob follow close as I try to pinpoint where the scent is coming from. I stop at a pile of rocks about a hundred yards behind the house. When I drop to my knees, the men join me.

I gag as the smell hits me again. “It’s blood,” I repeat, more sure of myself.

Dirk furiously starts moving rocks aside, and there we find a pipe that leads into the ground.

He jumps to his feet. “There’s a door here somewhere!” he yells to Dan and Raffe.

It doesn’t take long, and he finds the entrance hidden beneath the brush.

Jacob holds me back as Dirk opens it. “Let the others go down first,” he says, holding me close.

Dark steps lead to another door at the bottom. It’s locked. “Fuck you!” Dirk shouts, pulling his gun from the back of his pants and aiming at the door handle. He fires again and again as I press myself into Jacob’s chest, holding my ears.

He kicks once and the door pops open.

Jesse is sitting against a far wall. Blood covers the lower half of her face, spilling down her neck and over her chest. A dead man is sprawled out on the floor at her feet in a pool of blood.

Blood. So much blood.

She laughs, her teeth stained red. “Took you long enough,” she says, pushing herself to her feet. Her hands are cuffed behind her back, and she’s chained to the floor.

Dirk steps on the dead man to get to her. He grabs her by the throat and kisses her like he’s trying to suck her soul from her body.

Big Dan leans over, bracing his hands on his knees. “Jesus, woman. You’re going to fucking kill me someday.”

Raffe chuckles. “Fuck.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Just. Fuck.”

Jacob holds me close as I stare at the blood and the dead man. “I’ll text the club that we found her,” he says, knowing his brothers are a little overwhelmed at the moment. He keeps me cradled in his arms as his fingers fly over his phone.

I’ve never seen anyone kiss as long as Dirk and Jesse are. I tip my head to look at Jacob. “I’ll never run from you again,” I whisper.

He doesn’t say anything, but his blue eyes tell me everything.

When Dirk and Jesse finally separate, I wince at the blood that now coats Dirk’s greying beard. He doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe it’s that he doesn’t care.

His boot stomps down on the man’s head. Over and over again as Jesse watches her husband’s face intently. Blood drips from his boot as the man slowly morphs into something unrecognizable.

Jacob places his hand loosely over my nose and mouth. “Breathe, baby.”

I inhale deeply, thankful that his scent masks the copper that had filled my nostrils. Had I been holding my breath?

He turns and marches me up the dark stairs, his hand still covering my face. As soon as the wind hits my skin, I crumble. Jacob ushers me to his bike, encouraging me to lean against it.

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