Page 11 of Breeding Justice

While they manhandled Justice, I flexed my wrists again, testing the give in the ropes. They bit into my skin, but I kept going, twisting and pulling until I felt the first coil slip loose. I gritted my teeth against the pain, using the guards’ distraction to my advantage.

Justice’s eyes widened, her gaze darting between us.

He was about to see me when Justice spat on him, the glob landing squarely on Stocky’s cheek. His face contorted with rage, and he froze for a beat, as if deciding between murder and humiliation. Tall barked out a sharp laugh.

“Looks like the lady’s got more fight in her than you do,” Tall said, smirking at his companion.

“Bitch!” Stocky snarled, raising a meaty hand toward Justice.

My heart clenched, but before he could strike, Justice smirked—cool, controlled, a spark of defiance blazing in her eyes. “What’s wrong, tough guy? Afraid of a little spit?”

That was my cue. As Stocky lunged for her, his focus entirely on her, I twisted my wrists sharply. The rope burned against my skin, but it gave, unraveling just enough for me to wrench my hands free. My fingers tingled with the rush of blood, but there was no time to savor the relief.

Stocky was mid-swing when I sprang from the chair. Using every ounce of momentum, I brought my elbow crashing down onto the back of his neck. He crumpled like a stack of bricks, his body hitting the floor with a satisfying thud.

Tall’s head snapped toward me, his eyes wide with surprise. “What the—”

I didn’t let him finish. Grabbing the chair leg from my toppled seat, I swung it upward into his ribs. The crack of wood against bone echoed in the room. He staggered, clutching his side, and I didn’t hesitate. I drove the chair leg into his gut, doubling him over, then swung it into the side of his head.

Justice was still bound, her chair rocking dangerously as she struggled against the ropes. “Skylar!” she barked. “A little help!”

“Hang tight, pet,” I said, panting as I grabbed a jagged piece of the broken chair leg. I knelt beside her and began sawing through the ropes, my eyes darting toward the door every few seconds. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she hissed, her voice sharp but steady. “Just hurry.”

Behind me, I heard a groan. Stocky was stirring, his hand reaching for the gun holstered at his side. My blood ran cold.

“Bash!” I shouted, tossing the broken chair leg toward him. Bound or not, the man was a force of nature. Bash caught the jagged wood between his hands and drove it into Stocky’s wrist before he could grab the gun. Stocky howled, his body jerking as blood splattered the floor.

“That’ll teach you,” Bash rumbled, his voice calm despite the chaos.

Justice’s ropes finally snapped, and she scrambled to her feet, grabbing Stocky’s gun from his hip. Her hands were unsteady, but her aim was sure as she pointed it at Tall, who was struggling to stand.

“Don’t,” she warned, her voice like steel.

Tall froze, his hands raised, his face a mask of pain and fury. “You think this ends here?” he spat. “You’ve just made it worse for yourselves.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving a hand dismissively as I cut through Bash’s ropes. “Tell it to someone who cares, mate.”

The moment Bash’s hands were free, he was on his feet, his broad frame towering over Tall. “Get the door,” he said to me, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I moved quickly, checking the hallway. It was empty for now, but the faint echo of boots told me reinforcements weren’t far off. “We’ve got company coming,” I said, grabbing a second gun from the floor and tossing it to Bash.

Justice had already moved to the doorway, her gun trained on the hall. “Which way?”

“Left,” Bash said, grabbing Stocky by the collar and dragging him to his feet. “He’s coming with us.”

“What?” I asked, incredulous. “We’re taking the deadweight?”

“He knows the layout,” Bash growled, shoving the dazed guard forward. “He’s leverage.”

Tall started to move, but Justice turned her gun on him. “Not you,” she said coldly. “Stay put.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Tall snarled, but he didn’t move. He wasn’t stupid enough to test her aim.

“Skylar, let’s go!” Justice barked.

We moved quickly, Bash pushing Stocky ahead of us like a human shield. The hallway stretched on, dimly lit and eerily quiet except for the distant sound of approaching guards.

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