Page 85 of Soul Bound

Violet leans close and whispers in my ear. “No matter what, just make sure you get her out of here.” She gives me a loose hug, so she doesn’t crush Ella and then places a kiss on the baby’s head. “You’re going to grow up to be so much like your mother, I can already tell.”

She smiles at me once more and then breaks into a run, sprinting down the hallway. “What is wrong with you people!” she screams at the top of her lungs. The room is filled with loud gasps. I look around the corner and find she’s run into the middle of the room and is climbing up onto the makeshift stage. “Don’t you know where these babies come from! They abduct women off the street and impregnate them! How fucked-up in the head are you that you think this is okay!”

Everyone’s attention is on her as she waves her arms around and yells. I use this opportunity and I sneak down the hallway. I angle my body so Ella is mostly hidden as I skirt around the edge of the room. Everyone gathers closer to the stage so they can get a better look at Violet’s theatrics.

“I was taken a year ago in a parking lot and I’ve been held captive ever since. You’re all here because you want children, but I’m someone’s child too!” Violet cries. “I have a mother out there that is looking for me and she’ll never find me.”

My heart pounds in my chest as I make it closer to the exit, my limbs shake from the adrenaline and I grip Ella closer to me, so I don’t drop her. “We’re almost there, little one,” I whisper to her.

“You people disgust me!” Violet screams behind me. “You’re the worst kind of people—absolutescum.”

I reach the door and place my hand on the door handle, I look over my shoulder once more at Violet. She’s waving her arms around, keeping all the attention firmly on her. I see the top of Vance’s shaved head as he pushes through the crowd to get to her. Two more people dressed in head to toe black move from the other side of the room toward her.

“You people are going torotin hell for what you allowed to happen here.” It’s subtle, but I don’t miss it—Violet winks at me and a sly smile grows on her face. “I’m going to enjoy watching each of you burn!”

As I slip through the door, people scream and yell in shock, and as the door closes behind me, I hear the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the floor. I don’t know if they just knocked her out or they killed her, my heart hurts for Violet but I’m eternally grateful for her help.

I don’t get a second to recover because when I see the sight on the other side of the door, my mouth gapes open and my eyes widen in shock. Both bloodied, Ranger and Jax stand in the middle oftwelvefallen men. It looks like four more guards had joined the fight after I left. And all twelve of them are on the ground either bleeding, writhing in pain, or by the looks of a couple of their necks—dead.

I look at Ranger and a hurricane of emotions fall over me. First, I’m hit with pure relief that he’s okay—he’s a little banged up, but nothing that won’t heal soon. Second, pride because he was able to take out twelve armed men. Third, love. An all-consuming, heart pounding, I’ll never be the same again,love.

His gaze bounces between me and the infant in my arms, and the biggest smile I have ever seen him have breaks across his face. At that moment, I swear I feel every brick of the wall I had built around my heart crumble. I can no longer stop myself from wanting to be with him—to love him. I want it more than I want my next breath of air.

I just want him.

I’m no longer afraid of the heartbreak or the possibility Ranger may discard me like my family did, because I know he’ll be worth the pain.

As my walls disintegrate down to nothing and I come to my realization, the weirdest thing happens. I feel like I’m suddenly shocked by a current of electricity, it starts at the base of my neck and zips down my spine and then through my limbs.

And then the air around Ranger starts to glow.

25

Ranger

The last man standing swings wildly at me and I deflect his punch. I slam my fist as hard as I can into his solar plexus. He doubles over in pain instantly, choking for air. He stumbles backward right into Jax, who grins impishly and places his hand on the man’s shoulder. I can’t see the hellfire escape Jax’s hand, but the guard immediately falls to the floor spasming in pain. A chorus of the other men groaning and whimpering in pain fills the hallway.

After the first eight came at us, another four were called to aid them. It was touch and go there for a second, but between my fighting skills and strength and Jax’s hellfire, we were able to hold our own. I have a couple of cuts from various knives and my suit is torn to hell. Jax’s black knit sweater is ripped at the shoulder and neck, making it hang off of him oddly. He has a busted lip and a cut on his cheekbone as well.

“I swear, every time I’m around you people, my clothes get fucked-up and I end up bleeding.” He touches the cut on his cheek, his fingers come back bloody. “The last time I helped your family, I ended up getting shot in the stomach and my favorite T-shirt had to be thrown away.” He’s slightly out of breath when he speaks.

“You lived, didn’t you?” I pant.

He scowls. “Not the point I was trying to make.”

“All I heard was you bitching about clothes.” I start to bring my hands up to brush my hair off my forehead but stop when I see they’re coated in blood. I bend down and wipe them clean on an unconscious guy’s shirt, I’m pretty sure it’s his blood anyway.

“Pruitt’s so much more enjoyable to be around than you are,” Jax declares. “Even when I was using hellfire on her, she was in a better mood than you are. What’s wrong with you?”

I motion toward the doors Winslow had gone through. “She’s beenin there too long, and I don’t like it. What if something happened?”

Jax picks up one of the guard’s radios. “If someone found her or knew we were out here still, this would be going off like crazy. They would be calling for backup just like they did when they first found us out here. I think it’s safe to say we took out most if not all of the guards here.”

I let out a long breath and try to force myself to relax, but I know I won’t be able to until I can see Winslow with my own eyes. My wolf paces in my head, pressing me to go in there and find her myself. I know I wouldn’t be able to slip in undetected, not all bloodied like I am now. I stare at the doors and will Winslow to walk through them again.

“So, you’ve got it pretty bad for the witch huh?” Jax asks.

I contemplate lying because I don’t want to talk to him of all people about my feelings, but end up telling the truth anyway. “Yeah.” I sigh while I rub the back of my neck anxiously. “Yeah, I do.”

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