Page 94 of Ravaged Saints

Knox

She’s walking, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable. She’s stubborn as fuck and refuses to let me carry her.

“So let me get this straight,” I say, falling into step beside her, and she tilts her head up to meet my gaze. There is dirt smudged across her cheeks, and her hair looks like it just went to war and lost. “I can fuck you from here to Sunday, but I can’t carry you?”

She snickers. “It’s called balance, smart boy.”

I grab a handful of her messy hair, about to tug her closer when something catches my eye behind her. One of our traps lies broken on the ground.

“We’ll talk about that ‘boy’ comment later,” I warn, stepping past her to inspect it.

The metal is bent, and part of the iron grip is cleanly severed, not broken. Cut, and there is no way an animal did this.

A cold prickle runs down my spine. I stand and scan the dark tree line, but it’s pitch-black. I can’t see shit, so my instinct takes over. I grab Aspen’s hand and pull her with me, my boots hitting the dirt hard.

“What’s wrong?” She asks; her voice becomes unsteady.

“Nothing, pet. Probably just an animal, and I don’t have a weapon on me.” I try to hide what’s truly going on, but I can tell by her face she doesn’t believe me, but part of it is true. I don’t have a gun, and we need to get to the base before something, or worse, someone, finds us first.

We get to the base in minutes. I open the gate, and the second we’re inside, I lock the door behind us. “Go take a shower. I need to handle something.”

She doesn’t move, and her piercing emerald eyes lock onto mine, searching. She knows I’m hiding something but is smart enough not to press.

With a small nod, she turns and heads downstairs, and I wait until she’s out of sight before walking into the main room, where Dante is on the bench press with Max and Ryker spotting.

“Where’s Ethan?” I ask.

Dante racks the weights and sits up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Outside with Bryn.” He smirks. “How was the hunt?”

I don’t respond, and the look on my face says enough.

Dante frowns. “What?”

“One of the traps is broken on the north side.”

Max and Ryker turn to me instantly.

“An animal?” Ryker asks, shrugging.

“The steel was cut.” I move to the closet and grab a gun.

“Fuck,” Max mutters, already reaching for another. “And Ethan’s out there with Bryn.”

Ryker arms himself, and Dante follows.

“Recon with me. Dante, Max—stay on guard. If anyone but us comes near, shoot to kill.”

They nod, and I pull on my jacket before punching in the code to leave. Ryker is beside me as we enter the night; if someone’s out here, he will find them.

We move through the trees, slow and silent, our footsteps barely rustling the underbrush. When we reach the broken trap, I kneel to inspect it.

“Footprints,” Ryker murmurs, crouching beside me. “Boots.”

I shift closer, tracing the disturbed dirt with my fingers. Someone was here.

Did they see the base? Did they see me fucking Aspen?

If they did, I’ll rip their goddamn eyes out.

---