Page 37 of Mayhem

The two other men standing in the door pull their own guns, pointing them right at me. Well, Chase, the way I’m sitting makes me his human body armor.

“Now what were you saying?” Chase challenges.

The man finally takes a seat in the chair across from us.

“Put the gun away, Rocky. Jesus, you’re such a power-hungry asshole,” the man sneers. “Fine, you want to talk shop in front of the girl? None of my business. I was just thinking it was odd for you to trust some whore with your dealings. Let’s talk, then. What’s this about your men attacking mine down at the pier?”

Chase slowly lowers his weapon, but I don’t relax until the men at the door lower theirs as well.

My body’s shaking from the adrenaline. Chase responds, but the blood pumping in my body is making it harder to hear.

“Go with Nate. He’s going to take care of you. I need you to leave this place. Go back to the house and wait for me.” Chase whispers his demand in my ear and for once I listen.

I stand on wobbly legs, but Nate is there to grab me, escorting me from the room. As I reach the door, I glance back.

Chase looks like a god. He’s wearing a black T-shirt and dark jeans, sitting back in the chair as if he has not a care in the world. He doesn’t care that we are leaving him in a room with three men, two of which I know for sure have a gun.

He brings a glass with dark color liquid up to his lips, taking a sip before letting it rest on the arm of the chair.

He glances up briefly, meeting my eyes, sending me a wink before concentrating back on the man in front of him. Then he’s out of sight.

The farther down the hall we get, the more erratic my breathing is. We are almost to the end when I realize we are going outside, not to the main area. I stop, pulling back on Nate.

“We need to get you out of here.”

“You don’t understand. Hailee is in there. I can’t leave her.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. You guys couldn’t stay home and watch a damned movie? You have to come to a fucking rave? Do you know how dangerous these are?” Nate rants.

“Save me the lecture.”

“Whatever. Let’s get you safely in my truck, then I’ll go get her.”

“No way. I refuse to leave her behind.” I pull on his arm, trying to stop him.

He grunts, pulling me down a new hall. Several halls later, he pulls me out a door into the rave on the opposite end of the building from where we started. He goes right, but I pull him left, pointing to the corner I know I’ll find her.

He lets me lead the way, pushing anyone who comes too close out of the way. Once in the corner, I panic when I don’t see Hailee.

I look around, frantically searching for her.

“Where is she?” Nate yells into my ear.

“She was supposed to be right here.”

I move closer when something grips on to my arm. I’m about to turn swinging, but stop when I see who it is.

“Oh, thank god,” I mutter to myself.

I pull Hailee into a hug, grateful she’s okay.

“Nate’s taking us home,” I tell her.

She nods.

Holding hands, we let Nate lead us outside.

Once inside the truck, I can’t hold it in anymore.

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