Page 22 of Sinful Need
I cower in the dark hiding spot, holding her close to my chest. Her tiny body quivering against mine. I squeeze her tighter, praying that Hawk doesn't find us.
Hawk's rage intensifies, as he continues to search for us. The crashing sound of my things breaking thunder through the thin door separating us from pure evil. He’s going to tear every inch of this house apart until he finds us.
Hawk's screams reverberate through the air, sending shivers down my spine. "Where the fuck are you, Rayne? You can't hide forever!"
I draw a gasping breath and rock us back and forth as Hawk’s heavy boots thud against the floor outside our hiding spot. Hangers scrap against the metal pole and I’m sure he’s found us. She looks up at me with doe-like eyes, and I place my fingers to my lips. He’s so close one little sound will be the end of us. I nearly jump out of my skin when his phone rings.
“What?” I hear him yell.
“How do two grown ass men fucking disappear?”…
“Do I have to do everything? Keep fucking calling them until they check in.”…
“Fucking hell. I’m on my way.”…
“Don’t forget who you belong to Rayne. I’ll be back for both of you real soon.”
After what feels like eternity, Hawk's voice fades. The sounds of destruction becoming more distant but I don’t dare move. It's only when I'm certain he's gone that I emerge fromthe crawl space, my heart still racing. My eyes fill with tears as I take in the devastation he's left behind. My home, once a place of comfort, is now in shambles. But we’re safe. This time.
I glance at the watch around my wrist, it’s almost midnight. God I hope Jase and Storm know what they're doing.
Feverishly, I stuff the scattered contents of our bags back inside. My heart is thudding against my rib cage like a wild animal trying to burst free. I can’t think well under pressure but Hawk could be back at any minute and next time we might not be so lucky.
I reach for the stuffed bear on the floor, its soft fur comforting against my trembling fingers. I choke back a sob and place the bear in her arms before slinging the bags over my shoulder. I hoist her up to my waist, her tiny body warm against my heated skin.
“Put your head down and close your eyes.” Gently, I guide her face to my chest to shield her from harm. I don’t want to scare her any more than she already is and I have no idea what I’m walking into when I leave this room.
I take in the destruction around me as I step over shards of splintered glass and my furniture tossed about like a tornado ripped through my living room. I swallow back the tears, determined not to let Hawk break me again and most important not to let him ruin her innocence the way he did mine.
Without hesitation, I bolt out of the house not even bothering to lock the front door behind me. My fingers fumble with the car keys, the jangle of metal against metal a frantic soundtrack to my desperation. I secure her in the car seat, positioning her stuffed bear in her arms as her heavy eyelids flutter open and closed.
With a shuddering breath, I slide into the driver's seat, tossing the bags on the seat next to me. My pulse is racing like a frenzied drumbeat. I turn the key and the engine roars to life.My grip tightens on the steering wheel, knuckles white against the black interior. I fight the onslaught of emotions threatening to overpower me and speed away.
The peaceful suburban neighborhood I always dreamed about living in blurs into a mosaic of colors. The road stretches out in front of me with endless possibilities. I may not know where I’m going, but one thing is certain, I’ll go anywhere it takes to keep her safe.
Chapter 13
Fuel
Chainz, Reaper, Tank and I arrive at the abandoned airfield before midnight. We pull our bikes along the fence line toward the far end to stay out of sight. Killing our engines, we climb off and take cover in the darkness. Even abandoned, the airfield stands as a solitary force in a vast wasteland of dirt. Back in the day this place was probably Fort fucking Knox when the military used it to move weaponry to and from the battle fields. Now it’s run down and nothing but a rusty old fence, a cracked landing strip and a hangar that must feel like a coffin to the women waiting inside for the unknown hell that awaits them. Chainz and I scoped it out early this afternoon and cut a hole in the chain link fence surrounding the property while no one was around to spot us. The plan is to lay low and wait for the Viper’s Den to show up.
Time passes slowly as I lay perched on my elbows in the warm sand. The sun’s rays still baked into it even hours after it set. Sweat beads across my brow from the dry heat I forgot existed in this part of the world. The dirt cakes to my skin and my thoughts drift back to the night Hawk issued my deathsentence. I laid there in that sand with the stench of death filling my nose and the howl of distant predators for what seemed like an eternity before I moved. I thought of a hundred ways to kill Hawk long before that night but that was the moment the real dark thoughts surfaced. Every kill I’ve made between then and now was all leading to this moment. The moment of exacting my revenge that’s flinted through my mind night after night for seven long years.
My hands shake, clenched around the binoculars as I watch and wait for my moment. A mixture of nerves and adrenaline pump through my veins. Dim headlights appear in the distance and I know it’s all about to come to a head and is long overdue. “There’s movement.”
“Where the fuck is Cobra and Hound?” Chainz growls.
I cock my head and look up at Chainz, “They’ll be here.”
“Not good enough. Get ‘em on the line.” His jaw clenches as he barks out orders.
I turn to Freedom who quickly pulls out his cell phone and shoots off a text. Less than a minute later it lights up with a response and he curses under his breath. “Good news or bad?”
The muscles in my shoulders tense, we don’t need any complications. I focus my sights through the binoculars and watch as the first truck pulls through the gates and approaches the hangar. I am not losing this opportunity.
“Spit it out.”
“There’s trouble. They came for Andrea.”
