Page 161 of Love Bleeds Red
“Shit,” Blake breathes. “Bailey’s been busy.”
Leon’s eyes widen with surprise and a hint of pride. “Fuck, where did that come from?”
I grin and come in with another swing, which he blocks. He has that serious look in his eyes now. “Better keep up,” I say, as I come in with a combination we’ve been practicing for weeks.
Somehow we end up on the floor grappling, and I can tell he’s holding back. Every time he gets me in a position where he could end it, he hesitates. It’s sweet, but frustrating as hell.
“Stop it,” I pant when he lets up his guard.
“Stop what?”
“Treating me like a dainty princess.” I break free and scramble back to face him with my hands on my hips. “If you don’t fight me for real, I’ll never get better.”
Leon glances at Damon while rubbing the back of his neck. “Bailey?—”
“No. You want me to be part of this world? Then treat me like I belong in it.”
That gets something to shift in his expression.Good.I’ll never learn if they don’t challenge me.
I mount him and go straight for a choke, and I guess my words struck true because he’s not holding back anymore. He bucks me off him, and pins me easily, both of us sweating and breathing hard.
“Better?” he asks.
“Much,” I say, even though I lost. “At least now I know where I actually stand. We need to practice ground fighting more.”
The scanner suddenly comes to life again, but this time what we hear makes us all freeze. “Possible abduction in progress, seventeen-year-old female, last seen near the warehouse district.”
As the dispatcher gives exact coordinates, Leon’s already jumping to his laptop, Damon at his side. “That’s two blocks from our target.”
The playful atmosphere evaporates instantly. We’re back to business.
“Could be connected,” Blake says, already grabbing her medical kit.
“Or it could be something else entirely,” Damon adds, checking his weapon. “Either way, this fucker won’t survive the night.”
From upstairs, Falin’s voice cuts through the conversation. “Are we moving or what? Some of us can multitask.”
“How?” I mutter, pulling on my sweater. “Is there another scanner upstairs?”
My question goes unanswered as everyone prepares.
Leon types furiously, pulling up street cameras and building layouts. “Two black SUVs left the area five minutes ago. Heading toward the highway.”
“That’s not a coincidence,” Damon says, pulling his balaclava from his jacket pocket.
I watch each of them transform from friends having fun to predators in hunting mode. It happens crazy fast—the jokes stop, weapons and masks appear, and suddenly they’re figuring out attack angles and escape routes.
“Bailey,” Leon says, looking away from his screen. “You don’t have to?—”
“I’m coming,” I cut him off.
This is who we are now. This is what we do. And somewhere out there, a seventeen-year-old girl is about to become another statistic unless we stop it.
Blake tosses me a balaclava. “I have an extra. Just don’t let Falin get to it… unless you like rhinestones.”
I shake my head and laugh remembering the first time I saw the craft explosion that is Jasper’s mask.
“So who gets cleanup duty?” I ask as we head for the door.
