Page 52 of Dead Devil's Playground
"Oh my God, just shut up already," I say, driving my knife between his shoulder blades.
Camden howls, whirling with surprising speed despite the blade buried in his back. His gun comes up, but Hudson emerges from the shadows, tackling him to the ground.
"You treacherous bastard," Hudson snarls, his fist connecting with Camden's jaw with a sickening crunch. "I trusted you!"
I leave them grappling on the floor and rush to the twins, pulling another knife from my boot to cut their bindings.
"Hey, gorgeous," Kai mumbles, his voice thick with pain. "Took you long enough."
"Save your breath," I reply, sawing through the zip ties around his wrists. "Can you stand?"
He nods weakly as the restraints fall away. I move to Rev, whose eyes track me with slightly more clarity.
"You okay?" I ask, freeing his hands.
"Been better," he admits, wincing as he flexes his fingers to restore circulation. "Watch your back."
I turn just in time to see Camden throw Hudson off, scrambling for the gun that skittered across the floor during their struggle. Hudson lunges after him, but Camden reaches it first, swinging around with the weapon raised.
Time slows as I see his finger tighten on the trigger, the barrel aimed directly at my chest. I'm too close to dodge, too exposed to take cover. In that frozen moment, I have the absurd thought that at least I'll die with the twins free.
Then Hudson is there, throwing himself between me and the gun as Camden fires.
The sound is deafening in the enclosed space. Hudson jerks with the impact, stumbling back a step but somehow staying on his feet. For a heartbeat, I think maybe the bullet missed—but then I see the dark stain spreading across his shirt, and my world narrows to that single point of crimson.
"No!" The scream tears from my throat as Hudson drops to one knee, pressing a hand to his abdomen.
The twins move with synchronized precision despite their injuries. Kai lunges for Camden while Rev grabs the gun, twisting it from his grip with brutal efficiency. Camden fightsback, but he's outnumbered and outmatched, even against injured opponents.
I rush to Hudson, catching him as he slumps further. My hands press against the wound, blood seeping between my fingers, hot and slick. "Stay with me," I order, my voice breaking. "Don't you dare die on me, old man."
He coughs, a thin line of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Not planning on it," he manages, his eyes meeting mine with surprising clarity. "Just a flesh wound."
"Shut up," I snap, tears blurring my vision as I apply more pressure to the wound. "Just shut up and focus on breathing."
Behind me, I hear the sounds of the fight winding down—a grunt of pain, a thud of bodies hitting concrete, then silence. Footsteps approach, and Rev kneels beside me, his face grim as he assesses Hudson's injury.
"How bad?" he asks, already pulling off his shirt to create a makeshift pressure bandage.
"Bad enough," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. "But he'll live if we get him help soon."
Rev nods, taking over the pressure on the wound while I pull out my phone to call for medical assistance. As I dial, Kai drags Camden over, the traitor's face bloody and swollen but still conscious.
"You want to finish him?" Kai asks, his voice cold with fury.
I look at Camden, at the man who betrayed us, who shot Hudson, who thought he could take what's ours. Rage boils up inside me, hot and demanding. I hand my phone to Rev and stand, drawing another knife from my boot.
Camden's eyes widen with fear, but then something shifts in his expression. I drive my blade into his chest, twisting it with a savage jerk. His scream echoes through the warehouse as I withdraw the knife, only to plunge it into his shoulder next. Blood sprays across my face, warm and metallic.
"It doesn't matter," he laughs maniacally through the pain, blood bubbling between his teeth, body twitching in spasms. "I'm not—I'm not the leader. Silas is the true devil. You think killing me ends this?" His eyes roll wildly, unfocused. "Silas will burn everything you love. You have no idea what's coming."
Chapter 21
Ry
Idrivemybladeinto his throat, twisting it viciously. His eyes widen, a gurgling sound replacing his manic laughter as blood fountains from the wound, coating my hands, my face, my chest in crimson. I twist the knife again, severing his windpipe completely, watching the light fade from his eyes as his body goes slack in Kai's grip.
"Drop him," I order, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears. "He's garbage."
