Page 5 of Torment

But then Riggs lifted his weapon and aimed it straight at Scarlet. Her heart stopped, her breath suddenly caught in her throat as she stared, wide-eyed, at the gun. When the loud crack of the shot sounded, all she could do was close her eyes, waiting for impact.

Far in the background she heard Hunter yell, and then she felt warm liquid splatter all over her face, dripping down her neck. When she opened her eyes and looked down, an SUV fucker lay awkwardly with his back against the wall next to her, half of his skull blown away. Every horror movie Scarlet had ever watched wasn’t enough to prepare her for that gruesome sight.

In a complete daze, Scarlet lifted a hand and wiped at her face. When she stared at her fingers, they were covered in crimson—blood. Nausea slowly started to spread through the pit of her stomach as she realized her nightmare had just turned into a real life horror movie. She knew the shit with Brent ran deep, but it was only now that she realized exactly just how deep.

While she stared at the red covering her fingers and palm, the warmth of the blood on her face burning her skin, she started to shake almost uncontrollably.

Strong hands grabbed her shoulders and turned her away from the dead body.

Hunter’s green eyes searched her face. “My God, you’re covered in blood.” He tore off a piece of his shirt and started wiping the blood off. “Are you okay, Scar?”

She couldn’t answer. The daze she was in rendered her incapable of forming a single coherent thought. All she saw was red…blood…death.

That was the problem.Death. It seemed to follow her wherever she went.

Riggs lowered his gun. “We need to go. Now. Follow me, the van is this way.”

Hunter continued to stare at her and lowered his hand to hers. “I got you, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She nodded and Hunter turned around, leading her as they ran after Riggs.

Gunshots came from inside the house as they continued down the path, and for some unknown reason, Scarlet felt worried about this Bruce guy who claimed to be her father. Was he in there alone? How many men was he fighting off? Who was firing those shots?Fuck, Scarlet. You hardly know the guy.

Just as they rounded the corner, a blue van came to a stop right in front of them. Riggs opened the side door. “Get in.”

Scarlet paused and gestured toward the house. “What about him?”

“Get in, Scar.” Hunter pushed her from the back and shoved her into the van.

“We can’t just leave him here.”

Riggs jumped in after them, acting like he didn’t even hear her.

Scarlet pushed past Hunter and grabbed Riggs’s arm. “Are you just going to leave him here?”

Riggs looked down at where her hand touched his arm, and then turned his gaze to hers. “My instructions are clear.”

“Really? And what is that,Robin?”

Riggs looked at her with a kind of intensity that forced her to lean back. “To get you out of here no matter what.”

His stare remained on her for a second longer, and Scarlet could see the resolve, the determination beaming from his chocolate-colored eyes. He was a soldier, and there was no doubt he would do exactly what he was ordered to do.

He removed his gaze from hers and spoke into the microphone attached to his wrist. “Drive. Now!”

“Hold up.” Hunter grabbed Riggs’s shoulder just as he was about to slide the side door shut. “There he is.”

All three of them stared at the front door as Bruce came running down the stairs toward the van.

How the fuck did he survive? When they rushed around the house, it sounded like fucking Pearl Harbor was going down inside. Yet there he was, seemingly unharmed…with no one following him.

My God. Did he…take out everyone? Shoot everyone inside the house?

Riggs reached out and Bruce grabbed ahold of his arm just as the van took off. Riggs pulled him inside and slammed the door shut with a loud thud. Bruce fell back on the seat across from her, throwing his head back as he tried to catch his breath.

“Are you all right, sir?” Riggs crouched down by the door, his eyes never leaving Bruce.

“Yes. I’m fine. Which is more than those assholes inside can say.” He smiled, and then his gaze landed on Scarlet, who stared at him, openmouthed, basically feeling confused as fuck.

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