Breeding Justice

6. Chapter Six Justice

Chapter Six: Justice

T he van groaned as we sped out of the loading dock, the engine struggling against the strain of my frantic driving. My knuckles were white on the wheel, sweat slicking my palms as I swerved past a stack of crates. My breaths came short and sharp, the weight of what we’d just done crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

This wasn’t supposed to work.We weren’t supposed to make it this far.

But Skylar’s grin in the rearview mirror was infuriatingly casual. “Not bad, love. Not bad at all.”

“Shut up, Skylar,” I snapped, my voice trembling despite my best effort to sound in control. “This isn’t over.”

“Easy now,” he said, leaning back like we were on a leisurely drive. “Just giving credit where it’s due.”

Beside me, Bash braced one hand on the dashboard, his face as unreadable as ever. But his jaw was tight, his breathing shallow. I knew he felt it too—the danger hanging over us like a guillotine, ready to fall.

“We’re not out of this yet,” he said, his voice low but commanding. “Keep your focus.”

I bit back the sharp retort on my tongue. He was right, but his calmness grated against the storm raging in my chest. My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. Headlights glared back at me, cold and relentless.

“They’re coming,” I whispered, my stomach twisting.

Skylar leaned forward, his playful smirk fading. “They’re fast, I’ll give them that. Two more joining the party.”

Two SUVs flanked us, hemming us in on either side. My mind raced, searching for options, but the parking lot was a maze of parked cars and narrow lanes. Every turn felt like a dead end.

“What now?” I hissed, panic clawing at the edges of my voice.

Bash’s voice was steady, but there was no comfort in it. “Straight ahead. Don’t stop for anything.”

“And when they box us in?” I shot back. “What then?”

Skylar’s laughter was sharp, like a knife. “Then we improvise, pet. That’s what we do best.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of their trust pressing down on me. The headlights closed in, the roar of engines filling my ears. There was no time for hesitation. I slammed my foot on the gas, the van lurching forward with a groan.

The van rocketed towards the exit of the parking lot, a narrow choke point that felt more like the barrel of a gun. I could almost hear the metal-on-metal shriek of a collision in my mind, see the sparks fly as we crumpled like an empty soda can. My hands ached from the tension as I gripped the wheel, my body bracing for an impact that seemed inevitable.

"Hold on!" I shouted, not sure if I meant it as a command or a desperate plea.

I was going to barrel through it…but I couldn’t.

The SUV on our left swerved into our path, its driver bold and unrelenting. My hands clenched the wheel, my heart hammering as I aimed straight for them. They wouldn’t risk crashing, not if they needed us alive.

But I didn’t know if they needed us alive. I did know that Vito wanted Sebastian.

I just hoped we were still considered leverage. I didn’t have time to think about it for long.

My fear came true. The impact hit like an explosion. Metal crumpled and groaned as the van veered off course, slamming into a row of parked cars. The air was filled with the screech of tires and the acrid scent of burning rubber. My head snapped forward, pain lancing through my skull.

My head snapped forward, then back, a ragdoll in the hands of an angry child. The world spun in a nauseating blur, colors and shapes melding together in a chaotic symphony. A high-pitched whine filled my ears, drowning out the shouts from Skylar and Bash.

I tasted copper.

Slowly, reality seeped back in. The van was still, save for the occasional creak of strained metal. My body ached with the dull throb of a dozen new bruises, but I was alive.

I fumbled with my seatbelt, my fingers numb and clumsy. In the back, Skylar kicked at the crumpled rear door, cursing under his breath. The sound of engines grew closer, more menacing. I stole a glance through the shattered windshield; the SUVs were circling like sharks, their occupants disembarking with lethal purpose.

“Justice!” Bash’s voice cut through the chaos, rough with worry.

“I’m fine,” I gasped, though my vision swam. I blinked hard, gripping the wheel to steady myself. “I’m fine.”

Skylar’s voice came sharp from the back. “They’re moving in. We’ve got to go. Now.”

I shoved the door open, the cool night air biting at my skin. My legs felt like jelly as I stumbled out, the world tilting beneath me. Bash was already there, his hand steadying me as he scanned the lot.

“Split up,” Skylar said, his tone urgent. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“No,” Bash said firmly, his hand tightening on my arm. “We stay together.”

Skylar hesitated, his usual bravado faltering for a split second. “If we don’t split, we’re all screwed. I can draw them away—”

“You’re not sacrificing yourself,” I snapped, my voice shaking. “We do this together.”

Skylar opened his mouth to argue, but something in my eyes must have convinced him because he closed it with a tight, resigned nod.

“Fine. Together then. But we need a plan, and we need it fast.”

The men from the SUVs were closing in, their silhouettes dark and imposing against the flickering streetlights. My mind raced, every thought a panicked, jumbled mess. We had no weapons, no backup, and no way out.

The sound of shouting cut through the night, followed by the heavy thud of boots on asphalt. They were coming. Fast.

Bash grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the far side of the lot. “Move,” he barked. “Now.”

But then I heard it—the sharp cry of pain. I whipped around, my breath catching in my throat. Skylar was on the ground, two men pinning him down as he thrashed wildly.

“Get off me, you bastards!” he snarled, his voice raw with fury.

“Skylar!” I shouted, my chest tightening.

I tried to yank free of Bash’s grip, but his hand clamped down harder. He put his hand on my face and leaned in close to my ear.

"We can't lose him," I protested, my voice breaking. "We need him!"

Bash's whisper was fierce, urgent. "We need you more. Justice, listen to me—"

"They'll kill him!" I interrupted, my eyes locked on Skylar as he continued to struggle. One of the men drew back a fist, and it connected with Skylar's cheek with a sickening thud.

"They won't kill him," Bash said, his voice a cold certainty. "They need leverage. Now come on. And if you get hurt, he’ll never forgive himself.”

“I can’t…”

“You can.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, the kind that came more from frustration and helplessness than from true sorrow. I couldn't just leave Skylar, not after everything. But Bash was right—we had to make the calculated choice, the painful choice.

But they could kill him. If we left, they could…and I didn’t know how I would be able to live with that.

“Don’t,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ll get yourself caught.”

“They’ll kill him!” I shot back, my voice breaking.

“They need us alive,” Bash said, his tone cold, but his eyes burned with barely restrained fury. “He knows what he’s doing. You run in there, you’re dead.”

Tears blurred my vision as Skylar’s struggles slowed, his shouts muffled by the guards overpowering him. My body screamed at me to fight, to do something, anything, but Bash held me back, his grip unyielding.

“Justice,” he said, his voice softer now. “We need to go. Trust him.”

The words felt like a knife twisting in my chest, but I nodded, my hands trembling as Bash pulled me away. We moved deeper into the parking lot, my legs heavy and unsteady beneath me.

Skylar’s voice rang out one last time, sharp and defiant. “Yeah, fuck you!”

Okay, so he was still alive. And still crazy.

The words spurred me forward, each step a battle against the instinct to turn back. The night air bit at my skin, cold and unforgiving, as we wove between parked cars. My breath came in ragged gasps, the adrenaline pounding in my veins.

"We can circle back for him," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I believed it. Bash didn't respond, just pulled me faster toward the edge of the lot. The sound of shouting and the crunch of glass under boots grew fainter, but not far enough for comfort.

“They’re going to come looking for us,” Bash said.

"Where are we even going?" I asked, my voice a desperate whisper. My mind was still back with Skylar, imagining the worst.

“Here,” Bash whispered, pulling me into the shadow of a large SUV. He crouched low, scanning the area. “We’ll wait until they move Skylar, then—”

“Then what?” I hissed, tears streaking my face. “We just let them take him?”

“We get out,” Bash said, his voice firm. “We regroup. We find another way.”

"Another way?" I echoed, my voice hollow. "There is no other way without him."

Bash's eyes flickered with something I couldn't place—guilt, perhaps, or maybe it was the resignation of someone who had already accepted the unacceptable. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"I'm not leaving without him, Bash. I can't."

“I know,” he said. “But our priority is Sebastian, not Skylar. Hassan has our son, and we don’t know what’s going to happen when Vito tries to go for him and Zane.”

He was speaking in whispers, and I could barely hear him over the roar of my own thoughts. The mention of Sebastian made my heart seize. Our son, caught in a web of alliances and betrayals we’d spun too tightly around ourselves. Bash was right, of course he was right, but that didn’t make it any easier.

"They’ll be okay," I said, trying to convince myself. "Vito would never hurt—"

“Vito wants an heir. The rest of us are disposable. You get that, right?”

His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I knew he was right, but hearing it out loud—Vito’s plans, the cold calculation of it all—made it more real than I was ready to face. Bash's eyes never wavered from mine, as if willing me to accept the brutal truth.

"Justice," he continued, his voice a strained whisper. "Every move we make has to be smart. If we rush in and get caught, it's over. For Skylar, for us, for SJ."

I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the world for just a moment. The images of Skylar beaten and of Sebastian potentially being held captive swirled together in a nightmarish dance. How had we let it get this far? Once upon a time, it was just the all of us against the world—now we were pawns in someone else’s game.

When I opened my eyes, Bash was still watching me, waiting for some sign of understanding. I gave him the smallest of nods.

"We’ll wait," I said quietly. "But not for long."

The sound of an engine roared to life, the van’s tires screeching as it sped away. My heart sank, the weight of failure crushing me. Skylar was gone, and we were no closer to freedom than before.