CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR #2
We know every single one of those names. James took them all down. One by one, he cut off Tyler’s supply chain—his cars, his workers, his weapons—without even knowing it.
What’s Tyler going to do when he finds out James Hill is the reason it’s all gone?
“They’re all dead,” I blurt before I can stop myself.
Alicia’s gaze snaps to me. “How do you know that?”
“Because I killed them,” James says.
Alicia raises her brows, surprised. “Fuck, Hill. If Tyler finds out, he’s gonna come looking for you. I mean, thanks for making my job easier and all, but still… it should’ve been my kill.”
James tilts his head, watching her.
“I don’t know what Tyler did to you,” he says, almost gently. “But I get it. After the pain… all you want is blood.”
Then his eyes darken, and he nods toward me. “Just don’t ever point a gun at this girl again. If you do, I’ll burn this city to the ground with you in it.”
Alicia doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t argue. “Got it. She’s the one.”
“Yes. She. Is.”
Goose bumps prickle down my arm. Not from fear, but from the way he said it, like he meant every word.
Michael clears his throat, drawing Alicia’s attention. “What are you gonna do with all these people?”
I glance past him at the groups spread throughout the store, some talking quietly, others laughing, trying on sneakers and boots that actually fit.
“They’ll stay here until I can get them out,” Alicia says.
“I’ve gotta move them in small groups, make sure no one’s following.
Tyler’s got Frank hunting them down for breaking his rules.
” She glances around, lowering her voice.
“All those people you see walking the streets? They follow Tyler’s rules without question.
Maybe out of fear, maybe ’cause they actually believe in them.
But the ones in here? They know the truth.
They know what happens to people Tyler can’t control. ”
James’s expression hardens. “And Tyler?”
“He’s a ghost. You don’t find him, he finds you. I don’t even know if he’s still in Denver. The last three months, with the gangs disappearing, have completely messed up his operation. That’s how I found these people.”
Alicia adjusts her twin ponytails, her expression thoughtful, like she’s weighing her next move.
“How long are y’all planning to stick around Denver?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow. Why?” James asks.
“You can help me,” she says, then nods toward the people scattered around the store. “Help them.”
James shakes his head. “I don’t do that anymore.”
“Why not?” Alicia asks, locking eyes with him. “Oh, let me guess—because you didn’t save everyone back wherever you came from?”
James doesn’t answer, just stares at her.
She nods like she saw it coming. “Yeah. Thought so. I’ve heard that one before, more times than I can count.
Look… whatever happened, happened. You can’t undo what’s already done.
You can’t go back and save them. But you can do something now.
These people—they still have a shot. And with your help, they’ve got a better one. ”
Alicia’s right.
And James knows it. I can see it all over his face. Those blue eyes give him away.
He wants to help them—I know he does. But there’s something in his eyes I haven’t seen since that day in the parking lot, when Axel and his men took me.
James is afraid.
Not for himself. For me.
I press my hand against his chest, right over his heart. “You’re an Outsider, James. You were born to help people like them.”
“Sarah, if I do this… I’m putting an even bigger target on your back. And I can’t let that happen.”
“I can help,” Michael suddenly says.
“No,” James says. He doesn’t raise his voice—he doesn’t need to; the way he looks at Michael says it all. “If we stay in Denver, you need to stay with Sarah at the fire station. If Tyler finds out I took down the other gangs working for him and that I’m staying in this city, he won’t come for me…”
His eyes find mine again, and I already know what he’s going to say before the words leave his lips. “He’ll come straight for you, Sarah. He can’t know you exist.”
My throat goes dry.
James isn’t just warning me. He’s stating a fact.
And in his ocean-blue eyes, I see everything. The guilt of knowing I’m in danger just because I’m with him.
“I’m not leaving the fire station, no matter how many days it takes you to help these people,” I say. “It’s the right thing to do.”
James stares at the ground for a second, like he’s weighing the cost. Then he lifts his gaze and looks Alicia straight in the eye, steady and unflinching.
“Once I get Sarah settled at our place, I’ll meet you here tomorrow at sunrise. I’ll help with the first group.”
They shake hands, sealing the deal. Outsider to Outsider.
When James turns back to me, his eyes soften, taking in every inch of my face like he’s trying to memorize it.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be in our bed, waiting for you to come back to me.”
“Our bed?”
“Every night.”
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Even if I’m late?”
“Even then. But don’t push it, Outsider.”
“I’ll come back to you, little danger.”
“Forever?”
“Forever.”
James’s hand slides to the back of my neck, pulling me closer until his forehead rests against mine. His breath is warm against my skin, and for a second, the world fades away.
“Hey, blondie,” Alicia’s voice breaks the moment. She stands, dragging her fingers across Michael’s shoulder. “Maybe I’ll find you in your bed later too.”
She giggles and walks away, her pink hair bouncing with every step.
Michael’s eyes stay locked on her, and the corners of his lips twitch up.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
He’s looking at her like she’s the last beautiful thing left in this wrecked world.
“Shit, Michael, I saw that look!” I snap.
He shrugs, still watching her. “What? I didn’t do anything.” He turns to James, a stupid grin spreading across his face. “Yet.”
James runs a hand through his hair, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Looks like you and your brother both have a thing for danger.”