Chapter 6 #2
Footsteps approach, their heavy soles crunching the debris with each step. They stop just behind me, the heat from their presence pressing against my back. Slowly, the fog that’s swarmed my mind begins to lift as if sensing they’re here to help.
Or kill me.
One of them whistles as he crouches down on my right side, a gun hanging casually between his legs as he leans in to get a better look at the chaos I’ve created. At whom I’ve killed.
Murdered, screams the little voice in the back of my mind.
“Looks like our damsel is a wild one,” the one next to me jokes. “Kiernan, come help with her, would ya?”
The other man grumbles under his breath as he crouches down on my left side.
“Come on, lass.” He holds out his hand in front of me. It holds a white handkerchief. “Get that blood off your hands, and let’s get out of here before the fireworks go off.”
Sharp emerald eyes meet mine when I lift my gaze to his.
My breath catches in my throat as I take him in.
It’s almost like looking in the mirror. His jaw is sharp, angular, and seems more pronounced with his ginger hair tied in a man bun at the back of his head.
Freckles dot his lightly tanned skin, and I can see a swirl of inked artwork riding up the collar of his T-shirt.
Carefully, I take the handkerchief from his hand and begin to vigorously rub at the blood I’ve stained them with. A desperate sound fills the room. A haunting wail. Where is it coming from?
Me.
It’s coming from me.
“All right.” The man named Kiernan called Seamus stands, dragging me along with him. “That’s enough of that.”
They’re twins. The wailing stops as my head cocks to the side to examine him. The only difference is that Seamus has a more crooked nose. Everything else is a mirror image, even the tattoos.
“Well, that was easy.” He smiles down at me, showcasing a row of pearly white teeth. “Whatcha say we beat it and get out of here, eh? Not much of a resort spot, if you ask me.”
I can’t help but smile at his attempt at humor. Swallowing hard, I nod and am greeted with another wide smile. Taking my hand, he leads me from the room, Kiernan hot on our tail.
“Where is everyone?” My eyes dart back and forth, taking in the empty hallways and quiet rooms. “What did you do with them?”
“Them?” Seamus asks without looking down at me.
“The girls,” I point out. “Where are the other girls? They would’ve felt the explosion. They could be hurt or…”
“All the women here are being transferred,” Kiernan speaks up from behind me. Transferred? Do they deal in human flesh too? No, I won’t be a part of that. I won’t allow myself to be dragged into that. Even if these men are related to me.
Pulling against Seamus, I plant my feet firmly on the ground, catching him off guard. He stumbles slightly. His grip on my hand falters, and I yank it from his grasp.
“What the fuck, Avaleigh?” Seamus growls as he rights himself and turns to face me. I wince at the use of my full name. “We need to get the fuck out of here.”
“Where are the other girls?” I demand, stepping out of his reach when he goes to grab at my hand again. My gaze hardens as I stare at him, arms crossed against my chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Kiernan biting back a smile, his eyes dancing with mirth as he takes us in.
“I already told you…” Seamus stops, assessing me before he lets out a prolonged breath as his gun-free hand comes up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “For fuck’s sake, lass. They’re being transferred to a damn women’s shelter. We don’t deal in human flesh like these lowlifes.”
I drop my arms to my sides and soften my gaze a bit. Lips twisting and heat creeping up my cheeks as I take in the raw disgust on Seamus’s face and the sincerity in his tone. My eyes dart to Kiernan, and the twin nods his assurance.
“We don’t sell women,” Kiernan’s soft voice is warm but sincere. “We’ll tell you all about where we sent them later, but right now, we really need to get out of here.”
Taking a deep, elongated breath, I nod and mumble a small, “Okay,” before I let Seamus take my hand again and lead me down the corridor.
It doesn’t take long for the three of us to reach the end of the hall, where a set of creaky wooden steps leads to the topside of the stables, where the actual livestock are kept.
Kiernan goes first, the gun in his hand at the ready as he slowly ascends the stairs.
Before he has a chance to turn the handle on the door, it swings open, the cocking of a gun filling the void of quiet. I make to scream, but Seamus’s hand lets go of mine to cover my mouth. His own gun points at the top of the stairs.
“Christ, Da,” Kiernan mutters as he lowers his gun. “What the fuck were you thinking just opening the door like that?”
The man at the top of the stairs raises a brow at Kiernan, his face stern. If I had doubts about the twins being related to me, I don’t anymore. They’re nearly a younger carbon copy of their father. Same shining emerald eyes, strong cut jaws, and a head full of ginger hair.
Liam just happens to be older, his fiery red hair graying slightly at the edges and along the stubble that graces his chin. He holds a black rifle in his hand, his stern gaze drifting from one twin to the other before landing on me.
“You’re late and we’re behind schedule,” he scolds them, his eyes still on me. “We need to move.”
Seamus huffs, pulling me along behind him as he ascends the stairs. “Blame the damsel here.” He shakes his head and sighs. “Decided to dig her feet into the ground when she thought we’d stolen the girls to sell.”
Liam chuckles darkly as we move past him and into the dim light of the open barn.
The air is fresh, tinted with the smell of hay.
I can feel my biological father’s eyes roaming over my blood-stained body, taking in the splatter across my face and my dress.
His face twists in anger and disgust, and for a moment, I think he might be furious at what I’ve done.
Murderer.
His hand sweeps up from his side, and out of instinct, I whimper and meld slightly into Seamus. Hurt and concern flash across Liam’s face as he lowers his hand.
“He dead?” He turns his attention to Seamus, whose hand I’m currently gripping for dear life.
“Yep.” Seamus full-on grins. “She took care of him all by herself.”
Liam nods. “Good.” Then he strides away. “Let’s get the hell out of here before word gets back to Ward.”
The twins nod as they follow him, eyes searching, guns ready. Everything is quiet, even their footsteps on the harsh dirt floor. They remind me of Matthias’s men.
Trained. Quiet. Deadly.
They’re a force, the three of them. A silent, lethal hurricane, and for the first time in a long time, I feel safe with someone other than Matthias. The large swinging door to the barn is already stretched wide open, two men with rifles—one with his back to us—waiting dutifully on guard.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
It sounds like a broomstick snapping. My heart lurches, and a scream catches in my throat as the two men at the entry drop like flies.
“Fuck,” Seamus curses as he ducks us behind one of the barn’s large wooden pillars. “Keep your head down.”
I don’t need to be told twice. My hands go to cover my ears as he releases a few rounds from his gun, the sound echoing in my ears with his closeness. The smell of gunfire wafts around me as screams and shouts rend the air.
The sobs catch in my chest as the scenery around me fades away until all I can hear is the steady thrush of my blood rushing through my ears. My heart works overtime as I struggle to control my breathing, my gaze darting around the space, taking everything in.
Seamus has his back turned, so he doesn’t notice the odd shadow sneaking up from behind us. He must have come in through one of the horse stalls.
The shadow doesn’t see me crouched behind the pillar at Seamus’s feet, nearly eclipsed in the darkness myself. My eyes widen as the man steps out, a wicked smile on his face as he raises his gun, pointing it at Seamus’s back.
The fucking coward.
His finger goes to the trigger, steadily beginning to pull.
My body moves of its own accord, never once hesitating when I tackle Seamus to the ground as the man’s gun fires.
All that matters is that I save him.
Even if it ends me.