"That asshole tried to rape her!" Maverick shouted and Dad rubbed a hand over his jaw, looking to me for confirmation.
"He hurt her, Dad," I snarled fiercely.
He shook his head at us. "So you two ran in like the big, brave heroes you are, no doubt with your lap dogs Chase and Johnny James at your heels too, right?"
We said nothing, but our silence basically confirmed it.
"And the little princess got you to dispose of the body," he guessed then pointed a finger in my face as he sneered. "Women will fuck you over the first chance they get. They use and manipulate then discard you like yesterday's fucking trash."
"She's not Mom!" I roared, my temper overflowing. "And I won't stand here listening to you talk about her like that."
I stepped forward, aiming to push past him but he shoved me back and my heart juddered with fear as his hand fisted in my shirt at the base of my throat. He'd never hit me, but I knew what this man could do to people. Everyone in town whispered about the things he did to his enemies. He ruled with an iron fist, a fist he could turn against me whenever he liked.
"No," he growled in warning. "You're staying right here."
"If you try to hurt her, I'll go to the cops," I blurted, my blood pounding furiously through my veins. "I'll tell them I did it. I'll tell them I hit him with a poker, that I cleaned his house with bleach. That I took my dad's boat and-" He shoved me back against the wall, getting in my face as his lips pulled back in a snarl.
"You'll do no such fucking thing," he hissed. "My son is not throwing his life away for some worthless girl."
Maverick leapt on him, trying to drag him away from me and Dad twisted around, punching him in the gut and sending him stumbling backwards.
"That's enough!" Dad shouted, drawing his gun in a warning before glaring at me. "You two have been marked for the Harlequins your whole lives. And your friends are marked for that future too. Life ain't fair. You don't get to run off into the sunset with whoever the fuck you want just because you feel like it. You're my kids. And you need to grow the fuck up into the men I expect you to be."
"I'll never do a thing you say if you do anything to Rogue," I swore and he levelled me with a cutting look.
"Me either," Maverick said darkly. "You'll have to put me in the ground if you touch her, Luther. Because I won't stop coming for you until you're dead in payment for that."
Dad sighed wearily, but seemed to be considering our words as he carved his fingers through his hair. I shared a look with Maverick, hope raising its head in my chest.
"Fine," Dad spat at last and the air rushed out of my lungs. "But she can't stay in town. I'll send her to my cousin, Sandra, in Fairfax."
"That's fifty miles away!" I cried in horror as Maverick stiffened beside me.
"That's my offer!" Luther roared. "And you won't get another one. She lives. But she lives far away from here and you will both fall into line or I'll go to Fairfax personally and slit her pretty throat, you understand that boys?" He looked from me to Maverick and my heart bobbed in my throat, my hands curling up into firm fists as I grappled with the injustice of it.
I couldn't give her up. What he was offering was bullshit.
But maybe it was a chance. A small one, but it could buy us time. She could go to Fairfax until we had an opportunity to run and then we'd find her, free her and all of us could get the fuck away from this life and start a new one. Somewhere else, anywhere else but this shitty town.
"You're gonna stop playing these childish games, both of you. It's time you were initiated into the Harlequins," my dad delivered the final, merciless blow. "Call your friends and get Chase and Johnny James to come to the house. You’re sixteen now, you should be becoming men. I'm done waiting for you all to grow up. So now I'm taking it into my own hands."
W e were huddled together beneath an oak tree, defiantly refusing to leave our position waiting for Fox and Maverick as a storm blew in over the sea and thunder rumbled in the distance, promising a downpour. They were almost two hours late now, but I just couldn't accept the idea that they weren't coming. It wasn't possible. They'd sworn they'd be here, and they'd never let me down in all the time I'd known them. Not once.
"Rogue..." Chase said in a low voice, not for the first time but I just shook my head, refusing to move.
I didn't have anywhere to go now anyway. I couldn't go back to the group home, I couldn't run the streets of Sunset Cove. This place wasn't safe for me anymore so the only thing I could do was stand here and wait for the rest of my boys to show up.
"They'll be here," I growled.
"Pretty girl," JJ said softly. "There must be a reason they haven't turned up. If Luther-"
Chase's phone started ringing and I sucked in a sharp breath as me and JJ turned to him and he flashed us a look at the caller ID where we spotted Fox's name before he answered, putting it on speaker so we could all hear.
"I'm sorry," Fox ground out, sounding like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "My dad figured out we were going to run and-"
"What happened?" I gasped, my heart leaping in fear. I didn't think Luther would ever hurt his prodigy, but Maverick... I knew he treated him as inferior in his home and I wasn't so sure he'd be as lenient with him.
"Nothing we can't handle," Fox said roughly making it sound like something bad had definitely gone down.
"Where's Rick?" I demanded.
"I'm here," he grunted. "We're okay."
"Everything is gonna come together," Fox said, sounding determined but not certain. "But...I need you guys to hide Rogue somewhere he won't be able to find her," he went on, talking to the boys like I wasn't there.
"But-" I began but JJ cut me off.
"Okay. I know somewhere. Then what?" he demanded, trusting Fox in a heartbeat as usual.
"Then I need you two to come meet me. Dad wants to see you at the house. I swear I'm gonna do everything to get us out of this, but we've gotta play along for now. We're still gonna run together. Just as soon as we can. Do you promise you'll wait for us, Rogue?" Fox asked, and there was just the smallest edge of panic to his tone which made me certain I needed to do as he said.
"Okay," I breathed. I knew I could trust him with all my heart. "If you swear you'll never leave me then I believe you, Fox."
"I swear," he growled. "No matter what."
"We're going to get you out of this, Rogue," Maverick added seriously. "I don't care if I have to kill again to do it."
I exchanged a look with Chase and JJ at that declaration, but Fox was already moving on.
"Once you're somewhere safe, promise me you won't leave until we come to get you, Rogue," Fox demanded.
"Okay," I agreed instantly. "But I don't know where-"
"JJ, Chase, hide her and then get here fast. Got it?" Fox cut me off again and I pushed my tongue against my busted lip as I tried not to flinch at his tone. He was never short with me, so it only gave away how serious this was.
"We're on it," Chase agreed. "We'll be with you within the hour."
"Be careful," I said quickly, sensing Fox was about to cut the call. "You boys are all I have. Without you I'm nothing. I've got nothing. Please don't put yourselves in danger for me. Promise me-"
"We got you, beautiful," Maverick swore. "Just hold tight and trust us."
"Always," I breathed and the line went dead.
"Come on," JJ said instantly, taking my hand and dragging me towards the bushes where he and Chase had hidden their bikes. "There's an old lodge up on Devil’s Pass that I found last summer. It won't let the rain in and no one knows about it."
I nodded in acceptance as thunder crashed in the distance again and the cold air tugged at my hair. The storm would hit soon and I didn't want to be caught out in it.
JJ got on his bike and waited for me to climb on the back, standing on the pegs which he'd had fitted to his back wheel so that he could take a passenger.
Chase scowled up at the sky through the trees before grabbing his own bike an
d the three of us took off, me clinging onto JJ's shoulders as he peddled hard and fast down the street, away from the crypt, racing down street after street until we were coming up on the cliffs that overlooked the bay. He swerved left, up the road towards Devil's Pass. No one went that way anymore, the old road which ran right along the edge of the cliff had been closed years ago after a rockslide had sent four cars crashing down to the sea below and taken a chunk of the road out with it. It had been condemned and a new road built to avoid it and no one sane ever went near it.
JJ didn't slow as he approached the concrete bollards which had been placed across the road to stop access to the Pass, weaving between them and standing up on his pedals as the hill began to rise steeply ahead of us.
I looked back at Chase who gave me a tight smile as he concentrated on peddling up the hill. I had no idea how JJ was managing with me on the back, but the two of them had to bike everywhere and they usually ended up cycling for an hour or more a day, so they were used to it I guessed. I usually took my skateboard if Rick or Fox couldn't pick me up but between the four guys, I often had some form of ride from place to place.
No one came this way anymore and the tarmac was pitted and speckled with lumps of grass and moss that were trying to take over. And I couldn't blame people for avoiding it - the higher we rode up the cliffside, the bigger the drop to our left got and with the howling wind from the incoming storm blowing around us I was starting to get seriously concerned about getting swept right over the edge and tumbling down to the rocks that lined the bay below.
JJ lurched to the left and I stifled a scream as he rode us along the chunk of road which had been left behind by the rockslide, a huge crater carved out of the cliff to our right and an impossible fall promising death way too freaking close for my liking.
My fingernails were gouging crescents into JJ's skin by the time we finally made it to the top of the hill and the first fat drops of rain began to spill from the sky.
JJ swerved off of the old road onto an exposed bluff where the wind threw my hair over my face as we rode across the grass and he didn't stop until we came up on a dilapidated wooden shack.
JJ skidded to a halt and I jumped off of the bike before he dropped it to the grass and tugged me over to the shack, giving the swollen door a kick to get it to open.
"It's not much,” he said apologetically, glancing around at the near empty space which reeked of mildew and had graffiti scrawled over the walls.
There was a stool which looked close to collapsing and a few manky looking blankets in a corner which suggested someone had slept here once, but they didn't look clean and I had no plans to touch them.
"It's fine," I said, turning away from the less than appealing surroundings as the rain began to fall harder against the roof. "At least it's dry, like you said. And you'll be back soon. All of you."
"You know it, pretty girl," JJ promised while Chase lingered by the door, seeming lost for words.
I threw my arms around JJ, crushing him against me as I tried not to cry, fear making me imagine all kinds of horrific things that Luther could have planned for them. But Fox and Maverick wouldn't lead them into a trap. I had to trust that this was okay. I had to trust my boys.
"Stay safe," I breathed as I released him, moving over to pull Chase against me next.
"Trust us, Rogue," he murmured, his hand sliding up my spine and making me shiver.
"I do," I swore, meaning it with all my heart and soul. "Always." I drew back, looking up at him, my fingers twisting into the curls at the nape of his neck and my gaze moving to his mouth for a moment as I was struck with the strongest desire to push up onto my tiptoes and-
"We'd better go, little one." Chase frowned slightly and released me, my skin feeling cold in all the places where he'd been touching me the moment he stepped back.
The two of them headed back out into the rain and I watched them grabbing their bikes with this terrible feeling of foreboding tightening my chest. Like there was something awful coming our way, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.
"Come back to me," I breathed, but they were already riding away, pedalling fast as they raced back down Devil's Pass and out of sight.
I swallowed back a lump in my throat and backed up so that I could close the door, sinking down onto the cold wooden floor and crossing my legs beneath me as I waited for my fate with the rain pounding down on the roof and nothing to keep me company in the dark except my fears.
I pedalled furiously, the rain sweeping over me as thunder crashed above us in the sky. The wind was battering and I had to squint against the rain to see as we sailed down from the cliff, going as fast as we could.
My heart was pounding violently in my chest and I knew it had nothing to do with the storm. It was leaving Rogue up in that shack and fearing what we were heading towards. If Luther knew the truth then we were fucked. That was all I could think. Utterly, inescapably fucked. But Fox always had a plan. He'd know what to do. He'd fix this. I just had to place all of my faith in my friend because I had no ideas myself, no fucking answers.
Chase cycled along at my side and I felt better for the company at least. And though leaving her in that shack made my stomach knot, it was currently the safest place in Sunset Cove for her. It was the best we could do. And we'd go back to her before long. If the worst that happened tonight was that she got cold and a little damp, then that would be a sweet fucking miracle and I was counting on it with all my heart.
The wind eased as we came down off the cliff and rode harder into town, taking the back alleys we knew so well as we weaved our way towards Harlequin House which stood tall and proud down by the beach. We soon reached the gates, soaking wet and gasping for air and the scary looking motherfuckers on watch nodded to us, letting us through. We peddled up the drive and ditched our bikes by the garage, jogging around to the front door and sheltering under the porch.
I pressed the doorbell and looked to Chase, his eyes swirling with fear.
"It'll be alright, man," I promised him and his brows pulled together.
"Will it?" he rasped just as the door yanked open and I came face to face with the tall and imposing form of Fox's father.
"Come in," he growled, jerking his head to beckon us inside and we stepped after him, trailing water into the house, but he didn't say anything about it.
"We're leaving, boys!" he barked and Maverick and Fox appeared in the hall, frowning at us.
Maverick's jaw was ticking furiously, but Fox looked deadly calm. And that meant he had a plan. He nodded to us reassuringly as his dad turned his back on them, heading toward the door that led into the garage. I'd only been here a few times as Fox and Rick preferred to hang out away from home. We'd had a few pool parties when his dad had been out of town, but when Luther was home, none of us wanted to be here because it felt like his eyes were always on us. And as he was a notorious killer, it was kind of a buzz kill.
I padded to Fox's side and gave him a look that said we'd hidden Rogue and he didn't have to worry. He nodded, his features softening a little as we marched through the door and downstairs into the underground garage. The storm was howling now and a chill ran through me as Luther directed us into the back of a large black van. It looked like a murder van if ever I saw one, but what was I gonna do? Say no and run like a frightened lamb back into his house? I mean yeah, that was tempting as shit, but I wasn't gonna abandon my brothers.
I lifted my chin and climbed into the back of it after Fox, sitting on the floor of the van between him and Maverick while Chase sat beside Fox.
Luther looked in at us, his hand gripping the sliding door. "Listen up," he said darkly. "You helped out your friend by covering up Snake Eyes' murder. Fox and Maverick have explained everything. So you don't need to worry." His tone said we definitely needed to worry, but I nodded along with the others. "You've made this decision real easy. And you all wanna be men, don't you?"
We shared glances, but said nothing.
Luther nod
ded like we'd agreed. "I wanted that at your age too. But what makes a real man is taking responsibility for your actions. And if you can show me that you can do that tonight, then I'll let your girl go. I'll send her somewhere she'll be safe. But you all have to cooperate, you hear me? Every last one of you. That's what being in the Harlequins is about. And I see that potential in all four of you. So let's see what you're made of." He slammed the door, plunging us into darkness and the cab door opened a second later as he got into the driver's seat.
My breaths came heavier and I closed my eyes, focusing on slowing my heartbeat, thinking of Rogue and the shit storm we were currently caught up in.
Luther started the engine and we were soon moving along the road at a brisk speed.
"Where is she?" Maverick growled.
"Safe," I promised, not wanting to say too much just in case his dad could hear us, then I angled my head towards Fox. "You have a plan, right?"
"We just have to do whatever the fuck he wants," he said in a quiet voice. "When it's done, he'll send you guys home and you can go to Rogue."
"That's it? That's your master plan?" Chase hissed.
"What do you want me to say, man?" Fox snapped. "Dad's not gonna let me and Maverick out of his sight tonight. So if he keeps his word, we'll have to let him send her away and then-"
"No," Maverick snarled. "If he sends her away we'll never see her again."
"We know the way to Fairfax," Fox reasoned. "Dad won't always be watching us this closely. It might be a while, but we can tell Rogue to wait and-"
"I said no," Maverick snapped aggressively, making my heart jolt. "I don't trust his word for shit. He could send her anywhere or drag her off somewhere and kill her. How would we know?'
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