by KC Kean
Grabbing Roman’s arm, I point them out and pull him in the opposite direction. We need a minute to think. Growling at anyone near us, they finally move out of the way, clearing a path. As soon as the Featherstone bodyguards are far enough into the tent we slip out, quickly running around the corner where it’s quiet.
“Fuck Rome, I don’t know what to do. How did we not consider the fact that Rico would use this as an opportunity to take them?” Rubbing the back of my neck, I pace the small patch of grass we’re standing on.
“Fuckkk,” he growls, pulling his hair just as I did earlier.
“We have our guns Rome, but what are we going to do?” I ask, panicked.
I’m not the planner, I’m the go in guns blazing and hope for the best one of the group. When Jess gave us our outfits, they came with two plastic guns. Roman decided it would be a good idea to each switch one out and replace it with a real one. Which is great and all, but we still find ourselves in an impossible situation.
“Fuck, Oscar. Phone, where’s your phone? Call her,” Roman yells, searching his own pockets to do the same.
I try, and try again, frustration getting the better of me as it continues to ring without answer.
“Mr. Rivera? Mr. O’Shay?” someone whispers from the left, and we both pull our guns from the holster and aim in that direction. It’s funny how pulling a gun out numbs my emotions as practice and precision takes over. My heart stops pounding in my ears as I train my gun on... Ian? What the hell is Ian the driver doing here?
His hands are raised in surrender, but I only lower my gun slightly, Roman doing the exact same. I step closer to him, and that’s when I notice the panic in his eyes and the tremble in his hands.
“They took her, Parker too. In a big SUV, it’s not the same people as The Games, but they are here. They just grabbed Mr. Fuse and Miss Dietrichson. I don’t … I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to help, they’re in there looking for you.”
I can see the pain in his eyes at the fact he’s witnessing what’s going on, and the fear he has for Luna. I lower my gun as I look at Roman, who remains standing with his gun trained at Ian. He slowly lowers his aim, staring him down.
“Luna mentioned that Rafe said we are taken to The Games in the same vehicles we use on campus. Does that mean you know where to go?” Roman asks quietly, placing the gun in his holster, and clenching his hands in anger. Ian nods slowly in answer, waiting for Rome to continue. “So, you could take us there without them having to knock us out, right?” He clarifies and again Ian nods.
“They drug you, but yes, I could do that. It will put my life on the line, but whatever it takes,” he says standing taller before us. This guy right here is exactly who I want in Luna’s corner.
“Then that’s what we do, Ian. Let’s get moving now, before they come back out here,” I murmur waving a hand for him to lead the way.
He’s parked the Rolls around the corner. Roman marches ahead to open the door before Ian can, not wasting time on formalities. I shut the door behind me as Ian climbs in up front.
“The only person to get in the SUV with them was Miss Hindman and two Featherstone bodyguards. Rico and Barbette climbed into a separate SUV. I just hope Miss Steele took the hint I gave her last week,” he breathes out, putting the car in driving and flooring it.
“What hint?” I ask, Luna hadn’t mentioned a hint.
“I happened to mention the location in passing as discreetly as possible, but the fact that you don’t know worries me even more.” He slams his hand against the steering wheel catching me by surprise.
“It’s okay, Ian. Take us there. If Rico didn’t get in with them, he’s gone straight to The Games to act like he had no involvement. That’s the best place for us to go because we have no idea where they may be,” Roman says with his head in his hands.
They’re going to regret touching my family.
Blood really isn’t thicker than water, and in a place where your bloodline matters so much it ruins me. They have my world in their hands, and I’m at a loss. I’ll bring the violence, and destroy this whole fucking place if anything happens to them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
(Luna)
The stench of cigarettes hangs in the air, my sense of smell being the first to come back to me. I’m lying on my front, but I’m not in the tent anymore. I can feel the rumble of an SUV beneath me. I try to clear the fog from my mind, but I can still feel the throbbing from the back of my skull where some fucker hit me. I have one arm trapped under me on the left as my right arm is thrown over my head. My legs are slightly bent at the knee, my feet propped up against the closed door. I don’t feel any bindings around me, fucking idiots.
Parker.
Shit. My heartbeat kicks up a notch as I start to panic for his safety. I promised to protect him, now look at us. Taking a deep breath without drawing attention to myself, I smell his woodsy cologne. I pray it’s because he’s here too and not just my imagination playing tricks on me.
Calming the throbbing of my pulse bouncing around in my ears, I try to listen to what is going on around me. I can hear the crinkling of a packet of chips, followed by the munching of someone eating with their mouth open. Gross.
My phone vibrates in my bag, which I happen to be laying on, but I don’t move a muscle as I wait for it to end. I hear a female voice and I instantly know it’s Veronica. That bitch is done, I swear to god.
“Answer the phone. Come on, answer the damn phone,” she mumbles, clearly wanting to speak to someone. From the fact that her voice is coming from above me to the right I know I’ve been put on the floor.
Assessing the rest of my body I feel a small weight against the bottom of my back. Almost like a hand is resting on me from the seats to my left. Please be Parker, please.
“Finally, Pumpkin. I've been trying to get through for ages. Where are you?” Veronica demands. I’m guessing it’s on the phone, but I refuse to open my eyes to check. “I have them. Luna and Parker are both knocked out cold with me. That girl gave them a sedative to make sure they are out for hours.”
Girl, what girl? Trudy. I’ll fucking ruin her when I get my hands on her.
“Yeah, we’ve just left the Academy. We’ll be about four hours or so. Rico and Barb are heading straight to The Games.” Just left? But she said they would be out for hours? What did Trudy do?
That’s when I feel the smallest stroke against my back from the weight resting against me. It’s Parker, I know it, and he’s awake too. Fuck, okay. Trying to calm myself as best as I can I try to think, to control this situation.
My face is tilted in Veronica’s direction so I definitely can’t risk glancing around. She’s not the one eating, whoever that is, is sitting in the front with the driver. I can’t sense anyone beside Veronica, so that means there’s three of them.
“Tony, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll be with you soon and then we can be together, me and you, like you promised. Okay?”
Oh my god, she sounds like a lovesick puppy. Wait, isn’t Totem called Tony ‘Totem’ Lopez?
I’ve heard enough, I need to get us out of here before they take us too far. Remembering the fact that all the guys were carrying a real gun with a plastic one too, we may need to use that to our advantage.
Wiggling my toes in my combat boots, I make sure I have feeling throughout my body. The only body part I might have an issue with is my left hand, so it’s a good thing I’m right-handed. Taking one final breath, I prepare myself for the fight that’s about to come.
Bringing both of my hands to my shoulders, I don’t stop to check if the movement goes unnoticed or not. I lift my knees under me, pushing myself into a crouched position facing Veronica. This bitch is staring at me like a gulping fish, but I don’t waste anytime bringing my arm across my front and hitting her in the face with my elbow.
She cries out in surprise with a mixture of pain, as the phone goes flying from her hands. I feel movement behind me as Parker sits up aiming a gun
at her head.
I can’t risk taking my eyes off Veronica to check Parker over, I have to force myself to stay focused on the threats first.
The driver shouts, not lifting his pedal from the gas as the passenger fumbles with his chips, not expecting to have to do anything right now.
Veronica sneers at me as she holds a hand to her cheek. “You stupid fucking bitch. Why the fuck are you not passed out?” She stutters as surprise is written all over her face. “You’re supposed to be out for the next six hours at least. Fuck. Sit down, Tony has plans for you, and I won’t let you ruin it.”
I can’t help the laughter that leaves my lips, as if she thinks I’m fearful of her.
“Who’s aiming guns at who here?” I murmur nodding my head at Parker, and she chuckles back.
“I’m not scared of a plastic gun from a cowboy outfit you, dumb bitch,” she cackles, and I love it even more when she underestimates me.
Reaching my hand out to Parker, he holds the gun in one hand as he passes the one still in the holster to me. Flicking the safety off I aim it straight in between her eyes.
“I warned you the next time I saw you I’d kill you. You just made it easier without even trying,” I say as the passenger guy tries to grab hold of Parker from behind in a choke hold.
Shit that little distraction is all Veronica needs to throw herself at me, trying to wrestle for the gun. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Parker fighting off the guy, but I need to focus on Veronica wrapping her hand around the barrel.
“I really fucking wish you’d never been born,” she spits in my face as we fall backwards with her on top of me. Kicking my legs out wide I wrap them around her thighs as I struggle to keep my grip on the gun.
She pushes the barrel of the gun up towards the roof of the SUV as she tries to turn it on me. Forcing any panic deep down, I let my defensive mentality takeover. Thrusting our hands up above my head, it moves the gun out from between us, while forcing her face closer to mine. Without thought I throw my head back and smash it into her face, connecting with her nose, the blood instant. She cries out in pain, her eyes frantically tracking the blood dripping from her face.
Fuck, if my head didn’t already hurt it would now. That’s a crack to the back and the front now. Maybe I should try to not do that again. I can hear Parker grunt beside me and I know I need to put an end to this right now.
I don’t give her a chance to move, hitting Veronica around the head with the barrel of the gun, and she falls dramatically into the seats behind her. Without pause, I turn and aim the gun at the guy who has his arm wrapped around Parker’s neck, my finger pulling the trigger with no hesitation.
Parker leans forward gasping for breath, his head dipped between his knees as my eyes search to check him over. The SUV screeches to a stop and I try to brace myself. The fucking driver, is all I can think as I’m thrown around the SUV. I try to grab on to the door handle, my fingers barely grazing against it as my head smashes the window beside me.
Fuck.
I feel lost, unable to register the state of my body, the pounding in my ears the only thing I’m sure of. Parker, where’s Parker? I must have closed my eyes on impact, and it takes more strength than I’d like to force them open. The first thing I notice is the fact I’m still in the SUV. Thank fuck. My back is propped up against the door, tiny shards of glass shattered around me as I blink rapidly. I don’t need to find the driver because he’s leaning over the back of his seat, his sole focus on me.
“Luna!” I hear Parker shout, but my eyes refuse to move from the end of the gun pointing in my face. Where’s mine? This motherfucker thinks he can pull a gun on me, is he crazy? A gunshot goes off, and I just pray Parker can get out of here safely if this guy is intent on killing me.
The gun in my face slips to the floor, as the guy’s lifeless form hangs over the seat. Blood splatters against my face and I can taste it on my lips. Lifting a hand to my chest, feeling the pounding beneath my rib cage I slowly digest that I’m alive.
Parker.
Swinging my gaze to him, he’s kneeling on the floor of the SUV at my outstretched feet, gun still aimed at the dead body in my face. I can see the frenzy in his eyes as he continues to make sure this guy is not going to move again.
He just … killed someone, to save my life.
The SUV is engulfed in darkness, with only the sound of Parker and I breathing heavily.
Parker hits the overhead light above us as his eyes frantically search mine. Slowly lifting my hands to his chest, I feel his skin beneath my fingertips, making sure he really is here with me. An uncontrollable sob leaves my mouth as I inch closer to him, seeing the raw red marks around his neck.
“I’m okay, angel,” he croaks out, and my lips find his in an instant.
The briefest of touches, but it grounds me like nothing else. He brings his forehead down to mine as we both try to calm our beating hearts. This is not the kind of action we expected tonight. Parker runs his fingers through my hair, pulling the tiny pieces of glass out while he checks my head over. When he’s happy I’m not going to die from bleeding out, he cups my face and looks deep into my eyes.
“I’m sorry I got blood on you when I shot him,” he murmurs, and I can’t help but grin at his words.
Forcing myself to lean away from Parker, I finally take in the scene around us. My mother’s still unconscious beside us, but for how long I don’t know. Someone shouting in the distance has Parker and I frowning at each other in confusion.
Slowly my eyes find Veronica’s phone wedged between the seats on the other side of the SUV. I lean over her to get it, Parker grabs my other arm, concern etched all over his face, but I hit the speakerphone button.
“Veronica! Veronica! What the fuck is going on?” A man growls through the phone in frustration, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that it’s Totem. The gravel in his voice sends a shiver down my spine.
“Veronica isn’t available right now,” I mutter, and he goes silent on the other end. I don’t pull my gaze from the phone as I wait for his response.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Miss Luna Moon Steele, you are a hard girl to get a hold of aren’t you? I love a little challenge, but you’re starting to annoy me. Your mother promised you to me when you were a baby. Now I’ve waited patiently, and your time is up. Do as I say or it’ll only be worse for you when I do get my hands on you.”
The snicker that fills the air around us doesn’t surprise me, but his words do. What is it with people promising me to others, it’s getting on my last fucking nerve.
“It’ll have to be a hard no from me Totem, sorry for the inconvenience,” I say, making him growl down the line.
“Whatever you want to think, little lady. Just remember, I’m coming for you.”
The line cuts off and silence once again takes over. I toss the phone on to the back seat as Parker’s fingers lace through mine, offering me the comfort I need right now.
We need to figure this out. Where do we go from here? The vibration of my phone buzzes from my bag on the floor again. Rushing to grab my phone I pull it from the zipped pocket to see an unknown number flashing across the screen.
“Hello?” I answer in question, and relief floods me when I hear Maverick’s voice come through.
“Oh thank god, Luna. Where are you? The others are on their way to The Games, but Jess said you had been taken by Rico?”
“Jess? Where is she?” I ask frantically. If the others have been taken to The Games that leaves her on her own.
“Don’t worry she’s here with us, safe. Focus on you right now. Is Parker with you?”
I glance at Parker, and he offers a soft smile. Even with all this chaos surrounding us we can still smile. I don’t know whether that makes us crazy or blissfully happy, but I don’t care either way.
“He is. I don’t know where we are, but we need to get to The Games if that’s where the others are. Where do we go, Maverick?” I ask, but he sighs down the phone.
“All I know is it’s some estate about an hour’s drive up north.”
I process his words, and I’ve heard that before. Think Luna, think. Ian! It was Ian, what did he say? There’s a big estate called Beechwood Hall an hour’s drive up north, plenty of roads for the bike. Holy shit, he was telling me where to go.
“I’ve got it, Maverick. Keep her safe for me,” I shout before pocketing the phone. “Parker, I know where we need to go.”
He nods in understanding, “Let’s move their bodies to the back and we can get moving then, angel. Do you think they have something we can tie Veronica up with? As much as I’d rather toss them out here, I think we need to show up with a statement,” he says, stepping out of the SUV, and I couldn’t agree more. The road is dark around us, I have no idea where we are, but I can pull the directions up on my phone in a minute.
Without a word we pull the dead bodies from the front and carry them to the back, unceremoniously piling them on top of each other. Luckily there are handcuffs in the glove compartment, and Parker even finds duct tape in the trunk, so I tape the bitch’s mouth just in case. A little fishing wire from the tackle box in the trunk also comes in useful for her legs.
Parker takes the driver's seat as I climb in beside him. “Let’s go get our family, angel.” Yeah, let’s do that.
*****
Pulling up slowly to the estate before us, we could see it from miles away. The land around here is nothing but farms and crops, leaving Beechwood Hall to fill your vision sitting on its own acres of land. Large wrought iron gates block us from getting any further with a two man security booth to our right. Veronica woke up a little while ago but since she’s handcuffed to the handle above her head, with her legs bound and mouth taped, I just turned the music up to ignore her whimpers.
I finally wind down my window, and the security guard raises an eyebrow at me.
“Can I help you?” He asks. His eyes take me in, but I haven’t got time for this.