“For fuck’s sake.”Theo muttered as I took the flask from Sara, smelling whiskey in it.
The corner of my mouth slowly pulled. “Are you drunk, pretty girl?”
She got suddenly serious and snatched the flask right back. “Oh, didn’t you hear? I’m getting married.” She snapped. “So yeah, I think I deserve it after this whoooooole fiasco.” She waved the flask around, sloshing amber liquid onto both of us in the process.
My gaze swept the corridor, finding a cell door open, and even though one of Theo’s men had secured the guard in the corner, Sara was still aiming the gun at him. That’s when I noticed themanyholes in the stone wall around his body, and I looked back at Sara with quiet surprise, a million and one questions sprouting in my mind.
Sara’s fingers were in the air, her words a bit slurred as she declared to no one in particular, “Just so we’re all on the samepage, it is important that you know that I amnota lightweight.” With determined focus, she counted on her fingers, the gun suddenly waving in every which direction.
“Watch it!” Theo growled, ducking alongside everyone else.
“Easy there, Rambo.” I carefully took the gun from her and passed it back to Liam, who was eerily quiet as Sara stared at her fingers far too hard, and then announced, “I haven’t eaten anything in four days? Five days? A week?” She barked a laugh. “I’m not really sure, cause there aren’t any windows down here.” She sang, and any relief I’d momentarily felt evaporated in an instant.
“You didn’t fucking feed her?” Liam whirled and slammed Tag into the wall, and I suddenly decided Liam could have Tag all to himself because the only thing I really cared about was getting Sara out of this pit of despair. She’d been in the fucking dark for God knows how many days.
I reached into the pillowing layers of fabric around Sara’s waist to pick her up—onlyshe wincedwhen I grabbed her, and I pulled my hand away, realizing it waswet.
Pure shock washed over me as I discovered the warmth against my palmwas blood.“Oh my God, are you shot?” I gasped in horror—how much blood had she already lost? Fuck! I jammed my palm against the injury, applying pressure, only?—
“Don’t you dare touch me, Carter.” Sara snapped, jerking away as hurt filled her eyes, as if the pain of her injury had suddenly reminded her exactly wherewe’dleft off—fighting tooth and nail in Cade’s office, me pushing her away,breaking her heart.
Panic clawed up my throat, and I tried as gently as I could muster, “Sara, you’re shot. We need to get you medical attention. Right now.” I reached again, but she jerked away, making me hesitate.
“I am not goinganywherewithyou.” Her eyes were teary. “Get away from me.” She snapped, and when I didn’t move,she screamed, her voice breaking, “I said get the fuck away from me!”
My ears rang, heart ripped clean in half as I took a dizzyingstep back, while the dense walls consumed her pain and wrath. She’d been through a lot, she was in shock, she’d been fucking shot, and she was acting like I was the one who’d hurt her,because I had.
Liam materialized, squatting down in front of her, his voice incredibly gentle. “Sara, please go with Carter. I’m begging you.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I can’t.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, one after another, as she lifted her gaze to Taggart, who looked like he was about to shit himself. “If I don’t marry him, they’re going tokillDad.”
Liam took Sara’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about Dad, we’re going to find him, but first we need to get you somewhere safe, and you desperately need a doctor. So please, I’m begging you, just go with Carter.” Liam looked over his shoulder at me, glaring, before he returned his gaze to Sara’s. “Whatever is happening between the two of you, he’s the only one I can trust to keep you safe. I know, you know that.”
“Not him.” Sara covered her face, shoulders starting to shake. “Liam, please. Why can’t I just go with you?”
“You know why. I have to stay here and make sure—” Liam’s voice lowered further, and my eyes slowly slid to Taggart.
One of Theo’s men was holding him. “I warned you.” I slid my gun into my holster. “You touch a fucking hair on her head and I told you what the consequences would be.”
“I bought her, and she’s still mine to do whatev?—”
I swung, and the sound of bone crunched as he reeled back, and then I was on top of him, still swinging. “You never should have laid a fucking finger on her.” I bellowed, and something warm and wet was dripping from my fingers as my hands found their way around his throat.
He’d starved her. Hurt her. Broken her.
I watched the life slowly drain out of him as I bore down harder. “I should have done this a long time ago—the very first time you made her bleed.” My hands stung where he was desperately clawingfor breath. “I should carve you up, because that’s exactly what you did. Didn’t you?!” I roared at him, not giving him an inch to answer. “Iknowwhat you did.” He jerked underneath me, eyes wide with understanding, and I knew I should stop, knew I should carve him up slowly, just like he deserved, but I couldn’t seem to let go.
Someone squeezed my good shoulder as I realized Sara had bought into every lie I’d told the last few weeks and then some. “Get your girl and get her out of here.” Theo murmured. “Let us take care of the rest.”
Taggart jerked as everything in my head went quiet.
“Carter, take Sara, now!” Liam’s voice felt so far away, and I couldn’t seem to let go. “Do you really want her to see this? After everything she’s been through.”
No, I wouldn’t be the one who subjected my sweet, sweet girl to another horrific thing.I had to let go.
Taggart clawed for breath as everything inside me quieted—just me and him in that narrow space between life and death. Just another line of ink to add to my arm. I knew he deserved to dieslowly,but I didn’t have the strength to pull away.
“Carter!” Someone was shaking me.
