“Put your hands in your pockets, Seth,” I order, hopingthat’ll keep him from trying anything, and he follows my command.
“Alexei, please,” Luke begs, and I push the knife deeper into Seth’s flesh, drawing blood, and Seth groans.
“Luke, we won’t have an issue as long as you let him go. Got it?”
Luke cringes, glancing between Brad and Cody.
“Don’t try to be clever.”
Luke’s gaze meets mine. I remember his concern the night I was impaled.“We can’t leave him!”he told Cody.
Whatever they’re doing, I can’t believe he’s all bad. “Please,” I beg, the word cracking as it escapes my mouth.
Luke and Brad exchange another look before Brad bites his lip and unties the rope they’re using as a gag.
“Alexei,” Matteo says, breathing heavily. “You gotta get me out of here. They fucking kidnapped me. What the hell are they going to do to me? Fuck.”
I don’t know if it’s the way his eyes look or how he’s speaking, but something’s off about him. It’s unsettling. What did they do to him?
“You heard him,” Matteo says. “Fucking untie me.”
As Luke and Brad exchange tense looks, Brad’s nostrils flare. Matteo twists around, exposing his bindings for Brad, who begins unfastening the rope.
My gaze shifts to Luke, who stares me down. He’s concentrating on something, seems like he’s trying to use his powers. “Stop it, Luke,” I warn.
My fingers are shaking a little more than before, and they steadily pull apart. I can’t fight them as my blade slidesthrough to the floor.
“Now, Seth!” Luke shouts.
Seth springs into action, whirling around. I try to pull away, but my arm that was holding the blade is locked in place. Whatever Luke did is still affecting it. Before I have a chance to react, I get a fist to the side of my face, one to the gut, then another to my face, so hard that it sends me to the floor. I groan as I crawl to my knees, reorienting myself after Seth’s attack, and he comes for me, fists clenched.
“I’m not gonna let you bastards hurt him,” I say, fighting to get up.
I can see the rage in Seth’s expression. I’m no match for it, but I’ve got to try.
Luke rushes up to Seth and seizes his arm. “The fuck, he’s down, Seth. Leave him the hell alone!”
“In case you missed it, that shit was trying to kill me.”
Brad grabs him next, and Seth fights away from them before Cody throws himself in Seth’s path. “Stop it. Right now.” He doesn’t even raise his voice, but Seth halts in place, huffing.
Not the first time Cody has saved me. Although this time, I’m not convinced it was for a noble reason, but because he wants to find out what I’m doing here. What I know about the Sinners.
Brad returns to Matteo, dropping to his knees and securing his ropes.
We’re so fucked.
“Come on,” I tell Cody. “Do whatever the hell you’re gonna do to me. I don’t give a fuck. But I want to knowsomething, Cody. In the woods. When that thing attacked me, why did you save me? That’s the only thing that’s confused me about you guys. I thought if you were just bastards who didn’t give a fuck, you’d have left me there to die, but you didn’t. I deserve to know why before you do whatever you’re planning to do.”
Cody tilts his head. “You remember that night?”
I nod.
“Fuck.”
“I know all about you and your little group, and Matteo and I aren’t the only ones. So just know, whatever the hell you do to us, we have friends who can take you on.” Not exactly true, but it’s all I’ve got to try and plead with.
This catches everyone’s attention before there’s a strange sound, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s…snickering. I turn to Matteo, who’s still on the floor, wearing a wide-ass grin. Not his usual fun, sexy grin.
