SHELDON
What in the ever-loving fuck just happened?
I was asleep when my phone went off, startling me awake. Forest was passed out, so I left him in bed, knowing he was in the safest building in East Dremest. When I got to the security room, I found everyone just as confused as I was.
Then we saw Micah on the screen. He was down, blood near his head. We rushed to him, noticing the lights flickering in the halls. They kept drawing my eyes to them, but I tried to ignore them. The lights didn’t matter. One of our guards being down did, especially when it was one who guarded my fiancé.
Micah was slowly coming to when we got to him; the blood was from a wound that at least didn’t appear to go all the way to his skull. Once the area was cleared, Barry woke Alton, and he came rushing to us with Lane and Raiden covering him.
By that time, the building was put on high alert, and all the guards knew and were under strict protocol not to let anyone in. That was when the text came through that Winnie was seen on the camera, fucking with the lights, and knocking Micah out.
My blood rushed cold. I ran to my apartment to find it empty, Forest gone, just like I feared. The way my heart pounded in my chest, I waited for it to combust from the sheer agony I felt yetdidn’t let out. The phone was pressed to my ear as I called Barry, only to find out Winnie had left with Forest. She mentioned to another guard she had to take Forest to the safe house to protect him, as per my orders. Orders I didn’t make. And there was no way to track her or the Navigator.
I gathered poisons, strapping them to me as well as two loaded guns. Whatever I could find and quickly add to myself, I did.
Everyone scrambled, trying to figure out who was where and how this could have happened. But I knew. Winnie wasn’t who she said she was. I was going to find her and kill her for taking the man who meant the world to me. She’d better fucking run if even one single cell of his skin flaked off.
“Stop!” Oleander yelled, his hand coming down on my shoulder.
It didn’t matter how long we’d been friends or how much we’d been through. He should have known better than to touch me right then. I spun, putting my hand to his throat and pinning him to the closest wall.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I said low as I got in his face.
Oleander didn’t fight me. There would be no point. With this much rage flowing through my system, I could have taken down the twins if I had to. “Shel, it’s me,” he rasped. I wasn’t fully cutting off his oxygen, but it was close. He was also right.
Releasing him, I turned and started walking toward the garage and my bike. Nothing else would be able to cut through the streets like it could.
“He’s not at the safe house.”
“No shit.” Winnie wouldn’t be stupid enough to go there. That was just what she told the shitty guards, so she could get out of here with Forest.
“I’m coming with you,” Oleander said from behind me.
I didn’t respond. He didn’t have a bike, but he did have a fast as hell Subaru.
The bike stood waiting, like it knew what we had to do. I straddled it and started it up, tearing out of the garage without looking back or checking to see if anyone was coming. They could drive around me.
In the building I was leaving behind was my boss, my friends, and people I worked with. Sure, Jordan might have my head for leaving like this, but he also had a lot of guards to protect him and the ones he loved. Forest needed me. I had to find him.
There was no way to know where Forest was. I kicked myself for not having any way to contact Oleander besides my phone, which wasn’t easy to use while riding. Slowing down, I waited until he pulled up beside me, window down.
“He doesn’t have his phone, and Winnie’s is gone!” he yelled. I hadn’t even bothered putting a helmet on, so it was easy to hear him.
I nodded.
“We don’t know where we’re going yet. Lawson is digging. We’re just driving to drive, Shel. You have to stop for a second and think.”
Someone behind us beeped. I turned and pulled my gun, pointing it right at them.
“Jesus Christ!” Oleander yelled and got out of his car. He was in front of the gun in seconds. “Sheldon! Fuck’s sake!”
I took my finger off the trigger, but didn’t put it away.
Oleander peered over his shoulder and hollered, “He has a license to carry.”
The car didn’t move, and the person behind the wheel watched us in shock.
“Shel,” my best friend said calmly. “We need to get off the street and wait.”
