“Fuck!” Rowan curses, pounding his fist weakly against my metal door.
“There’s gotta be something you can do to fix this,” I push, trying to get Rowan to calm the fuck down. “You’re the only one of us who can do something.”
“But—but what can I do?” He whispers softly, leaning his head against the cool door as he slumps forward like he’s going to pass out.
“Shit, let’s think. Your dad is the one in charge here, right?He’s the one who said you were in charge of Mirabelle? Go to him. Say your brother is fucking around with things that he shouldn’t be and that he needs to stop.”
“I don’t—I don’t know if that’ll work.”
“You have to trysomething, Rowan.Get your head out of your ass,” I snap.
I feel bad for the kid, I really do, but he’s the only hope we’ve got to save Mirabelle.
His shoulders stiffen as he nods.
“I’ll go ask. I think—I think my brother was scared I’d go to our dad in the first place. It’s why he beat the shit out of me.”
“Then go ask. Jett seemed off, earlier. I think you’re onto something.”
Rowan nods weakly before pushing himself up.
“Clock’s ticking,” Ash grumbles. “It’ll take less than a second for Rage to tear her to pieces, and you’re wasting an awful lot of seconds standing here like a dumbfuck.”
Man, this guy is an asshole. I’m surprised Mirabelle could stand being around someone like him for as long as it took her scent to absolutely cover him.
“Shut up,” Rowan snaps weakly before stumbling out of the barn.
I hope he doesn’t pass out on the way.
CHAPTER 13
Mirabelle
The younger handler’s hands are shaky as he drags me to the transport cage and shoves me inside.
He keeps on muttering curses under his breath.
I guess I’d be pretty freaked out too if I just watched one of my friends get choke-slammed to the ground.
I have no idea how Ash did that. It was a crazy feat of athleticism, being able to swing both his legs high enough to wrap them around that guy’s neck.
I wonder if the guy is okay.
Do I care?
After giving it some thought, I conclude I don’t care about the handler. He’s probably hurt Ash a ton.
I curl myself into a ball, trying to brace myself against the bitter cold as the ATV moves. The sky is just lightening up. I think the sun will rise soon.
There’s so much adrenaline pumping through my veins that I’m not even tired, despite only sleeping for a few hours on the uncomfortable ground.
The trainer pulls up to a squat, concrete building with crackedwalls and a terrifying, ominous sort of cloud hanging over the building.
All the buildings on the farm are covered in a similar amount of grime, peeling paint, or crumbling walls, but this building specifically feels off. It doesn’t look like the typical building you’d find on a farm, like all the other buildings I’ve been in so far.
Those were all stable or barn-looking buildings. This one looks like a prison.
“You gonna give me any trouble?” The handler grunts as he hauls open the door.
