Page 51 of Love Above Law

"Look in the back; there should be a few flashlights stowed away in the cargo hold," I tell them. I dip my head looking back into the vehicle at Kai. "Call it in," I tell him before closing the door. Grabbing a light, I catch up with the Kings who have already started making their way toward the rundown home. One by one I watch them pull weapons from the inside of the winter coats they each have on. Without needing to give directions, we walk the perimeter before entering the house.

Once inside we find the small dilapidated space empty. The only evidence Leyna was even here is lying on the dirty bedroom floor near the hole they escaped from—her boots. Leyna is out there in the cold, with no shoes on her feet, no coat to keep her warm and a mad man hunting her.

"Find anything?" Looking up from the hole, I look to see which one of the guys was talking to me, which happens to be Quinn. The rest of the men file in one by one.

"She's out there in the woods somewhere. We'll cover more ground if we split up." I look at each man.

Jake lifts his chin, looks at his men then settles his eyes on me. "Let's go huntin'."

Heading outside we make sure which direction each man is heading and spread out amongst the tree line. Gabriel whose standing about six yards to my right smirks and a shadow settles over his face. I recognize the look. He's out for blood.

Taking Hugo in alive isn't an option anymore. I know when I find the motherfucker, I won't think twice about ending his worthless existence and I'll find satisfaction the moment I put a bullet in his head.

26

Leyna

Shining the flashlight in my face, Hugo advances in my direction. Wanting desperately to get away, I begin to crab crawl backward. My attempt to flee is futile. When Hugo reaches me, he leans down, grabs a fist full of my hair and pulls me to my feet. Using both hands, I grasp on to his bicep, turn my head and bite down as hard as I can on his forearm. Hugo lets out a strangled snarl, releasing the hold he has on me.

"You fucking bitch!"

I take the advantage, and in a flash, I'm once again on the run. Looking over my shoulder, I see him scramble to pick his flashlight up off the ground. My actions allow me a bit of a head start. With only the moonlight as my guide, I continue to weave through the trees and brush. I pray that by now Dana has made her way out of the woods and can hopefully find some help. At this point, she's my only chance.

With my energy depleting, my movements become more sluggish. I can hear the heavy footsteps behind me getting closer, but I refuse to give up. Just when I think I can't go any further, I spot a light off in the distance. Pushing through my exhaustion, I pick up my pace. The further I get, the brighter the image attached to the light becomes—a house. My small glimmer of hope vanishes when suddenly I'm tackled from behind.

"No!" I cry out. Clawing at the ground, I try with every ounce of energy I have left to get away. Only my attempts get me nowhere. Hugo flips me on my back and settles his weight on top of me. "Get off of me!" I scream, scratching and clawing at his ugly face. Balling his fist, Hugo punches me. The blow is brutal, and it causes a throbbing pain to radiate across the left side of my face.

"You stupid whore." Spittle flies from Hugo's mouth during his tirade. "What made you think you could get away from me?" he continues to spew. "Where the hell is that bitch friend of yours?" he says getting in my face, the wretched smell of his breath makes me gag.

"Beso mi culo kiss my ass." I sneer then spit in his face. My actions reward me a punch to my stomach. Clutching my mid-section, I gasp for air.

Not waiting for me to recover, Hugo hauls me up to my feet once again. "When I find your friend, I'm going to shoot her right between the eyes." My gut clenches at his words. Everything is going to be okay. Dana made it out. She's going to be okay. I repeat the words over and over in my head. I have to believe she made it and hopefully will find help before it's too late. Even if she doesn't get to help in time, I feel a small ounce of contentment knowing she'll be okay. If I die, then I'll die knowing I did what I had to do for her to go on living.

Lost in my thoughts, I try to drown out Hugo's rambling about revenge and all the things he has planned for me. My thoughts are interrupted when a piercing pain shoots through the bottom of my foot, up my leg, and I fall to the damp cold ground. Looking down at my feet, I see my once white socks soaked red with blood. I've been out in the cold for so long I no longer feel my toes. Just as I go to inspect my foot, Hugo grabs my arm.

"Stand the fuck up."

I try standing but the moment I apply pressure to my right foot, the intense pain causes my knees to buckle, and I cry out, "Mierda!" With tears running down my swollen and bloody cheek, I peer up at Hugo. Through blurry eyes, I watch as he takes his gun from the waistband of his jeans and points it at me. My life flashes before my eyes. Images of all the things I hoped to have done and seen in my life—all the wonderful things I wanted with Lex I may never get the chance to experience like marriage and a family play out like a movie reel put on fast forward. My thoughts drift to my brother, and the fact we haven't had the chance to fix our relationship. I have too much I want to live for. "Fucking look at you!" Hugo roars waving his gun at me. "You're not even worth this much trouble."

With my sobs getting lodged in my throat, I raise my hand in front of my face. "Please," I attempt to beg for my life, but the moment my eyes lock on Hugo's cold stare, I know there is no hope for me. With a shuttered breath I close my eyes and wait for my death. My last thoughts are of Lex and my family. A moment later a gunshot echoes through the forest.

"Leyna!" I hear my name shouted through the stillness surrounding me. I open my eyes and realize I'm still breathing, then notice the body lying on the ground at my feet with a hole in the middle of his forehead. Hugo. "Leyna!" my name is called again. This time I recognize the voice and strain my eyes looking out into the darkness in front of me.

"Lex!" I cry out.

Suddenly, Lex appears in front of me, drops to his knees and scoops me into his strong arms. Overwhelmed with relief, a strangled cry escapes my mouth. I try to summon the strength and wrap my arms around his neck, but it's no use. My arms feel like they weigh a ton and my body goes limp.

"Fuck," Lex curses under his breath. Hearing several footfalls in the distance, he calls out. "We're over here!" With me in his lap, Lex scrambles to take his coat off. He threads my arms through the sleeves, pulls it tight around my shivering body and zips it. "We have to get you warmed up, baby." Sounds of footsteps stop directly behind us. "Shine that light over here. I need to look her over."

As soon as Lex barks his order, several flashlights illuminate over us. I'm shocked at who I see. "Hermano?" I blink. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I start to cry even harder.

Dropping to his knees, Gabriel palms my cheek. "Shh, Leyna."

I blink through my tears, then look around realizing they are all here. Lex, Jake, Logan, Gabriel, Reid, and Quinn. "We've got to move," Lex announces not giving me much time to process anything. Turning to Reid, he says. "Call Kai. Tell him we have her and we're on our way." With me in his arms, Lex begins to make his way through the woods. Resting my head against his chest, I let the rhythm of his heartbeat calm my nerves. I focus on the warmth his arms give me and allow his love to dull my pain. When I remember my friend, my head shoots up.

"Lex, what about Dana? Did you find her?"

Peering down at me he gives me a small smile. "Yeah, babe. We found her, and she's fine. Kai is with her now. She led us right to you. She also told us what you did; how you escaped and how you saved her life. I'm so fucking proud of you, Leyna."