The man fighting Justin pulls a knife, and Justin grins like it’s his birthday. Since we don’t have time for a dick measuring contest, I wait until I have a clear shot, then put a bullet through his head.
“I had him,” Justin whines, and I smirk back at him.
“I know.”
A scream echoes from another room, and I whip around, shoving Justin out of the way as I race into the hallway, my heart in my throat. The scream is followed by a roar and a blast of gunfire. Justin and Theo hurry to join my side just as Trey carries Rebecca out of their bedroom, Tessa following behind. His face is like thunder, the sound of grinding teeth loud in the landing.
Rebecca reaches up with her uninjured arm and cups his face. His eyes soften as he looks down at her, and she smiles tremulously up at him. “I’m okay,” she murmurs, her other arm dripping blood, her blood mixing in with the trails left by the dead.
I rush forward, pulling a small basic first-aid kit from one of the pockets in my combat pants. Trey sets her gently on the floor, and using the scissors from the kit, I cut away the arm of her jacket. Luckily, the bullet was a through and through, and I clean it the best I can, then wrap it tightly. While I do that, the twins check the room they just vacated.
“Do you want to take her down to the van?” I ask him quietly, still conscious of the monster that’s currently riding him. He nods briskly and scoops her up, hurrying down the stairs with her. Tessa chases after them, which is probably for the best. If anyone can help keep The Unseen calm, it’s her and Rebecca.
He’s not going to be okay until he knows for sure she is. In the meantime, he’s going to be like a dog with rabies, and we’re going to have to exercise caution around him.
“Their room had six people in it. We’ve double-checked that they’re dead this time. Do you want to check if any are your cousins?” Theo asks when they return from checking Trey’s room.
Nodding, I pull myself to my feet. The bedroom matches the one we were assigned to, with a pile of seven bodies once again heaped in a corner. None are my cousins.
Fuck.
When we come back into the landing, Eric and Kian join us. “Nothing in our room,” Eric informs me. Peeking my head in, I see why. There isn’t much floor left. It was the one we shot up, and there’s blood splatter everywhere.
“Well, someone moved all the bodies out of the room.” I spin around slowly, one hand on my hip. “I suppose it could have been the ones pretending to be dead, but I have a gut feeling my cousins are here somewhere.” That gut feeling turns to dread, icy claws running down my spine when I realize Cruz and Ryan aren’t back yet.
“Ryan?” I say into the comms, praying he answers back. Instead, a different voice answers, and my heart drops to my feet.
“Cousin! Please, come outside and join us. And bring your little friends with you.”
Chapter 51
Cruz
It’sbeentoolongsince I’ve killed someone. The bloodlust tears through my veins, awakening the primal part of me that wants to do nothing but rip, tear, and destroy. At the same time, the need to protect Dutch is at an all-time high, and her being with the twins instead of me makes me want to hack them to pieces, then go after Ryan for giving the order.
I don’t. I manage to contain it. There just better be someone for me to kill soon though, or I may not be able to hold it back much longer. I glance to the right, noting which room Dutch goes into, then follow Ryan’s lead as he opens the French doors that lead out onto the rooftop patio.
Dark gray decking stretches out in front of us, a myriad of plants in colorful planters set strategically around the space to offer privacy. Deck chairs and small tables are tucked into corners, and in the middle, a wrought-iron gazebo with canvas-like curtains stands.
Tall thick bamboo, fifteen feet high in some places, and giant ferns line the borders of the patio, offering ideal cover for the enemy. I’m guessing Ryan designed this as a sanctuary, but he’s a fucking idiot. It provides perfect cover for the enemy.
A rustling to my left has me spinning toward it, rifle raised. A soft laugh floats on the wind, followed by the sound of footsteps moving away. I clench my teeth at the amateurish games they’re playing. Because of all the cover, there’s no way to know how many people are out here. Although the patio isn’t huge, it’s a good twenty-five feet by thirty feet, leaving enough space to hide a number of people.
Ryan catches my eye and tips his head toward the gazebo. I nod back, and we make our way stealthily toward it. The curtains are closed on the side facing us, making it difficult to see if anyone is in it. When we’re just a few feet away, we open fire, the bullets decimating the curtains, ripping them to shreds.
Disappointment rushes through me when I realize we didn’t hit anyone, but at least we’ve eliminated one of the hiding places. A single shot rings out, landing just inches from my feet. Another does the same to Ryan, who curses when a chip of wood flies up into his face.
More rustling sounds from behind the walls of bamboo, and I can’t tell if we’re surrounded, or if they’re just trying to make us think we are. As if their leader has heard me, a voice shouts out, “Drop your weapons! You have guns trained on you from all directions.”
Fuck. We can start shooting and hope for the best or lay our guns down. I know Dutch would go in guns blazing, but if we truly are surrounded, we won’t make it out of this alive. And I am not done with her yet. Not by a long shot.
Ryan and I lock eyes, a silent conversation running between us. As one, we lower our rifles to the ground and raise our hands in the air. A young woman with dark hair, maybe about twenty or so, darts out from behind the bamboo and scoops up our guns. She backs up several steps, her gaze running over us. “It’s a shame you’re going to die today. I wouldn’t mind taking you both for a dick spin.”
Ryan snarls at her, but she just laughs, disappearing again with our guns.
“Drop to your knees, hands behind your head, and interlock your fingers,” comes the voice, arrogant in its triumph. We do as he says, the ridged patio boards cutting into our knees.
Footsteps sound behind us and our helmets are ripped off. I clench my teeth so tight, my jaw aches. The girl comes back again, flicking her hair off her shoulder as she stops in front of us. “I want this one,” she states, running a finger down my cheek. I growl at her, twisting my face away.
