Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Which way?” Animal looks everywhere at once, eager to prove himself.
“They could be fucking anywhere,” says Eagle-eye. “I don’t fucking like it.”
“Not much choice, is there?” Quickshot loosens his shoulders as if he’s about to get into a fistfight.
“Crow fucking knows we’re coming. He’s prepared, no doubt.” With only little gaps through the walls, every store we push through becomes another ambush opportunity. But we gotta get to Faith. “We move forward, but watch out.”
I take the lead. When we find the way through, I want to be the motherfucker that wrings Crow’s neck, so I’m not going to fucking let anyone beat me to it.
The maze leads us back and forth, but we don’t see anyone else. I can’t shake the feeling that this is all too quiet.
“Do you just hear something?” Badass cocks an ear. “Like a clicking sound?”
“Clicking? Fuck! Get down,” yells Ripper and throws himself at us.
The words are barely out when the wall explodes, showering us with glass, metal and wood.
36
FAITH
“What the fuck?” Crow forgets all about me for a moment, as he twists in the direction of the explosion.
A huge cloud of black-gray smoke billows up above the barricade like a bad dream. Something blew, but I have no idea what. I just know the Vipers are distracted. God, if it’s actually Ripper and Alpha, and they didn’t burn to death or got shot at the gas station, they better not have been blown up now. I will freaking find their ghosts and haunt them!
While the Pit Vipers aren’t looking, I scurry over and kneel next to Blade. His hand is shivering like he’s ill, but he’s still alive. He groans, clutching his gut tightly. I wanted to pick up the knife, but it’s gone. One of Crow’s men must’ve taken it.
Crow laughs harshly. “The rats got here earlier than I expected. And here I fucking hoped I’d be able to do some villain speeches and shit, but if Eagle-eye’s just going to fucking blow himself up and save me the trouble, I guess I can live with that too. Do you like doing puzzles with Daddy, Faith? There might be a new one.”
What? Dad? Oh God. The black cloud takes on a whole new meaning now, and I can’t tear my eyes away from it. I’m trying really, really hard not to despair, but they’re not making it easy.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I snap at Crow.
“I think I already did. I just have to make sure how many birdies we took out with one stone, and then… well, I can promise you this. You won’t have to look at my ugly mug any fucking longer after that.” The dark threat in his voice chills me to the bone. He’s obviously not going to let me live after all this. Not that I ever expected him to.
“Please don’t die,” I whisper to Blade.
His blue eyes are slightly glassy when he looks up at me and it scares me. “Why?”
“Because we aren’t done fighting yet.”
He laughs, and it turns into a wet cough. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve been the first thing in a long time that’s made me look forward to life and I guess I didn’t deserve it. I love you, Faith, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out.”
I lean down, nose to nose with him. “You will not fucking die. Do you hear me? I’ve lost too much lately, and I have no intention of losing any of you.”
I refuse to believe that they’re all gone, not until I see proof with my own eyes. I pull off my t-shirt, ball it up and put it in Blade’s hands, making him press it against the gunshot wound.
I’m expecting to feel a panic attack clawing at the edges of my brain, but I refuse. There’s no time. Not now. If I’m going to get myself out of this, if I’m going to get Blade to a hospital, if I’m going to stay alive, just in case Alpha, Ripper and Dad aren’t dead, I need to stay in control. I need to outwit Crow.
But how.
He raises his eyebrows when he sees me in my bra. “Where the fuck is Shovelhead? Have him bring the boys out there to clean up. Can’t be much more than fucking parts by now.”
I won’t believe that. I can’t.
“He’s dead,” I tell him. “You’re going to lose, and you’re just too freaking dumb to understand it.”
“Oh, Faith,” Crow says in a syrupy sweet tone that’s as venomous as a cobra. “You can fool yourself all you want, but they’ll never reach you here. Even if they survived the explosion, they’re sitting ducks out there. My boys’ll fucking murder all of them. They made a mistake ever coming here.”
A loud thud draws all of our attention to the closest barricade wall. It actually wobbles a moment before settling.