Page 17 of Always A Villain

An explosion shatters the air, louder than anything else, a massive fireball rising from the stadium. The shock wave slams into us, and the heat scorches my skin even from here.

“We need to find the boys!” I shout, gripping Kyla’s arm, her face pale under the flashing lights.

“No! Safe space first!” she screams back, and we’re running again, feet pounding, the ground shaking with each new blast. Another explosion erupts, sending fire and debris into the night sky.

What the hell is happening?!

We shove through the crowd, bodies everywhere, when another explosion detonates too close. The blast sends us flying, hurling me to the ground, and before I can even blink,arms wrap around my waist, jerking me backward. I twist, and there’s Creed—his grip tight, eyes blazing.

“Rory, we need to go!” he shouts. Kyla’s right behind me, eyes wide, and now the three of us are running again, cutting through the mass of panicked, screaming people.

My lungs are on fire, but my mind’s racing ahead. Axe…he’s inside the stadium—in that hellstorm. I can’t just run. I need to find him. My gut twists, and I start pulling away from Creed.

“I need to find Axe!” I shout, struggling against his iron grip.

“He can handle himself!” Creed yells back, dragging me toward the cover of the trees.

“Let me go!” I yank harder, but his grip tightens.

“NO! We need to leave, now!”

“Stop!” I twist my body, teeth clenched, but he’s relentless, pulling me farther into the shadows. When we finally stop, gasping for breath, the pandemonium is a distant roar. But I don’t care. I can’t leave.

“Creed!” I glare up at him. “We need to go back. I need to find Axe!”

“We’ll get out of this. Trust me.”

Kyla’s sobbing, her face streaked with fear.

I grit my teeth as dread claws at my insides. “We have to find the boys!” Creed’s eyes flick across the darkened forest.

“No. We’re leaving.”

“But—”

“I said no!”

“Fuck you!” I lunge to break free, but he's ready. His hand clamps around my arm, and I can't move an inch.

“IfI let you go, you're dead,” he snaps. “You’ll do as I say.” The arrogance dripping from him makes me want to punch him square in the face. Who the fuck is this guy? I thrash in his grip, but it’s like fighting a wall of iron.

“Rory, please!” Kyla’s voice wobbles, her wide eyes pleading. “The boys will be fine. We have to go.”

My stomach sinks to my feet, and I can’t hold back the tears any longer.

“You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not.” He forcefully drags me deeper into the trees, the shadows closing in.

People rush past us, faces morphed in terror as they vanish into the darkness. Helicopters still roar above, their spotlights slicing through the night. With my heart beating viciously in my ears, I fumble for my phone, dialing with trembling fingers.

No answer.Fuck.I try Axe. Then Griffen. Spencer. Dad. Nothing.

Dread tightens its grip, strangling my breath. I’m running, but I’m lost in an internal nightmare I can’t escape.

I can't shake the image searing itself into my brain—Axe, bleeding out alone in the madness, or worse, already gone.

Please, Axe…don’t die.

“Take out the fucking rocket launcher!” Priest shouts over the mayhem unfolding.