Page 19 of Always A Villain

“Rory!” My voice is ragged, barely audible above thechaos. I’ve faced death a thousand times. But nothing has ever come close to this feeling. This is fear—realfear, crawling under my skin, gnawing at my gut. The kind of fear I don’t know how to handle.

“RORY!” I dodge bodies, refusing to let myself look too closely at the lifeless faces. I can’t—won’t—find her among them.

“Axe!” Griffen’s voice pulls me back. “We have to go!”

“I’m not leaving without her!” I roar, slamming forward, heart hammering as I catch a flash of blonde hair. My pulse spikes, but it’s not her.

Griffen grabs my shoulder, forcing me to stop. “She’s not here! People said groups were running into the woods. We need to regroup and come up with a plan!”

“Two minutes. Give me two minutes.”

“We need you with us!”

“Give me two fucking minutes!” The thought of losing Rory, of failing to protect her, drives me past the edge of reason.

“Axe,” Griffen shouts again, but I don’t look back as I sprint into the tree line.

Then I hear it—Rory’s voice slipping through the madness.

“Let me go! I’m going back!” She’s fighting, screaming.Alive.

I bolt toward the sound. My eyes lock onto a group, and there she is—fighting against some bastard holding her back.

“RORY! RORY!”

Her head whips my way, eyes locking onto mine. “Axel!” she cries and bolts toward me.

I catch her so fast, so hard, I’m afraid she’ll vanish if I don’t hold on tight enough. For a second, the world disappears—nothing fucking matters but her, alive in my arms.

“It’s okay,” I murmur. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Her sobs shake us both. I run my hands over her face, her arms, checking for injuries.

“Are you hurt? Did you get hit?” I force the words out, terror still thrashing inside me.

She shakes her head, can’t speak, just buries her face in my neck.

I press my lips to her forehead, trying to calm her—trying to calm my-fucking-self. But there’s no stopping this feeling. Not when it’sher. For the first time, what’s driving me is more than rage or bloodlust. It’s a desperate need to keep her safe.

“You’re covered in blood,” she chokes out, her blue eyes wide with concern. “I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead.” The words spill from her, frantic, repeating over and over.

“It's not mine, little siren,” I lie as I steady her. But she’s not hearing me, not really.

“Axe,” she pleads, voice cracking. “What's happening?”

What can I tell her? I don’t know who the hell’s behind this. All I know is that whoever they are—they’re fucking dead.

“Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I was so scared,” she whispers, her legs still clinging to me, tears soaking my skin. That protectiveness rips through me, stronger than anything I’ve felt, and I grip her tighter.

My gaze zeroes in on Creed Kovac, lingering off to the side. What the fuck was he doing with her? I’ve never trusted that bastard. His silence pisses me off, my rage flaring hotter. If he so much as touched her the wrong way, I’ll bury him, no hesitation. My hands twitch at the thought.

Engines rumble in the distance; trucks roll in, soldiers spilling out, weapons up. Griffen rushes toward me, Kyla latched onto him.

“We need to get you out of here,” Griffen mutters, swiping at the blood on his face. He looks ready to pass out, but we’ve got no time. More trucks screech to a halt, soldiers scattering across the grounds. Sovereign choppers hover overhead, floodlights illuminating the wreckage. I glance at Rory; she can’t stay here another second.

“Get the girls to safety,” Arsen barks. “Secure the area. Get every Servant and Associate out. Now.”