Page 115 of Darkness of Mine

You’re never supposed to make promises to family in our line of work, but this is different. This time losing is not an option.We’reFreya’s family and we will bring her back.

49

FREYA

Light slices into my forehead as I peel my eyes open. I groan, only just managing to roll onto my side before I retch, emptying the contents of my stomach in a lumpy puddle by my face.

The acrid taste burns my throat. I push up against the floor to sitting and it takes everything in me not to throw up again as white hot fire shoots from my thumb up my arm.

My pants leg is sticky with blood. I pause for a moment, catching my breath as I glance around the spinning room. The clock on the oven tells me about twenty minutes have passed since I ran in here to escape Zach.

The house is quiet, no sounds other than my own panting, which means Zach is out there, looking for Harley.

I can’t stay here.

I grit my teeth against the pain as I maneuver myself so I’m leaning against the table leg. Using my bad arm to wedge my shirt to my side I tear a strip of cotton off the bottom.

My entire right hand is swollen and bruised. The thumb is already a deep purple and the pain swims in my head as I tie the material around the wound on my thigh.

Luckily, the bullet only grazed me and once I get myself into a standing position, I find I can still walk. It hurts like a motherfucker but I can do it.

I debate going to get the knife under the bed but even the thought of bending down makes my stomach churn. Just making it the few feet to the front door is bad enough.

I lean against the porch and suck in the frosty air, the cold bite clearing my head a little. Slowly, I walk into the woods, trying not to freak out about how quickly I get disorientated.

The trees are spindly and thin, dead branches stretching out to snag at my arms. My teeth chatter against the chill. I hug myself. If Harley’s out in this much longer, she’ll get hypothermia.Please let the guys have found her.

My steps are turning sluggish, my feet tripping on the uneven ground.

Heaviness drags at my eyelids, and they blink shut before I force them open again. Pain radiates up my leg with every step and the back of my head throbs like someone’s hammering at my skull. I’m not sure how much farther I can go when River’s shout hits my ears.

I stop walking and tilt my head as I listen.There.

Relief floods through me, turning to adrenaline in my veins, and I pick up speed. I barrel through the woods, just barely having the sense to slow down as I approach the voices.

I’m ready to run into River’s arms when Harley’s cry rips through the forest.

My veins freeze.No, no, no.I go slow, taking cover behind the trees as I peer out.

Fuck.

The guys are in a standoff with Zach. He’s ducked down low behind a large fallen tree trunk. Harley’s standing beside him, facing the guys, while Zach presses a gun to her back. The fucking coward is using her as a shield.

River has his gun raised but he can’t shoot without risking hitting Harley and the guys are in the worst possible position. All of them are in front of Zach and Harley. They can’t move to surround him without Zach noticing.

But I’m behind them.

If I had my gun, I could just shoot him, but I have nothing. Not even a fucking knife.

Harley’s body wracks and Zach grabs her ankle.

A thin layer of hardened snow covers the ground and Harley’s socks are soaked through.God that must hurt.

I look around for something, anything I can use and settle on a broken branch. It’s about the width of a baseball bat. I ease the makeshift weapon off the forest floor and grasp it with my good hand, then I creep out into the clearing.

“Come on Zach, let’s make this easy,” River calls. He’s too busy trying to get Zach to surrender to notice me but Eli’s gaze darts my way. I’m about thirty yards away from Zach and Harley. I nod my head towards them and start walking.

Ever so slightly, Eli dips his chin.