Page 56

THERON

It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t enjoy leaving the team on the boat but I knew we’d be exposed if we didn’t have someone covering us on deck. I also knew everyone on the team could swim their way back without any issues so when the engine finally caught, I whipped it towards shore with Preacher on the bow and Red huddled in the middle. Halfway there, gunfire ripped into the water near us and I glanced over to see another inflatable with five men headed our way.

“Preacher!”

I shouted, but he’d seen them and was already opening fire. He took one man out before the craft banked hard and slid into the side of ours. Preacher launched himself into the other boat. I followed, tackling another into the water. We thrashed in the surf, churning up the foam and wake until the pull of the breakers grabbed us. It threw me and the man into the shallows where I was first to regain my feet.

I pulled my gun and shot him.

Static assaulted my ears. I yanked my comms out and threw it aside, in the same breath cursing Vetticus for not making the comms units waterproof. I looked down the shoreline and saw Red sprinting towards our safe zone except Kai had just made land close by and was in between her and the DZ. She slid to a stop and started backtracking.

We all sprinted towards each other.

My leg was screaming at me as I urged myself faster. Red rushed by me.

I collided with Kai at full speed. We hit the ground with so much velocity we rolled all the way into a dune above the tide, throwing sand everywhere.

The impact threw us apart and knocked the air from my lungs. I looked over to see him gasping in the sand in a similar position. We scrambled to our feet, both having lost our weapons in the initial impact, we had nothing but our fists as we rushed each other. It was messy, unrefined and physical. We were both so lost in the fight, it was a primal urge driving us back to the basest of our instincts and training.

“Fuck you, Kraven,”

Kai hissed. “I’m not losing again.”

“Tired of being Vetticus’ favorite?”

I taunted.

He rushed me again with a growl.

Again and again we clashed, each landing hits that had us both coming away bloody. I landed on top of him. He dug his hand into my knife wound and landed a solid blow to my jaw. Pain erupted across my entire body. My vision dimmed and he was able to shove me away. I lay scrambling in the sand as I watched him take off towards Red. I managed to get to my hands and knees but an attempt at getting to my feet had me falling back down. I cursed as I watched Kai grab his gun and then he was on Red.

Looking down shore, I saw Nyx and Atlas jogging out of the surf. My second attempt at getting to my feet succeeded, and I took off towards them. Nyx was ahead of Atlas and I watched in horror as Kai, using Red as a shield, raised his gun towards Nyx.

He pulled the trigger and the gunshot rang out across the beach.

I watched Nyx fall.

Red was screaming as Atlas aimed for Kai. By some fluke, Kai stumbled as Atlas pulled the trigger and the bullet hit him in the shoulder instead of the neck. Kai aimed his gun at Atlas and I choked on a breath as he pulled the trigger.

Empty.

Kai tossed the weapon away and dragged Red down the beach. Atlas aimed his sights at Kai but his gun must have been empty too because he tossed it away and gave up on Kai in favor of Nyx. He fell to his knees next to him.

I made it to them just as Atlas was ripping Nyx’s shirt down his chest revealing the bullet hole. I collapsed on my knees on Nyx’s other side.

“No, no, no—Nyx!”

I patted his cheek, my breathing frantic. I checked his pulse, it was low and slow and his breathing was shallow.

Then it fucking stopped.

I cursed repeatedly and started compressions.

“You don’t get to die,”

I panted. “Don’t you dare fucking die on me!”

I gave mouth to mouth and went back to compressions, terrified I was going to lose him.

“Come on, Nyx—” I gasped.

More air. More compressions.

More air. More compressions.

More air—

Nyx gasped for breath, sputtering.

He grimaced and blinked rapidly before looking at me.

“Jesus, North—you want to kiss me you just have to ask.”

“Fuck you—”

I croaked weakly.

I fell back on my heels into the sand, exhausted and drained. Relief coursed through me so fast I closed my eyes as the world spun. Atlas took over, applying pressure to the gunshot wound as Nyx sat up with a groan.

“Don’t fucking scare us like that!”

Atlas demanded.

The buzzer interrupted any reply as it blared out over the landscape, mocking our defeat. Nyx looked over at me, a new fear shining in his eyes.

“We lost,”

he said. “Fuck! You should have just left me and gone after Red!”

“Fuck off,”

Atlas snapped. “He had two men waiting for him down the beach and we’re out of ammo.”

I didn’t have the breath to argue with Nyx. Movement up the beach caught my eye and I looked up to see Preacher supporting Kane as they limped towards us. Kane was bleeding heavily from what looked like several gunshot wounds. I heard coughing, and we all turned towards the ocean to see the two kids coming out of the surf. Kane and Preacher reached us as Atlas and I helped Nyx to his feet, supporting him between us.

“Looks like you three had some fun,”

Kane rasped. “And look! The kids made it back!”

I didn’t even care to know what we all looked like as we shuffled our way back to the safe zone. The sour taste of our loss permeated the air and the dread of what awaited us back at the mansion loomed ahead as the mouth of the doors swallowed us up and took us back to hell.