Page 117 of Hide and Seek

“Nope, just them. It looks like the power came back after he escaped, so there’s no way to see where he went. But we know where they are, and that’s good enough for me.”

“Me too.” Killian glances at me. “You good?”

“No.”

“Fair enough.” He turns his attention back to the paths. “Are you going to lose your shit when we find them?”

“Probably.”

“Good.” His tone is as dark as mine.

“About two clicks that way.” Jace points in the general direction of King House. “We should intercept them before they make it back to the more populated part of campus.”

“Lead the way, brother,” I tell Jace and fall into step behind him as the three of us run toward where he last saw those assholes.

It doesn’t take us long to cover the two kilometers, and we ignore the weird looks we get from the students who are once again milling about the paths.

Jace holds up his fist to signal for us to slow down to a walk. Seconds later, a group of guys carrying big black bags comes around the bend in the path in front of us.

This part of the path snakes behind several academic buildings and is completely empty of students except them and us. I don’t give a shit if the entire school is watching us, but it’ll be easier to deal with them without having to worry about witnesses.

Their eyes widen when they see us, and all five of them stumble like they hit an invisible trip wire as they bump into each other and drop their bags like they’re in a Vaudeville routine as they try to stop.

Jace and Killian grab the guys closest to them, closing their hands around the other men’s necks to hold them in place.

I grab the one in front of me by the hair and bring him to his knees with a hard yank. I don’t give a shit if he’s the ringleader or just a minion, he’s the closest, so he’s the one who’d better give me some answers.

“Where is he?” I demand in a deadly calm voice.

He gapes at me, his eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Don’t even think about moving,” Jace warns the two who aren’t being held and flips his butterfly knife around in a pattern designed to look as intimidating as possible. “Otherwise your boy is gonna get my signature carved into his throat with my trusty friend here.” He presses the tip of his knife into the guy he’s holding, and a trickle of blood snakes down his neck.

The guy lets out a pathetic whimper, but that just earns him another poke from the tip of Jace’s blade.

“Same.” Killian spins the Italian Stiletto he likes to carry in his hand a few times. “And just an FYI,” he tells them in a deadly dark voice that’s just as devoid of emotions as Jace’s. “We can throw these knives faster than either of you can run, and we’re damn accurate when we’re pissed off.” He taps the edge of his blade against the throat of the guy he’s holding, causing lines of blood to well up. “And you’ve pissed us the fuck off.”

The other two guys shift from foot to foot, but neither of them runs.

“Where. Is. He?” I repeat and draw my Beretta M9 from under my sweater and press the barrel into his temple. “Think before you answer, because you’re not getting a second chance to tell me the truth.”

The guy stares up at me as a dark stain spreads out from the crotch of his jeans, his face a mask of terror as he pisses himself.

“Where is he?” I push the gun harder into his temple.

“He ran,” one of the guys who isn’t being held in place squeaks. “He got away and he ran into the woods.”

“Jax?”

Myles’s voice cuts through my rage, and I instinctively look toward where it came from.

Myles steps out from behind the closest building, and I immediately sweep my gaze over him, checking for any signs that he’s hurt.

The guy I’ve got on his knees takes advantage of my momentary distraction and flails wildly. He manages to knock my gun away from his temple, and one of the guys who isn’t being held down lunges at me while the other rushes toward Myles.

“Don’t kill them,” Jace says, his voice calm and even, just before a blood-curdling scream rings out.

I have no clue if he’s talking to me or Killian, and I don’t have time to check as the guy on his knees grabs my arm with both of his hands and tries to wrestle the gun from me at the same time his buddy comes at me.