Page 25 of Ravaged Saints (BloodHawks Duet #1)
Waking up, I see that Ethan is already getting dressed. He stayed in my room last night, but something feels off. His shoulders are tense, his movements quick, and his eyes dart between the door and the bag at his feet.
He pulls on his black cargo pants and the compression shirt he wears most days, but then he grabs a vest. Sitting up fast, my heart is pounding. “Is that a bulletproof vest?”
Ethan’s head snaps toward me, his expression carefully blank.
“I’m going for a run, and since Knox saw the footprints, I want to be careful,” he says.
I notice how the words waver; he’s lying.
We’ve been here almost a month, and I know when he’s hiding something. I know him better than he thinks.
“Ethan, please, don’t do anything stupid,”
I whisper, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my body against his.
His hands settle on my waist, his lips brushing my forehead. “Don’t worry, babygirl.”
But his eyes are cold and detached. The moment shatters when he steps back and grabs the bag. “If anyone asks, tell them I went for a run.”
I nod, but my stomach twists as he walks out.
A heavy weight sits on my chest, one I can’t shake, even as I head to the shower.
I let the water pound against my skin, hoping it’ll wash away the unease, but it only settles deeper.
The last few days have been… off.
I feel closer to Aspen but distant from the guys.
Ethan told me things would get better and that Knox would understand the changes he’s planning, but the fact that he keeps sneaking out and hiding papers in the trees tells me he is lying.
To be fair, I know Knox or the rest of the guys would not accept the plans, but not for the reason Ethan thinks.
I know he’s working with someone.
They’re helping him open the base for others.
This place can’t survive with just us.
It can be used for so much more, even more than what Ethan thinks or wants!
I throw on jeans, a shirt, and boots, tying my hair into a ponytail.
I need to feel comfortable today, and I need to be ready.
Upstairs, the house is quiet.
Everyone’s still asleep, though I heard Aspen in the shower while I was getting dressed.
I grab some fruit and milk, but I can’t eat.
My stomach won’t settle; I hear steps, and when I turn, I see Knox walking in.
His figure is always a commanding one.
He’s wearing a black Black Sabbath shirt and black loose cargo jeans, his tattoos on full display, and my eyes roam over his body; he is all muscles and menace.
“Where is Ethan?”
No greeting, just pure interrogation, as always.
“He went for a run.”
My answers is clipped and detached, and I don’t bother looking up.
He huffs and walks outside. I roll my eyes. I’m sick of him and his attitude.
He thinks he owns this place, that he controls everyone like we’re still in the military. They aren’t even soldiers anymore. They’re mercenaries!
I rinse my dish in the sink, trying to push down the irritation, when a sound rumbles behind me.
“Morning, .”
Dante.
I don’t turn. “Good morning, Dante.”
I hear him exhale before walking out, and the weight in my stomach grows heavier.
I move toward the stairs, but movement catches my eye. Max rushes toward the left side where Ethan’s room is.
My pulse spikes. What is he doing?
I kneel on the stairs, just low enough to stay out of sight, watching.
Ryker’s muffled words drift toward me, but I can’t make them out. I inch lower, leaning in to catch more.
“Look at the names.”
A pause—papers rustle.
“Rooms. Cells. Women’s holdup. Prisoners’ hold. Tactical room.”
His tone sharpens, edged with disbelief.
“Is this what Ethan is planning?!”
Max’s words echo through the space.
They found the papers.
“We need to tell Knox. I don’t care if Aspen asked you to wait, Ryk; this is dangerous!”
Max snaps, firm and unyielding. Footsteps approach, each one heavier than the last.
I push to my feet.
Knox and Dante are near the front gate, so I can’t go that way. I look around; maybe the window— there’s only one that opens, and it leads to the backside of the base where we have the other gate, and Ethan gave me the codes weeks ago.
I hear Max and Ryker moving upstairs.
Move. Now.
I slide the window open just enough to squeeze through and drop down. My boots hit the ground, and I take off.
At the gate, my hands shake as I punch in the code. The gate unlocks, and I push slowly, not making a sound. I don’t have time to close it.
I know where the meet-up point usually is, so I push toward it, lungs burning, sweat dripping down my back.
Reading men is what I do, their wishes, their secrets, their lies, and I’ve built my life around knowing what they want before they say it, sensing deception before it reaches me. I do what I need to stay alive and to protect the ones I care for, and right now that’s just Aspen.
I push forward, my heart pounding as I reach the clearing. My breath is uneven, and my stomach twists in knots. I scan the trees, searching—
“Hello, beautiful.”
The deep rumble jolts me, sending a sharp spike of adrenaline through my veins. I spin around, pulse hammering. A man stands a few feet away, brown hair threaded with silver, eyes sharp—a predator sizing up his prey.
Before I can move, an arm snakes around my waist, a hand clamping over my mouth.
“It’s okay, babygirl.”
Ethan’s breath brushes my ear, low and familiar.
For half a second, my body sags in recognition—then instinct kicks in. I shove him off, my heart thundering against my ribs. “You scared me.”
My breath stutters as I press a hand to my chest, trying to steady it. My gaze flicks to the older man, unease curling in my stomach.
“This is a friend, ,”
Ethan says smoothly, exchanging a look with the man. “He’s going to help us.”
Something shifts in Ethan’s gaze as he looks at me. He looks like a hungry wolf, like the looks hunters wear when they already know how they have won the game.
A cold weight settles in my stomach, but I force a nod. “Good. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
Branches rustle, and more men step into the clearing. I count twelve, maybe more.
Some are unarmed, but the ones who are, I recognize their weapons. It's the guns the BloodHawks have. And the ammunition Ryker was talking about? I know it’s what these men have.
He told me he was keeping the ammo in a safe place so that when the time came to take Knox’s control away, they wouldn’t be able to fight back, but I already knew that was a lie.
Ethan never wanted to stop a fight. He wanted to make sure he won the one he was about to start, and what upsets me the most is the fact he lied to me, even after everything I did for him, to him!
The men start moving, splitting into small groups, and my heartbeat pounds against my ribs.
“Ethan,”
I call for him, and he turns to face me again. “Remember what you promised, no one hurts Aspen.”
I remind him of our deal. He nods, and I see the other man’s eyes on me.
She risked herself to save me. She could’ve lost it all, and I can’t let her lose it all now.
I swallow the knot in my throat and force a small smile. “I’m so thirsty. The river’s just ahead. I’ll be right back.”
Ethan nods, distracted. “Sure, go on.”
I lean in, pressing my lips to his, letting him kiss me, letting his tongue push past my lips, and bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.
I turn, one foot in front of the other, controlled, slow, not driving anyone’s attention until I reach the trees, then I run.
Branches tear at my arms as I push through the trees, my legs burning, my breath ragged. They’ll notice I’m gone, and they’ll come for me.
I just have to make sure Aspen is safe. I don’t trust Ethan, and his eyes just now tell me he doesn’t care at all about what could happen with Aspen.
“Let me go!”
The scream rips through the air, sharp and familiar.
My blood turns to ice.
Aspen.
No. No, no, no.
I whip around, sprinting back toward the clearing, and my vision tunnels. My only thought is to get to her, but a shadow moves, and pain explodes in my back as a boot slams into me, sending me crashing to the ground.
The world spins, the leaves scrape my skin, and I try to push up, but a heavy boot presses between my shoulder blades, pinning me down.
A voice grunts above me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The older man.
The weight of his boot digs in, pressing hard enough to make my ribs ache. I choke on a gasp, my mind screaming, my vision darkening at the edges.
I struggle, but he doesn’t budge.
And in the distance—Aspen screams again.
“Let her go! Ethan!” I scream.
Ethan is moving closer to Aspen, and another man holds her, her back pressed against his chest, his filthy hand clamped over her mouth.
“You know how long I’ve wanted to fuck you?”
Ethan snarls.
He grips her jeans.
Aspen thrashes, her muffled screams vibrating against the palm covering her mouth, but the man is stronger, and she can’t break free.
The older man leaning into me—pressing me into the dirt—chuckles. “You really thought Ethan only wanted you?”
His says sarcastically. “I told you this would happen.”
A fresh wave of sorrow crashes over me.
Ethan unbuttons Aspen’s jeans.
Tears stream down my face as she fights, jerking, kicking, desperate—but it’s not enough. There’s no way out of his hold.
“This is not what you promised, Ethan.” I scream.
Her eyes snap to mine.
She’s crying. God, she’s crying.
But then Ethan’s fingers push beneath the fabric.
Aspen tenses and her jaw locks, her whole body stiff, like she’s forcing herself not to react, but through the tears, through the fear, something changes. Her eyes blaze as she stares at him, at the man who thinks he’s won.
“The guys will get you, Ethan.”
She spits back, cutting, and cold.
“You can do whatever you want to me, but you will never have me the way they do. You will never be half the man they are. You will never be as good a soldier as them.”
And then she spits in his face.
Ethan stills. His jaw flexes, and muscle tics in his cheek.
He shoves his hand deeper, his expression twisting with rage, but Aspen doesn’t make a sound. I know she won’t give him that.
“I’m sorry!”
I scream, my heart breaking.
Aspen’s gaze flickers to me, and she smiles, a small, sad, knowing smile.
“Fuck this,”
Ethan snarls, wiping spit from his face. “You can have her.”
He jerks his chin at the man restraining her, and the bastard grins. “Let her up,”
Ethan tells the older man.
Pressure lifts from my back, and I stumble upright. Aspen yelps as she’s thrown to the ground, landing hard, her feet kicking up dirt.
“I love it when they fight,”
her captor chuckles.
I spin to Ethan, my chest heaving. “Why are you doing this?”
My voice is barely above a whisper. “I thought we had a deal.”
I stop. The words feel so stupid now.
Ethan barks out a laugh. “A deal?”
He steps closer, his expression cruel. “Don’t get me wrong, , you were an amazing fuck. The best distraction I could’ve asked for. You and Aspen kept the guys busy while I sped up my plan.”
I barely hear him.
My eyes are locked on Aspen. She’s still struggling, still fighting.
I need to stop this. I edge left slowly. One of Ethan’s men stands nearby, back to me, too busy watching the scene unfold.
“Why?”
I ask to keep him busy.
“Why?”
He grins, wide and unhinged. “We could rule the fucking country. The guys? Special forces. They could train men and take women as their! We could build an empire!”
He shakes his head, disgusted. “But no. They want to hide, to live out their pathetic lives like cowards.”
His eyes flick to the older man leaning against a tree. “We’re going to rule,”
Ethan growls, dripping with resentment. “If you two hadn’t fallen into the trap, the guys would’ve never fucked another woman again. And me? I would’ve never touched another woman again and hid? Fuck that.”
He planned all of this for months before Aspen and I even got here.
He smirks. “I met him in town. We served together, and when I told him about the base, we both knew how much we could do with it.”
I keep moving. Closer. Closer.
“And me?”
I ask, my fingers brushing the cool metal hanging from the guard’s belt.
Ethan’s smirk deepens. “You, babygirl?”
His voice dips into something dark and vile. “You were the perfect excuse. Whenever the guys asked where I was, you covered for me, and like I said, you’re an amazing fuck. Don’t worry, . I’ll keep fucking you. But now—”
He glances at the older man. “I’ll have to share.”
They both laugh. Something inside me snaps.
I move.
My fingers curl around the gun on the man’s belt. I rip it free and pull the trigger.
Bang.
He crumples.
Aspen.
The man holding her. I raise the gun—shoot.
Bang.
He staggers, pants still down. He falls and doesn’t move.
“Bitch!”
Ethan roars.
“Aspen, run!” I scream.
She darts forward. I follow—
I try to go as fast as I can. I see her darting to the woods, men screaming behind us. I had a deal with Ethan. I would help and would keep us both safe, but I already knew he would not keep his end of the deal.
Bang!
A sharp, tearing pain rips through me, and a chill runs down my spine.
“No! !”
Aspen screams, and I try to keep running, but my legs give out.
The ground rises to meet me.
Aspen’s scream cuts through the ringing in my ears. “!”
I lift my head, my vision swimming. “Run, Aspen!”
I order, but she runs back to me. She pulls me up as her tears hit my face.
“Oh my God, ,”
Her hand is covered in blood, my blood.
“You—”
I feel my eyes heavy, my mouth dry, “need to run, please, for me—”
“, please, you can’t leave me, not like this.”
She sobs, and I caress her hair, my eyes closing.
“I’m sorry. Aspen—”
I can’t open my eyes.
"One less bitch to worry about." The words cut through the haze, laced with cruel satisfaction.
"No, let her go! Don’t fucking touch her!" Aspen’s scream splinters through the air, raw and frantic. I want to reach for her, to move—but I’m locked inside my own body.
My breaths grow shallow, uneven. Slower. Too slow.
“Is she dead?”
Ethan’s words float somewhere beyond the thick, creeping darkness.
“Almost.”
Numbness spreads, cold and insidious, sinking into my bones like ice water filling my veins. My thoughts splinter, breaking apart like ash carried off by the wind.
“Take her body so the Bloodhawks won’t find her!”
The command is sharp, final.
“And the other one?”
Another voice, distant, blurred.
“Keep her here until I tell you. And keep her quiet.”
The rasp is merciless.
Aspen. They can’t hurt Aspen. They won’t. That was the deal—
But I’m sinking. Fading. And I can’t fight it.
Knox
Barely had any sleep last night, even after losing to Dante in several poker games…
The sun is up, the weather is warm, and I’m standing outside, my eyes roaming the only place I ever felt safe, but now something feels heavy.
“You seem on edge, Reaper.”
Dante stops beside me, following my gaze.
“I think someone went through my desk.”
The words feel heavy.
“What the fuck?”
His tone hardens. “Why would someone—”
He stops. “Fucking Ethan.”
I shake my head. “Either him or .”
“Max was with Ryker, and I was with you.”
Dante’s face darkens. “Ethan was with …”
His voice dips lower, cautious.
“Aspen.”
Her name leaves my lips, and my entire body tightens. “She wouldn’t.”
Dante nods. “I know, but—”
“Morning.”
Aspen’s sweet sound cuts through the darkness, smooth and untouched by the weight settling in my chest. Her dark hair is loose, the wind catching the ends, and I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how long and dark as the night it truly is when it dries, wild waves framing her face.
We both nod, but she picks up on the tension instantly, and her gaze sharpens. “What?”
I inhale deeply. “Where were you last night, Aspen?”
I ask, stepping closer, measured and careful.
“In my bed, why?”
She crosses her arms, defensive, icy blue eyes flicking between me and Dante.
“All night?”
Dante presses.
“Yes! I was exhausted!”
Her eyes narrow, heat flaring in them. “Just fucking spit it out. What’s with the interrogation?”
Dante shifts behind me, fists clenching. “Were you in Knox’s room?”
Her expression flickers, then hardens. “Last night?”
She lets her arms drop to her sides. “Why the hell would I be in your room?”
She steps closer, chin up, chest out. A whole five-foot-three attitude squaring up against me, and the corner of my mouth twitches in amusement.
“You could’ve been looking for me,”
I offer, though I know better.
“If I were, I would’ve knocked.”
Her eyes flash. “Reaper.”
My muscles tense at the way she says it. Fuck, I secretly love when she calls me that. I step closer, and she shoves at my chest, but I wrap an arm around her, pulling her against me.
“I wasn’t in your room!”
she grits out, struggling against my hold.
“I know, pet, but we had to ask,”
I murmur the words against her ear, feeling the tension slowly drain from her body.
It wasn’t her. She’s not the type to sneak, and if Aspen wanted something, she’d take it, or she’d burn this whole fucking place to the ground. But ? I never trusted her, and there was something off about the scent lingering in my room last night.
“Knox.”
Max’s snaps me out of my thoughts. He steps out of the house, looking around. His eyes are dark, almost lethal, and the last time I saw him like this, bodies were left behind him.
“Where’s Ethan?” Max asks.
“Out for a run.”
But my gut twists. Something’s not right.
Ryker appears behind him. “And ?”
“She’s in the main room,”
Dante answers.
“She’s not there,”
Ryker mutters, glancing toward the gate.
“Probably went downstairs,”
Aspen offers, but her face holds uncertainty.
Ryker steps closer to her, his expression unreadable. Then, in a move that throws me off, he cups her face gently.
“I’m sorry, Aspen.”
His tone is quiet, raw in a way I’ve never heard from him before, and tears gather along her lashes, unshed, and I move before I think, spinning her back to me, her dark hair whipping around, strands sticking to her face.
“What the fuck is going on, Aspen?”
“You need to tell him,”
Ryker murmurs, and I snap my gaze to him.
What have these two been hiding?
Aspen nods, her hands sliding up to grip my face, pulling me down so our eyes lock like she’s searching for something.
“I think Ethan is planning something for the base.”
Dante strides toward us, shaking his head.
“Come on, Ethan would never.”
He’s always been the one to keep the peace, to defend us when we’re at each other’s throats.
“He told you that?”
I ask as controlled as I can.
Aspen nods, but before she can speak, Ryker grips her shoulder, and I catch the unspoken plea in his eyes.
“ told her,”
Ryker says.
Fury ignites in my veins, and my jaw clenches, fists curling as I release Aspen and storm inside, boots slamming against the floor.
“!”
My roar echoes, but there’s no response.
Dante is right behind me. “I’ll check downstairs,”
he says before disappearing down the hall.
“But she said Ethan was doing something good for all of us.”
Aspen’s voice wavers as she steps inside, pleading, but there’s no way in hell I’m believing a word out of ’s mouth.
“Knox!”
Aspen grabs my arm, yanking me back, and I whirl on her, struggling to rein in my rage.
“You knew we could be in danger and didn’t tell me?”
My fists clench, muscles coil tight.
“She wanted proof,”
Ryker interjects, stepping up beside her. “She didn’t want to make things worse between us and Ethan.”
I glare at him. “And you—you fucking knew?”
“She told me yesterday,”
Ryker says, standing his ground. “I was giving her time to find something more.”
Max steps up beside him, his darkening gaze locked on me.
Are they going to fucking jump me?
“Reaper.”
Dante sounds menacing from behind me, and he strides over like a bull, eyes locked on me, then drops his gaze, and I follow his eyes. My stomach turns. Aspen!
I didn’t even realize I was gripping her arm so hard that she was flinching, her skin already bruising and tears slipping down her face, her whole body locked tight.
Fuck.
I let go immediately, hands raised. “Pet, I didn’t mean to—I would never—”
She just nods, but I see it, the fucking fear, the same look she had the first day I saw her.
“Aspen.”
I step closer.
“The back gate is open!”
Max’s yells from outside. I didn’t even realize he had left the room.
“What do you mean, open?”
Dante is already moving, Ryker right behind him.
I stand frozen for a beat, my eyes locking on Aspen.
She looks at me—wide-eyed, breathing unevenly.
Fuck.
“I’m sorry,”
I murmur, barely more than a breath, and I stride towards the gate.
By the time I reach it, the others are already scanning the area, but there’s nothing. No . No Ethan. Just open space and a pit forming in my stomach.
“We found this.”
Ryker hands me a piece of paper. Our base is roughly drawn, but instead of our rooms, they are appointed as cells, prisons…
Dante stares at the paper. “That doesn’t look like Ethan’s writing—”
Fuck me!
“Let’s gear up.”
I don’t have time for Dante’s shit to protect him.
He slams the gate shut, and I follow the guys back inside, but as we enter, I feel something’s wrong.
I scan the room, and it takes me a second to realize what’s missing.
“Where the fuck is Aspen?”
The guys freeze, faces pale, and a cold wave crashes through me.
No. No, she wouldn’t.
“Please tell me she didn’t—”
I rush, not waiting for an answer, lungs burning as I sprint to the front gate.
Wide open.
“Fuck!”
I snarl, fists clenching.
She’s out there. Alone.
“Recon!”
My voice is sharp, cutting through the heavy air.
He’s there in seconds. “Find her,”
I order, strapping on my gear. “Take Max with you.”
Max hands me my guns and bulletproof vest.
“What about Ethan and ?”
he asks, checking his rifle.
“Me and Dante will go after them.”
They all nod, with no hesitation.
Dante appears with the radios, the four left that still work, and we’ll need every damn one.
“They can’t be far,”
I growl, adjusting my vest. “Stay in radio range.”
I glance at the guys, all geared up, the BloodHawk symbol stitched onto our chests—a hawk with bleeding wings.
For a split second, I’m dragged back to that fucking mission.
The heat. The blood. The orders that got us burned.
Not again.
“If anyone shows up—shoot to kill.”
“Yes, Reaper.”
They all answer.
We move slowly; there is something in the air, the trees are too still, the birds too quiet as if sensing what the fuck will happen, and I know deep down inside, things are about to change, and I just hope we all survive it.
“Reaper,”
Dante whispers, pointing to the ground, footprints. Several, there is no way these are just from and Ethan. Someone else is out here.
“Recon.”
I click on the radio.
“Reaper.”
He responds almost immediately.
“We are not alone,”
I inform them.
“Got it. Over and out.”
I still don’t understand what the fuck is going on. Is Ethan plotting with someone in town? Was that why he kept disappearing? Was I that blind?
If anything happens to the guys, it will be on me. I let a fucking pussy cloud my judgment. She is in my mind all the fucking time!
What if she got caught? What if whoever is out here killed her?
We keep moving, pushing, trying to find any clue of where Ethan is, and if I find him, I will get my answers.
We hear footsteps and kneel, hiding our position in total silence. A scream echoes, and my heart almost jumps from my rib cage.
Aspen.
“Fuck!”
I mutter, and Dante starts to move.
“Grit!”
I call out, but he follows the scream. The idiot is going to get himself killed.
I follow him, my rifle aimed forward. We pick up the pace, but Dante stops at a clearing, kneeling behind an oak tree, and I kneel on the other side.
Aspen is on the ground; some guys stand on top of her.
“Hey man, he told us not to touch her.”
The fucker says.
Is that blood on her clothes?! No… Fuck no…
“Is that guy—”
Dante’s voice breaks. He stands, rifle sweeping the area, and I move behind him, back turned to cover his blind spots. He’s on him before he can even notice we are there.
Dante lifts his boot and kicks the guy right in the head, cracking his skull open. The other tries to reach him, but I shoot before he can even take a step.
“Watch out!”
Aspen screams.
I drop to my knees as two men come shooting. We are sitting ducks here. “Dante, take her!”
I order, firing against them, making them hide behind the trees.
“They killed her. They killed !”
Aspen’s screams tear through me, each one sharper than the last. My grip tightens on the gun, and I feel the fucking burn of tears threatening my eyes. What the hell happened? Please don’t tell me Ethan did this.
“What?”
Dante pulls her up, and she points to a puddle of blood next to us, his eyes locked on mine as he drags her away.
“No! Stop!”
Aspen’s screams are guttural, filled with a pain so deep it twists in my chest.
“Where are they?”
I ask, forcing myself to stay steady while my insides fucking break. I didn’t like , but this? She didn’t fucking deserve this.
“Was it Ethan?”
Dante asks, but Aspen is too far gone to answer. She sobs, screams, and clings to him as if letting go will make it real.
“Fuck this shit!”
I raise on my feet and stride forward, the two fuckers come out from behind the trees and before they can even raise their guns I shoot both of them in the head, their bodies fall to the ground and I hear Aspen sobbing even more, I turn and head back to them.
“Dante.”
He snaps his gaze to me.
“Stand guard.”
He nods, shifting to his feet, rifle raised as he scans the clearing. We’re still sitting ducks out here, and I need to pull Aspen out of this before we all end up dead.
“Aspen.”
My tone is hard and commanding, and I grab her shoulders, shaking her just enough to bring her back. Her bloodshot eyes finally meet mine.
“She’s—”
Her breath stutters.
“Where is her body?”
I ask, my eyes never leaving hers, trying to ground her.
“The older man told his man to take her body!”
She yells, “They laughed, Knox! They said you would never find her body?!”
She starts to struggle to breathe.
Fucking hell!
“Aspen, look at me! Now!”
I growl, my finger pressing hard on her chin.
She opens, still gasping for air, “I need you to count to ten with me!”
I order, and I start counting. She joins in slowly, her voice cracking at each number, but her breathing starts to slow down.
“Was it Ethan?”
I ask, rage burning through my veins.
She shakes her head. “Some older guy.”
The words barely make it out, as she sobs.
I search Aspen’s body for injuries, and that’s when I notice that her jeans are unbuttoned. “Aspen,”
I brush my hands on her zipper.
“Ethan.”
She murmurs.
I look up, locking eyes with Dante, and his jaw is clenched so tight that I can hear his teeth grind. “I’m going to kill him; I’m going to kill them all,”
he grits out.
“How many?”
I ask, gripping Aspen’s face tighter, keeping her locked on me.
“Ten… maybe more.”
Her words are barely audible, almost swallowed by the tension.
“Guns?”
Dante’s questions, his eyes darting around.
“Maybe half of them. The others had knives.”
She’s still looking at me, pleading like I can bring back just by wanting it hard enough.
I inhale, forcing down the grief clawing at my throat.
“We need to move, Aspen.”
“No!”
She shoves at me, “We need to get her body back!”
“We’ll come back for her,”
I murmur, my voice breaking. “We’ll find her and give her a proper burial. I promise.”
A single tear slips down Aspen’s pale cheek.
I glance up at Dante, and his face mirrors my own. The tears streak his skin, but he swallows them down, forcing control.
I push to my feet, grab the radio, and take a steadying breath.
“Recon.”
Seconds later, a response crackles through. “Reaper.”
“Casualty,”
I say, the word tasting like fucking ash.
Silence.
“.”
Her name burns out, a tear goes down my face, and I don’t even bother hiding it.
“Fuck.”
Ryker punches through the line. “No, Knox, she can’t—”
He’s tone is lower, but Max cuts in.
“What the fuck happened?”
“Ethan. He’s got at least ten men, some armed.”
My jaw locks, my eyes shifting back to Aspen.
More silence.
“And—”
Max’s voice shakes.
“Aspen is safe,”
I say. My gaze finds hers. She’s staring at me, hollow, broken.
“Head back to base.”
I order “Watch your back.”
“We will,”
Max exhales, shaky. “Heading out. Over.”
The radio cuts to silence.
Now we get the fuck out of here.