Page 9 of Restitution

The man’s nose cracks.

Tobias shoves his arm away and punches him in the face, hard enough that he crashes into the wall – the man unable to retaliate as he smashes his face again and again. It’s a vicious, continuous beating that has more crimson spraying around us like a fountain until the vile human is unrecognisable.

Tobias has caved his face in completely.

Cassie is conscious but slurring her words, blood drying into her cheeks. Her dress clings to her sweating body, and there’s a large puncture hole in her arm. She glances up at me, barely seeing me – then her eyes roll to the back of her head and she collapses into my arms.

Tobias’s lips flatten. “Well, this is unfortunate. She’s the enemy.” He helps me up and tosses her over his shoulder. “Good thing we’re nearly out of here. Grab her phone – it’s on the floor over there.”

I pick it up and give it to him, and he slides it into his pocket. “Where are we taking her?”

“She’s the bait. Or blackmail. One child in exchange for theother. That’s if they don’t all perish when this place burns down.”

He links our hands again, keeping an unconscious Cassie on his shoulder as he leads us to the end of the lobby and slides open a window. I let out a relieved breath as Barry’s face pops up.

He grins at me when I smile. “Good evening, miss.”

I chuckle. “Stop calling me that.”

Kade’s father grunts. “You both shut up. Take this.” He practically tosses Cassie at him. Barry catches her limp body then hands her to one of his men, ordering them to take her to his car.

Tobias helps me up to the window ledge, and one of Barry’s men helps me down. As soon as my feet press into the soft grass, Barry pulls me into him – another hug I had no idea I needed. I wrap my arms around him just as tightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried about you. I wouldn’t have ever forgiven myself if something happened to you, Miss— Stacey.”

Tobias scowls at us and narrows his eyes at Barry. “Let go of her and move. Before someone sees us.”

Barry walks with us as we sneak through the grounds and into a small area of trees. My feet hurt, and I wince a little, but I don’t say anything. We have more things to worry about than my bare feet.

I accidentally forget to hold a branch, and it slaps Tobias in the face.

I cringe and glance over my shoulder, mouthing anoops.

He looks like he wants to stab me.

We hurry through trees, and the music dies out as we pass by stables. There are no horses. I can’t imagine Bernadette even caring for one.

We walk out of the grounds’ unused back entrance, the metal gate harshly creaking, yet not loud enough to draw attention to usin the dark.

I’m too scared to feel relief yet, because something always goes wrong.

Barry offers me a low nod and opens the door to one of the cars for me. “It’s good to see you again,” I say. “I hope Eva and Lisa are okay?”

“They’re safe and hidden. And it’s really good to see you too. However, it’s been rather peaceful without you.”

I shake my head. “Your cheeks turn red when you lie.”

When the car pulls out, Barry tells us that the Russians are readying themselves to storm the manor; that within the hour, it’ll be up in flames.

Hopefully the Sawyers burn.

Even if their daughter is in the trunk.

When we reach the lodge, the sun is already starting to rise, and I’m exhausted. I’d nearly fallen asleep on Tobias’s shoulder, but he shrugged me off while he tapped away on the iPad, hunting for Kade’s location through the security feed Barry had hacked into.

I keep watching how much Tobias is trying to hold himself together – a shell as he turns the tablet screen off and blankly stares out the window, blinking more than usual, before checking the screen to see if there’s any change then going back to staring.

His shell shatters when we get out of the car. The door of the lodge is thrown open, and Aria rushes out, her eyes red as her body slams into Tobias and she lets loose a string of sobs.