Page 1 of Revenge Saints (BloodHawks Duet #2)

R un. Just run.

I whisper it over and over, like maybe if I say it enough, I’ll actually believe I can make it in time. Like it’ll drown out the panic clawing up my throat.

Dante.

His name is a scream in my chest.

My eyes blur with tears. I don’t stop. My heart’s pounding so hard it feels bruised, like it might just give out and leave me here, broken in the dirt.

How did everything fall apart so fast?

Shit—

The ground slams into me before I can catch myself. My hands scrape against rock and dirt, the sting making everything sharper. I try to push up, but pain lights up every inch of me. For a second, I just stay there, stunned. Maybe if I pretend I’m invisible, the world will stop.

I want to disappear. Just melt into the earth and be done.

I can’t do this again, I already lost my family once, and now… now I’ve lost the only people who made the world almost feel normal again.

Roman’s words slice through my memory like a blade. “I want the code to the weapons and the girl.”

It’s him I hear when I try to take a deep breath. When I try not to cry. When I wish I could still believe there’s a way out of this hell.

And the shot. God, the shot.

All I can think is, what if that was it? What if that was the end of us?

I know this is reckless. Stupid.

Running straight toward the monster in the dark? I’d slap someone else for being this stupid.

Roman isn’t going to keep his word. Even if I hand myself over, he’d never let Dante go. He’s using him like a human leash, keeping Knox, Max, and Ryker back just long enough to twist the knife deeper.

And we’re outgunned. Outnumbered, but I still want to wrap my hands around Roman’s throat and make him pay.

He shot her like she was nothing, and then he took her body. Why? What the hell does he want with her?

And Ethan? How could he just stand there ?

I still don’t want to believe Roman killed him too.

Breathe, Aspen. Breathe.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but all I see is blood. Her face. The tears.

The radio makes a clicking sound, and my fingers fumble as I grab it, pressing the button, but nothing happens.

“Hello?” I whisper.

Silence.

Another click, just static.

“Knox?” My voice cracks, hope clinging to the name like a lifeline.

“No, princess.” My heart stops.

Roman.

I drop it, and it hits the floor with a thud. A squeak escapes my lips as my head snaps up, my gaze darting to every shadow that lurks along the trees. Knox said these radios didn’t have a long range. Does that mean Roman is nearby?

“I trust you’re returning to the base like a good girl,” Roman snarls with amusement and menace, and my stomach turns upside down.

I don’t answer.

“Asssppeenn,” he sings my name, a twisted melody that sends a violent shiver down my spine. My hands shake as I pick the radio up so tight my knuckles turn white. I keep searching the trees; it’s getting dark, and I don’t have a single light to guide me.

“Fine,” he says. “I’ll make sure to let Dante know the reason he’s getting a bullet to the skull.”

“No!” My thumb smashes the button. “I’m here; please don’t hurt him.”

“Where are you?” Roman’s words slither through the speaker.

I swallow hard, scanning the darkening woods. I don’t know where I am, just somewhere too far from Dante. “Close,” I lie.

“Good girl,” he purrs. “My men will come help you get here faster, princess.”

The way he says it freezes my blood.

“I have so many plans for you.” He chuckles darkly, and it makes my stomach twist.

“You’re disgusting,” I snarl, no longer able to hide my hatred.

Roman tsks. “Oh, princess, don’t be like that. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

“Go to hell,” I yell to the damn radio.

“Been there, done that,” he grunts.

I push myself to my feet; my pulse quickens; I need to move.

The river is behind me, a dark ribbon of water whispering against the rocks, which means if I keep moving forward, I’ll eventually reach the base. But the question is, do I want to? March straight into Roman’s hands without a plan?

No. That’s not an option, but going back to the river… going back means Knox, Max, and Ryker will find me. And if they do, there’s no way in hell they’ll let me make my own choice; they’ll fo rce theirs on me.

Screw that. I was alone for years; I can do it again until I figure this out.

I pivot, darting into the other side of the woods, away from the river, away from the base. My boots dig into the mud as the sky darkens, rain begins to patter softly against the leaves above me. Roman won’t kill Dante. I’m sure of it… I think… I hope.

Don’t think about it, Aspen. Keep moving.

Glancing behind me, I spot my footsteps in the dirt. Ryker will track me in a heartbeat. I look around and see a branch with thick leaves still clinging to it. Perfect!

I drag it behind me, sweeping the ground to erase my trail. It slows me down, but I have to stay hidden at least until morning.

The rain is falling even more now; of course it is! I’m just waiting for a fucking lightning bolt to strike and get this over with.

I don’t know how long I’ve been walking; I’m tired, cold, and wet. My eyes are looking for anything where I can hide from the rain for a while.

Wait, what is that dark thing…?

A cave… Well, it’s more like a hole in a rock, but it will do.

Thank God.

I kneel on the wet dirt and crawl into the narrow opening. It’s tight, with barely enough room to fit through the entrance, but inside, I can at least sit straight.

Looking around, I think I’m safe here; I just need to keep quiet, but my breath comes in ragged gasps; my heart feels like it’s about to burst from my ribcage .

I clutch the radio; if something happens, if Roman’s men find me, I need to send a message, at least to let Knox and the others know.

Knox…

He’ll blame himself. I know he will.

I shake my head, pushing the thought aside, and click the radio. I don’t know how far I’ve gone or if I’m even in range, but I have to try. Roman shouldn’t be able to hear this… I hope.

“Knox,” I breathe. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m safe. Don’t worry about me; please get Dante.”

The last word cracks, and I slap a hand over my mouth, muffling the sob that threatens to escape.

A beat of static.

“Oh, pet…” Knox’s rough, calm tone hums through the speaker, and the tears spill over down my cheeks. “I thought,” He stops. More static.

“Knox?” I whisper, the radio shaking in my hand.

“I will find you. I promised Dante.” He growls, and I hear the pain.

Goddamn it. I know he will. It’s only a matter of time, but I need distance, just enough to think.

“Reaper,” I choke out, his name a broken whisper, a sob slipping past my lips before I can stop it.

“Fuck, pet,” he grunts, and the sheer frustration in him shreds me. “Stay hidden. We’re coming for you.”

The radio clicks, and I turn it off, stuffing it into my pocket. I pull my jacket up over my face, biting down on the fabric to silence the cries bubbling up. It hurts so much. Too fucking much.

Bryn.

We had our differences. God, if this was before the plague, we would’ve hated each other. She wouldn’t have spared me a second glance. But this? All of this? The hunters, the loss, the constant fear—it bonded us. Made us sisters in ways blood never could.

She was the first person I had hugged in four years. The first person to sleep curled beside me on cold nights. I’d forgotten what it felt like to have someone’s skin against mine, the steady rhythm of another heart beating close enough to hear.

If it weren’t for her, I would’ve shot myself when Knox and Max caught us. I was ready, desperate, to keep myself from being taken by them. But Bryn stopped me. She convinced me they weren’t like Cash. They weren’t monsters.

And now… now she’s gone.

Because of that bastard Ethan.

I curl deeper into the cave as the rain pounds harder outside, and I close my eyes.

I just need to rest. Just for a few hours.

Leaning into the rock, I try to steady my breathing, to quiet the storm in my mind like I did when I left Cash.

A sound snaps me awake. The sun is out. Footsteps .

I don’t move. I barely breathe.

A hand gropes inside the small opening and clamps around my arm. I scream, thrashing, but the space is too tight; I can’t kick, can’t fight. So, I do the only thing I can. I sink my teeth into his flesh, biting down until I taste blood, until I tear a piece of flesh.

He howls and staggers back.

“This bitch! She fucking took a piece!”

I don’t waste a second. I bolt, scrambling out of the hole and sprinting toward the river. If the guys are coming, that’s where I’ll find them.

“Don’t run, you fucking bitch!”

Boots slam against the ground behind me. Closer.

I push forward, lungs burning, heart slamming against my ribs.

Knox. I remember what I did to Knox when he chased me that day.

I dive low, snatching up a fistful of dirt, and fling it behind me. A grunt, then coughing and swearing. It slows him, but not enough.

“Knox!” I scream at the top of my lungs, tears blurring my vision. I should’ve told them where I was. Should’ve left a sign. Now it’s too late.

“He won’t come for you.” The man chuckles, cruel and certain, his fingers tangling in my hair. He yanks me back, hard.

I lose my balance and crash onto my back. The impact sends a sharp jolt up my spine, stealing my breath, and then fire slashes through my thigh.

A sudden sting, wet and blinding, like lightning under my skin. I cry out, but the sound is swallowed by the chaos .

He sliced me.

I felt it, but adrenaline roars through me, masking the worst of it for now. My fingers claw at the dirt. No time to think. No time to feel.

I kick wildly, grabbing at anything I can reach—dirt, rocks, whatever’s close enough to throw. Anything to keep him away.

“Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” he taunts, his voice thick with amusement.

Then his boot slams into my stomach.

I choke on a gasp as pain crashes through me.

He presses down, harder—and I feel something tear inside. My body threatens to give up on me, dark spots dancing in my vision, nausea tightening like a noose around my gut.

“Let me go!” I thrash, clawing at his leg. Blood soaks into my jeans.

But he doesn’t budge.

He looms over me, smirking like he’s already won. His grip locks around my legs, pinning me as his foot drives deeper into my stomach.

I can’t breathe.

“Knox…” It slips out broken, barely above a whisper. A last, desperate plea.

“Aspen!”

The growled words cut through the chaos a second before something slams into my attacker with bone-crushing force.

They hit the ground hard, the impact rattling through the earth beneath me. I scramble back, heart hammering, then I collide with a pair of legs.

I scream, twisting until I look up.

“Max!” The name rips from me, raw and choked.

“We’re here, sweetheart.” His eyes soften for a second before flicking toward Knox.

Knox is a blur of raw fury, fists driving into the man with punishing force. The guy tries to fight back. Useless. Knox overpowers him with terrifying ease.

Then, crack.

The body goes limp.

Knox rises, broad shoulders heaving, his black combat gear making him look even bigger. More dangerous. Blood coats his hands, a few drops splattered on his cheek.

“Knox!” I stumble to my feet, but my legs give out before I can reach him.

He moves faster than I can process, catching me before I even have the chance to fall, his grip strong, pulling me into him like he’s afraid to let go.

In one fluid motion, he hauls me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as I bury my face against his neck, breathing him in, clinging to him, anchoring myself in the feel of his body, his warmth, his scent.

“I thought…” The words shake as they leave me, a sob tearing its way through my chest, my fingers curling into the back of his shirt like I can hold him closer, like I can make sure he never leaves my side again. “I thought you wouldn’t make it in time.”

“I know, Aspen.” His arms tighten around me, locking me in, surrounding me in the only place that feels safe, the only place that feels like home. Because that’s what this is. This is where I belong. This is who I belong to.

Then the thought slams into me like a fist to the gut.

“Ryker?!”

Tears well up again, panic clawing at my chest as I turn my face up to Knox, waiting, bracing, praying he won’t give me another soul-shattering piece of news, another loss I won’t survive, because I can’t.

“Here.” He calls out, sounding calm and steady, laced with amusement, and when I turn, Ryker is there, his fingers curled around the handle of a knife, the blade dripping red, his smirk dark, his eyes glinting with something feral.

“Just giving your other friend a farewell gift.”

He chuckles, and just like that, the sob I’ve been trying to hold back crashes over me like a wave.

“Easy, sweetheart.”

Max’s tone is softer, a contrast to all the violence that just unfolded, and when I feel his fingers thread gently through my hair, I reach for him blindly, stretching out my arm, pulling him in until his warmth is pressed against me too, grounding me, keeping me from unraveling.

“Ryker.” His name is barely a whisper as I reach for him, needing him just as much, and without hesitation, he steps in, fitting himself into the space beside us like he’s always meant to be there.

I stay like that, wrapped up in them, my men, my family, but as I press my forehead against Knox’s shoulder, the warmth of them all surrounding me, the crushing weight of reality settles in my chest.

It’s not complete.

It won’t be, not until Dante is here with us.