Page 71 of Ruthless Commander

If I could get his cell, then I’d be able to search the cameras myself. Glass shattered to my right. I ducked as Rhys whirled behind me and opened fired. We ran, cutting across the grounds, following Damien as he skidded and charged through an open door to what looked like one of the storerooms to the classroom buildings.

The door was ajar and darkness waited inside. Damien grabbed the door and shoved it open, then winced, grabbing his side. I glanced at him as I followed him inside.

“You’re hurt.” I tried to track him, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the murky gloom.

“It’s fine,” he answered.

I caught his motion in the darkness, then turned as Rhys charged through the door, shoving it closed behind him.

“Did they see you?” Damien asked.

But Rhys just bent over, braced his hands on his knees, and sucked in hard breaths.

“Did they…see you?” Damien asked again, stepping closer.

I caught the shake of Rhys’ head as he straightened. “No.”

“Good.”

Boom!

The sound of the gunshot was deafening in the tiny space. I flinched and froze, unable to move as Rhys fell, crumpling to the floor. I just stared…unable to process what had happened. Stared as movement came from behind me…stared as I was grabbed and shoved forward…what…what just happened?

I jerked my gaze to Damien. “What’s going on?”

He didn't answer, just shoved me through the room in the dark.

“Wait.” I tried to wrench my arm from his hold, and lunge back there. “Rhys’ is hurt!”

“He’s DEAD!”Damien roared, jerking me against him.

I saw the motion coming as he grabbed me around the throat and shoved me backwards, driving me against the wall with athump.

“Get off me!”I screamed, punching my fists against his shoulders.

I didn’t understand what was happening. None of this made any sense. Through the blur of panic, I saw Rhys’ still body. I shoved against Damien as the tears came. “Get off me…get the hell off me!”

He did, tearing my gun from my hand as he took a step backwards. I lunged, driving my body through the darkness and fell to the floor at Rhys’ side.

“Hey!” I grabbed him, losing my hold as my hands came away slick.“Rhys!”I screamed, yanking him from the floor and into my arms. “Rhys! Don’t leave me!RHYS! DON’T YOU DARE FUCKING LEAVE ME!”

Through the blur of tears, I saw his wide, open stare, then the way his skull sank inwards. I flinched at the sight, my fingers curling away from his body. “Rhys.” His name was nothing more than a husky hiss. “Rhys…”

“We need to move.” Damien stepped closer from behind me.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I jerked my gaze over my shoulder.“Why the fuck did you kill him?”

He just stared at me, those dark eyes unflinching. He'd once looked at me with a glint of danger and excitement. He'd looked at me with lust. But there was no lust now…just the kind of savagery that chilled me to the bone.

I released my hold, leaving Rhys’ body to slump to the floor in front of me, and slowly rose. “Who the fuck are you?”

He didn't flinch, didn't fucking answer, just…smiled.“You need to move, Xael.” He motioned deeper into the dark. “Now."

“Fuck that.” I stared into the nothing darkness while outside the door thecrack…crack…crack…of gunfire continued. I looked at my gun in his hand…the phone was gone. I glanced at his pocket as the realization dawned. “This is because of you, isn’t it?”

He stepped closer as those last words he'd said to me rang inside my head…you’ll be sorry.

A tremor coursed through me. “This was all you.”