Page 17 of The Devil’s Escape (The Devil’s Soldiers #7)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AVERY
Who knew I would be able to give the pinata idea a try?
Isla: Can I have a gold necklace? They’re so pretty and everyone has one at school.
My breath comes out of me in a woosh, and my knees buckle as I slide to the floor in relief.
Tears fill my eyes, and I have to fight back the sobs.
They’re safe. Thank God they’re safe. I made the right decision.
We came up with a code of sorts to let me know if the Devil’s Soldiers are the good guys and it’s paid off.
My fingers shake as I type back a reply.
Avery: We’ll talk about it. And why are you texting me when you’re just down the hall?
Isla: I mean, you can come and talk to me while I poop, but I thought this would be better.
Avery: No thanks.
That should be enough to keep Vlad and his men occupied with thinking the kids are still here. For now. I don’t know what I’m going to do if they show up here randomly and want to use them to make me cooperate, but I’ll have to figure that out then. I’m just so glad they’re safe.
I allow myself another moment to cry before I wipe away my tears and get to my feet.
There’s no point in wallowing, especially when I don’t know the next time Vlad and his goons are going to come knocking to drag me back.
I head down the hall to the bathroom and splash some water on my face.
The water is cool enough that it gives me enough of a jolt to stall any lingering tears.
Time to get to work.
I head into my bedroom and quickly change into some comfier clothes. Scrubs definitely aren’t the most comfortable to work around the house in.
I stop when I hear a noise coming from Sawyer’s room. My blood runs cold. Who the hell is in there? Is Vlad or one of his men back to try and grab the kids? I grab the bat I hid behind the door, and wait.
I hear a very soft rumble of a voice, and then another, and my heart pounds harder and faster. Do I make a break for it? Maybe I can beat one of them, or at least stun them, and get away before the other one realizes it. And if it’s one of Vlad’s men, even better.
When Sawyer’s bedroom door opens, I launch myself forward, the bat already swinging. “Shit!” the voice barks, ducking, even as the man behind him also, barely, manages to throw himself out of the way. “Wait, Av?—”
I don’t let him finish, I just keep swinging, only managing to hit one of them in the shoulder and making him hiss out in pain before I’m suddenly tackled to the floor, the bat going flying from my hand.
I’m not going down without a fight. I scratch, claw, and even try to bite him when he turns his head toward me.
He hisses and yanks his head back as my teeth snap together.
“Avery, stop!” he growls. I don’t listen and continue to attempt to buck him off.
Damn it, he’s heavy. “A little fucking help here?” he barks at his accomplice.
“She fucking almost dislocated my shoulder with that bat,” the other man gripes, but he moves to grip my hands and hold them down.
“Avery,” he says sharply, a bark of authority in his tone that has me instinctively stilling.
“It’s Frost and Bowie from the Devil’s Soldiers.
We’re here to talk to you. You’re safe. We’re not going to hurt you. ”
I still try to struggle, but with the two of them, it’s far too difficult, so I have no choice but to stop and stare up at them.
Both of them are watching me, faces calm, and I instantly realize they’re right.
These are the two men from last night. Frost is the one holding me down, and Bowie has my hands.
Bowie and Frost relax when I don’t keep fighting.
“I’m sorry,” I croak out. “I thought you were one of Vlad’s men. ”
“Yeah, we figured,” Frost says with a wry smile. He nods at Bowie and they both release me. Frost helps me to my feet and gives me a quick once-over. “Sorry for the tackle but…”
I refuse to be embarrassed. I was fighting for my life. Still, I look at Bowie, who’s rubbing his shoulder. “Let me get you some ice for that and I’ll have a look at it. It shouldn’t be dislocated.”
Frost snorts out a laugh, and Bowie glares at him. “When Shadow mentioned the pinata, I didn’t think he meant it’d be me,” Bowie grumbles but follows me. “I thought it was a joke.”
Frost snickers behind me as I get out an ice pack and wrap it in a thin kitchen towel. “Cut and shirt off,” I order briskly.
“Damn, I’m recording this,” Frost says gleefully, reaching into his pocket. “What do you want to bet Sadie loses her shit?”
“She’ll fucking tell her to hit harder next time,” Bowie huffs as he does as ordered, wincing and groaning with the movement.
“And put your damn phone away, perv. Unless you want a picture of all this on your phone for when you get lonely late at night.” He waves a hand at himself before moving to sit at the table.
I mean, if it was up to me, I can see why a picture of him would be nice to have.
The man clearly works out with the thick muscle and six-pack abs he’s sporting.
Not to mention the ink that covers his arms, back, and chest.
Frost rolls his eyes but puts his phone away. “I think I can do without the nightmares,” he drawls back.
I put the ice on Bowie’s shoulder and he hisses, but I ignore him and order, “Hold it there. Then one of you starts talking and tells me why you’re sneaking into my apartment instead of knocking on the door like normal people. And I want to know my siblings are alright.”
That sobers them both up. “They’re fine,” Frost promises me.
“We haven’t been to the clubhouse but Bullet and Shadow both texted us and told us the situation.
Rose has them and she’s feeding them and annoying Bullet at the same time.
” He smirks. “Something about wanting to know about what other kinds of weapons could be used to open a pinata. Pretty sure Bullet and Shadow are both about to have a stroke.”
“Well, we can rule out a bat,” Bowie hisses. “Pretty sure I’m going to be black and blue.”
“Quit whining,” I tell him drily. “Consider yourself lucky my aim was off, and it wasn’t your head.” He blinks up at me in surprise, while Frost laughs.
“Damn, I like you,” Frost manages to get out.
“Thanks,” I say drily. “Now, get talking.”
That seems to sober him a bit. Bowie shoots him a smirk, which I ignore.
“We came in through the window because every other side of the building has cameras. That one is in the alley behind the building, and we’ve got ways to get in there without being seen,” Bowie explains.
“This way if Vlad and his men are watching, they can’t see us coming or going. ”
Well, at least they thought this through. “And just how did you know which one was mine?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.
They share a quick look before Frost gives me a charming smile and answers, “Trade secrets.”
“Try again,” I say, unconvinced and uncharmed.
“We work in security,” Bowie chimes in. “We have a lot of access to different things. And just so you don’t think we’re perverts—or, well, at least me—we’re former military and we know how to get into places easily enough with that training.”
I can see it. Still…
“Did you follow me home last night?” I look at them both, and while neither of their expressions change, Bowie’s lashes flicker ever so slightly, and Frost’s jaw ticks just once.
It’s enough for me to know the truth. I narrow my eyes at them.
“And just how close did you get? Enough that Vlad’s men would have seen you?
Is that why they pulled me in, almost getting my brother and sister killed in the process? ”
Frost’s smile is gone in an instant and the tension in the room thickens.
“No, Avery,” he assures me seriously. “We never got close to the building. After you went toward home, we went the other way, and then we made our way across the top of the buildings to make sure you got home okay. Spots that you can’t see from the ground.
We saw you enter the building through a scope many buildings away.
Nowhere near you, and no way for Vlad to see us. ”
“Did you know who I was last night?”
“No,” Bowie answers. “We just wanted to make sure you got home okay. Roger’s becoming more brazen the longer he’s on the streets and the deeper he falls into his addiction.
He almost beat a guy to death a week ago in the middle of the night after the guy got away from him the first time.
He was high on his drug of choice instead of just drunk like he was last night.
We’ve run him off a few times but he keeps making his way back. ”
“Did you see Vlad’s men drop me off?” I ask.
“No. We were in one of the buildings half a block down and when we walked out, you were already with Roger.” Bowie gives me a wry smile. “But if we had seen them, we’d have probably followed you home to find out why you were with him.”
“Probably good we didn’t though,” Frost adds. “Shadow told us what your brother and sister said. I can see why you thought what you did, but we promise that we want to get our brother back, and we’ll protect you and your siblings in the process.”
“I don’t care about myself. I care about their safety.”
They both nod. “But they care that you’re safe,” Frost reminds me gently.
“And you all put yourselves in danger to help our brother, and that means we make sure that you’re not caught in the middle of this.
It’s not going to be easy, and we need you to tell us everything you can.
Anything that might help us figure out where they have taken him.
Then, once we get him back, all three of you will be either kept with us to keep you safe, and you away from Vlad’s ability to grab you and drag you back into the shit he’s wrapped you up in, or we’ll send you somewhere he can’t get to you.
We have a lot of connections throughout the country. ”
“And outside of it,” Bowie adds.