Page 13

R ay walked in knowing it was a trap. She walked in knowing that whoever had called her here had committed a great mistake.

Because they’d called her alone.

And if anything happened to anyone outside this place, she wouldn’t stop until she’d rip them to shreds. It hadn’t stopped her before. It won’t now.

Her gun was cocked in her hand, the cold metal digging into her skin as she gripped it tighter and placed her other hand perpendicular to the first one. She walked slowly, making sure to not make a single sound as she shifted through the shadows provided by the boxes that were surrounded in the storehouse she’d walked into. Or rather, had jumped through. Because there was no way in hell she was going to walk through the doors like a damned maniac.

Her phone buzzed in her hands.

‘How long are you going to keep me waiting?’

Ray blinked down at the message. So, whoever this was, hadn’t realized she was already here. But also, could have sent the message as a way to distract her. Ray grit her teeth and stopped in her tracks. The shadows masked her movements as held her gun between her armpit and cracked open her phone to remove the chip.

She should’ve done this way before, but her mind had been a blubbering mess until now. Ray snapped the chip into two pieces, making sure it emitted no noise, and threw it out the window she’d jumped in from .

To hell with this person. This fucking group.

She didn’t make the mistake of throwing her phone. Couldn’t risk making any noise. Just placed it in between the two boxes to her right and left it there to rot. Ray balanced her gun again, seeking some comfort with the knife tucked in the denim she’d borrowed from Angel. She wasn’t wearing a vest, a stupid mistake she’d made before getting here.

But it didn’t matter now.

Ray strode ahead, tracking her movement by the shifting shadows up ahead. As far as she knew, she was walking between a wall and a tall shelf filled with cardboard and wooden boxes on her left. Judging by the structure of the metal and the way it was coated in rust, however, one wrong move, and they could all come tumbling down on her.

The storehouse had looked timid from the outside, but stepping in now, she saw the rows and rows of endless boxes stuffed closely enough to leave only a small pathway that led down to a bunch of steps at the far end. The rotten stench of the damned boxes did no good either, but Ray had been in these situations too many times now. She knew how to lock away that nausea that rose with fear far away.

She willed her heart to calm as she reached the very end of the storehouse, ending up at a greased wall up ahead. Ray turned to her left, her gaze narrowing as she saw a narrow path for her to take. The same one that led to the stairs that led underground.

That led to a place that for sure had someone waiting for her.

Ray didn’t wait to reconsider. Just slipped through the narrow path and walked as close to the greased wall to her right as she could until she reached the unguarded stairs .

Her heartbeat increased to dangerous levels as she braced her back against the wall and grimaced at the stench of oil and rotten wood that filled her lungs.

She kept a lookout on both her sides as she descended the stairs, her gun aimed and shifting from one direction to the other as she climbed down sideways.

Ray was expecting a door. Was expecting people waiting for her in the shadows. But was greeted by another underground storage area, filled with similar rows of metal shelves and boxes. The only change was the smell. It was no longer rotten. Was fresher, as though these boxes had been brought here recently. As soon as she reached the end of the stairs, she whipped to the side, hiding herself within the shadows cast by the boxes, and stilled. Listening.

Pretty stupid of them to call her in a place like this.

Ray peeped to the side, trying the catch a glimpse of what was happening up ahead when she saw the faint flickering of yellow light. She ducked back immediately, her heart beating wildly as she took a few steps back into a corner. She could hear the wind whistling by, and the faint sounds of cloth rustling. But other than that–

“LET ME GO!”

She stilled, her blood running cold at the familiar voice that echoed through the storehouse. It was followed by a loud curse and another scream. Too familiar, she thought as a wave of fear crashed over her, that voice was too familiar.

“She’ll come for you, you know,”

Oh gods.

“And she’ll fucking rip you apart. ”

That was Ira.

Ira was here.

A laugh followed her words and Ray moved swiftly, running as she was before as a loud bang, probably from someone slamming something metal into a wall. It ricocheted all across the room.

“Stop screaming you leech –”

“Stay the fuck away from her!” A male voice roared, making Ray almost freeze in her tracks again.

Shit, Micah was here as well.

This had gotten so much worse. Too many betrayals, Ray thought with clenched teeth and silently wove through the darkness, too many fucking rats . She followed that faint yellow light that peeped from below the shelves, hiding her steps as she did so.

“What have you done to him?” Ira's voice was a soft cry, shaking with fear. The amount of rage that rose in her mind was ungodly as she gripped her gun harder and neared the nook of the place. If there was even a scratch in Ira’s face–

She would lose her fucking mind.

“That’s none of your concern.” A female voice said cruelly, and Ray had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from screaming in frustration. Fucking Ciera. Could she trust no one?

“When’s she getting here?” Ciera continued, probably snapping at the man who had yelled at Ira earlier. Ray’s gaze narrowed, the yellow light more prominent as she stepped to her left and saw the same pole she’d seen in the video. Her breath caught when she saw Zahir tied against it, his body slumped forward dangerously as he lay there, unconscious.

“She’ll get here soon enough– ”

The man began but a growl shifted through the air,

“I didn’t ask for your fucking opinion,” Ciera snapped, “ Check her location.”

Now, she had to move now.

Ray inched forward, taking quick but soft steps closer and closer to the yellow flickering light. Closer to Zahir and closer to Ira. She neared the very end of the stacked boxes when the light flickered again. Ray crouched, peeping carefully to see how many people she had to deal with.

Her brows rose when she realized it was Ciera and two other men standing on her either side, all their backs turned to her. Her eyes darted around in search of Ira and Micah, the dread in her stomach dissolving when she saw the two of them tied to their chairs, their backs touching one another’s.

Three people. She had to get rid of all three of them and not risk it getting back to whoever their superior was.

Because there was no way in hell Ciera was the brain behind these operations.

“Well?” Ciera asked, shaking Ray out of her reverie, “Where is she? She better be close or he’ll have my fucking head on a spike.”

Ray’s gaze narrowed. He?

“One second.” The man on her right murmured as Ray took him in. Muscular, long hair and a body that belonged to an athlete. He could be a pain. The man to Ciera’s left was another bother, especially judging by the height advantage he had over her and his lean body that showed he’d probably done martial arts.

The light flickered again, leaving her vision dark for a second.

She looked up at the light, her brows furrowing. And it clicked .

Ray blinked, forcing herself to calm down and steady the gun in her hand as she breathed out. Prepared for the next flicker of light.

“Is she here?”

“Ma’am,” the man to her right began, his voice confused as he said as clearly as he could, “It says she’s close.”

Ray saw Ciera shuffle closer, saw her brows furrow as she grabbed the phone out of his hands and peered down at the screen, “What?” she started and Ray smirked, watching the play of the light, “It says she’s right outside. What’s she waiting for–”

Darkness enveloped them for three seconds.

One. Ray stepped forward, right beside Zahir. Removed the knife from her pockets and slid it in Micah and Ira’s direction, the sound emitting a loud screech.

Two. The twist of feet as Ray extended her gun up ahead, blinking past the darkness as she let a maniacal smile curve her lips. It’d been a while since she’d done this.

Three. A while since she’d seen the mix of sheer surprise and fear light bright on their faces.

The light flickered back on, and Ray tilted her head, her gun aimed at the guy to Ciera’s right. Bang! And he went down, a bullet embedded deep in his heart. She moved it to her left and bang! Another one in his heart.

And turned it right before Ciera. The woman who was now looking at Ray as if she’d never seen her before. Ray grinned, her eyes crinkling as she heard Ira breathe out,

“Surprise bitch.”

Fear often tended to change.

To morph into something far more dangerous. Far more deadly .

Ray saw it now as Ciera’s beautiful face contorted into something devastating. Something lethal. And she went right after Ray’s weakest point.

“Ira move!” Ray screamed before Ciera whipped out a knife from her waistband and pounced in Ira’s direction. Bang! Ray shot the rope that Micah had been trying to cut for a few seconds and both of them ripped apart with a yell. Ray darted forward, her footsteps nimble as she made to step between Ira and Ciera, and went to shoot Ciera, but she’d been too fast.

Ciera grabbed a hold of Ira’s hair and wrenched her upright. A scream ripped from Ira’s throat as Ciera poised a clean knife against her neck, glaring at Ray maliciously, murder written in her darkened eyes as she dug the knife deeper. A whimper left Ira’s lips, and goosebumps erupted on Ray’s arm, her blood running cold at the sight.

Scratch. Not. One. Scratch.

She saw Micah try to dart forward, but Ciera was trained enough to see it coming. She took a step back, taking Ira with her as she huffed out to remove the stray piece of unbound hair from her face,

“Call your dog back,” she snarled, her voice dry, “Call him back or I kill her.”

Ray contemplated for a second and Ciera might’ve seen it because she smiled wickedly, and suddenly she was unrecognizable, “I’d do it in a heartbeat Raylene Walker. You shoot me, but I’ll take her down with me.” To emphasize her point she dragged that knife up to Ira’s left eye. Ray’s heart shook, fear and rage overtaking her as she saw Ciera tip the edge of the knife right below her eye. Testing her.

“Get behind me.” Ray ordered but didn’t look away from Ira, “Get the fuck behind me Micah.”

“We can take– ”

A wretched scream lifted in the air as Ciera cut a straight line below Ira’s eyes, deep enough to scar. Ray growled loudly, her body shaking as she yelled at Micah, “ Behind me. Now!”

She was going to enjoy killing her.

Micah moved. Ray watched Ira, heard her sobs as blood dripped from the ripped skin below her eye. Ciera laughed against her ear, “You know the drill,” she continued, “Now the gun. Get rid of the bullets fist.”

Ray’s jaw ticked, her mind racing as she followed her instructions. The bullets fell to the ground with clinks that echoed all across the larger space, each sound making Ira and Micah flinch. Each echo sharpening Ciera’s glare and Ray’s idea.

Ira’s eyes found hers, a brief state of fear and pleading flashing through them as she shook in Ciera’s arms. I’m sorry, Ray wanted to say but instead strengthened her resolve. Said trust me instead. Ciera barely noticed Ira’s nod. Was too focused on the gun in Ray’s hands.

“ NOW!” she screamed, and Ray winced, willing her body to relax.

“Christ,” she muttered and shot Ciera a tired look, “I’m doing it. Calm the fuck down.”

Ciera’s gaze narrowed, but Ray squatted, making a show of putting her gun down while her eyes remained on the knife poised against Ira’s throat. She gave herself a mental countdown, knowing Ira was watching her. Hoping that she would pull Ciera’s arm away from her when Ray acted.

“Quit dawdling,” Ciera seethed and that’s it. Her hold slackened.

Ira felt it.

Ray saw it.

And didn’t dare smirk as she whipped her hand back and threw the empty gun right at Ciera’s head .

Ira. That little genius ripped Ciera’s arm away with a shrill yell of fury and ducked as the gun connected with Ciera’s nose. Ray ran forward as Ira jerked away from her in a frenzy and ran in her direction only to collide right into her arms.

Ray returned her embrace briefly, relief flowing through her as she let go of the sobbing girl and moved so she was hidden at her back, between her and Micah.

“Stay behind me,” Ray snapped, boding no argument, “ Both of you.”

Ciera’s groan reverberated through the air as Ray darted forward and saw the knife she was still clutching in her hands. She looked over the blood gushing from her nose and opened her mouth to speak when Ciera snapped ahead with a yell and tried to slash Ray’s face. Ray moved back stealthily, already seeing that move as she took the opportunity to grab Ciera’s wrist. She pressed the point on her wrist, enticing a scream from the woman’s lips as she dropped her knife to the ground.

Ray moved quickly, darting forward to grab the gun that was hanging in the waistband of Ciera’s jeans. She tucked it in hers before grabbing both her wrists and twisting her around, so she was face flat on the floor. An annoyed yell surprised Ray as she held both her wrists behind her back with one hand and grabbed a fistful of her hair in the other.

She looked over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing at the two pairs of eyes staring at her in half wonder, half fear,

“Look away children.” She chastised and nudged her chin for them to follow her instructions, “And cover your ears.”

She didn’t wait to see if they’d listened. Just went down on one knee with a sigh and pulled Ciera’s head back with her hair. Ray leaned down, bringing her lips close to Ciera’s ears to whisper ,

“Who do you work for?”

Ray didn’t really wait for a response. Just pulled her head back to a dangerous angle and slammed it down on the concrete floor. The crack sounded in the air, a wretched scream leaving Ciera’s lips in a gurgle as Ray pulled her head back again.

“Talk Ciera, today.” She whispered again and when Ciera waited for a beat, she slammed her head on the floor again, a sickening sound rising with her action as Ciera let out a howl, mixed with a delirious sob,

“Go on.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” Ciera finally rasped, her voice breaking and barely audible. Probably because she couldn’t breathe quite well, “They know you’re here. He knows you’re here, so he’ll strike at the other places first.”

Ray’s brows furrowed, “Who’s he?”

“He will kill me. He’s out for your blood but he isn’t alone. He’s going to go after all of you.” Ciera continued babbling, irritating her further. Ray let loose a guttural sound and reared her head back again, and a sob ripped past Ciera’s lips,

“ No! Please!” she cried, and Ray gripped her hair harder,

“Who is he?” she sneered, and Ciera sobbed again,

“He doesn’t work alone.” She said and Ray rolled her eyes,

“I’m getting tired of this,” she replied and was about to bring her head back to the ground when Ciera shook in her hands, trying and failing to scramble away,

“Martin!” she finally screamed, and Ray stilled, “ It’s Martin De Santos who hired me!”

“What have you told him?” Ray asked past her wildly beating heart .

Cold shivers climbed up her spine as Ciera spat through the blood gushing from her face,

“Everything. He knows your allies. He knows who you are and has been hunting you and the others ever since.” She rasped, pausing for breath, “He’s the one who had Alessandro killed.”

Red flooded her vision, making it all the more difficult for her to keep this fucking woman alive, “Please,” Ciera pleaded, shaking terribly, “He’s going after every one of your friends. He’s going to have them killed at each of the facilities.”

For a second, blind fear clouded her judgment. But the hiss of the glass against her neck was like a reality check. They wouldn’t die, Ray told herself and gripped Ciera’s hands tighter, they won’t die.

“You said he’s not working alone.” Ray snarled, “Who is he working with?”

Ciera cried, “I don’t know.”

Ray growled and slammed her head on the ground again, another desperate wail leaving her lips as her face collided with the ground. When Ray pulled her head back up, Ciera was barely conscious,

“ I don’t know.” she still managed to rasp, “ I swear,” a crazy sob, “ I swear I don’t know!”

“Quit. Screaming.” Ray snapped through gritted teeth, shaking her head wildly with her hair. Ciera sobbed, but quieted, nonetheless. Without letting go of her, she looked over her shoulder, somewhat surprised to find both Ira and Micah with their backs turned to her.

“Can one of you get me a rope?” Ray called out in the gentlest voice she could muster. Ira turned, her expression blank, but it was Micah who moved. He grabbed the rope she’d shot through and handed it to her with a

brisk nod. Ray turned down to Ciera, and without wasting another second, she tied the rope around the woman’s hands and legs altogether.

When Ray was done with her, Ciera had her hands and legs tied together, was lying on her stomach, and was probably unconscious with the amount of blood she’d lost.

“What now?” Ira whispered and Ray turned to look at her, her expression souring at the sight of slash down her eye. Ira caught her glance and shook her head, her cheek stained with dried tears as she balled her hands into fists, “It’ll leave a battle scar.” She said softly.

Ray wanted to go ahead and hug her. Hide her far away from this mess of the world.

But that would have to wait.

She looked at Zahir, surprised to find his hands unbound and his unconscious figure lying on the ground. Ray bit her lip in contemplation, she couldn’t leave him alone here. But she also should get to Angel and the others as soon as possible. And with no way to get into contact with them, she had no choice but to wait for them at their rendezvous.

But it wasn’t the thought of all of them walking into traps that scared her.

It was the promise Angel had made to her.

And how, after all this, he hadn’t come to get her yet.

* *

Fear was insane.

He should’ve been afraid of what was to happen to him now. Was he going to die without fulfilling his promise to his mother? Without bringing down this wretched gang as he’d planned to since the very beginning ?

But in reality, all he could think of was the last thing he’d told Raylene Walker.

Even as he lay on the wet ground with his hands bound tightly behind his back and heard the drip, drip, drip of water far away, he could only think of Ray and where she was. If she was fine. If she’d made it out alive.

“Such fools.”

That voice, that miserable, aged fucking voice.

God, he was going to kill her when he got out of here.

“She will come, you understand?” a breath and a small laugh, “Young love makes you so foolish. She will come thinking she can sacrifice herself for you.”

Maybe it was because he was lying on the floor. Or because it was dark. But as a slow smile raised his broken lips, it hid in the water. Because no matter what anyone said, he was counting on Raylene Walker stepping through those doors. Was bidding his time as he waited for her to come and rage havoc all over this desolate place.

Because she wouldn’t come alone.

No, she would bring her entire army with her.

And she’d burn this place to the fucking ground while she was standing in it if that’s what it took.

So yes, he smiled as the voice laughed and walked away. He grinned and stopped his urge to laugh out loud as well.

And began counting for the very. Last. Time.