Page 152 of Sawyer

When Thea screams again, however, I know time is up. The first guy who rushes me sees me a second too late, and the crack of his neck splits the air just as the other rushes toward me. Rumor’s eyes glow as he rushes through the dozen men who come for us.

I grab the gun the delta had in his hand, and with a quick pop-pop-pop, I take out another guy, choosing to aim for his shoulder.

I rush to the nearest delta, grab his vest, and lift him up. “Whose orders?” I bark at him.

Sneering at me, he clicks his teeth, not uttering a single word as foam spills from his mouth. These aren’t just deltas. These men are glorified deltas working for a specific councilman.

Who?

Dropping him, I run to the other man I shot. Rumor rips through the rest. It’s brutal and savage, yet no blood spills as he breaks their necks and dodges bullets.

“Who do you work for?” I lift another man, and this one gives himself away, even if he doesn’t speak. His eyes look toward the desk, and then he, too, breaks a capsule in his mouth, and he’s gone before I even drop him to the floor.

“Make sure that’s all there is,” I tell Rumor. He looks toward the desk, and I know he’s not checking on Thea, but on Sawyer.

“I didn’t see her,” he says, his voice like gravel as he struggles to control the beast inside of him.

“Go,” I tell him. “I’ll check on her.”

Running back to the desk, I find a whimpering Thea with actual tears in her eyes. Her sobs crack the ice around my heart slightly, and I lift her slim form off the floor.

“You came back,” she cries into my neck, far too close to my skin, but I continue to hold her, my eyes falling to the now closed door.

I hate to push an omega in distress, but my fear for Sawyer grows with every second.

“Thea, I need to know where Sawyer is.” I take one step toward the door, ready to go in there and get my girl.

“She and Violet ran out of there.” She hiccups and pulls back to look me in the eye. “She tried to get me to go with her, but I told her you’d come back for me.”

Relief spills over me like hot liquid, and I nod. “Okay.” I blow out all my fear. She’s okay. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. Can you walk?”

“I’m scared.” She sniffles.

Damn it all to hell.

With no more time to waste, I run out of the building, positive there’s no one else in there to save. Cold night air grips me as I run toward Rumor. “Blow it all to hell.”

“You got it, Superman.” Rumor jerks his head at the three vans sitting in the parking lot. They must have been the vans they used to transport the women. They had dozens lined up in a garage.

We each rush toward a van. Jerking a door open, I settle Thea in the front seat. I’d rather not have her ride with me, but we need to go. They might call in reinforcements, and I’m not waiting around to find out if they will.

Buckling Thea in, I slam her door and open the one with women inside. My heart sinks when I don’t see Sawyer or her friend.

“She’s in another van,” Thea assures me, but it doesn’t ease the worry gnawing at my gut.

Shutting the door quietly so I don’t startle the women, I head to the driver’s door and climb in. I wish Sawyer was with us. She’d know how to ease the trembling women in the back.

“Ladies,” I say softly, turning around and staring at the floor. I bare my neck to them, letting them know they call the shots here. If they aren’t comfortable, they can tell me. I need them to know I am no threat to them. “I’m going to get you to safety, but I need you to hold on.”

A few reply with a subtle and soft, “Okay,” but it’s enough for me to turn around and start the van. Blasting the heat, I follow Sin. His wheels kick up dirt as our small caravan puts the entire lab in our rearview.

“Why did you do that?” Thea asks.

“What?” I glance at her before turning back to the road, my knuckles white as I grip the wheel tightly. She’s staring at me, and I can feel her eyes as they burn through my skin. “Ladies,” I tell them softly, “you are going to hear an explosion. That is just us blowing the lab up.”

“Why do you talk to them like that?” Thea asks. There’s judgment in her voice, as though I should only reserve my careful tone for her.

I shake my head at her, trying to clear my disbelief. How can she be so dismissive? “Because everything they experienced was traumatic and at the hands of other males. It will take them a while to overcome that trauma.”

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