Page 203 of The Darkest Chase

There’s a thundering boom, metallic and echoing over the night.

Everyone on the dock freezes in place.

I lift my head sharply, turning toward the sound. Past a group of shipping containers, I think—I hope—I catch a glimpse of white.

Micah.

Hope leaps in my heart.

Xavier hisses through his teeth.

“We’ll finish this later. After I paint your white knight red,” he snarls—then catches me by my hair.

This time, I can’t hold back my scream as he drags me out of the car fully by my roots, slamming me to the pavement as he raises his voice in a ringing shout.

“Come out, come out, little white wolf!” he roars. “Come the hell out or little red riding dick won’t last much longer.”

24

DARK HUNGER (MICAH)

“Grant,” I whisper through clenched teeth, “let me fucking go.”

Grant only grabs my arms harder, forcing them behind my back and restraining me with all his might.

“Not till you cool down,” he whispers. “Charge in now, you’ll just get her killed.”

If I don’t, she might get killed anyway.

And it’ll be my goddamned fault.

All because I wasn’t quick enough.

We took one hell of a risk, hightailing it out here in unmarked cars, breaking God only knows how many speed limits. Better to get pulled over and flash our badges than to have Xavier and the Jacobins catch a glimpse of flashers on their bumpers and blowing the whole operation.

I didn’t have anyone to leave Rolf with, so I stuffed him in the back of Grant’s truck and brought him along for the ride.

We couldn’t afford another wasted minute.

There was barely time to park about half a mile away and make the rest of the trip on foot, leaving Rolf leashed to the truck while we assess the situation.

Pretty standard black market operation by the looks of it.

The silent loading and unloading, the dark, unmarked ship, the remote location.

The entire time, I’ve been scanning around for Talia. Until we knew we wouldn’t endanger her with friendly fire, we couldn’t move.

Grant and I took up positions behind several large freight containers, while Lucas and Henri split up to circle around to the other side.

We’re outnumbered as hell, judging by the Jacobins and their associates swarming around like pissed off ants.

Who the fuck knows when Raleigh PD will show up.

When Xavier pulled Talia out of the trunk, I almost lost my shit and charged the gap between the shipping containers.

Only for Grant to rip me back, kicking and twisting and fighting me. Only to freeze as one of my boots hits the shipping container with a resounding boom.

Shit!

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