Page 29 of Fighting Shadows

Before I can make much sense of anything, one of the figures snatches Strange Girl from my arms, and then a fist I never see coming hits me square in the jaw, knocking me to the ground.

Chapter 16

Sebastian

‘In the Cold – Vincent Lima’

14 days…

Tobias

I found her. Breckenridge, Colorado.

Meet me at Ollie’s Pub & Grill.8:11 AM

The text message that just lit up my screen makes my lungs seize. He’s found her—he’s actually found her.

I sit there, disbelief running through me as I stare at the words in front of me.

“Are you okay?” Atlas says as he comes into the room where I’ve set up camp with my laptop.

“We need to pack and then go,” I say, jumping up from my spot. His question knocks me out of my stupor.

“What, why?” he asks as I brush past him, making my way toward the basement before I pack for the trip.

“Tobias has found her. She’s in Colorado.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you say so! Let’s go!” He shouts, rushing from the room without a glance back. I want to rush after him,but someone needs to let the other two know, and I know exactly where one of them will be.

I hate this fucking basement; the sound of screaming has been a constant soundtrack for the last fourteen days. Dominic needed a distraction from her being gone and decided the perfect one was hunting down the last of her abusers. His reasoning?

So when she comes home, she can finally move on with no fear of old monsters popping back up because they are all dead.

“Dominic!” I shout over the loud music as I hit the last step.

We’ve all been careful about entering this room since the last time he nearly stabbed Atlas for startling him mid-slash.

“Go away. I’m at the good bit,” he calls back, his voice void of emotion as he works his latest victim over.

“You’ll have to hurry it up. Tobias found Autumn…”

I don’t even get to finish my sentence when the man’s screams cut out, and a gurgling noise follows. Dominic pulls his knife from the man’s neck, not looking back when he slumps forward and blood pools on the floor at his feet.

“Why didn’t you say so? Let’s go getmyCupcake back.”

“I need to get Zander. Can you put the bags in the car?”

He doesn’t answer me, but he strides from the room, a little less tension in his shoulders.

I find Zander in the gym beating the shit out of a bag; his back slicked in sweat as he lets all of his frustrations out on it. Music fills the room so loud that I can’t even hear my thoughts.

“Zander!”

His shoulders bunch, but he doesn’t reply. Too lost in the repetitive movements that let him escape the thoughts that have plagued us all for fourteen days.

“Zander, we don’t fucking have time for this! We need to go; Tobias has found her,” I shout over the music.

That gets his attention, and he stops mid-punch. The bag flying at him doesn’t faze him, and he twirls around to face me.

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