Page 64 of Tag

This time, Cade slid into the passenger seat, and Nick climbed into the back beside Rook; Lindsey was trapped between them.

I shifted gears and pulled straight into the field, switching my brights back on. It didn’t take but a minute to spot two shapes under the glare. DeAndre and Kyle turned, faces etched in terror, catching in the beams for half a second. Both started to run, zigzagging like it might matter.

“How do you wanna play it?” I asked them.

“I’m always up to practice my swing,” Cade replied, flexing his grip on Angela.

Adrenaline surged as I gripped the wheel tighter, closing the gap. “Who do we want at first pitch?” I called out over the sound of the engine.

“Go for Dre.”

I veered toward DeAndre, picking up speed. So did he, breaking into a sprint that came from sheer survival instinct. I loved seeing it. They’d made my girl run scared. It was only fair that they did the same.

“Boys hauling ass,” Nick laughed.

I angled the wheel and came up beside him.

“Batter up!” My brother swung.

DeAndre stumbled just in time. Angela whooshed past, catching nothing but air.

“Strike one!” Nick announced from the back, voice dropping into full sports-commentator mode.

A scream tore through the truck and was cut off just as fast by Rook’s hand clamping over Lindsey’s mouth. The other pinned her in place with calm, effortless strength.

“Wanna try again?”

My brother grinned, wild and sharp-edged. “Do you even need to ask?”

I laughed under my breath, wheeling the truck around in a wide arc. DeAndre was still running, but I could tell he’d already reached his limit. He glanced over his shoulder and cried out in fear. The fact that he knew what was coming made everything better. Cade leaned out the window, Angela gripped tight. As we closed in, he swung again with full force. The bat connected with DeAndre’s back with a brutal thud. He folded instantly, crumpling to the ground like his bones had liquefied.

“Got him!” Cade whooped.

I didn’t let up.

With DeAndre down, it was Kyle’s turn to learn what being hunted felt like. I cranked the wheel hard. The truck fishtailed across the uneven field before catching grip, lurching forward with violent purpose. We cut across the terrain, headlights sweeping over churned soil until they locked onto him.

“Here we go!” Nick cheered.

Cade slapped Angela against his palm and took a breath, releasing it as we got closer. Kyle’s limbs flailed, catching on tufts of tall grass and dips in the terrain, each step more desperate than the last. He clearly wasn’t built for athletics. I eased the gas pedal down, closing the distance in seconds. Kyle glanced back and tried to run harder, but his skinny frame betrayed him. He stumbled, almost going down.

“You got this, Cade,” Rook encouraged.

He leaned out the window, eyes trained on Kyle, his grip tight on the bat like it was an extension of himself.

I watched Kyle’s back curl, saw the panicked thrash of someone who knew they were already caught.

Cade swung, and this time he connected on the first swing. The bat cracked against Kyle’s shoulder, the hit drowned out by the truck, but his scream wasn’t. Neither was Lindsey’s as she tried and failed to fight against Rook’s hold. Kyle’s body hit the dirt face-first, folding like a rag doll.

“Home fucking run!” Nick called the play from the back.

I hit a U-turn and eased the truck into a rolling stop, headlights pinned on Kyle’s twitching frame. He was trembling all over, his face scrunched in agony as he tried to sit up. His good arm shook violently, struggling to lift him even an inch. In the back seat, Lindsey was full-blown sobbing.

“Please,” she whimpered. “You’ve made your point…please, just stop.”

“Stop?” I echoed slowly. “We’re just getting started.”

I eased off the brake, tapping the gas once, letting us coast forward. I didn’t pick the Denali package for this, but every upgrade I’d added to my build made this abrupt off-roading adventure a breeze. I would have to do it more often.

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