Page 199 of Darling Wildfire
“Hey boys,” I rasped.
Knox’s cell door swung open as I unlocked it and I moved to Graham’s.
“You look like shit,” he said dryly.
My lips twitched in as much of a smile as I could muster. I clasped him on the shoulder as he walked out of his cell and quickly released Tex and Lachlan. Atlas was last and he was standing at the door of his cell, eyes haunted and empty.
“Atlas—”
“Let me out, North,” he rasped.
His voice didn’t even sound like himself. The minute I unlocked the cell, he shoved past me and made a beeline down the hall.
“Atlas!” I called.
“Atlas, wait!” Lachlan said.
“I’m going to kill him,” he shouted and then he was gone.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“What’s the play, boss?” Tex asked.
I turned to look at Graham. “He has Kaelin.”
100
ATLAS
I killed three guards who ran by as I stepped out of the stairs leading down to the cells. I slung an AR over my shoulder, shoved two pistols into my pants and loaded up on ammo. A calmness had settled over me the minute North let me out of my cell. I was going to kill Demetrius and then I was going to find Vetticus and kill him too.
Fuck North and his plan.
I was done.
Vetticus had stolen too many people from me. I would end him and then I would probably end myself. I didn’t think—no Iknew, I couldn’t live without Nyx.
As I made my way down the hallway, it was as though all my emotions had been switched off. I didn’t feel fear, anger or even grief—just a solid resolve to remove anyone who stood in my way.
I fought through a few groups of guards who were obviously in disarray, running through the house. I didn’t have a plan. I wasn’t thinking. I was just executing—killing my way to my goal.
Nyx had been everything to me. We’d gone through so much together.
Too much for him to just be…gone.
Two guards rounded a corner and I took a few hard hits this time before I killed them. I pushed myself to my feet and there rounding the same corner was Demetrius with Viktor and Kon behind him. I snarled and raised my gun at him.
“You mother fucker,” I yelled.
“Atlas—”
“No, fuck you! Why’d you kill him?” I could feel my calm exterior cracking. Emotions were bleeding through, forcing it wider. I felt raw, broken.
“Atlas, wait—”
“He’s gone,” I said, my voice breaking.
“I can explain,” Demetrius said calmly.
