Page 35 of Shattered Souls
Dropping my gaze, Riley’s hand is white as she tightens it around Grayson’s arm beneath the table. However, none of herdisgust is portrayed on her face as she astutely watches the stage as though memorizing every kid’s features before they disappear from wherever they came.
I strain to listen as she leans closer to Grayson. “Ariel must be next. All the other princesses have gone.” My spine straightens, and I share a look with Logan, a brief nod before our focus returns to the stage as a little girl in a sea-blue dress is hauled out.
“Our final princess of the night is the fiery-tempered, red-headed Ariel,” the auctioneer announces as the little girl is shoved into the spotlight. Head down, her hair covers her face.
Come on, sweetheart,I urge.Lift your head.
Feet planted, she stares steadfastly at her toes as the announcer runs through her stats.
“Give us a wave, Ariel,” the announcer encourages, crossing the stage to coax her forward. He pulls on her hair when she doesn’t obey, forcing her head up as she yelps.
My nails dig into my palms, except as I take in her tear-streaked face…
“It’s not her.” Riley’s voice cracks over the words, the mask she has perfected tonight crumbling as she ducks her head and closes her eyes.
Fuck.
Fuck.
It’s not her. How the hell is it not her?
“I’m sorry, man,” Dax says in my ear, making me realize I said that aloud. “We’ll find her. She’s the last kid tonight. You’ve got five minutes to get out.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask as I watchArielbeing ushered off the stage.
“Better you don’t know. Just get to your car and don’t look back no matter what.”
Catching Grayson’s gaze, I gesture for us to leave. He pulls Riley into his arms, and Logan and I follow as we move through the lively crowd. Many are celebrating their newpossessions, while others are simply enjoying the adrenaline rush that seemingly comes from participating in this sort of debauchery.
As we leave the auction room, my eyes lock on a set of familiar ones—the guy who made himself at home at our table earlier. Still smirking like a smarmy tool, he lifts a fresh glass of whiskey in salute before I rip my gaze away and follow the others out of the room. Thankfully, we make it across the lobby uninterrupted.
The fresh air hits my face as we step outside, careful not to appear as though we are rushing as we descend the steps toward the car. Catching the valet’s eye, I lift my chin, and he hustles to grab the car keys, tossing them to me when I walk by. Just like I asked, the car is parked close to the entrance, and with eyes on us, Logan moves around Grayson to open the backseat door while I climb in behind the wheel. Riley hurries into the car, her makeup smeared and eyes red-rimmed as Grayson joins her. My foot is on the accelerator before Logan even has his door closed, and gravel kicks up as I shoot down the long driveway. I slow only long enough for the guards to open the gate before I slip through the gap.
“Stop,” Logan barks as soon as we’re out of sight of the gates. “Fucking stop,” he snarls when I don’t do it fast enough. Slamming on the brakes, the car is still coming to a stop when he shoves open his door and climbs into the backseat. He bundles Riley into his arms, and her sobs serve as the soundtrack of our failure as we tear away from the lodge.
The SUV’s headlights carve a path through the expanding darkness. As I navigate the narrow, twisted mountain road, the adrenaline coursing through me makes every shadow seem like a potential threat. That is until the night sky lights up as if the sunitself has burst from the earth. It’s followed a moment later by a deafening explosion behind us.
Easing my foot off the accelerator, I steal a glance in the rearview mirror, my heart pounding. The blast radiates a fiery glow and the lodge, once a distant silhouette, is now a blazing inferno.
“Shit!” Grayson mutters, his eyes wide as he twists to look out the back of the SUV. “What the fuck was that?”
Dax.
Flooring it, the SUV roars as it emerges from a tight bend, and we speed through the next curve and the next, the entire way down the mountain until there’s nothing but open roads leading home.
10
RILEY
At some point during the drive home, exhaustion must have pulled me under. When I wake, it’s like emerging from the depths of a dark ocean. My eyelids are heavy and swollen from crying, and my throat is raw. The car’s gentle hum and the rhythmic sound of the tires against the road lull me into a half-awake state. My body feels leaden, but my mind begins to stir, piecing together fragments of the evening.
We failed.
Ifailed.
Again.
Guilt threatens to drown me, and I shift slightly as strong arms give me a quick squeeze. Peeling open my eyes, I find Logan staring down at me with a fractured expression. I shift again, getting comfortable in his arms as I rest my head on his shoulder and turn to look out the window. The outside world is a blur of dark shadows and distant lights, a stark contrast to the blazing chaos we left behind.
