Page 52 of When Sinners Rise
“I thought she was Eight.”
“Screw you.”
Abel lunges towards Shaw, bringing his arm up and smashing his fist down against his face. Shaw crumples under the force, and then he comes for me, striding towards me.
I widen my stance and take the weight into my feet as I get ready to fight. If Neil were here, what would he say? I don’t wait to be hit. I jolt forward, fake with my left, and follow through with a jab to his jaw. It lands but feels like hitting concrete. My clenched fist throbs, but I keep on the offensive, hitting his sternum before shifting position. It doesn’t come naturally, and the movement is tired and clumsy.
He smacks me across the side of the face in response, the force sending me straight into the wall. Pain explodes as I gather myself and suck in a breath, shaking my head to clear the stars.But before I can turn, he grabs my hair, yanks me to the floor, and kicks the door shut to bar my exit.
“You belong to us. You don’t get to decide if you want to leave.” I turn my face as I kneel on the ground. Shaw’s standing up, and I can see he’s pissed. “You don’t get to decide anything.” He drags me, heaving me back towards the cages, and my eyes turn from Shaw. “You trusted wrong. He hasn’t got the balls. Too fucking weak.”
Sudden force slams into Abel, sending both me and him tumbling. I lurch on the ground and watch as Shaw lands a punch square on Abel’s jaw. It barely registers on his face, and Abel returns with a heavier punch, knocking Shaw off balance.
I stand, panicked by everything, and go back to the door to lever it open again, but my attention is pulled back to check on Shaw. He’s grappling still, but it’s clear he’s on the wrong end of the fight. He’s taking a severe beating on the floor as Abel looms over him and kicks him in the ribs.
A few more of those and he’ll break all of the bones on that side, but he seems more interested in pressing his knee into his chest, squeezing off his oxygen.
He’s going to kill him.
I look back toward my door to freedom, and then my eyes fix on Shaw, struggling on the ground.
Why am I hesitating?
The question rings loud in my mind, but I know the answer.
If Shaw dies, I’m dead.
At least with him alive and on my side, there’s a chance. A slim, barely there one, but a chance. It will be complicated and messy, and I might have to question my sanity for running with this, but I need to take any sign of hope and go with it.
My feet push off, and I pounce on Abel’s back, pulling my elbow around his neck to put him in a chokehold. He pullsup, releasing his weight on Shaw and stumbles back. I keep my balance and hold on to him, but he shifts his weight and slams me back against a wall before somehow grabbing hold of me and tossing me to the ground.
I hit hard, rolling and wheezing from the impact.
But as I look over, Shaw’s standing, pointing a gun at Abel.
Abel laughs. He fucking laughs. “What are you going to do, Shaw? Shoot me?” Abel doesn’t even sound threatened, like having a gun pointed at his head is something that happens every day. “Put the damn thing down and get the girl. I'm done with this bullshit. You don’t have the spine for anything else.”
Shaw’s arm is held straight, the gun tracking at Abel’s head. He glances down at me for a second before he shifts his arm to the side and pulls the trigger. The shot of the gun makes me jump, hands going to my mouth, and I watch the grimace from Abel as he drops his knee to the ground.
Shaw walks over to him and smiles. “Didn’t see that fucker coming, did ya?” He raises his hand and drops it hard,smacking the butt of the gun over Abel’s head.
I look up at Shaw, who’s still looking down at a now passed-out Abel, and rub my hands down my jeans. “Does this mean you’re going to help me now?” He breathes heavily, like he’s transfixed in his own moment. “Shaw?”
His head whips round to look at me. “What?”
“Are you helping me?”
He pushes the gun into the back of his waistband and gets the door, opening it again. “Doesn’t look like I’ve got a choice anymore.” He moves out into the night, not looking back at me or anything else, and heads for a car.
“Who is he, anyway?” I call, trying to keep up. No answer. “Shaw?” He keeps moving until he’s at the car, swiping his head of blood and opening the door. “Shaw?”
“He’s my eldest brother. You gonna get in the fucking car or not?”
CHAPTER TWENTY - ONE
SHAW
Ican’t speak. I’m just pushing this car to its max down the old, dirt road and slinging it around corners in the hope that I can outrun what I’ve doneand am doing.
