Page 4 of The Saviors: Part Two
I slump in the chains because he’s right. I thought I could outsmart him, but he was ten steps ahead of me the whole time. They are mine to protect, and I let every single one of them down. Cole, Kai, Nolan, and Sean have trusted me to lead them in the right direction, and all I did was lead them into Charlie’s trap. “Just kill me.”
“As tempting as that is, you still haven’t served your purpose. You want to act like Nolan means nothing to you, but I saw the look in his eyes when he saw you. I think I’ll visit Kai next. See if he has anything to say.”
Charlie’s gone before I can answer, slamming the door behind him. His words are still ringing in my head. We should have left as soon as Kai and Sean started seeing Chelsea. She should have never gotten involved in this shit. She was doing just fine on her own, but we just had to swoop in and upend her life. Look where that got her, thrust right back into Brady’s hands. We got complacent, thinking Charlie couldn’t take us down. Now Sean and Cole are dead. Kai’s living his worst fucking nightmare, and Nolan’s life is hanging in the balance if he doesn’t succeed.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.
* * *
A scream ripsthrough the room, louder than it was before.Kai.I don’t know how much time has passed since they were last in here, but after they don’t get what they want from me, they go after Kai. I look up at the chains for the hundredth time, trying to figure out how the hell I can get out of here. My wrists are raw and bleeding, but I can’t stop now.
I suck in a breath, wrap my hands around the chains, and pull my body up. I jerk down on the chains and let my body weight drop. “FUCK!” I yell when nothing happens. My chest and leg are screaming in pain, but nothing compares to hearing your best friend get tortured. The door flings open, but I’m ready for these assholes this time. When one of them gets closer, I raise my legs and wrap them around his neck, squeezing it between my thighs. No matter what kind of bullshit Charlie puts in my head, I refuse to go down without a fight. I’ll deal with the aftermath of that later. “Back off, or I’ll snap his fucking neck,” I warn when the other takes a step inside the room. I’ve already figured out that their orders are not to kill us. What’s there to lose now?
He pulls his knife from the sheath and brandishes it in front of him. “If you think you can kill him before I sink this into your heart, go ahead.” I catalog everything about this asshole, down to his damn eye color, so I can find him when I get out of here.
He flips the knife between his fingers, and I grin. Using every bit of strength I have left, I squeeze my legs together tighter, and the motherfucker between my thighs' eyes bug out of his head. Charlie must have forgotten he taught me to kill by any means necessary. I pull up on the chains again so his body is suspended off the ground, then drop with a twist. The guy at the door flings his knife, burying it in my shoulder. It doesn’t matter because his friend is already dead. He goes slack, and I let him drop. “Come get your knife, motherfucker.” I see the first flicker of fear in his eyes when he takes a step closer. “Come on,” I taunt. I jerk on the chains. “Come on!” I feel one give a little more than it usually does.What was that?I can’t take a chance to look with asshole number two in the room. He takes a step back, and I start laughing. It sounds unhinged even to my own ears, but I can’t stop. “You pussy.” I think I have truly lost my mind at this point, and I can’t find it in me to care.
That snaps him into action, and he takes a couple of menacing steps toward me. I jerk several times on the chain that feels loose, and it gives way, letting my arm fall free. Without breaking stride, I rip the knife from my shoulder and bury it in his jugular. He gives me a stupid look while gurgling on his own blood. I shove him back with my foot, dislodging the knife. I jam it into the cuffs lock, nicking my arm in the process. I don’t pause because I have a small window to get out of here.
A gunshot echoes down the hallway, and bile rises in my throat. “Come on, come on,” I grit out. I’ll cut my own fucking arm off to get out of here. The lock finally gives, and when my feet hit the ground, I fall to my knees. My left leg is completely useless, but that’s not going to stop me now. I’ve dug myself out of the trenches under worse conditions. Using the wall as support, I move toward the door. I stick my head through, and when I don’t see anything, I take a step forward, dragging my leg behind me. I have one thought, and that’s to get to Nolan and Kai. I have no idea where that gunshot came from or how many more people Charlie has here.
I come to another hallway and stop to listen.Nothing.I turn to the left and start pushing open random doors, looking for them. I open the last door on the right, and I want to weep. “Kai,” I whisper, pulling myself into the room. When I get to the cage, I see the massive padlock. “Kai. It’s me. Open your eyes.” His eyes are clenched shut, and I see burns all over his chest and arms. “Kai. Please. It’s me.” He closes his eyes tighter, and his lips start moving faster. I lean and try to hear what he’s saying. After a few seconds, I finally pick it up. He’s repeating Chelsea over and over again, trying to hide in a place in his mind where he’s still with her. “I’m going to get you out of here,” I promise. The knife is going to be useless for this lock, so I start searching the room. It’s empty besides Kai and the cage. I need the fucking key that I’m guessing Charlie has.
I go to the door, but when I stick my head out this time, Charlie shoves me back in. I hit my back hard, but the knife is still clutched in my hand. He looks between me and the door, making me start laughing again. “Go ahead and run. I’ll chase you to the pits of hell.”
Charlie comes at me with a growl but jumps back when I slash at him with the knife. “This isn’t the end, Axel.” I kick him with my good leg, making him stagger backward.
I roll to my knees. “No. The only way this ends is with your head on a goddamn spike.” He pulls the Glock from the holster, aiming it right at me.
“Your hacker failed. Which means I don’t need you anymore.”
I hold my arms wide. “Pull the trigger then,Dad,” I sneer. If Nolan didn’t get in, the gunshot means one thing. Nolan is dead.
And we’re next.
Chapter3
Nolan
3 days ago
Getting shot fucking sucks, even if it was just a graze across my arm. After I pissed Charlie off by telling him fuck you, he shot the computer screen with the timer on it, hitting me in the process. The only thing I’m grateful about is that he didn’t see the message I sent Holden. It’s up to me to get us out of here, and I’ll do everything I can, hoping the tracker in the metal plate in Kai’s leg is still there.
When Holden fitted us all with the trackers, Axel said that we should put one there in the event they cut the other ones out. Which Charlie did the second he had his hands on me.
I continue hacking into Les’ database, knowing it’s useless, but I need to be doing something when Charlie returns. And hopefully, this will make him leave Axel and Kai alone long enough for help to arrive.Please, Holden. Get my message.
Tears burn my eyes from pain and sheer fucking exhaustion. I have no idea how long I’ve been awake now since Charlie threw a temper tantrum and took my timer away. A delirious laugh builds, and I have no hope of stopping it. Something on the screen catches my attention, and I think I actually got in.There’s no fucking way.I squint at the screen and hold my breath when I see the tiny words rolling across the bottom.
We got your message. Safeguard in place. On our way.
I sag back in the chair, my laughter turning to tears of relief. The calvary is coming, and we can finally fucking end this with Charlie. Then we can get our woman back.
The screen with Axel flickers back to life, and it’s completely empty. I sit up so fast that I give myself whiplash. Where did they take him?Oh, fuck. I feel bile rising in my throat, then I’m on my feet and moving, busting through the door that leads to the hallway. I follow the hallway when I finally hear Axel’s voice with no clue what I’m going to do, but I just know I need to dosomething.
“Pull the trigger then,Dad,” Axel says. I come to a stop behind Charlie, and Axel’s entire face changes. I see fear, relief, acceptance then rage. He pops to his feet, completely ignoring his bad leg. He swings in a roundhouse kick that knocks Charlie into the wall behind him. With a roar of rage, Axel comes after him, landing punch after punch.
When Charlie slumps against the wall, I grab Axel’s arm. He jerks it from my grasp and goes back at him. I grab him again. “Axel! He’s out cold!” I tug. “Stop!”
