The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy #1) - Tijan Page 0,126

everyone. I had to save them.

She’d do it to someone else.

No. I had to save myself.

I was going to die—that last one helped. Primal fear coursed through me and I started struggling. Or I started trying harder. I was swinging around. My arms. My legs.

I could try and headbutt the guy even.

Helms cursed, tucking me more firmly against his side, trapping me completely so I couldn’t fight even a little bit. “Fucking bitch. She should’ve drugged you, then lied and told you I was carrying you to bed. Why the hell’d she have to spill all that to you?”

I wasn’t answering. I couldn’t. But I could do something else. My mouth was pressed into his neck and, rearing back, opening my mouth wide, I sank my teeth into him.

He screamed, jerking and dropping me.

As soon as I was clear, I was screaming alongside of him.

The sound that came from him sounded like an animal having its skin pulled off while alive.

“What the fuck?”

A rush of feet came around the back. I could see them on the ground. The same boots, and I was back there, back in my old house.

Boots was coming. Literally.

Then I recognized the voice from before. It was the boss. Arcane.

“Shut her up!” A hand came down hard on my mouth.

I bit that too, and he cursed. “Damn it!”

A piece of tape was slapped on me, hard enough that I felt tears falling down my face from the force. I could smell blood. Just didn’t know if it was mine or not, and the stars above were circling again. They were almost a complete line by themselves—they were going that fast.

Arcane bit off a growl. “Are you serious? You scream like that and drop the cunt?”

“She just took an entire chunk of skin out of my shoulder. This bitch.” Helms rotated, bringing his foot back and kicking me in the side.

Pain blinded me, tearing the breath out of me.

It also helped push back against the drug.

Rough hands grabbed me, and I was hauled back in the air. I would have bruises everywhere tomorrow … if I had a tomorrow.

I got a glimpse of the guy holding my legs. Clemin. Boots hadn’t moved, so I was assuming it was Rafe who was grabbing the top of me. They were both running now. I was being jostled in their holds, but they only tightened their grips. A van door was being opened. I heard the squeak and I was thrown inside.

It was completely dark.

They jumped in behind me. I heard rustling sounds. God. That was a tarp.

This was it. This was the end.

The doors were shut behind. Then the van was starting.

“Everyone down. Guards are going to do a quick scan.”

That was Boss. Arcane again.

Was Chase here?

All of this—they were going to win.

Quinn was going to win. Kash was going to blame himself. Chrissy would be heartbroken. My dad, Cyclone, Seraphina—they’d be scarred. Matthew. Oh, man. Matthew. He’d blame himself.

This couldn’t happen, but I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t make a sound.

The drug was winning.

A polar bear was racing to me, and I had enough wits about me to know that was a hallucination. Then, suddenly, there was a screech behind us.

The van came to an abrupt stop.

Cursing. Shouting.

Doors were being yanked open.

They were gone.

I heard them running. Was that the pounding I heard?

Then—hands. Gentle hands.

“Oh my God, Bailey.”

Kash.

It was Kash.

I started crying. I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted. I’d been drugged.

Kash was lifting me up, being so gentle and tender and loving. He was in front of me. He was holding me, and touching my face, cursing, and then murder. Just straight murder.

He left.

More pounding.

People were still running?

I heard Matthew calling his name.

Another voice. I couldn’t make out their words anymore. I could only make out who was who.

Peter.

“God. I’m so sorry.”

Who was crying.

Chrissy? My mom?

There were others.

Someone was screaming.

Kash was back. He wrapped me up in a blanket, covering me, though I didn’t know why, and he was moving away from the crowd.

When had a crowd formed?

But I was safe.

And as Kash was looking down at me, with an emotion I knew he wasn’t ready to tell me yet, I knew I could go. Finally.

“Bailey!”

His shout sounded so far away …

And then I was gone.

FIFTY-SIX

““Bailey.” A whisper.

“Bailey.” Again.

My name kept coming to me, pulling me back from the dark. I was swimming to the surface, and with a last kick, I pushed through. My eyes opened, but I was back in the dark. No. Wait. It was