Working Out West - Lila Rose Page 0,33

Adrik when he palmed her face and pushed her to the side. She stumbled, dropping the pin, and fell to the floor.

Kylo pulled a gun and aimed it at her. “Move, and I’ll shoot.”

“West?” I yelled.

“Where is basement door?” Adrik demanded from Grace.

She glared up at him, saying nothing, but he caught, like I did, the flick of her gaze to the side. Adrik started for the door. I followed. He swung the door wide and flew down the stairs.

I slipped on one when Adrik’s roar echoed around the space. When I hit the last step, I stopped cold.

No. God, no. Oh my God, please no. Not West.

Adrik advanced on Harold, who backed up. I heard a snap as Adrik roared again. Harold’s body dropped to the floor. Lifeless.

A sob broke free. I hadn’t realized I’d walked over to West until I dropped to my knees beside my best friend, who flinched back with a whimper.

“West,” I whispered.

“I’m not evil,” he croaked.

“No, honey, you’re not.” Dryness caked around his lips, and there was vomit on the floor before him. He didn’t even open his eyes. My tears fell while my heart shattered for him.

Adrik dropped to his knees on the other side of West. “Keys, find them,” he demanded from me with a wave of his hand. I didn’t move right away, so I saw the tears welling in his eyes.

“I’m clean. I am,” West rasped.

I covered my mouth to stop the sob. Shaking my head over and over.

“Moya lyubov’, ty prekrasnyy, dragotsennyy i n iodin nikto budut prikosnut’sya k tebe snova. Ya obeshchayu eto.”

If my Russian was correct, he told West, “My love, you are precious, beautiful, and no one will touch you again. I promise this.”

“Adrik?” West whispered.

“Da, Moya lyubov’. Rest, I am here.”

West hummed, and his body lolled.

Adrik stood. After removing his jacket, he gently covered West’s lower half. He couldn’t touch West’s back because… because…. I had never seen anything like it. His back had been sliced open, and a cross was burned into his skin. A fucking cross.

“Keys, Lucas. Now.”

Wiping my eyes, I nodded. I got to my feet and went to the bench where a bloody knife, jugs with what smelled like vinegar and alcohol in them, and a cross on a long metal rod all sat.

“Keys, Lucas.” Adrik demanded again.

I grabbed them and turned, seeing Adrik bent, whispering into West’s ear while gently running his hand over his hair.

“Adrik,” I called, and tossed the keys to him. He easily caught them. “I’ll tell Kylo and search for some supplies to help.”

Adrik nodded, and I could see how grateful he was I didn’t try and get him away from West. “Da.”

I made my way up the stairs. At the door to the basement, I stopped. Leaning my hands on each side of the doorway, I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes. How could someone do that? How could his own parents torture him like that? Bile rose. I swallowed it down.

“Lucas?” Kylo called.

Clenching my jaw, I looked up through watery eyes.

Kylo shook his head. “Lucas?”

“He needed to be cleansed” came a voice.

My anger erupted. I launched myself across the floor and wrapped my hands around her neck. “How could you? How fucking could you do that to him?” I shook her, heard her choking, but I didn’t care. She deserved it. She deserved to die.

Hands gripped my shoulders. “Lucas, stop. She’ll pay. She’ll fuckin’ pay, but tell me what she did. Tell me where West is.”

I dropped back to my butt and scooted away from the monster. I swiped at my face. “They tortured him, Kylo. His back….” I shook my head, a sob catching in my throat. “They sliced him, burned him, branded him with a cross.”

“Motherfuckin’ cunt!” Kylo screamed. He aimed and fired. Blood pooled over her shoulder, the monster cried and cried, but I didn’t care.

I stood and watched as Kylo pocketed his gun, picked up a side table, and smashed it onto the floor. It shattered. He took one of the broken leg pieces over to her and stabbed her in the thigh. She bellowed, but it tapered off into praying, then asking where her husband was.

Kylo turned to me. “She won’t go anywhere.”

“I need supplies. I’m going into the bathroom—” The front door burst open, Wade filling it. Others were behind him. He started for me, but I took a step back. My bottom lip trembled. “No, don’t. I… I have to hold on. I have to