if I could even believe it was him. Not that I cared but fuck it I did.
“Don’t leave me here,” he said in a tight voice like he thought I was really about to turn tail and run. But I hadn’t risked everything just to abandon him, so I hauled him to his feet.
He groaned in agony, unable to put weight on his left leg at all and I could tell it was broken. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck a duck.
I slung his arm around my shoulders, supporting him as I moved. We were dead. Absolutely fucking dead. But I was in for the ride now, so we might as well make a run for it and see how far we got.
“Maverick,” Miss Mabel croaked, coming to as she blinked groggily and I moved toward her, not knowing how I was going to carry both of them, just sure I had to do it. “No.” She held up a hand to stop me trying to help her up. “You have to run. I can’t come with you,” she said firmly.
I didn’t know how the fuck she was even alive, but I needed to get her to her feet.
“Come on, don’t be stubborn.” I reached for her, but she batted my hand away weakly.
“No. You need to go now. There’s no time and Kaiser gave me a damn sedative. If you can get onto the grounds, head to the fountain in the walled garden,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment before reopening. “There’s a tunnel beneath it. It’s been there since the prohibition days. Press the stone with the Rosewood crest on it to open it and it will lead you to the woods beyond the grounds. Now go.” She pointed and I growled under my breath, seeing she was a lost cause and vowing I’d get her out of here somehow, but I couldn’t waste any more time and she clearly wasn’t coming.
“I’ll be back for you,” I swore as she seemed to fall asleep again, the drugs she’d been giving seizing control of her body and I turned, practically carrying Chase up the stairs.
His head lolled and I was pretty sure he passed out at some point. He was a heavy motherfucker, but I’d become the strongest man in the room a long time ago and I wasn’t going to let him fall for anything.
I made it to the top of the stairs and by some miracle there was no one there yet. So I turned left down the hall and dragged Chase along as he mumbled something incoherent and half helped me for a moment before sagging against me once more.
I made it to a window and forced it open, poking my head out and finding grass below it. I shoved Chase through and he hit the ground with a pained groan which was muffled as he face planted the dirt.
“Asshole,” he grunted.
“I’m saving your ass, but I didn’t say I’d be gentle about it, Ace,” I muttered as I climbed after him, shutting the window and heaving him back to his feet.
His fingers dug into my shoulder as he held on and we managed to move at a fair speed as we headed for a group of trees a few hundred yards away. Shouts went up before we got there and I swore colourfully, moving faster and making Chase hiss in pain.
“Stop!” some asshole called, but fuck if I was going to listen.
Chase slumped against me once more, almost taking me to the ground, but I manged to hold us upright, clamping him tight to my side and moving as fast as I could as we made it into the trees.
Flashlights swung our way, but somehow none landed on us as I moved, my muscles bunching and flexing and sweat trickling down my neck as I worked tirelessly to keep going.
We reached the walled garden and more shouts went up as I led Chase toward an archway. A bang sounded as a gun went off and a chunk was shot out of the stone wall as we made it through, making my heart jackhammer.
“Fuck you for being alive,” I hissed at Chase.
I didn’t have to get him out, I didn’t have to waste my one goddamn chance at opening the crypt. But here I was apparently insane enough to get shot for this prick.
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” he tossed back, but the strength was failing in his voice again and I tried to ignore the tug