The Havoc We Wreak - Becca Steele Page 0,63

barely discernible. “Stay. Count to thirty, light your baby up, then run. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. I’ll be right behind you.” Then he was gone, and I slowed my breathing, so fucking scared to be left alone in the dark but prepared to do whatever it took. My thumb was poised on my lighter ready to go, and I counted down in my head.

Four…three…two…one…

I lit the end of the alcohol-soaked rag, and threw the bottle with all my might, sending it soaring towards the castle.

Everything happened in slow motion.

There was a loud boom as the Molotov cocktail exploded, followed half a second later by another boom. Shouts of rage carried through the air towards me, and I saw a shadow detach itself from the crumbling castle wall.

Shit.

Another guard we’d missed.

He was looking straight at me.

I turned, and ran.

Faster than I’d ever run before, my lungs burning, I raced blindly towards the safety of the trees.

Almost there.

Then a huge body was gripping me around my middle with a crushing pressure, and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

Fuck fuck fuck.

What had we practiced? Every thought seemed to have left my head, as I struggled to control the panic.

The kubotan! I could have cried with relief as I remembered Cade showing me how to use the tiny self-defence item Arlo had given me for my birthday. I lowered my arms, stopping my flailing, and let my body stop struggling as the guard began to drag me back towards the castle. As quickly as possible, desperately trying not to let the panic overtake me, I worked my hand into the zip pocket of my jacket and pulled it out.

Inhaling a huge breath of the smoky night air to bolster myself, I jabbed it into the back of his hand as hard as I could. He let out a howl of pain, loosening his crushing grip on me. I gasped for breath, relieved tears filling my eyes, but then he was there again, ripping the kubotan from my grip with an angry roar and pinning my body in place. Fuck, he was too strong; I couldn’t stop him.

Suddenly, his weight was gone, and I was falling backwards. I landed on top of him with a grunt, momentarily stunned. Scrambling to my feet as fast as I could, I saw Mack standing behind the guard, a large rock in his hand.

“You looked like you were having a bit of trouble there.” He pulled up his balaclava, grinning at me.

“I had it handled.” Relief filled every fibre of my being, as he grabbed my hand and we jogged through the trees to the car. I was dimly aware of Lena’s voice in my ear saying, “Allan acquired,” as we broke through the treeline. I yanked the car door open, throwing myself in the back seat as Mack slid into the driver’s side and started the engine with a roar. My whole body started shaking.

“Group two accounted for. We’re leaving,” I managed to hiss into the speaker, before I lay back against the seat, closing my eyes.

“This’ll help.” I heard Mack’s voice coming from the front and Kinslee’s low reply, followed by the sound of her coughing and spluttering. Then a metal flask was being pushed into my hand by Kinslee, and I opened my eyes, pulling my balaclava off and tipping the flask to my lips.

“Fucking hell,” I managed to choke out as the fiery whiskey burned a path down my throat, heating me from the inside.

“Fireball.” Mack glanced at me in the rear-view mirror with a grin, before returning his attention to the road. As I took another small sip of whiskey, the second going down more easily than the first, I noticed his eyes flicking back and forth between the road and the rear-view mirror.

My breathing slowed, and I tugged off my gloves, before pulling my earpiece from my ear. We were out of range now, and we’d meet up with the others later. I remembered that my phone was stashed at our final location, so I couldn’t contact the others until I’d seen them in person. As Mack took us through the empty roads, I hugged my body, all my thoughts with Caiden and the others. I hoped they were okay. I needed them to be okay. I couldn’t stop the rising panic racing through me. What had taken them so long?

“First stop.” Mack slowed the car, turning into the industrial estate where Kinslee was parked. As the car came to a stop, she