Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

67

THERON

I looked up at Vetticus. “Please…”

I whispered brokenly. I was so far gone, I didn’t even care about the look of triumph that crossed his face or the smug lift of his lips.

“I love it when you beg,”

he chuckled.

My hand trembled. I didn’t know what to do. For once I was lost. My team lay broken and bleeding around me. My daughter was in danger by my own hand with a gun to her head and the only way I could save her was by hurting her.

“Three…”

Vetticus’ voice broke through my thoughts and panic gripped me as he started the countdown.

“No…”

I protested.

My hand curled around the back of Emersyn’s neck, pulling us closer.

“It’s okay baby…”

I murmured, my voice broken and far from reassuring. “I’ve got you.”

I pushed her hair out of her face and gripped her face in both hands.

“Look at me,”

I demanded, trying to remain steady even as I was breaking down. “You’re so brave—”

“Two…”

“Okay!”

I cried out, eyes jumping frantically to Vetticus and back to Emersyn.

Her big blue, gray eyes were wide as they met mine, tears running freely in streaks down her face.

“Just do it,”

she whimpered. “It’s okay, dad…you have to…”

My heart shattered. Everything came crashing down.

“One!”

Her eyes slammed shut and I quickly put the blade above her eyebrow.

“I love you…”

I said, my voice breaking.

I dug the blade into her skin and slid it down her face, careful to avoid her eye. I may as well have been cutting out my own heart. The pain hit her and instinctively she tried to pull away from my hand, but my grip tightened on her neck. My vision blurred as tears fell and a sob caught in my throat as I continued down her cheek.

She was crying loudly now, her hands gripping my forearm as she gasped in breath after breath. She looked on the verge of a panic attack. I quickly finished the cut at her jaw and the knife dropped from my shaking hands even though I wanted to turn it on myself. Nausea rolled in my stomach and I quickly pulled Emersyn into me as she sobbed into my shoulder. I was shaking, trying to murmur words to her but they came out as sobbing gasps.

The embrace didn’t last long before she was ripped from my arms. Vetticus tossed her away and I lunged for her only for Vetticus to shove the gun at my head. Emersyn started screaming and thrashing, trying to get back to me but Vetticus’ men grabbed her. Her fight didn’t last long.

“She’s in good hands, I promise you that,”

Vetticus said. “Consider her my insurance policy that you won’t do anything stupid again. Next time, it will be something worse you have to take from her.”

I slumped on my knees, my shoulders shaking.

“That’s better—”

he smirked after studying my face. I had no energy left to fight. I was numb. The knife still lay in the dirt, covered in Emersyn’s blood.

I wanted to die. I was nothing.

I was a horrible person—a fucked up father—I realized I was crying when I felt wetness drop onto the backs of my hands that sat clutching the fabric of my pants. I swayed on my knees. Vetticus gripped my jaw and pulled my head up to meet my gaze. If not for his grip on me, I would have fallen.

“Now…who do you belong to?”

He purred.

I blinked. “You,”

I breathed.

Vetticus patted my cheek roughly. “Good boy.”

The sound of another vehicle approaching along the dirt road drew everyone’s attention. Even Vetticus cocked his head and straightened, watching the SUV approach. Men got out, equipped with assault rifles and stood around the car while one of them opened the back passenger door.

A man stepped out, fixing his suit before looking around at the chaos surrounding him with calm appraisal. He was a large man with a tan complexion and short styled black hair without a strand out of place.

“Albatron,”

Vetticus said, his tone surprised.

He immediately dropped to his knees in the dirt and bowed his head.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

So this was the man behind the curtain. The one I’d heard them speak about during the party. His jaw ticked with obvious displeasure at being questioned as he stepped into the beam of the headlights.

“I was told you were having issues with some of your investments,”

Albatron said. “Is this true?”

His voice was a silky caress, yet the edge was sharp enough to cut glass. I saw Vetticus visibly shiver at the accusation. Albatron’s perceptive gaze slowly scanned the clearing, lingering on me, my men and finally Emersyn. His head tilted curiously before his gaze swept back to Vetticus.

“Speak,”

Albatron demanded.

“These four escaped,”

Vetticus said. “I was punishing them.”

There was silence for a beat.

“Who is the girl?”

“Kraven’s daughter,”

Vetticus answered.

“What is her purpose?”

Vetticus lifted his head to look at Albatron in confusion. “To teach Kraven a lesson in obedience.”

Albatron’s gaze shifted to me briefly before locking back on Vetticus. He stared at Vetticus for an uncomfortably long time and as each second ticked by, Vetticus seemed to shrink under his scrutiny.

“Inside,”

Albatron finally said.

He moved past Vetticus and disappeared into the house. Vetticus scrambled to his feet and quickly followed. I knelt in the dirt in a daze, staring across the space at Emersyn. She was still crying, the occasional whimper continuing to shred my sanity.

I saw Preacher move out of the corner of my eye. He groaned and struggled to his knees. We all still had guns to our heads but it was clear none of us were in any condition to stage an uprising. Atlas still was leaning heavily against the grill of the SUV. Nyx was the only one who seemed alert, albeit a little on the pale side.

There weren’t any sounds coming from the cabin and there was an uneasy energy being shared amongst Vetticus’ men. They kept glancing at Albatron’s men who were still posted around the car. One of them stood at the steps to the house, facing out as though on guard. They all wore full tactical gear without any distinguishing features.

Finally, the door of the cabin squeaked open and Albatron strode out with Vetticus right on his heels looking grim and more than a little worried.

Albatron stopped at the bottom of the steps and pulled his gun.

Everyone tensed.

Albatron leveled the gun at one of Vetticus’ men and pulled the trigger.

Before the man even hit the ground, he’d shot another one, then another.

Then his gun leveled at Preacher and before any of us could move, the shot rang out.

Preacher fell.

Preacher.

I saw Nyx jolt in shock and my breathing picked up as anguish twisted inside me.

But then Albatron turned to Emersyn.

“No! No…no—”

He pulled the trigger.

It took a moment to register as I watched blood pour down her face and then my ears were ringing, I was shouting and men were rushing to restrain me. It took several of Vetticus’ men to beat me down until I couldn’t see because of the dust and my breath was stolen from me.

Through the silence, I heard Albatron fire his gun again.

I couldn’t even see who that bullet was for.

“Stop playing around, Vetticus,”

Albatron said. His smooth voice slid through the silence and the anger that was loudly roaring through me. “Don’t make me come out here again.”

I heard car doors slamming and the rumbling of an engine rose and fell before silence descended on the clearing. I lifted my head to see Vetticus standing on the steps looking more than a little ruffled and pissed off. He bared his teeth in the direction the car had gone.

“What was that about?”

One of his main guards asked.

Vetticus rounded on him. “Get rid of the bodies. Load the rest into the car.”

The cabin door squeaked again and slammed as Vetticus stormed inside, palming his cell phone.

I stayed down in the dirt and the men left me alone, moving about the clearing as they removed the bodies and made ready to leave. I lifted my head, my eyes automatically going to my daughter. A man was lifting her body into his arms and I staggered to my feet, stumbling over to try and get to her.

Nyx intercepted me.

He grabbed me and pulled me down near the tire where Atlas was struggling to his feet.

“North, she’s gone. We need to go,” Nyx said.

“Vetticus went inside,”

Atlas ground out, wincing in pain but he stayed upright. “Now’s our chance.”

I looked once more at the blond hair cascading over the man’s arm as he retreated towards the back of the SUV, then turned away.

Nyx was right. This time she was really gone.

She was…gone.

As quickly as I’d found her, I lost her again.

I spared one last glance towards Preacher’s body as he too was lifted and dragged away, but I felt nothing but emptiness. Not even pain could reach me now.

I turned away and we hurried as quickly as we could into the dark forest.