Page 134 of Forged in the Fire
A wave of protection rose over me, and I curled an arm tighter around Kai, somehow managing to grab Elena’s hand with the other.
“We need to go.” The whispered frenzy of my voice finally breaking her out of the trance.
I was taken over by the urge to flee. To protect. To break the cycle the way Silas was so desperate to do.
I wouldn’t let that bastard have him, either.
I didn’t take them back into the office.
I wanted to get them as far away from this asshole as possible.
So, I rushed with haggard breaths around the side of the shop, hauling Elena along behind me as I balanced Kai in one arm.
My single destination the house tucked at the back of the property.
Toward that structure that felt like a haven.
Like no one would have the chance to get to any of them there.
I didn’t follow the gravel road. I hit the path that cut through the cover of trees since it was about half the distance.
Brush and shrubs rose up beneath. A maze of woods that hugged like shelter.
I did my best to run with Kai in my arms.
He was still asleep, and he bounced against my chest, my efforts slowed by my heels that kept sinking into the soft earth.
I finally kicked off the hindrance and dropped onto my bare feet.
Then I ran. Ignoring the pricks of sticks and rocks that cut into the soles of my feet.
None of that mattered.
The only thing that did was getting them to the house.
Elena let go of my hand so I could hold onto Kai better and raced up to my side, a blur of tears on her face.
“Silas won’t let him get to him,” I promised on a rasp, a hand cupping the back of Kai’s head, pouring that same oath into him.
Elena choked with a nod, and I ignored the sharp bite of pain as my foot was pierced by a particularly sharp rock, sucking it down with the anger that had come at me from out of nowhere.
I wondered if Meems could feel it. If she’d felt the horror strike in the heavens because she was shuffling out onto the porch at the same second as we broke out of the thicket.
Dread and ferocity on her face.
A shotgun held across her body.
We barreled up the steps, and she lowered the gun so Elena could throw herself into her arms.
Her grandmother so clearly her safe place, while Meems gave me a knowing look over her head.
TWENTY-FIVE
SILAS
“I’d turn around,get back in your truck, and go back to where you came from unless you want to find yourself buried on this property.” I growled it, jutting my chin toward the hunk of metal sitting alongside the road.
My insides a riot of rage and bad fucking memories.
