Page 184 of Unchained

Snatching the radio from Tomasso, I then turn my attention to a struggling Tate.

“You fucking stabbed me!” Tate grits out.

My mouth drops open when I see the blood smothering his jeans. Okay, perhaps I did go slightly deeper than I thought. “It’s a scratch, you pussy. We need to go,” I tell him, grabbing onto his arm.

Jesus Christ. Men.

“I can’t fucking walk,” he snaps.

“I think Colten has taken over the entrance points for these tunnels. Our nearest exit is two minutes away. We need to get the fuck out of here before they send more guards down. We need to help Colt.”

Tate takes a deep breath, holding himself up by the bars. “Give me the knife. I’ll stay here. You go do what you have to do.”

I frown, shaking my head. “You need to come with me. I’m not weak; I can help hold you up,” I tell him, grabbing hold of his waist.

“G, we both know you got this on your own; you know where to go. You need to act fast. You’ve got someone waiting for you on the other side that needs you. I don’t,” he mutters, his eyes glazing over.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. He’s being serious.

“You’ve got a kid? A girlfriend? Haven’t you? Come on, Tate. You gotta fight back. You’re part of the Sterling family, and you have to get back to them. How do you think Jett is going to cope? He will be a damn mess. We’re in this mess together, and I can’t leave you.”

He presses his hand against his forehead and winces in pain. “G, it ain’t the stab wound I’m worried about. I can’t fucking see straight. My ears are ringing. My head is pounding, and I think I’m about to pass out. You need to go.”

I grab his face carefully; his pupils are blown wide. I need to get him some help. “New plan, Tate,” I tell him, forcing him to look at me.

I’m resourceful. If I can get out of here, I can steal a phone and get help. At this point, I’d even call the cops if I had to.

“Your family will never forgive me if you die down here, and I won’t fucking let you. So I need you to stay alive while I get some help. Okay? Can you do that?”

His eyes glaze over, and sweat beads on his forehead. This is not good. “If I don’t make it, I need you to find someone. Her name is Miley Green. She was in New York; who knows where she is now. But I need you to tell her that I’m gone and that I’m with our baby girl now. And I’ll look after her, I promise.”

What the hell? Is he seeing things?

“Tate, I won’t let you die. You can tell her yourself.”

I help him down onto the ground, press his hand over his stab wound with some pressure, and give him the blade in his other hand.

“Sit tight. Keep pressure on there. I’ll be back. I can get out through the cemetery; it’s not far from here. Keep your strength to kill anyone who opens that door,” I whisper.

“Miley. Green. Remember that,” he chokes out.

“Don’t you dare fucking die on me, Tate,” I tell him, and he smiles.

And then I run. I run for my fucking life. And his.

CHAPTER NINETY-SIX

Colten

The tunnels are dimly lit, kind of like an old underground rail system.

“How much further?” I ask.

Every second away from G is a lifetime. I swear I’ve been walking through these tunnels for hours.

Dom comes to an abrupt halt, turning to me with his finger to his lips. I don’t even breathe. In the distance, I hear faint footsteps.

Dom whispers, “There are three main hubs. Two you can hold prisoners; one only has one cell, that’s near Dad’s house, that is where G used to go. And then there’s the larger one, two bigger cells, plus a guard room outside. That was the interrogation room; I’m wagering they’re in there.”