Page 26 of Sleeping with the Dark (The Righteous 3)
“See, I think you are lying.” Alejandro took a step toward Trev and didn’t even look away from Cody’s eyes as he hauled off and punched Trev in the side. A soft groan left his lips, but he didn’t move or blink otherwise. Cody took a step forward and stopped as Alejandro pushed the tip of a blade into Trev’s side.
“Aw, see, there it is, that flicker in your eyes that says this man means more to you than you let on. Do you call him friend?” Alejandro waved the knife around slowly. “Or maybe you call him an associate? He may indeed work for you, but there is more to it than that Ice Man, I see it in your eyes. Do you call this man a lover? Does he get your cock hard?” He flicked his tongue out and waved it in the air. Alejandro held up something black in his hand that looked like a remote control. He had no time to figure out what it meant when his thumb hit a button, and Trev’s body shook in the chains. His eyes snapped open, and a sound that would follow him to his grave ripped from Trev’s throat.
Fear raced through his system as he frantically tried to figure out what to do.
“Oh, that sound,” Alejandro said as his finger released and Trev slumped against the rattling chains.
Every muscle shook as his hand gripped the gun tighter. He stared at the mocking expression and so badly wanted to wipe that look off Alejandro’s face.
“Just a little further,” Arek whispered. Cody could hear the desperation in the man’s voice.
It took all of his control but, Cody pretended to ignore Alejandro and the obvious pain he had to be causing. Cody knew what the bite of cold steel felt like. He turned toward the small table off to the side of the torture area. He took a couple of strides in that direction. “Don’t move, or I’ll gut him.” Cody stopped moving and held up his hands.
Alejandro stepped around Trev’s body, the knife creating a new thin line as it pressed into his skin. Cody watched in horror as fresh blood dripped down Trev’s side. He didn’t know what to do, and his eyes darted around for a way to get Alejandro to move into position.
“Did you really think you could take over my area?” He pointed that bloody knife in his direction and took a threatening step forward. “I will cut you, like I….” Alejandro stopped talking, and it took a moment for Cody’s brain to catch up to the fact that he had a hole in the middle of his forehead. Alejandro’s body dropped with a resounding thump. There was so much blood already on the floor it was hard to tell Alejandro’s from Trev’s. Putting away the gun, he darted around the already forgotten ass wipe. His only regret was not putting the bullet in the fucker himself.
He didn’t know where to touch or hold that wouldn’t cause more pain. “Trev, look at me. We’re going to get you out of here. You’re going to be okay.” He held Trev’s battered face in his hands, and eyes opened slightly between the purplish swollen skin. Those blue eyes that stole the air from his chest stared out through thin slits to look at him.
“Cody?” Trev’s voice sounded terrible like he’d been screaming for days at a concert.
“Don’t try to talk.” He laid a hand on his bloody cheeks swiping gently with his thumb. “Arek, we need to get him out of here,” he yelled.
Cody’s head was on a swivel as he searched for the release of the heavy chains holding Trev. Arek came storming into the room a moment later and ran straight to his brother, as Cody finding what he searched for, ran to the loops on the wall. Hand over hand, he lowered the chains slowly to the ground. Arek guided Trev’s body to lay gently on the floor and then unzipped a small pouch pulling out an assortment of bandages.
Cody pulled the vest off over his head and quickly peeled off his t-shirt. “Here, use this too.” He tossed it to Arek and put the heavy vest back on.
Cody knelt down beside Trev and didn’t know how to help. He suddenly wished he’d gone to school to be a doctor or some other helpful shit like that. Something cool touched his hand, and he looked down to see Trev’s hand lying on top of his. He quickly grabbed the man’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He didn’t care if Arek or anyone saw.
“I’m…ss…sorr…y,” Trev managed to say.
“Shh, you’re going to be fine.” He squeezed Trev’s hand.
“Okay, that’s the best I can do right now. We need to get him to a doctor.” Arek slid his arms under his brother and picked him up like he weighed nothing. “No evidence of Trev being here can remain.”
Cody stood with them, not wanting to let go of the hand he held.
“I want to go with you.”
“No, do as I fucking say,” Arek barked out as he walked away. “Get rid of the evidence. I’ll look after my brother.”
The muscle in Cody’s jaw twitched as teeth ground together. He wanted to argue, he wanted to throw a fit and say that he should go, but the truth was he barely knew Trev, and Arek was his twin.
“I’ll burn it all down. Nothing of what happened here will remain,” Cody called out. A shiver ran through his body as Arek paused at the door to look back at him.
Arek nodded. “Good, and I’ll call you when I get him to safety so you can join.”
Cody watched the two brothers disappear into the corridor he’d emerged from, and his heart constricted in his chest. Trev had to pull through. He had to live. He stared down at Alejandro and felt cheated that he didn’t get to kill him. Pointing the gun at Alejandro, he pulled the trigger until the clip clicked empty.
Fucker.
Arek raced along the darkened street, the shitty lights flickering as he flew past rattling the polls. He needed to avoid the police like a thief in the night, and he trusted Delilah to show him the best route.
“In fifty meters, turn right.”
He slammed on the breaks and skidded around the designated corner, the scent of burning rubber strong as smoke rose behind him. The Hummer revved loudly as he punched his foot to the floor. He kept his eyes on the road, he didn’t dare to look back at his brother, or he was going to lose his shit, and he needed to keep it together.
The sound of ringing resounded as the line he was dialing connected, one ring, two rings, three rings.
