Sacrifice by Caitlyn Dare
Dane
"Rhett, no," I hiss, climbing off my bike and ripping my helmet off.
But it's too late. He's already dragged the door open and marched through it.
"Fucking hell."
Wes is out of the truck by the time I get to it. He stares at me with wide eyes, dried blood still caked on his face. But I can also sense that his need for vengeance is almost as strong as ours.
I have no idea what Wes’s deal is, but I have no doubt he's on our side here. Convincing Rhett of that, however, could be a little more challenging.
"Stay behind me," I demand, pulling my gun from my waistband and following in the direction Rhett went only seconds ago.
I don't give him a chance to respond. Instead, I take off.
But even still.
We're too late.
The single gunshot echoes through the silent night air around us and turns my blood to ice.
I storm through the door with my gun raised and Wes hot on my tail, my heart thundering in my chest as I refuse to allow myself to even consider the possibility of that bullet hitting either my brother or our girl.
"Jesus fucking Christ," I mutter when we round the corner and find Rhett standing over a body, blood oozing from the guy’s shoulder, and Rhett now pointing two guns at him.
"Wes," a soft, broken voice cries.
"Sadie," I breathe, following the voice and finding her tied to a chair, blood running down her chin but defiance fierce in her eyes.
Wes runs for her, dropping to his knees before her and going for her bindings.
"Here," I call, throwing my switchblade over to him.
"Stray," Rhett barks. "Two more went that way." He nods toward a door at the back of the space, and I take off.
The door crashes back against the wall as I fly through it, but the rumble of an engine in the distance tells me I'm too late. I race out into the parking lot as dust flies up behind a truck as they take off.
"We'll get you, motherfuckers," I mutter to myself. We'll never let anyone who hurts one of our own get away with it.
I'm about to rejoin the others when a pained groan sounds out from the darkness behind me. With my gun still raised, I edge closer.
"You stupid fucking cunt," I bark when a familiar, albeit bloody, face comes into view.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry,” Evan cries like a fucking pussy. “It wasn't meant to—"
"Shut the fuck up, asshole." Tucking my gun away, I reach down and grab Evan by his shirt, hauling him to his feet, not giving a fuck when he moans like a little bitch about the pain.
"Shut the fuck up or it's going to get a hell of a lot worse." I drag him back through to where the others are before unceremoniously throwing him at Rhett's feet. "They got away. But look who I did find."
"I'm sorr—"
Another gunshot silences Evan, but not before his eyes go wide in fear and he attempts to curl up into a ball.
"You really, really didn't think this through, did you?" Rhett mutters. "I'm going to enjoy fucking you both up."
Unrestrained anger oozes from every inch of Rhett's body. His eyes are so dark they're almost black and his body is trembling with his need to put a bullet through each of these assholes.
"Stray, line them up. I want to look them in the eyes when I end them."
He throws me some cable ties from his back pocket, but I don't move instantly. Instead, I look back at Sadie, my heart aching for her as I do.
She's curled up with Wes as he holds her, supports her.
Motherfucker.
That should be me.
"Stray," Rhett barks. His need for revenge and blood is too strong right now to focus on anything but ensuring that whoever these cunts are hear our message loud and clear.
"I'm on it."
Rolling Evan onto his front with my boot, I lean down and bind his wrists before hauling him against the wall in front of Rhett.
"Please, please don't do this. It wasn't meant—"
"Shut up," Rhett booms, his voice echoing off the bare walls around us.
I do the same to the other guy who is facedown on the concrete floor, blood still gushing from the bullet hole in his shoulder. He cries out in agony as I lift him and throw him against that same wall.
I take a step back from them, but not before I look into the guy's eyes. All the air rushes from my lungs as familiarity hits me. Although I have no fucking idea why, or who the cunt is.
He stares back at me, his face twisted in pain, but I swear to God I see the same recognition in his eyes.
"So you think it's okay to kidnap and tie up our girl, huh?" Rhett asks, his voice low and deadly, looking between the two of them. "Why?" he booms, startling both of them.
"I-I just wanted to—"
"Shut the fuck up, cous. You don't owe these cunts anything," the other guy barks.
"I want to get out of here alive," Evan whimpers as Rhett turns his gun on him. "Please. I'm sorry. I just wanted revenge from that night at the Arches. It wasn't meant to go this far.”
"Stray," Rhett demands, and, without so much as another word, I take a step forward and plant my foot into the asshole’s stomach.
He grunts, doubling over as he tries to breathe through the pain.
"Still think it was a good idea?" Rhett barks.
"Rhett, Dane, please don't," a quiet voice pleads from behind us.
"Let us do our job, princess," Rhett says without looking back at her.
Ripping my eyes from my brother, I look at Sadie, at the exhaustion and concern on her face. Wes holds her tighter, whispering something in her ear.
Jealousy rips through me once more, and it's enough to cut through the anger and my own need for revenge to make me do the right thing.
Stepping up to Rhett, I place my hand on his shoulder. "We need to get her out of here. She's our priority."
His jaw tics with anger. He knows I'm right, but for some reason, he's refusing to accept it. Much like his feelings for her.
He doesn't say a word. He doesn't even look at me. Instead, he lowers to his haunches in front of the guy. "Who are you?" he hisses, and it makes me wonder if he's having the same feelings of familiarity as I am.
"Fuck you, Savage. I owe the Sinners nothing," he spits.
Rhett finally shoots a look in my direction, and I read his thoughts loud and clear.
He's a Reaper.
Rhett stands before pulling his arm to the side and swinging the gun until it collides with the cunt’s face with a painful crunch and he falls to the side, out cold.
"What the hell?" Evan wails.
"Put them in the truck. If we're right, we need to get out of here before they call in reinforcements.”
“Get her out of here,” I say to Wes. “Don't let her out of your fucking sight."
"You got it."
Rhett keeps his eyes on Evan and his cousin while I watch Wes and Sadie.
I wait until they've both left the warehouse before stepping up to Rhett. "She needs you, man. What the fuck are you doing?"
"They need to die. When I walked in, he—" Rhett swallows the words, shaking his head. "He was going to fucking rape her."
The fire in his eyes would terrify anyone else who'd be unlucky enough to look into them.
"But he didn't," I force out, trying not to lose myself to the same darkness he's drowning in right now. "We got her. She's safe."
"Yeah, and they're going to pay."
There's no talking to him when he's like this, so I nod. "Where are we taking them? Ray?"
"Not yet. I want to know what they're planning first."
"I don't think—"
"I don't give a fuck what you think right now, Stray."
My fists curl in frustration, but there's nothing I can do about it. He's made his decision, and there will be no changing his mind.
"Right, let's get them in the truck then."
We work silently like we have a million times before.
"Give me your keys," he demands once we're done.
"What?"
"Take Sadie and Wes to your place and meet me at our old storage containers on the edge of town."
"Nah, Rhett, you—"
"Give me your fucking keys, Stray."
With a shake of my head, I pull them from my pocket. "You're a fucking pussy, brother."
He doesn't acknowledge my words. Instead, he storms past me toward my bike.
"What's going on?" Wes asks the second I join him and Sadie in the truck.
"Can't tell you, man."
"Fuck that. You don't think I'm already in deep enough?"
"It's club business now, Noble. Let us deal with it."
"Are you going to kill them?"
I shrug, mainly because I don't actually know the answer to that. I've got a feeling Rhett has already made a decision, and whatever it is will be the result of this whole situation.
"Where are we going?" Sadie finally asks.
Looking over, I find her big green eyes staring back at me. Although exhausted, I can see the fear within them. But it's not for her, or for what she just went through, but for Rhett.
"My place. Wes can look after you while we deal with our new friends."
"Evan didn't mean for it to get this far,” she whispers. “Whoever they are, they took it to the next level."
"Yeah, I got that," I admit, trying to tamp down my own anger.
"Are they—"
"We don't know," I answer before she gives Wes too much information. "But we'll find out."
"Don't let him do anything stupid, Dane."
I can't help but laugh, which I'm sure isn't the response she was after.
"If you think I—or anyone—can stop him from doing anything, then you don't know Rhett as well as I thought you did."
"I know, I just…" She trails off, blowing out a long breath instead. "I'm sorry." The regret in her voice hits me right in the chest.
"It's okay, Sadie, girl."
Reaching over, I find her hand and lace our fingers together while Wes holds her tight against his body.
Noble’s stare burns into the side of my face as I'm sure he tries to figure out what exactly all this is, but he doesn't say a word. I'm not sure I'd have any real answers for him if he did ask.
I come to a stop in front of the building before pulling my key out. "Let yourselves in and use whatever you want. I've got clothes in the bedroom you can change into. There might be some food in the refrigerator or you can order in. Whatever."
"We've got it, Dane. Thank you." Her eyes hold mine, a million questions spinning within them. "Please, just try to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"I'll do my best, Sadie, girl."
"I need both of you back in one piece."
"Y-yeah." I gulp, the emotion in her gaze overwhelming me.
Uncurling from Wes, she fully turns my way, wraps her hand around the back of my neck and pulls my lips to hers. I'm powerless but to respond to her, and my tongue sweeps into her mouth the second she parts her lips. But she pulls back almost as quickly, resting her brow against mine.
"Thank you for finding me."
"Always, babe."
"Come back to me. Both of you."
With one more chaste kiss to her lips, I release her and allow her to walk away with Wes.
"Noble," I call before they're too far away. He turns back instantly, his eyes locking onto mine. His jaw tics as I'm sure he waits for my warning about getting too close to Sadie.
"Look after her."
He releases the breath he was holding and nods once before I take off in the hope of doing what she's asked of me.
