Page 4 of Hellfire

Did he bite me?

I cried out in fear as my body tried to catch up with my brain, but it was no use. Whatever coursed through my body had taken control of my reflexes. The burning pain in my shoulder only got worse.

“Be a good little pet and stay put until I return for you.”

The need to obey him overwhelmed me. The fight to escape left my body almost instantly. Fading in and out of consciousness, I was startled awake by a loud bang. My eyes burned like sandpaper as I tried and failed to see what was going on around me.

“Where is she?” a demanding voice boomed, followed by a chorus of low and menacing growls.

What is that?

A shiver of fear rolled down my spine. My erratic heartbeat brought another wave of nausea before my vision tunneled and pulled me into the abyss.

Chapter two

Scar

Leaving the dark-haired beauty inside the gas station put me on edge. I didn’t understand why. Any woman and child entering the Dark Legion territory were safe.

So why do I feel that leaving them alone was a mistake?

I was supposed to be checking in with Reap and getting a status update on our next run, but all I could think about was the fear that haunted her electric-blue eyes. Desperation clouded by a darkness that called to my soul.

“Pres? What’s going on?” my brother questioned, interrupting my thoughts.

I rubbed a hand down my face, then gave him my full attention. Thick onyx hair hung over dark brown eyes. Eyes like the beautiful, carefree girl we lost all those years ago. Plagued by those memories every time I closed my eyes. A reel of nightmares that were in a never-ending cycle. A reminder of all the ways I’d failed her.

“While making my rounds, I stopped at the service station up the road. This woman and her child were just passing through. Something about her just isn’t sitting right with me.”

Tank’s brows furrowed as he listened. The protector in him pushed him to his feet.

“You left them alone?” he growled, as he slung on his cut and headed toward the door.

“Are you questioning if they would be safe in my territory?” I barked in irritation, an irrational fear I constantly projected on him.

“No Scar, I’m questioning why you didn’t listen to your gut,” he snapped and turned to face me. My brother is a massive figure. His stature alone would intimidate anyone else. “You’ve never been wrong.” Those four words kicked my ass into gear. He was right.

“FUCK!” I spit through gritted teeth. Leave it to my brother to tell me when I’ve fucked up.

“Everything okay?” Snake asked as he came out of the back room. My mind reeled with the possibilities of what could have already transpired in my absence. All I managed was a grunt in reply.

“We’re riding out,” Tank answered for me.

The roar of the engines coming to life vibrated down to my bones. The sensation was soothing and familiar.

As we rounded the bend, the service station came into view, the same silver sedan still parked on the far end of the lot. A blur—naked to the human eye-–darted into the treeline at the back of the property.

We’re too late!

“Snake! Follow them!”

I knew without a doubt my spy would retrieve the little bird before they could escape. That left Tank and me to follow my dove.

Wait,mine?

I shook my head at that thought and tried to focus on the movement through the trees as I skidded to a halt next to the sedan.

Tank transformed, his beast landed on all fours within a second. The sedan next to us was small in comparison. He tilted his head toward the open door, inhaled the scent before he took off through the trees. I followed suit and took to the skies. With my brother on the ground and me above, there was no way they could have gotten far. My brother was the best tracker we had. If he couldn’t find the scent, no one could.