Run

ALARIC

“What’s our next move?” Alex asks Alaric. “You think Ron Moretto will just let us walk out of this city? That bastard owns this place.”

Alaric rubs his face. “You’re right. We’re in the middle of a mess.”

Suddenly, they spot a group of police officers at the end of the street. They’re stopping cars, seemingly doing random checks.

Alaric tenses. “Damn. This doesn’t feel right. We have the guns in the back. We can’t afford to get caught by the cops.”

Max, who’s leading the way on his motorcycle, raises his hand, pointing left to signal a change in direction.

“Stay close behind him,” Alaric instructs Alex, just as his phone starts ringing. With a sigh, he picks it up and answers.

“Ian?”

He frowns, pressing a finger into his other ear. “Slow down.”

The sound of rapid breathing and chatter comes from the other end, and Alaric’s face turns pale. “They found out. How the hell—?”

He rubs his forehead, and Ansel leans forward. “They found out?”

Alaric nods at him before speaking into the phone. “Get out of there now. They’ll kill you. Yeah, I know you can handle it. Stay safe, kid.”

He ends the call, shaking his head before looking back at his brothers with a worried expression.

They know Alaric. He’s usually calm, even in the worst situations. But today, he seems rattled, and they can tell.

This whole situation is sketchy. He wasn’t ready for this.

Sure, he and the boys were planning to raid Ron’s camp, but this is happening too fast, and now he has to think on his feet.

Rainey feels terrible. She’s only made things worse, and Ansel won’t even look at her.

She’s been trying to catch his eye, to offer a silent apology, but he’s deliberately avoiding her gaze.

IAN

“Ian! Open this door!” Fred is pounding on the old wooden bathroom door that Ian is hiding behind, his eyes darting around for an escape.

Luckily, Ian is incredibly observant.

After he slipped out the back door to tell Alaric that Rainey was with Ron Moretto, he came back in to find Ron watching him suspiciously.

Keeping his head down, he returned to his seat and continued working.

Less than thirty minutes after Moretto left the camp, Fred got a phone call.

Ian watched as Fred’s face went through a range of emotions.

Then Fred looked at him with narrowed eyes, and Ian quickly looked away, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

He immediately got up and hurried to the bathroom. He called Alaric, telling him they’d been found out and that they were going to kill him.

Ian assured him that he would find a way to escape and that they should focus on getting out of the city.

That’s why he’s now pressing his back against the door while Fred tries to break it down.

“I’m going to break this damn door down! Get out here, you fucking rat! You’re dead!”

Ian spots an old window above the stained toilet. He drags a chair over and wedges it under the door handle to keep it shut, then scrambles over to the window.

He climbs onto the toilet and grabs the windowsill, grunting as he pulls himself up.

Sitting on the window ledge, he looks down at the narrow alley below. It’s a long way down, and jumping could break a leg.

But a broken leg is better than a bullet in the head.

So, when he hears the bathroom door creak open, he takes a deep breath and lets go.

He lands awkwardly on his thin legs, muttering a curse through gritted teeth before sprinting down the alley as fast as he can.

As he rounds the corner of the hardware store, gunshots ring out behind him. He ducks his head and keeps running as men chase after him, firing their guns.

“Don’t let that bastard get away!” Fred yells, reloading his rifle and firing again, his body jerking with each shot.

As Ian passes a metal fence, a bullet hits the pole and grazes his shoulder. “Ah, shit,” he hisses, pressing his hand to the wound as he keeps running.

The men continue to chase him, but Ian is too fast and soon outpaces them. Before long, he’s out of sight.

ALARIC

“Ian. Yeah. Oh, thank God.” Alaric leans back in his seat, speaking into his phone. “Good job, kid.”

Ian is the cousin of Drake, one of Alaric’s men. They thought it would be smart to use him as the mole, since he doesn’t look threatening.

He’s a small boy with a thin frame, and his big hazel eyes make him seem innocent. He’s also a fast runner and can squeeze into tight spaces.

“Is he okay?” Arden asks as Alaric hangs up.

Alaric nods. “Yeah, he’s okay.”

“Thank God,” Aiden sighs.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alex mutters as the van slows down. Everyone looks ahead to see a new group of cops, patrolling further down the road.

“Cops are swarming the place,” Alaric grumbles, shaking his head. “They’re probably on Ron Moretto’s payroll. Bunch of ass-kissers.”

“What’s our next move?” Arden asks.

Max’s motorcycle grinds to a halt, his hand shooting up. He twirls his finger in the air, signaling a U-turn.

As he swings back around, he pulls up to the driver’s side window. Alex rolls it down to hear what he has to say.

“If we head that way, we’re screwed. We need to find a different way out of the city.”

“Cops will be at every entrance and exit,” Alaric points out. “So how do we get out?”

“I know a place where we might be able to catch a boat back to Crossview. There’s a guy I know who owns a few. Haven’t heard from him in a while though.”

“Maybe we should just stay and face Ron Moretto,” Alex suggests, throwing his hands up in frustration. “All this running feels like bullshit.”

Max shakes his head. “That’s suicide. Moretto’s got an army here, not to mention the crooked cops. This is his turf.

“We need to get back to Crossview and gather our guys. We’re not ready for this.”

“Where do you suggest we go?” Ansel asks. “Feels like the whole city will be crawling with his dirty cops.”

Max sighs. “Follow me.” He peels away, and Alex releases the handbrake, turning the van around to follow him.

ROBERT

“Ry, where’s Rainey? She’s not here?” Robert squints at Riley, who’s sitting on the couch, nervously picking at the hem of her denim shorts.

The brothers have told her not to mention that Rainey is in Freetown, especially not to Ron Moretto.

They don’t want Robert to worry about Rainey staying in Crossview.

They promised her dad they’d always protect her, and this situation could shake his trust in them.

But they also told Riley that if they didn’t return in two hours, she could tell everyone where they were and what happened.

It’s only been an hour since they left, so she can’t say anything yet, even though she’s on the verge of cracking.

She shifts uncomfortably under the watchful eyes of Robert, Austin, and Melissa, who are studying her closely.

“Where are the boys?” Austin asks, looking around the living room before turning back to her. “They were here this morning, and now the house is empty.

“I’ve tried calling them, but no one’s answering. Where are they?”

“They—I don’t know. They didn’t tell me where they were going.”

Robert narrows his eyes at her. “What about Rainey? Where is she?”

“She’s at the mall,” Riley sighs.

She hates lying, but she doesn’t have a choice right now.

The boys left in a strange black van, saying that Rainey was in trouble and that she shouldn’t tell their parents anything until the appointed time.

She doesn’t know all the details, but she can tell that something dangerous is about to go down between the boys and Ron Moretto.

She just hopes that her lies won’t have deadly consequences.

The adults exchange glances, and Riley can tell they don’t believe her.

“Riley,” Robert sighs, sitting down next to her with a soft look in his eyes.

She swallows nervously, meeting his gaze with her emerald eyes.

“I know you’re hiding something, sweetheart. It’s okay. You can tell us.”

“Did the boys tell you not to say anything?” Austin asks, and Riley quickly shakes her head, her hands mimicking the motion.

“You can talk, sweetie.” Melissa gives her a small smile.

“No.” Riley shakes her head again. “They didn’t tell me to ~not~ say anything, because there’s nothing to say.

“I’m not hiding anything. I don’t know where the boys are, and Rainey said she was going to the mall. That’s all I know.”

Rob sighs in defeat, rubbing his forehead as he looks up at the boys’ parents. They all wear the same worried expressions. They can tell Riley isn’t being honest.

ANSEL

The van pulls to a stop on a dusty mountain peak, surrounded by lush green trees. The landscape is remote and elevated, making the sky seem closer than usual.

They climb out of the van, and Max dismounts his motorcycle to join them. Alaric pops the trunk to grab their weapons.

“What now?” Arden asks, shielding his eyes from the setting sun as Aiden hands him a pistol.

“We prepare for war,” he replies.

“I’ll call the boat guy while you guys get the guns ready. If Ron finds us before we hit the water, we’ll do what we have to do.”

With that, Max walks off, dialing a number on his cell.

“I’ll try to reach Ken and Joe.

“I don’t know how they’ll get here, with all the cops at the borders, but I have to try,” Alaric says, sounding hopeful as he walks away from the group.

Rainey can feel the tension radiating off Ansel as he picks up one of the Glocks from the trunk. His face is serious and focused as he loads the gun.

She’s overwhelmed with guilt. If anything bad happens to anyone today, she’ll blame herself forever.

“Do you need help?” she offers quietly. He shakes his head, still refusing to look at her. Alex watches them, interest piqued as he loads his own gun.

“Are you certain?” She reaches for a weapon, her movements suggestive. “Our job would be a lot simpler if I just—”

“Why must you always be so headstrong?” Ansel shoots her a stern look, and the brothers turn their shocked gazes in their direction.

Rainey feels a pang in her heart as she pulls her hand back. “Just trying to lend a hand.”

“You don’t need to.” He shakes his head, reaching for more ammo. “I’ve told you that before, but you never seem to listen.”

“You don’t have to act this way. I understand, you know.” She crosses her arms. “I know what I did wasn’t smart, and—”

“Not smart?” he scoffs. “Not smart is putting it mildly. It was reckless, and it made you look naïve. And you’re not a naïve person, so I can’t figure out what went wrong.”

“Ansel.” Aiden places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a light pat. “Take it easy.”

Rainey’s eyes start to well up as she bites her lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to turn out this way.”

“You’re always putting yourself on the line for others. I can’t understand why you keep doing things like that.”

A crease forms between Ansel’s brows as he glares at her, his eyes aflame. “You don’t consider how it’ll affect the people who truly love you.

“Surrendering yourself to that drug lord. Did you really think that would make me happy?

“It didn’t, and it wouldn’t, so that was a pointless effort, because it made me anything but! Your decision was thoughtlessly selfish and foolish.”

“Ansel.” Alex urges him to stop, and a tear slips down Rainey’s cheek.

Her intentions were pure. She just wanted to protect him, but that only resulted in him being furious with her. She’s never seen him this way, and it breaks her heart.

The world can be mad at her, curse her out as they wish. But Ansel? It devastates her when he does.

When he sees the tears pooling in her eyes, his gaze softens completely, and he puffs out his cheeks before tossing the gun down and walking away from the scene.

Rainey slumps down onto the open space of the trunk and wipes her eyes with her wrist, but it’s futile, since the tears won’t stop flowing.

Not even her mom’s harsh words hurt her this much. There’s just something about Ansel being mad at her that makes her feel like the world is closing in on her.

Alex sits next to her, playfully nudging her shoulder as Aiden and Arden sprawl on the ground in front of her.

“Hey, hey. Stop crying.” Alex nudges her shoulder again, and she covers her face with her hand as her shoulders shake.

“He didn’t mean it,” Aiden soothes. “Ansel’s like that when he’s mad. He says a bunch of stuff that he’ll regret later. He loves you.”

“Yeah.” Arden nods sympathetically. “Give him some time. He’ll come around.”

Rainey removes her hand. Her cheeks and eyes are red from crying. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect you guys. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“We know, and it’s okay.”

Alex smiles as he drapes an arm around her. “Ansel’s just still scared. He was terrified he’d lose you. He was nearly sick with worry on the way here to get you.”

Rainey stares at the dirt road beneath her feet. Ansel’s words are like a broken record, replaying in her mind over and over again. She wants nothing more than to make things right.

Alex sighs, gently pulling her into a comforting side hug. He pats her arm, and her eyes flutter shut at the warm consolation.

“It’s okay, Rain. We don’t hate you. We appreciate you caring about us. Ansel loves you. That’s just how he is when he cares about someone. Don’t cry.”

“Yeah, we hate to see you cry. It doesn’t suit you. You’re a strong, badass woman. I mean, you cracked a girl’s head open. Not every girl has that kind of strength.”

Arden chuckles, hoping to lighten her gloomy mood. It barely works, but Rainey manages to give a small smile as she and Alex break apart.

“Thank you, guys.” She wipes the last of her tears. “I appreciate it.”

They smile.

“We’re screwed. Max can’t get through to the boat guy.” Alaric returns to the van, his face filled with extreme worry. “I guess it’s just war.”

“Did you get through to Ken?” Aiden asks anxiously.

“Yeah. They’re going to try to get here by boat. Max also knows a few guys in Freetown. Not many. They’re on their way to help us right now.”

Arden nods. “Okay.”

“Oh shit!” Max suddenly exclaims, rushing over to the group anxiously. “I hear vehicles. And it’s not the guys I called for help, because they wouldn’t get here this fast.”

“Shit. It’s Ron Moretto. Where’s Ansel?” Alaric looks around just as Ansel returns to the trunk and grabs one of the Glocks.

“There are vehicles coming up the trail,” he says. “I can hear them.”

Three large vans are coming up the dirt track, a BMW trailing closely behind them.

Ansel takes Rainey’s hand in his, and her eyes fall to the gesture as he pulls her with him to the front of their van. He crouches down with her, one hand on her shoulder while his gun is in the other.

“Do you know how to shoot a gun?” he checks, and she shakes her head.

He half-smiles. “Remind me to teach you later.”

His words give her hope. They’ll make it out alive, won’t they?

“Stay put behind the van. Don’t move, got it?” he instructs her, but she shakes her head, panic-stricken. The thought of him out there, in danger, is unbearable. She can’t just stand by and do nothing.

“Rainey, I’m begging you,” he pleads.

She doesn’t want to seem obstinate, so she nods, her face a picture of distress.

“I’m sorry for shouting at you earlier, for the things I said,” he apologizes, regret in his voice. “I promise I’ll make it up to you, once this is all over.”

The sadness in her eyes makes him sigh, and he plants a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll be okay, right?”

She nods, her eyes closed, praying that they will be.

A gunshot rings out, making them both jump. Ansel pulls away from her, leaving her feeling cold and alone as he heads back to the van’s trunk.

Crossfire. He’s in the middle of a chaotic gunfight.

Ansel ducks down beside the van, seeking cover. He notices the Freetown guys Max called for backup have arrived in a pickup truck.

There are eleven of them now, but they’re still outnumbered by Ron’s crew, who brought twenty-five men.

Dust and gun smoke fill the air, and the deafening sound of gunfire echoes as both sides start shooting.

Every few shots, the brothers duck behind their van and the pickup truck, then pop up to fire back.

Ron’s guys are good shots. They’re hitting their targets more often than the brothers’ crew.

Ansel feels a twinge of worry as he crouches beside the van, quickly reloading his Glock.

Alex, panting heavily, squats next to him, the gravel crunching under his sneakers as he hurriedly reloads his gun.

“This isn’t looking good, Ansel.” He shakes his head, his sweaty fingers moving quickly. “They’re fucking pros.”

“Where’s Alaric?” Ansel’s gun is ready, and he lifts it, preparing to aim again.

“Behind the pickup truck.”

“And the twins? Are they okay?”

“Yeah, they’re on the other side. Where’s Rainey?”

“Front of the van.”

Ansel takes aim at a guy who’s shooting at Alaric. He pulls the trigger, gritting his teeth as the bullet hits the man in the stomach.

He quickly ducks down again, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “I told her to stay put. I can’t let her get hurt.”

“You were pretty harsh with her earlier. You know that, right?”

Alex stands to shoot again, and Ansel sighs. He knows he was out of line, but he was so angry that she’d even consider giving herself up. He loves her, and he can’t lose her.

Alex crouches down again as Ansel nods, admitting his mistake.

“Yeah, I know.” He swallows, his throat dry. “But I can’t believe she was ready to sacrifice herself like that.”

“She wanted to protect you. She loves you,” Alex says, panting. “She’s crazy about you, Ansel.”

A noise behind them makes both boys spin around, guns at the ready. Alaric raises his hands, crouching low, his eyes wide.

“Whoa, easy there. It’s just me.”

They lower their guns as he moves closer. “We’re outnumbered, and I don’t know where the fuck Ken and Joe are.

“Our best bet is to try and get out of here. Max says he and the guys will cover us while we make a run for it. Be ready to shoot while you run.”

Ansel nods.

In the midst of the gunfire, Rainey’s body shakes with fear. Each gunshot makes her jump.

She closes her eyes, pressing her face against her knees, praying that the brothers are safe.

Suddenly, a hand on her shoulder makes her jump. She leans back, terrified.

She sees Ansel’s face, backlit by the sun, and her heart melts.

“We have to run. Stay close to me, okay?”

She nods quickly as he takes her hand. He pulls her along as he continues to shoot at Ron’s men.

Rainey sees the brothers ahead, leading the way, shooting as they go. They don’t seem to be hurt, and she feels a wave of relief. Thank God they’re okay.

They run through the trees, some of Ron’s men chasing them. The sound of sticks cracking under their feet and birds disturbed from their nests fills the air.

Ansel’s grip on her hand is so tight it hurts, but she doesn’t want him to let go.

She’s terrified, terrified of losing him. She needs him close to her. That’s the only thing that will calm her racing heart.

Just then, her ankle twists, and she winces, slowing down. Ansel looks back at her, concern in his eyes. His hair is damp with sweat, and he’s panting.

“What’s wrong, Rain?”

“My ankle…let’s keep going.” She tries to move, but the pain is clear on her face.

He crouches down in front of her, grabs her legs, and hoists her onto his back. He holds her thighs as she wraps her arms around his neck.

It’s not the best time for romantic memories, but Rainey can’t help thinking back to the night of the fashion banquet.

Her heel had broken as they were leaving the hotel, and he’d carried her to his car. She’d resisted then, but now she’s grateful to be this close to him.

She tightens her grip on him as he keeps running.

Alaric points to the left. “This way!”

Rainey can feel the quick, hard beat of Ansel’s heart. Her cheek is pressed against his temple, and she can tell he’s nervous. It’s a feeling she rarely sees him display.

She wishes she could reassure him that everything will be okay, but she’s not even sure of that herself.

They’re rushing down a narrow path littered with broken twigs and leaves. Alaric is leading the way, but he suddenly stops, and they all do the same.

In front of them is a rocky cliff with a large body of water below. The scent of damp rocks and the sound of water crashing against stone fill the air as they stand there, feeling hopeless.

“This is a fucking dead end!” Arden runs a hand through his wet hair. The sound of rustling leaves draws their attention to the armed men emerging from the bushes.

Ansel sighs. “Shit.” He sets Rainey down from his back and pulls her behind him, his hand holding hers protectively.

Fred is leading the group, and there are a few corrupt cops with them. The brothers are now greatly outnumbered as the men point their guns at them.

Ron Moretto steps forward from the group, a smirk on his face as he brushes imaginary dust off his dark blue jacket.

“You boys got my favorite tuxedo dirty. I’m gonna need a new one.” He sighs, pretending to be frustrated, and Rainey feels Ansel’s grip on her hand tighten.

“You boys must be immortal or something. Twenty-five men, and not a scratch on any of you.” Ron laughs.

“What the hell do you want from us?” Alaric’s forehead creases. He’s beyond frustrated.

“You already killed our uncles, ruined our family, and now you want to kill us. What the fuck have we ever done to you?”

Ron shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that. I just hate you people. Do I need a reason for that?”

“You’re just like your crazy niece. You’re both jealous and evil,” Rainey snaps. “I guess it runs in the family.”

He turns his gaze to her, smiling in amusement. “Rainey Slate. I gave you one clear instruction: stay in the car. Now look where your disobedience has landed you.”

“Don’t act like this isn’t all part of your plan. You wanted me to escape!”

He laughs deeply, his chest shaking as he does.

“I’m sorry, but enlighten me here. Weren’t you the one who called me, saying you’re offering yourself over on behalf of your beloved King brothers?

“I’m not the one who sought you out, Rainey Slate. You came here on your own. So, all of this today”—he waves his forefinger around—“will be your fault.”

“Shut the hell up,” Ansel warns, and Ron raises his hands.

“You’re right, talking does no good. I’ll give you guys a fair fight. Drop your weapons, and my men will drop theirs, and I’ll give you the chance to fight it out the old-fashioned way.

“If you defeat all these men here, then I’ll let you guys walk free. I’ll take my losses.”

“Don’t believe him,” Aiden whispers to Alaric. “You know Ron Moretto doesn’t keep his word. He likes to fuck around.”

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” Alex mutters to them. “There’s a cliff behind us and an army of men with guns in front of us.”

Ron scratches his eyelid, pretending to be impatient. “Any fucking day now.”

“Why should we trust you? Let your men drop their weapons first.” Alaric narrows his eyes at him.

The drug lord sighs and nods to his men, and they obediently throw their weapons aside. They clench their fists, raising them forward, ready to fight.

The brothers drop their guns, their eyes never leaving the men in front of them.

“Stay back, okay?” Ansel whispers to Rainey, and she nods, limping a few steps back from the boys.

The men charge forward, and the fight begins.

Fists collide with skin, followed by loud groans and grunts filled with testosterone.

Everything is moving too fast for Rainey. Her eyes can’t keep up, and a wave of dizziness makes her head spin.

Anxiety and stress are a bad mix, and her ankle is still throbbing with pain.

She holds her head, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. She blinks away the sweat and dirt clouding her vision.

The brothers are holding their own. The other side may be good with guns, but the boys are better fighters.

Ron is furious. The King boys are too capable.

This is another reason why he hates the King family so much. Their ability to fight and push through any situation is something he has always envied. Their resilience infuriates him.

A strong wave of jealousy surges within him. He signals to one of the corrupt cops who are standing by, waiting to clean up after Ron’s dirty work.

The plan was that after Ron killed Rainey and the boys, the cops would plant weapons and drugs on them.

They would report that they were just a bunch of teenagers caught doing drugs, and when they were cornered by the police, they tried to attack, resulting in them getting shot.

In the midst of the chaotic fight, the cop makes his way over to Ron. He takes off his sunglasses, chewing gum casually as Ron leans over and whispers in his ear. “We need to weaken them a bit. Shoot the girl.”

He nods in agreement.

Rainey’s biting her lower lip anxiously, to the point that it starts to bleed.

The brothers currently have the upper hand, but she has this strange feeling in her chest that this won’t end well for them.

The sound of a gun being cocked makes her turn her gaze to the man pointing the weapon at her.

She freezes in place, raising her hands cautiously as confusion crosses her face. She looks at Ron and sees his sly smirk, and realization hits her.

She should have known. Ron Moretto never plays fair. She quickly scans the surroundings. The brothers are all engaged in their fights, oblivious to the gun being pointed at her.

A soft sigh slips from her lips as she turns her gaze back to the tainted lawman. She takes in his uniform, the badge of honor pinned to his chest.

“You’re a cop…” She steps back gingerly, wincing at the pain in her ankle. “Don’t do this.”

She continues to retreat slowly, pausing to glance behind her. She’s now dangerously close to the cliff’s edge.

“Do you have kids?” she tries. “How would they feel knowing what you’re doing?”

Her words fall on deaf ears. The man’s eyes are empty, devoid of any trace of humanity.

Rainey realizes that begging is pointless. No amount of persuasion will sway his hardened heart, if he even has one left.

She watches as his finger moves over the trigger, and her breath quickens as she squeezes her eyes shut.

BOOM!

He pulls the trigger, but instead of a bullet hitting her, Rainey finds herself being shoved to the ground.

She lands on her side and immediately opens her eyes to find Ansel standing where she was just moments ago.

She blinks in confusion as he stands there motionless. The brothers have all stopped fighting and are now staring at Ansel with wide, shocked eyes.

From her position, Rainey can’t see his face. But when she realizes that he’s clutching his chest, her eyes widen in terror.

~No… No…~

Ansel turns to look at her, his gaze dull and almost…lifeless?

He stumbles back silently, and Rainey watches in stunned silence as his eyes roll back in his head before he falls backward and over the cliff.

~What just happened?~

She stares blankly, her body numb and rigid. ~What the hell just happened?~

Ron’s cruel laughter breaks the heavy silence.

“So ~Jack~ decided to sacrifice himself for ~Rose~. How touching. Not exactly how I pictured it.

“The girl was supposed to die first, but I guess it doesn’t matter, since you’re all going to die anyway.”

“YOU SHOT MY BROTHER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!” Alex shouts.

Ron’s men take advantage of the distraction to tackle the boys to the ground, pinning their hands painfully behind them as they press their boots into their faces.

The brothers’ eyes are wide with shock as tears slip from them.

Rainey’s dazed gaze falls to the spot where Ansel was standing, and the bloodstains on the ground snap her back to reality.

She screams, tears streaming from her eyes, as she crawls desperately to the edge of the cliff. She looks down at the water below, her eyes wild and disbelieving.

“Ansel. N-no… No, no, no, no…”

She tries to throw herself over the edge, but a rough hand yanks her back by her hair and pushes her to the ground.

Her head hits the hard ground, but she doesn’t feel it, and she springs up, crawling frantically back to the edge.

~No. She can’t be without him. She can’t live without him.~

“ANSEL!!!! Oh my God! No, no, no, no, no.”

She’s clutching her hair, her vision blurred by tears.

She screams at the top of her lungs, wanting to throw herself over the edge, when a hand wraps around her waist, dragging her away from the cliff as her legs scrape against the hard ground.

She thrashes wildly, flailing her arms as she screams.

“LET ME GO! LET GO OF ME! I have to go down there! I have to save him! Please! Ansel! I can’t live without him! Please!”

Ron Moretto rubs his forehead in annoyance while Fred roughly holds the crying girl with one hand, indifferent to her pain.

His strong, muscular arm presses against her stomach as she stretches her arms toward the cliff, whimpering and screaming.

“LET ME THE FUCK GO! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU! ANSEL! I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HIM! I’LL DIE WITHOUT HIM! PLEASE!”

She’s shaking her head repeatedly, her face red and wet with tears.

“You don’t understand. I need him. I really need him. Let me go. I need to save him. Please.”

She tries to pry the man’s hand off her, but he only tightens his grip, squeezing the breath out of her.

“LET ME GO! ANSEL! Please…please let me go. I’ll do whatever you guys want. I’ll do whatever you say. Please let me save him. Please!”

She’s begging now, pleading with the merciless man holding her to let her go, but his face is as hard as his boss’s.

“Please! I’ll do whatever you say! I’ll do whatever you want! I have to save him! Please, oh God, Ansel, no. I really can’t live without him. Please!”

Ron rolls his eyes. “She’s so fucking annoying. Someone shut her up!”

Fred uses his gun to strike her across the face, and her head snaps to the side, blood seeping from the deep cut on her cheek.

“Fuck, stop! DON’T TOUCH HER, YOU ASSHOLE!” Alex yells, his voice muffled by the ground.

The burly man ignores him, using the heavy weapon to hit Rainey again, this time in the head.

The brothers close their eyes, unable to watch as tears leak from beneath their eyelids. Her eyes become cloudy as black spots dance in her vision.

Her lips tremble with pain, and she’s still mumbling Ansel’s name when Fred throws her limp body to the ground as if she’s nothing more than an object.

Blood pools from her head, and her body shakes from the intense stress and pain.

“Thank you. Much better,” Ron sighs.

“I’m going to kill you!” Alaric vows, his voice breaking as tears escape his eyes. “I’m going to fucking kill every last one of you!”

Ron smiles. “Oh really? With your hands tied and your face in the dirt? I’d love to see that.”

Ron strides over to Rainey, who’s barely holding herself together. He grabs her arm, yanking her to her feet. Her head wobbles unsteadily on her neck, blood trickling down her face and sticking to her eyelashes.

Her eyes are spinning in their sockets as Ron’s rough hand clamps down on her cheeks. His eyes darken with malice, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Who’s the weakling now, Rainey Slate?”