Into the darkness we go, rushing across the fallen leaves deeper into the forest. The further we get, the less I can hear the alarm, and the bullets have ceased. We keep running for our lives, never looking back, but sticking close together like a pack of wolves let out of their cage for the first time.

I’m free. I can feel it in my bones, taste the freshness on my tongue, hear it in the rustling of the leaves, and smell the freedom. It’s heaven.

Until I realize that I had only one goal. One reason. One purpose.

It’s why I wanted out of that prison, and it’s the sole reason why I was in there in the first place.

That woman … she’s mine for the taking now, and I’m coming for her.

The hunt is on.

CHAPTER 5

PHOENIX

Present

The guys and I ran all the way through the woods until we found the road. When a car passed by, we stood in front of it to get it to stop. We threatened the driver, stealing his car while leaving him behind. I’m not sorry. He just has bad luck. Plus, he shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Not my problem. But, lucky for us, we could hitch a free ride toward the nearest city.

We got some supplies at a few stores and went straight back into the woods again, finding the most remote cabin we could. Lucky for the owner, he wasn’t there when we arrived; otherwise, he would’ve been dead by now.

I’m gathering the small amount of weapons we’d stolen from the guards in prison and line them up on the table.

“What you gonna do with those?” Drago asks.

I glance at him. “Not your fucking business.”

He cocks his head. “You trying to steal all the goods, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to follow my own plan,” I say, arranging the weapons by size and weight. “And I don’t want any of you with me.”

“What?” DeLuca says, frowning as he comes closer. “I thought we were a team.”

“We were. You’re on your own now.”

Drago spits on the floor. “Fuck that shit; I didn’t come along just so you could steal everything. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“The deal was that you could use our underground passage. Now you have,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I don’t have any more business with the likes of you.”

“Fuck you; you think you can play tough with me?” He cracks his knuckles.

“What? You gonna threaten me here?” I raise an eyebrow. “That’s some big talk coming from a guy like you. I remember that last time I beat your ass, not the other way around.”

“You want some, Sullivan? I fucked up your boy over there. I can do the same to you.”

I raise the only loaded gun I have and hold it to his forehead. “Give it your best shot. You won’t even be able to lift a finger before I’ll blow this fucker into your brain.”

“You wouldn’t …”

“Do you think I care about your life?” I say, shaking my head. “Think again.”

“Stop,” DeLuca says, putting his arm between us. “Fighting won’t help us, guys. We can’t be each other’s enemy out here. Focus on the goal.”

“We achieved the goal. We got out. Now we each go our own way,” I say.

“What about the police?” DeLuca says, looking at me now. “They’ll come looking for us in no time. I bet they’re already out there, searching the country. Our faces have probably appeared on television, too.”

“All the more reason to split up. If they catch us, at least it’s only one and not all,” I say, loading up the rifle.

“That’s true, but …”

“You have more chance of being caught by staying around me than you have if you get out of here right now,” I interrupt.

Drago seems to be listening intently. “Great.”

“So, are you going to get out of my face now, or what?” I say to Drago.

He spits on the floor again. “Fine. I didn’t want to spend any fucking time with pussies like y’all, anyway.”

He stomps toward the door, pulling it open so hard that he almost pulls it from the hinge. “I’m outta here.”

“Fucking finally,” I muse.

He growls. “Don’t think you’ll be rid of me forever, Sullivan. If they come for me, I’ll make sure to point them to you first.”

“Ah, how nice,” I say, not even granting him one last look over my shoulder.

“I hope you die and rot in hell,” he says, and then he slams the door shut.

“I’ll meet you there!” I shout.

“Nix, what are you doing?” DeLuca suddenly asks me. “Splitting us up?”

“I just want him gone.”

“What about me then? You want me gone, too?” he asks, frowning. “I thought we were buds.”

“We are, but I have a mission, and you’re not part of it.” I grab the guns one by one and put them in the bag that I’ve prepared.

“So what, you’re just gonna go now?”

Sighing, I stand up and place my hand on his shoulder. “Look. You don’t want to be a part of what I’m going to do. Trust me.”

He narrows his eyes. “How do you know?” A sneaky smile appears on his face. “I love the smell of blood just as much as you do.”

“I know you like to hurt people just as much as I do.” I wink. “But not this type. She’s a girl, probably innocent in the eyes of most people.”

“Except you …” he adds.

“Exactly.”

“Let me help you,” he says. “Don’t put yourself through this alone. I can tell it’s important to you.”

“This is personal, DeLuca. I can’t involve you in this.” I smile. “Besides, this’ll probably be the end of the line for me, and I don’t want you caught in the crossfire.”

His eyes widen. “What?”

I pick up the bag. “You heard me.”

“No, wait, fuck.” He walks after me as I attempt to leave. “Don’t tell me you wanna get caught.”

“I don’t, and I’ll sure as hell try my best not to, but it’s not going to be pretty. I don’t expect to make it out alive.”

“What the fuck …” he mutters. “You’ve got to be fucking with me now, Nix. Tell me you aren’t going to fucking kill yourself.”

“I’m not. But she probably will.”

He makes a face, as if he doesn’t understand. Maybe I should explain it better. “If the cops don’t kill me, she’ll probably end my life personally after the physical, emotional, and torturous hell that I put her through.” A cocky smile appears on my face. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

***

Two days later

It’s a long drive, but I finally made it to L.A. This is where she’s been living for quite some time now; home of the famous, hell for the poor. This city is fakery itself with its huge fancy houses, bought with corrupt money. I spit on this place. I don’t get why she wants to live here. Long ago, she would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Now, she’s as much a part of the sick culture she once despised.

She’s stooped low … so low, that I’m going to teach her a lesson she won’t soon forget.

She thought she could get away with putting me in jail. Now I’ll be the one to forge a prison for her. A fucked-up, sinful prison for a fucked-up, sinful girl.

I ditch the car somewhere along the road, grab my bag, and brace myself for what’s coming. I’m going to find her, and I’m going to hurt her so bad that she’ll beg me to kill her.

It’s just past eight, and the sun’s already set; the perfect time to fuck some shit up.

When I reach the fence to her house, there’s only one guard patrolling the area. It’s not a lot of trouble to subdue him. A quick hit on the back of the neck does the trick, and when he hits the asphalt face-first, he’s out cold.

Then I grab his head and twist, breaking his neck.

One less life on this planet.

If he didn’t want to die, he shouldn’t have been guarding her in the first place. Tough luck.

I jump up the fence, clinging to the bars as I lift myself over the edge. Jumping down, I immediately open the fence from the inside and drag the body inside, making sure nobody saw me. I stuff his body in a bush far from the fence so no one will see it. Then I hide in a corner near the house and take the binoculars from my bag. It’s been a long time since I last peeked through her window, but the moment I spot her, I realize that she’s still as beautiful as ever. What a waste to put such a pretty face on such a nasty human being.