16
Knockout Charlie
I don’t make eye contact with Easton, I just pull Charlie into my arms and race toward the back of the warehouse, searching wildly for Blue.
Charlie takes one look at my face and seems to know something has happened. Her head whips side to side, searching for the cause of my panic. Blue sees me when I’m a few feet away, and his eyes widen. He rushes forward.
Placing Charlie down, I nudge her toward Blue.
“Take her,” I tell him. “Get her out of here now.” I ready myself to force Blue if I have to, but he doesn’t hesitate. Grabbing Charlie’s hand, he makes for the door, snaking between dancing bodies.
Spinning around, I search for Aspen and Annabelle. If these flesh-tattooed guys are connected, I know they’re probably here for either me or Charlie, but I won’t leave the other two girls behind. One is Charlie’s best friend, who happens to be a friend of mine, too. And Aspen, well, the moment I saw that tattoo on Easton’s arm, I remembered the world I live in is divided by good and evil, and that you can’t hide from either. Aspen is my assignment, and if I want to play for Big Guy’s team, I have to liberate her soul. Plus, Aspen is…Aspen. I can’t leave her.
But when I search for Aspen on the table, or Annabelle in the crowd, I find neither. Now I’m wondering if Blue’s made it to the car. Except I didn’t give him the keys.
Vowing to return for the girls, I sprint toward the door Blue and Charlie left through. As soon as I blast outside and into the winter night, I spot Blue shielding my girlfriend with his body. Easton and Salem creep toward him like hyenas, their eyes cold and calculating. I had hoped we would have time to slip away before the brothers knew I was onto them, but I guess I screwed that up when I sprinted away from Easton with Charlie in my arms. Watching them now, I expect them to sneer. I expect them to hurl insults and divulge their plan. But they don’t. They just skirt closer to Blue and analyze the situation.
I slink along the edge of the wall, pulling on my shadow so I can’t be seen. Blue appears to gauge the distance between Easton and him, between Salem and him. If he waits too long, he won’t stand a chance. To fight, you need room. I hope he knows this. Remembering the way he was in life—a skinny, mumbling Eeyore—I can’t imagine he does.
But he strikes out like a bolt of lightning, flashing toward Easton and hitting him once along his jaw. While Easton recovers, Blue charges toward Salem and slams into him like an eighteen-wheeler. My chest explodes with pride at how quickly he rebounds and fights the two brothers. Still, even though he’s blowing my freaking mind, I know he won’t be able to hold them off for long. Attacking without a fear of dying grants you a certain advantage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be overtaken.
I barrel toward Salem. He looks in my direction the moment before an invisible fist connects with his stomach. Down he drops. I shake off my shadow so Blue can see I’m here. Once he does, he concentrates his attention on Easton. The two kick and tear like dogs along the ground, while I drag Salem up and we battle on our feet.
Salem gets two clean shots into my side and face after I turn to check if Charlie’s safe. I spin on the eldest brother and wrestle him to the wall.
“Blue, wrap your hands around Easton’s throat,” I yell. “Squeeze until he stops fighting, but don’t kill him.”
“Leave him alone,” Salem snarls, writhing against me. I manage to hold him in place and hope that behind me, Blue is overpowering Easton.
He must be, because soon after I hear Blue say, “Having trouble breathing?”
“Remember, Blue, not too much,” I say, taunting Salem. “Just make sure his brother here answers my questions.”
“Got it.” His words sound strained, and I know I may only have so long before the brothers break free.
“First question,” I say, leaning toward Salem. “Who the hell are you?”
“Screw you.”
“Blue, can you squeeze a little tighter?” I say.
There’s a short pause before Blue answers with, “Ooh, he doesn’t like that one bit.”
“Who are you?” I repeat to Salem.
The elder brother glances over my shoulder, and his brow furrows. “You know my name, prick,” he says.
“What does that tattoo on your brother’s arm mean?”
Salem’s eyes snap to mine. I can see the surprise swimming in them.
“Dante?” Charlie says.
“It’s okay, angel,” I tell her. “We’re just getting to know these guys a little better.” I shove Salem harder into the wall. “What does the tattoo mean?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he growls.
“Blue?” I say like a question.
Salem thrashes around like a snared wolf. I grab his shirt and rip. Buttons plink off as I tear the material down.
“What are you doing?” Salem yells.
Finally, I see the flesh-colored tattoo—the brand—I knew I’d find. It’s a circle with an “A” in the middle, the sign of anarchy if memory serves. “
Salem looks at his brother and grinds his teeth. “We all have them. It’s a brand. Means we’re part of the sirens.”
“What the hell is that?”
Salem shakes his head and glares at me. “I don’t know, man,” he says. “These guys came to us and said they’d fix us up if we did what they asked.”
“Fix you up how?” I fire.
“Money. Crap we need.” Salem presses his lips together and closes his eyes for a moment. “Money my
“Who asked you to do this? What were their names?” A chill spreads through my body anticipating his response.
Salem opens his eyes and seems to think. “I don’t remember.”
“Not good enough,” I say. “Blue?”
“Stop hurting him, damn it.” Salem tries to land a knee into my groin, but I turn my body in time and slam him back against the wall.
“Answer me or your brother gets buried.” I look him dead in the eyes, make him see I’m not playing.
“I swear they didn’t give us their names. But there was this one guy. He stood near the back. Weird dude. He only talked a few times, but the way he spoke, it was like he was from the sixteen-hundreds or something, saying his words all proper and shit.” Salem pauses like he’s remembering something else. “He had on these ugly-ass red shoes.”
I suck in air between my teeth, because now I know. Rector is back.
Salem glances at Charlie, and I’m pretty sure I’m seconds away from ripping his throat out. “They said to find her.” He nods toward Charlie. “And to…”
“And to what?” I ask quietly, fighting the impulse to scream.