Roman tried to speak, but he could barely force air through his throat, let alone words.
“And your precious Ruby?” Gavin spat her name. “She going to stay here with me, understand? I’ll give you three days to capture Candle and bring him to me. After that, I kill her.” He released Roman’s neck.
Roman felt dizzy. His eyes flicked to the axe in Gavin’s hand, then to Ruby. “Three days…” he said, barely even whispering. “How the hell am I meant to manage that?”
“Be creative.”
“I can’t capture him alive, not in three days. Maybe if I could kill him, then—”
“You don’t understand. Someone is going to suffer for what happened tonight, and I can’t make a corpse suffer. It’s either going to be Candle, or your little lady friend. Your choice.”
“Why her?”
“Because it’ll drive you mad.”
This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. Roman took a deep breath, trying to focus. “I can bring you Candle, but I need Ruby with me. I promise you, we’ll do everything we can. Just let me take her—”
Gavin kicked Roman in the gut. It wasn’t even a forceful blow, but it was enough to knock Roman back onto the ground. “This isn’t a discussion. Now go. Take your lunatic friend with you. And believe me when I say that if I see either of you back here, without Candle, then your girl is going to die in the slowest manner possible. Got it?”
Roman swallowed. What could he do? Absolutely nothing. That’s what. I really have fucked up this time.
“If I get myself killed,” Roman said, “you won’t have any reason to hurt Ruby. Right?”
Gavin considered. “If I’m sure you’ve died, then… I might resign myself to letting her go.”
“You fucking better,” Roman muttered under his breath. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze off Ruby and climbed to his feet. He grabbed Tan and lifted his limp form onto his shoulders, then took three weary steps to the door. Roman hesitated, turning, desperate to get another look at Ruby.
Candle motioned to the door. “I told you to leave.”
Suddenly, Ruby’s eyes snapped open. She stared straight at Roman, who nearly dropped Tan in shock. She mouthed one word.
Leave.
Gavin stepped towards Roman, axe raised — he couldn’t see that Ruby was conscious.
Roman’s jaw clenched so tight it hurt. He hated himself for leaving Ruby here, with Gavin and his brutes, but he didn’t have a choice. If he tried anything now, there was no doubt Gavin would kill her. He wasn’t the kind of man who made idle threats.
Ashamed at himself for being so powerless, Roman hung his head. “I’ll be back,” he said quietly. “I promise.”
Roman made it barely two hundred yards from the Haven before the last of his strength failed him. He stumbled to the footpath, under the shelter of a low-hanging veranda, and sat. He dropped Tan’s unconscious body next to him.
The street was deserted. No surprise there. Roman suspected the entire district was mostly abandoned by now. News of rogue Adrenalite attacks always spread rapidly. Most likely people would flee to the centre districts, as close to the ministry as they could get. It would be useless; the ministry couldn’t protect them, not now that Candle had Gavin’s fighters on his side.
Roman wrapped his coat around himself. The storm showed no sign of ending. Water pooled in the gutters, quickly rising. The pounding of rain on concrete created a constant rumbling, like distant thunder, occasionally accented by the roar of actual thunder.
Tan’s eyes opened. “Where are we?”
“We’re fucked. That’s where we are.”
Tan sat up, stretching. He turned his head from side to side, neck cracking with the movement. “Ah, I remember.” He ran a hand across his face, gently prodding his bruises. “I don’t regret punching that asshole. Completely worth it.”
“He’s got Ruby.”
“Oh. Bloody hell.” Tan paused, looking around them. “How are we still alive?”
“Just be grateful we are.”
“Oh, I am the captain of gratefulness right now. I have so much to be thankful for.” He grimaced as he lifted his shirt and examined the mess of purple skin. “This is just the best week of my life. I need a drink to celebrate.”
“You can drink later. First, we need to find Caleb and the boy, then think of a new plan to capture Candle.”
Tan groaned. “You’re as stubborn as a… I don’t know, nothing else is as remotely stubborn as you are. How are we ever going to find—”
“And we’re bringing him to Gavin.”
“Huh?”
“If we give him Candle, he’ll release Ruby.”
“Oh.” Tan sighed. “Juliette’s going to be pissed if we bring Candle to Gavin, not her. Like, seriously fucking pissed.”
“To hell with Juliette.” Roman spat into the gutter. “We’re getting Ruby back. That’s final.”
“I agree, Boss. No way we could abandon Ruby. But… um… how the hell were you planning to capture Candle now?”
“Truth be told, I have no fucking idea.”
“So… desperate improvisation, then?”
Roman nodded. “Yeah. Something like that.”
PART THREE
Hostage
18
Ruby kept her eyes closed as the footsteps came closer. Her impulses screamed for her to get up and run, or to crawl into the corner, but either option would be pointless. The footsteps stopped just in front of her. She could feel Gavin looking down at her with his hideous eyes.
Just breathe, she told herself firmly. I can’t let myself show weakness. If I show it, then I’ll never stop feeling it. That was the first lesson Juliette had taught her.
“Tie her up,” Gavin said.
Resisting the urge to fight back or flinch, Ruby let a thug roll her onto her front and tie a rope around her wrists. He knotted it tight.
“You and Mark take her to the barracks,” Gavin said. “And don’t spoil her until after I’ve spoken with her.”
She was lifted by a pair of sweaty arms and carried outside. The rain felt good, like somehow it could wash away the sick violation she felt at this bastard touching her.
How could I let this happen? She cursed herself for the hundredth time since she’d woken up. Her memory was a blur. She remembered watching from the back of the crowd, furious, as Gavin beat up Roman. If she had her bow with her she would have put an arrow through Gavin’s thick skull right then.
But then the Adrenalites had attacked.
Ruby repressed a shudder at the memory. The first Adrenalite activated herself three yards in front of Ruby and had literally torn apart her first victim. The blood sprayed so far it nearly reached Ruby.
At least I got revenge. I killed that fucker.
But then what happened? She remembered the lights going out, and the screams, and the glow of a dozen Adrenalites activating themselves throughout the hall. She had raced down the bleachers, rushing towards Roman, and then… nothing. Her only clue was the painful, throbbing bruise on her temple.