Page 44 of Claiming Liberty
I raise my fist and slam it against his jaw. He lets out a grunt and winces. My breaths come out heavy with both anger and excitement as he lets go of my wrist and takes a step back.
He rubs his jaw and squints at me with a mixture of hatred and respect.
Layan and Kingsley are already gone, but I glance up the stairs when Layan calls my name.
I turn to Peter. “You’re the one outnumbered this time,” I say, my voice even. “Are you with us or not?”
He twists his lips and crosses his arms over his chest, thinking. Looking away, he lets out a defeated sigh. “Go get ready.”
10
ANGEL
The front lawn of the manor looks like a battlefield in the aftermath of war. Bodies spread out over it with a pile of them by the porch.
My head swivels side to side to take everything in as I walk to the front door, the flashlight I brought for this morbid purpose gliding over bodies as I search for Prudence, hoping I don’t find her among the dead, but if Peter’s friend is right and it was liquor that was poisoned, she should be fine. She was waiting for me in the playroom with no intention of partying.
“Hey,” I say to Cooper as he drags a man’s body outside, the front door wide open.
He glances up at me and wipes sweat from his forehead with his shoulder.
“Where’s Sawyer?”
Cooper shrugs and drags the body toward the edge of the porch. “I don’t know. Anna’s … gone. I imagine he’s upset.”
I feel my lips tug down into a frown as I watch him drag the man into the grass, his skull hitting the ground with a thud. I came back to make sure Prudence was okay, but my stomach is a lead ball thinking about how Sawyer must feel right now.
I want to beat the shit out of him for sending Jasper, of all people, to spy on me, and I don’t feel good about him knowing that Liberty’s alive and free… But I know he liked Anna, and despite my anger, I feel the strong urge to be there for him. He’s still my brother.
I tuck the flashlight in my pocket before entering the manor and walking to Sawyer’s office only to find the door locked. I knock, but no one answers, so I go to the playroom instead.
The first thing that hits me is the smell. Itreeksof vomit and death, and my nose wrinkles as I wander around. Scanning over the bodies guards have yet to haul out, I spot the heels of a woman behind the bar.
Holding my breath, I walk closer, and as more of the woman’s body enters my sight, my dread increases. Amari’s face comes into view, her head turned to the side with dead eyes staring ahead.
I let out my breath and crouch over her, taking her wrist to uselessly feel for a pulse. Confirming my suspicions, I close my eyes and sigh.
“Mr. A?” a weak voice calls.
My eyes flutter open as I crane my neck to see Prudence hiding beneath the bartop. She has her knees tucked into herself, and is shaking violently, her head poked out just enough to make eye contact.
I carefully rest Amari’s hand on her chest, then smooth my palm over her eyelids to close them. Prudence whines as I stand and go to her, her eyes imploring me in a way that makes her seem so fucking vulnerable. Way too innocent to be here.
I kneel so we’re eye level and offer her my hand. She flicks her gaze between my face and hand, unsure what to do.
“It’s okay,” I assure her in as gentle a voice as I can muster. “I’m going to take you to my home until everything calms down.”
She sucks in her cheeks and slowly places her hand in mine. I help her up, and we make our way out of the playroom as Cooper returns, ready to play the part of gravedigger again.
He gives me a look when he sees me with Prudence, but he doesn’t say anything nor stop me as we leave.
When we make it out the back door, I find Sawyer sitting at the edge of the pool. His feet are submerged in the water, and his back is hunched as his head hangs.
I stand still for several seconds, debating over what to do. The line between teammate and opponent is blurry right now, so I’m not sure how he’d feel about me taking Prudence off manor grounds.
Right now, he probably isn’t thinking about anything but Anna.
What if it had been Lib?