Chapter 73: Chapter 73

"ASH THUNDER, IF YOU ARE MAN ENOUGH, COME AND GET HER YOURSELF!" Face-imposter bellows.

Rage, like I've never known before filters through me like hot spikes, making goose pimples rise all over my body.

Fear, like I've never experienced, slams into me, making sweat pool on my forehead and palms, something that has never happened to me before either.

Pity, the crippling kind, wells up inside of me as I see Alicia, head bent at an unnatural angle, pain tattooed all over her face.

I don't overthink it.

Heck - I don't think at all, I jump up.

"No, Ash, it's a trap, don't go!" Koldis whisper-shouts, but it's too late as I'm already striding toward face-impostor.

I get within five paces of him and splay my hands wide. "Alright, you fucker, leave her alone and take me, I know it's me you want."

He darts behind her immediately, keeping the gun pointed at her head, never once letting go of her neck as a smirk appears on his face.

"What's it gonna be?"

I look at Alicia, speaking to her with my eyes, telling her everything will be fine. Who am I kidding? Nothing will be fine, not one thing. Even as her eyes soften, I know she feels it as well - that heavy, tangent feeling of woe, riding high in the air, waiting for the opportune time to manifest.

I graze my eyes down her body, searching for marks, and stop, when I see her full laps on show. What the actual living fuck is going on here? Why is she wearing a tee shirt? This is not the what she had on when he took her.

"If you so much as laid a finger on her, I swear to whatever god you serve, I'll carve your cock out and feed it to you to eat."

He chuckles darkly and shakes his head. "That's all Leonard."

I try, but fail, to see beyond the red clouding my vision, because all I can imagine is Leonard's hands-on Hazel eyes, undressing her, removing her clothes, and laying his lecherous eyes on her naked body.

He's a fucking dead man walking.

I ball my hands in fists and step closer. "What's it gonna be, fucker? Take me and let her go now."

Face-impostor only smirks harder and shakes his head as he backs away, dragging Alicia with him. For every backward move he makes, she winces, because her neck - I can see the marks of his hands there - is pulled tight with strain. I swallow down my building rage and follow him. I'm not surprised he's not stopping me, because I know he wants me to walk into a trap but I don't care - can't care.

Hazel eyes is worth it- she's worth every trap I walk into because she's what great dreams are made off. I want to create memories with her, memories we can one day show our children. I'm going to make her mine officially, to show everyone that this beautiful woman standing in front of me will have my heart and last name - forever.

Face-impostor almost stumbles, but rights himself, not once letting go of Alicia's neck. I see the pain spread over her face as her neck bends unnaturally. I know she's in pain but not once does she let out a whimper. My love for her swells and I manage a smile, an encouragement for her to be strong.

As I step inside the ramshackle building, I realize with a pang, that she's my everything. Without her, I'm hopelessly lost.

"Stop right there!" A voice says behind me before I can make any further move.

I let loose a growl and turn around. Standing in front of me is Leonard, the fuck face. I shrug as my mouth widens in a smile. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

Before he's able to blink, my fist comes down, hard, on his head, and he goes down fast. Even before I turn back around, I know what she's about to do - Hazel eyes somehow gets lose from face-impostor's grasp and bends low. I catch a flash of her panties before I lunge at him. The fucker may have been caught by surprise but he's not ready to be called a fool.

He darts out of the room and into another section of the abandoned building, and I sigh and shake my head. Fuck if I have no option but to play hide and seek now with him. I jerk my head to Hazel eyes, but she shakes her head and says quietly. "I'm staying with you."

I want to argue and tell her she - and our baby as well - could get killed, but the more time I spend arguing with her, the more time that fucker will have the chance to get away. I give a sharp nod and tell her to stay behind me and to keep her eyes peeled. I dart my eyes this way and that as we step inside another section of the building but after one glance around the tiny room, I know he's not here. Of course, I also know he won't be standing around waiting to be caught.

That fucker will probably lie in wait, maybe set another trap for us. Leonard, his first trap didn't work and won't anymore, because he's out cold and will remain that way for a while. We move around, Hazel eyes always behind me, backing me, so she can be my eyes at my back. This way, I won't have any unpleasant surprises.

It seems we've gone to almost all the rooms, leaving one last one. My invisible hackles rise as we approach it with caution. I know something, or someone is waiting for us behind those walls. I can feel it. Behind me, Alicia tenses and braces herself. There's a lot of heat coming off her in waves. I angle my body an inch toward her and say in low tones. "Ready?"

I feel her body tense even further as she nods. Taking a deep breath, I bring the gun out from inside the waistband of my jeans and step inside the last room.