Chapter 3

3

ACE

R age courses through my body. I try to keep it in check, not wanting to scare Libby. I hadn’t realized from a distance how tiny she was. I might be three times her size. I’ll have to be careful with how I handle her.

It wasn’t too difficult to find her. Winter's map was quite detailed. I think she wanted to make it as easy as possible to find her sister. Even if that hadn't been the goal my brother and I had set for today. I was supposed to inspect the area and assess the situation. That wasn’t fucking happening. Once I knew it was her that was here, there was no way in hell I could let her stay for another second.

I have to slow my pace so that Libby can keep up with me. There is no fucking way she is going to be able to make this trek through the snow. Not only are her shoes and clothes useless, but the snow has piled up. It would be almost impossible for her to walk in it.

I could carry her, but I need to be able to have my gun available if needed. So far, I have managed to not use it. Not that I haven’t come across a few of the men roaming around on the Heaven’s Temple compound. I easily took them down without making a sound and bound them. They better pray to their prophets they’re found before they freeze to death.

Tick-tock, you sick motherfuckers. I couldn’t care less what happens to those vile humans.

When we’re almost to the front door, I pause, putting my arm out to stop her. I step to the side and guide her back behind me. The door opens, hiding us from view.

“Martha!” a man shouts. The cold air rushes into the house before he closes the door. Martha shouts a muffled response back as the man sees me. His eyes widen, but that’s all he can do before I drive my fist into his kidney. That is for the busted lip my girl has. I’m sure he’s the one that gave it to her.

Nothing is more painful than a punch to the fucking kidney, except perhaps a punch to your nuts. He lets out a silent scream and doubles forward, making it easy for me to knee him right in the face. The piece of shit crumbles to the floor where he belongs. If I had more time, I’d shackle this asshole to a chair and take my time making him slowly pay for laying his hands on my girl.

Yes, I know who he is. Our contacts gave us a list of the higher-ups here at Heaven’s Temple, and he was one of them. I swiftly remove the zip ties from one of my pockets and bind him. I glance over to Libby, sensing that shock might be taking over. Her delicate hand is covering her mouth. Blood pours from her father’s nose.

“He had it coming,” I mutter, not wanting her to feel sympathy for him. Worse, I don't want her to think I'm a monster. I am still basking in the high of her remembering me. I wasn’t sure she would. But I’ll never forget the rush of relief I had when I found her. I’d cased the house before I got closer. Knowing which room was hers, I’d peeked in the window. She was sleeping peacefully in her bed. The tension I’d had inside of me since I realized I’d found her eased up. Not all the way, but some.

It also gives me a rush of adrenaline to finish this. I’m not leaving here without her.

The Father, William, groans. I’m sure his brain is rattled. “Libby.” He moans her name. It only intensifies the anger raging within me. I tamp it down. Not going to beat the fuck to death in front of Libby. That could be for another day. Instead, I search his pockets, finding the keys.

“Let’s go,” I tell Libby.

“You can’t take her. She’s mine,” William gets out.

“Might want to turn around,” I tell Libby. She does, thankfully.

I give William a kick to the head. I tell myself it’s to knock him out, but him saying Libby was his pissed me off. Yeah, that isn’t going to fly. I see Libby flinch when she hears my foot make contact. I wrap my arm around her waist to guide her back to the door, not allowing her to see him.

“Holy crap,” Libby hisses when I open the door, a gust of wind getting her.

I think to myself, Fuck it and scoop her up into my arms after closing the door behind us. I run toward William’s truck, putting Libby inside. I have to fist my hand so that I don't reach up to stroke my thumb across her cracked lip. I want to go back inside and kick her father in the head a thousand more times. To finish what I started. To send him to hell where he belongs.

“Can you drive?”

“Kinda?”

I debate for half a second and shut the idea down before closing the door and jogging to the driver’s side. I start the truck up, blasting the heat before I pull my controller out. Libby watches me with curiosity.

“We can’t just drive out of here. The woods is our best option.”

“Not taking you through the woods.” It isn’t a chance I’m willing to take with her. She’s so damn small, and her clothes will do nothing for her.

“I can make it.” Libby sits up straighter, wanting to be strong. There’s nothing more I want at this moment but to give her that strength. It will have to wait for another day, though. Right now, getting her out of here is what matters most. We have the rest of our lives for me to empower her and show her her worth.

“Trust me, babe,” I reassure her as I get the drone back up into the sky from where I’d hidden it. I need to make a distraction. They likely won't think much of William’s truck driving around, but if someone is paying closer attention, they will notice he’s not the one at the wheel. Let's give them something else to pay attention to.

Libby leans over to look at the screen. I see that her brows are furrowed together. “Is that a video game thingy?”

“You think I’d play a video game right now?” I’d laugh if I wasn’t still raging inside.

“Sorry,” Libby whispers, leaning back away, her eyes looking anywhere but at me.

“I was teasing you, babe.” I soften my tone, not wanting her to think I’m making fun of her. She might not know what a drone is. "See?" Those gorgeous blue pools meet mine again. I tilt the screen toward her, wanting her to lean toward me again. It’s not what I should be thinking about right now, but I’m doing a lot of things I’m not supposed to be.

“Oh.” I get what I was wanting. “That’s the front gate.”

“Yeah.” The drone flies over it. I notice an empty building devoid of any heat signatures.

“That’s our church,” she says, but I already know that. Winter’s map didn’t leave anything out. I interpret it as a divine indication that the church is deserted, as I search for a structure to blow to pieces. So that’s what I do. I lock the target in and fire. “Is that…” Libby’s words trail off. A small gasp leaves her when the missile strikes. A second later, we feel the ground shake below us. Direct hit.

“It’s gone,” I tell her, then spin the drone back around. I lock it on the truck and engage defensive counters before I hand the controller to Libby. She accepts it, her blue eyes widening once again. They’re so damn expressive. I like that I can read her so easily. That she's not trying to hide anything. It's right there for you to see.

“I don’t want to hit the wrong thing.” Libby holds it like it’s a bomb.

“It won’t respond to you.” I throw the truck into drive and take off toward the front gate. People are coming outside trying to see what is going on. The men are running toward the explosion.

When I conducted my last check, there were four people at the front gate. I glance at the screen and notice that only one heat signature is now visible. The body moves inside the hut at the gate—coming out. I’m sure to check us. I press the gas down harder. It’s now or never.

“Short,” I call out.

“What?” Libby asks, confused.

“Hit the left side of the gate in three.”

Libby lets out another one of her adorable little gasps as she watches the screen lock in on the gate.

“Target acquired. In three, two—” I see the man step fully out of the hut, reaching for the gun on his hip. “One.” Short fires, nailing his target, blasting the gates open. The impact is hard enough to send the man flying back through the air a good five feet.

“That was insane,” Libby says as I floor it through the gates knowing she’ll never return to Heaven’s Temple. No, by the time I am finished with them, there will be nothing left.