Chapter Fifteen

Remy

I 've spent long enough in this shitty room to realize that my choice of weapons is very limited. I have no idea what time it is, or when Snake, Jovie's dad or even Hammer are going to arrive. What I do know is that I'm not going to go quietly. I've spent my life doing that, and no more.

I gather up the metal plate I used to pry the board off the window and wonder if I can sharpen it enough to use as a slicing weapon. I rub it on the rough concrete and then realize that is probably a waste of my time and energy. Turning my attention to the window, I decide that may be my best bet.

Taking off my sweater, I wrap it around the metal plate and gently hit the window. I don't want to smash the whole window out, I just need it to break enough so that I can use a shard. The glass makes a cracking noise; the fissures working their way out from my fist. I press gently until some of the glass breaks away and falls to the ground on the other side of the window. There are some long, jagged pieces left sitting in the caulking in the windowpane, so I wriggle one out in my sweater covered hand so as not to cut myself.

Tearing a piece of fabric from my blouse, I wrap it around the bottom of the shard, giving myself a handle, a safe way to wield my weapon. I dare those bastards to come at me now.

Squatting down on the mattress, I swing between biding my time and making more weapons. I decide to get crafting, mainly because if I sit with my thoughts and feelings, I'm liable to lose the small edge I'm carving out for myself.

Finding the board with the nails sticking out of it, I figure it'll be a good enough weapon to hit someone with. Getting whacked with a hunk of wood with sharp metal sticking out of it is sure to stop a man like Snake in his tracks. It'll definitely take out Jovie's crackhead father.

With my protection placed strategically around the room, I sit on the mattress and wait. I wonder what the DRMC is doing? Have they realized I'm missing? Mags will have noticed that I stood him up. My stomach lurches at the thought of Mags waiting for me. I love him, in only the way you can when you have known someone for so long. I sometimes wonder if I could love Wire the same way. There are so many things that are similar between the two men. The way they make me feel comfortable and not like a shy burden. They want to know my thoughts on things. I can be sassier than I ever am with the both of them. I even noticed when I picked up the gift from Mags in my post box that they even smell the same! Maybe that's why I felt so comfortable with Wire? I've fantasized so many things about what would happen if I met up with Mags in real life, but since I've met Wire every time I picture Mags, he has Wire's face.

Sighing to myself, I realize all this fantasizing is going to get me nowhere. Men like Wire don't end up with women like me. They end up with badasses like Nat and Chewy and Ana.

The sound of a motorcycle getting closer echoes through the warehouse until it's a dull roar near where I'm being held prisoner. I listen carefully to it idling, noting the small tick that it makes. I breathe out a breath I didn't know I was holding. That bike is Snake's, and at this point I'd rather face him than Hammer. Especially after what I've just learned.

Making sure my weapons are close at hand, I decide to go stand closest to where the door will open. That way, Snake will have to move into the room to look for me. It's dark so he won't see me immediately, giving me time to hopefully knock him out.

Pressing myself against the wall, I breathe deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. This will be my one shot. Snake has a wicked temper and if I don't take him out, he'll make me pay.

The snicking of the lock is almost drowned out by my heart beating in my ears and I wait for what feels like years before the door swings open, almost hitting me.

"What the fuck?"

Heavy boots thud on the concrete floor until Snake's body is almost blocking the small amount of light coming in through the window. Raising the board above my head, I step forward and then bring it crashing down with all my strength straight onto Snake's head. He crumples immediately, knees hitting the ground first before his top half flops forward onto the mattress. I stand frozen for a moment, staring at him like it's a trick. Well, that and I've never actually purposely tried to hurt a human being like that. Looking at this one, I find I actually like the feeling.

Looking around, I weigh up my options. The first one would be to run outta here like my ass was on fire. The second is to restrain Snake and poke at him until I find out useful information. Like where the hell is Hammer and what are his plans?

Looking through the door to the warehouse once again, I see the door to the outside. Snake's bike is parked up. I could ride that out of here. Striding to his pride and joy, I go through his saddlebags until I find all the things I need. Taking them with me into the storeroom, I lay them out on the mattress. Rope, knives, cigarettes, a gun. Glancing back at the exit door, I decide my next move. Snake and I are here for the long run.

Wire

Racing through the streets, I can hear both Marx's and my Momma's voices in my head to not draw attention. Well, fuck that. I need to find my girl. And then convince her to be my Ol Lady. I'm fucking terrified that she'll reject me, but then I remember I know this woman. I've known her more than half of my life. She's the other part of me. Surely she feels it, too.

Flack pulling up beside me has me shaking off my thoughts to concentrate on the task at hand. Our destination is an empty warehouse looking place. It used to be a furniture consignment store that moved to a larger, flashier building nearer the shopping center, leaving this place empty but close enough to Rosie's for a little girl to run there.

I tip my head at Flack, signaling that he follows as we pull into the parking lot. There is fuck all here, but I have a feeling about this place. Like I sense her in there.

Before we dismount, I take a look at the outside. I checked to see where the cameras were placed before we left the compound, however now that we're here I can see there are none. Probably a good thing if the inside is being used to keep women and children.

Getting off my girl, I creep up to the door, Flack following close behind. Before I twist the handle to the door, a scream sounds out and all my good sense leaves me. I throw the door open and storm in, hoping that Flack will have my back in case I'm storming into a bloodbath, and that's exactly what it is.

A gasp rips from Flack's throat and I stand frozen as I take in the sight before me. Remy has Snake sitting upright on his bike. His hands are tied to the handlebars. His feet tied to his bike at an odd angle, too far back. That is until I notice the sweet, steaky scent of burning flesh in the air and realize that Remy has tied his feet that way so that his legs sit either side of the pipes. The pipes that get fucking hot.

Snake has blood dripping down his face, likely from a head wound. He has burned flesh on his calves, and there seem to be lacerations on his chest. Remy is standing over him, her hands covered in blood and a pissed look on her face. I'm unsure that she's even noticed that we're here.

Turning to Flack, the older man is frozen in place, his face a mix of shock and sorrow. I get it, his baby girl was kidnapped. Innocent sweet Remy has been replaced with a valkyrie and that is making my dick pulse in my jeans.

Stepping closer, I gentle my voice so as not to startle her.

"Retta,"

Her head snaps toward me, a slight frown pulling her dark brows together. "How do you know that name?"

I can't stop the sheepish grin on my face. "I'd like to say I figured it out, but it was Chewy,"

"Wait, what?" She drops the glass shard that she's been using on Snake and steps away from him. Snake relaxes in relief, which is a pity for him because while Remy has been walking toward me, her dad has been stalking toward him.

As they pass each other, he reaches over and strokes her cheek, "I love you, baby. I'm sorry this happened to you."

"It's OK, Dad. I used everything you taught me. I'm not weak. I'm the daughter of the VP." She smiles brightly at him and he kisses her on the head before she looks at me and steps closer.

"Um, can you explain to me how you know my Shadow Wrath name?"

I blow out a long breath. "Beretta_Penn is your avatar name. Your avatar is a large green troll, with piercings and long black hair. You've been playing since you were 13 years old. Your first day you joined a campaign with an elf, Saint_Margarita. You would spend all day at the library because you had stuff going on at home. I would spend all day online because my parents were breaking up. Girls picked on you at school. I slept with all the girls at school." Her eyes grow wide and glossy and her perfect lips open on a shocked o. "I skipped prom to hang out with my older guy friends while you went to prom and some douche got too drunk to take your virginity like you wanted. You messaged me every day while I was deployed and put me back together when I got home. You're my conscience, my hope, my other half, and I'm yours. I have your back for always."

Tears freely roll down her cheeks as she whispers, "For always."

Beaming up at me, she does something that I never thought she'd do. Stepping closer, she runs her hands up my chest, her touch sending little electric shocks of awareness through me. Sliding her hands behind my neck, she tugs me closer until my face is so close her beautiful sky-blue eyes are all I see. With a sweet exhale, her soft lips touch mine in the gentlest of kisses. Sliding my hands into her silky hair, I cup her face and deepen the kiss, swiping my tongue across her bottom lip asking for permission. She sighs and her tongue comes out to glide across mine.

We move and taste each other, the desperation of the last few hours leading us to grasp and grip at each other, at what we could have lost.

"Listen kids, I'm glad you've found each other, but mind if we get this fucker back to the compound?"

Remy tears her lips from mine, looks over my shoulder at her father and bursts into giggles.

"Fine, come on then. I wanna show Chewy what I did!" She claps her hands and beams like escaping a kidnapping and then torturing the fucker who did it is a completely normal thing to do.

"She's been hanging out with your lot too long," Flack grumbles as we watch her run to Snake, untie him, and push him off the bike onto the ground.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Flack turns to look me in the eye. "It's bad because I fear I'm losing my little girl. But the woman I see before me now is someone she should have always been."

He dials his phone and barks at Tav to bring the van around to collect Snake.

"You two go on. I'll wait here for this piece of shit's ride."

I grin at Flack, excited that I finally get to feel my girl on the back of my bike. Waiting patiently for Remy, my brows pull into a frown.

"Um babe? We need to get out of here, and I need you on the back of my bike."

"I want that too, but tonight, I'm going to be riding my new bike home." She smiles widely at me as she throws her leg over and sits her pretty little ass on Snake's bike. Well, Snake's old bike, her new bike. Starting her up, she cackles as she slowly glides her way to the roller door.

"The DRMC created a monster," Flack laughs as we watch the woman we love wait for the roller door to open before riding out.

"Come on, slowpoke!"

She revs her engine, and I run out to catch up.