I scanned the area, eyes bouncing around as I started for the porch steps, only to freeze when I felt the sickness claw over me from behind.
The disorder that rippled through the air.
Intense and thick.
“Well, if it isn’t our favorite cop. Been looking for you.” The words were nothing but a sneer, a rip of hatred.
Slowly, I turned around to find that prick slinking out from where Mr. Lane’s truck was parked on the far-left side of the yard.
Zachary had a gun on me. Hatred curled his expression in disdain.
The feeling was mutual.
This was the guy who I’d instantly sensed a darkness in. Gut telling me something was wrong. Now, that vileness crawled across the ground, like the spindly fingers of a demon clawing in the dirt.
Sinking in.
Staking ground.
I started to run for him until I saw the barest hint of movement against the wheel of Mr. Lane’s truck.
Panic hit me like I’d smacked face-first into a brick-wall.
Izzy.
Little Bird.
Agony squeezed my chest as a bout of rage came speeding in.
Fierce and uncontrolled.
She was on the ground behind him, wrists and ankles bound, a gag in her mouth.
Hazel eyes flashed, swimming with a plea.
My soul screamed, horror wrapping me in vicious chains.
It hit me so hard, I nearly tripped.
Sweat gathered on my hairline, quivers rising up from that dark place, the brutal instinct to protect.
I refused to let this happen. Refused to let him hurt her.
“Drop the gun,” I shouted as I lifted mine, edging off to the side of the porch steps.
I aimed my gun at this sick motherfucker, terror locking up my throat and narrowing my sight.
Everything focused on taking this bastard out.
Ending this.
He didn’t even flinch, just grinned as he took a step my direction. “You weren’t supposed to walk away that night. And here you are, still standing. Looks like we’re going to have to fix that.”
“Put the gun down,” I ordered again, words harsh, my finger firm on the trigger.
He laughed, letting the gun swing at his side, in the general vicinity of Izzy.
Almost sent me flying at him then.
But I had to remain steady.
Smart.
Couldn’t mess this up.
“What, this make you upset? That someone’s got an up on you? Your future in their hands rather than the other way around?”
Izzy whimpered and writhed on the dirt.
I calculated if I could get in a hit without putting her in the line of fire.
The risk was too great.
Violence gathered like a physical entity, cords wrapping my limbs, flames of aggression eating up my body.
“No idea what Clarissa sees in you,” he spat like the little punk he was. “Protecting you all this time. Done with you gettin’ in our way.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded. I was desperate to draw attention to myself. To take it off Izzy. Asshole needed to forget that she was even there.
He laughed and rushed an agitated hand through his hair, and it was then I realized he was tweakin’, kid methed out, antsy and irritated.
Made this whole situation a million times more dangerous.
“Come on, asshole, you think I don’t know you’re just waitin’ on the perfect moment to screw us? Not going to jail because my cousin is in love with your dick.”
Hostility raged, and I tried to keep it cool when I was being incinerated by this fire consuming me from within.
To remember my training.
Knowing what was at stake when the only thing I wanted was to rush this fucker and bash his face.
“If you go to jail, it’s because you put yourself there, not because of me,” I rumbled, trying to ease to the side.
To draw him closer.
To make him forget the girl he was standing too close to.
He barked a laugh. “Fuckin’ cops, thinking they own us. Not today. Clarissa just wanted me to scare this bitch.” He jostled the gun at Izzy.
Whimpering, she pressed her face into her shoulder, desperate to hide and chained in plain sight.
“Make her see you aren’t worth the pain. Chase her back to wherever she’d come from. She’s pissed I decided to take this farther, but she’s gonna learn real fast she doesn’t get to control me, either. No one does. I do what I want. Kiel’s gonna know I’m his main man.”
Fuck.
This kid was nuts. Fucking delusional. Capable of anything.
I inched another step to the right. Only thing I needed was one clean shot.
“This is a mistake, man.” Did my best to sound placating. Convincing. To talk him down. “You don’t want life for this. Think about it. Look how long they put my dad away for what he did. You hurt her, and you won’t see the light of day.”
He’d started to edge to the left, natural instinct to get away from the barrel of a gun.
Exactly what I needed him to do.
“That’s glory, man.”
Pete was right.
This crime for the sake of crime was insane. Completely insane. And I knew that was exactly what I was dealing with.