Page 125 of Devour

He isn’t answering my fucking questions. “Just let me go, Dad. You knew how to get in here, you can get me out.”

He shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. “I can’t.” He glances at the camera. “If I take that chain off, they’ll be in here before you could even leave the room.”

“So what the fuck am I supposed to do?” I scream the words. “Sit here and wait to be attacked?”

“You fight.” He takes a step toward me and lowers his voice. “And you don’t stop fighting. You’re my tough girl.”

He’s looking at me the way he looked at me when I was eight years old and he dropped me off at some summer camp for rich kids my mom made him send me to. I never wanted him to leave, because I thought my dad was the greatest person in the world back then. I still remember that. That day he crouched down and told me I was tougher than I thought.

I didn’t believe him then, but I fucking do now.

He gives me a small smile and turns to leave.

“Daddy?” I call after him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He spins back around. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Is Axl alive?” I need to fucking know. It doesn’t change how hard I’m going to fight, but it changes what I’m fighting for.

His jaw tightens. “I haven’t seen his body, if that’s what you’re asking. But the word is that he’s dead.”

My shoulders sag. I’m desperate for any confirmation that Axl’s still alive.

“Okay.” I wipe my face with the back of my hand. I straighten my spine and draw a deep breath. All of this is far from over.

My father watches me for a second longer. His eyes move over my face, and I can feel him memorizing it. He’s looking at me the way someone looks at someone they know they’re about to lose.

“I do love you, Saylor.”

I give him a small smile. I don’t have it in me to say it back. Not after everything that has happened. And I still don’t know all that he’s done.

“I truly never knew what Justin was doing to you. He deserves whatever he gets. We all do.” He turns and punches the code into the keypad. The door opens, and he walks through it without looking back. The door closes and the lock clicks, leaving me alone in this hell once again.

I press my hand against my hip and feel the knife through the fabric. The handle is cold against my skin, and the blade is folded in, but I can feel the ridge where it opens. Axl taught me how to use a knife and where to stab someone to do the most damage.

And this is it. I’m either killing every person who walks in here, or this room is where it all ends for me.

CHAPTER 52

AXL

Every breath makes my body hurt, but it won’t stop me from going in to get Saylor. I have three broken ribs and whatever the hell else is wrong with me. I refused to take any of the painkillers the doctor offered because I need my mind to remain sharp. I still have dried blood on my face and hands. I haven’t bothered to clean them yet.

Kase is behind the wheel, and Priest is in the passenger seat. He ditched the sling, deciding his shoulder was fine without it.

Crew is next to me in the back seat with his phone in his hand. He’s trying to figure out what we’re dealing with before we arrive. The Sinclairs are in the vehicle ahead of us with my father. They’re not letting him out of their sight.

None of us fully trust him, but we’d rather keep him where we can see him.

I check the tracker. She’s still in the same location. I tap my foot on the floorboard, unable to sit fucking still when I don’t know what’s happening to her.

I’m fucking coming, baby.

“Can we not go any faster?” I ask, shifting in my seat.

“I’m following the Sinclairs,” he snaps. I’ve already asked him that a few times. “Do you really want to deal with the cops right now?”

No, I fucking don’t. I punch the back of Priest’s seat and go back to staring at her location on my phone.