Page 94 of Carte

“Where’re you going’”

I glanced at Trevor over my shoulder,” After them. I need to find her, now.”

I could feel Trevor following me. Soon he held the phone over my shoulder so I could see the screen.

“They’re huddled in the bathroom, on the other side of the building.”

I could see the same damned thing that Reid said in his text.

“Tell him not to go in, we have no clue what’s the situation there.”

We were across the building and nearing the bathroom in just a handful of moments.

With each step, my breathing became more shallow, sweat tickled down my back, and voices felt like they were coming from miles away.

Fear gripped me, trying to suffocate me.

“Breathe, we’ll get her out,” Trevor murmured as he crossed the door and pushed his back against the wall on its other side.

I took a breath, counted to four, then released it. I had to slow it down, otherwise panic would surge inside me, and I could end up doing something that would hurt Harley.

As we took positions, with Reid emerging from the shadows, we heard yelling from the inside.

“Finn took Harley in, Cassie waited for them here,” Reid muttered, not looking at any of us.

“Do you see anyone else getting in?” I questioned.

Reid shook his head in the negative just as a blur of motion barreled through the wall of man surrounding us, and before either of us could stop him, Jude rushed into the bathroom.

Seconds later a gun went off. Everything in me stilled, my knees buckling down when another one was heard.

Not even taking a second to think of what I was going into, I walked through, my gun at the ready.

Fury and pain swirled inside me, making my vision blurry.

There, on the white tiles of a filthy bathroom, a pool of blood was gathering from underneath Finn's body.

Cassie was standing, looking down at Jude that had his hand clamped around his shoulder. Blood was seeping from between his fingers.

And Harley was huddled in a corner, her eyes unfocused, tears dripping down her face.

“You can’t hurt her,” Just screamed, and then got up to his feet.

“You can’t save her,” Cassie taunted him. She was either so far gone she didn’t even notice us coming in, or she perceived Jude as a bigger threat.

I motioned Reid and Trevor to get to Cassie and contain her, as I slowly crept over to Harley.

Just then, Cassie swung her gun at me.

“Not one step closer, lover boy,” she said with a calm voice.

I froze but looked at Harley.

As she saw me, her face crumpled.

She slowly got up to her feet, her whole body quacking.

Cassie moved like a flash, gripping her hair, she shoved Harley in front of her body. “You’re gonna let us walk right out.”