Brawl For Defense ✔

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

My heart was thumping loudly inside my chest. The gun on my waistband felt heavier than I remembered. My mother squirmed in Wesley's arms as he held her captive with her arms tied behind her. We were all standing in the middle of the deserted valley, waiting anxiously for the sleek black cars to arrive any minute now.

The chilly night air slapped my face, causing an involuntary shiver to run down my spine. The sky was almost spotless, mind a few visible stars here and there. There was a half-moon illuminating the valley. The dry grass only reached my ankles. There wasn't any trace of animal life around us, only the ants roaming around our feet.

I tugged the hem of my black sweater anxiously. My blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, with a few strands falling at the sides of my face. 

I looked at my mother.

Her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying these past few days. Her skin was pale and there were bags under her eyes. Even her dirty blonde hair was all tangled up and oily from not being taken care of in two weeks. She looked defeated, anxious about what would happen in a matter of minutes.

I tore my gaze away from her, being unable to stare at her any longer. A hand found its way to my arm, and the gentle touch made me look to the side.

Chase's soft smile eased the slight nerves I was feeling. His fingers caressed my arm softly until they reached my fingers and he slowly interlaced his fingers with mine. The gentleness he delivered was enough to make my chest warm up with a feeling I wasn't quite ready to accept just yet.

My mind recalled the events from two days ago--the night I decided to pick up my phone and contact the one man behind all this misery. He was surprised at first, not expecting me to call him anytime soon, but pleased to know that I wanted to see him. All I wanted—and still want—to do was reach through the receiver and slit his throat open.

Sadly, magic wasn't real, so that dream was short-lived.

My thoughts were snapped away as the sound of revving engines filled my ears. We all turned to look at the three cars and the lone motorcycle entering the valley. Some dirt flew as they made their way. They all stopped in front of us. Then, a tall familiar figure got off the motorcycle.

I narrowed my eyes at Bryce as he took off his helmet and hung it on the handles. All three cars killed their engines, and Steven stepped out of the first one. He sent my mother a cynical glare, making my mother whine and squirm even more. "Sasha. How lovely to see you again," Steven mocked and stepped closer to her.

My fingers tightened around Chase's, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze before reluctantly letting go. Steven's men stood in front of the cars—a total of eight men, excluding Bryce. I threw my hands carelessly inside the pockets of my cargo pants, silently watching how my mother tried to cower away from Steven.

"Get away from me," she spat, making Steven smirk.

I could see the way Wesley's muscles tensed under the fabric of his sweatshirt. Suddenly, Steven drew his arm back and struck my mother across the cheek. The slapping noise was very clear. My mother's head jerked to the side at the impact as a yelp came out of her mouth. I bit the inside of my cheek. My heart clenched inside my rib cage, but I kept my cool once he turned to see me.

"I see your mother has finally told you the truth," he commented. "Now, what made you decide to give her to me?"

"Who said anything about me giving her to you?" I asked with a smirk.

He raised a skeptical eyebrow and turned his attention to me fully. "If you weren't planning to do that, then why would you want to meet up in the first place?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.