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KAYLEE SANK TO THE ground in terror, the explosion causing Cronin to shout a string of curses. To her absolute horror, when they’d brought Kaylee upstairs earlier, she’d realized that other women were being held in the home. Rather than immediately attack Kaylee, she’d been forced to watch Cronin terrorize his other victims, all tied up together in a bedroom. Part of her knew he hadn’t raped her yet because she was heavily drugged. While he’d have no qualms about assaulting her, Cronin seemed to enjoy instilling fear in his prey. When she’d been unconscious, he wouldn’t have had the sick pleasure of seeing her terror. She’d slowly come to, and he’d made her watch as he toyed with the other women, promising that she’d be next.
“What the fuck was that?” Levins roared, running past the open bedroom doorway. Kaylee watched him go, still slightly dazed, and then Cronin took off after him.
She scanned the faces of the girls and women being held in the bedroom, wondering where they’d taken Lena. Had Levins hurt her? Or that sinister man who’d been driving? She hadn’t seen him since she’d woken up but knew he was probably here somewhere. The place felt like pure evil, and she jolted as the women began to cry and wail around her as they all heard a second smaller explosion.
A woman screamed as glass shattered in the large open landing upstairs.
Kaylee stilled, trying to organize her thoughts. Was that a gunshot? Another explosion inside the home? She fought at the ropes restraining her wrists.
Within minutes, the smoke detectors were sounding inside, no doubt from whatever was on fire in the yard. Cronin and Levins hadn’t returned, and Kaylee feared they’d left her and the other women here to die. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she froze as she heard male voices shouting. There was a thumping as heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs, and then Sam burst through the doorway, weapon drawn, dressed in full tactical gear. Several of the women started crying harder, but Sam was moving toward her.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice urgent.
“No. I’m okay.”
Sam pulled out a knife and cut her free from the ropes, updating his teammates over his comms unit. “I have Kaylee. She’s unharmed. There are five other women in the room where she’s being held. Nick, keep cover for us out front. I’m bringing them down.”
Jett rushed into the room, his face tense as he barked orders into his microphone.
Kaylee almost fell over as Sam helped her to her feet, and he swore. Jett was beside her in an instant, his strong arm wrapping around her in support. “Gray has Lena. Let’s get you out of here.”
“But the women—”
“Sam’s got them,” he assured Kaylee, moving her out of the bedroom. She heard Sam talking to the other women in a soothing voice but knew they all had to be terrified. As they got to the stairs, Kaylee gasped in horror. “Don’t look!” Jett ordered. It was too late. She’d already seen the bodies of Cronin and Levins, both with single gunshot wounds to the head. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Nick had shot them through the windows. She couldn’t feel any remorse for the men who’d threatened to rape her and likely hurt those other victims.
“We’re right behind you!” Gray yelled, carrying Lena in his arms. “She’s unconscious. I think they drugged her.”
“Is she okay?” Kaylee asked in fear as Jett hustled her down the stairs.
“She’s breathing, just in a deep sleep. Let’s move out!” Gray yelled.
In the next moment, Jett was hustling her outside. Nick was near the front porch, surveilling the area, the fire at the end of the driveway growing bigger. Kaylee could see their vehicles in the distance and hear sirens wailing. “I’ll cover you!” Jett told him. “Come get your girl.” And then as Jett lifted his weapon, readying for any danger, Nick was rushing toward her, pulling her into his arms.
“Nick,” she cried, burying her face in his strong chest.
“I got you,” he said, holding her tight. “Let’s get you out of here.” She stumbled on the front steps, and then Nick was lifting her into his arms, carrying her to safety, away from the fire and chaos in that house of horrors. “There’s a gate I found at the side. We’ll go out that way. It’s almost over, baby girl.”
“You came for me,” she said tearfully, looking up into his intense brown gaze.
“I’ll always come for you,” he swore.
A few tears did leak down her cheeks then, and Nick kissed her in the middle of everything, stealing her breath. “I love you,” he said urgently. “I thought I lost you. You’re it for me, Kaylee. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” she said, clinging to him tightly. “Take me home, Nick. I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you.”
