Broken World (Book 3): Mad World (12 page)

But we have to focus. To figure out what we’re going to do to get out of this in one piece. I force myself to sit up even though I don’t want to. “I don’t know. Right now they’re letting her heal, so there’s no way to get her out. But maybe she can convince them she’s sick so they’ll take her to the doctor? I don’t know if she can handle it, though. She seems pretty shell-shocked.”

“You got any other ideas?”

“I don’t know…”

If Hadley or I were going to be there we could get her out, but we won’t be. Will she be able to do it? I think about her battered body and the way she shrank into herself when the linebackers walked in. I doubt it. Even though she’s been up and talking, she’s still pretty messed up. And she’s only been able to really talk with Hadley. Who won’t be there. We need someone to help us.

Someone who would never in a million years get selected.

Dirty Blonde.

She hasn’t had a night away since we got here. Why would she? She reeks. Even if someone picked her from a picture, they’d get a refund the second they saw her. Or smelled her. Word must have gotten around about her. Right?

But can I trust her? That’s the real question. She’s a total bitch, but that’s only because she’s a prisoner. We could be her ticket out. Why wouldn’t she help us?

It’s the only thing I can come up with. It
has
to work.

“I can get someone to help us,” I mutter.

Axl nods, then kisses me again. He won’t stop touching me. Like he’s afraid I’m going to disappear. His fingers trace the bruises on my face over and over again. Even though it hurts, I don’t tell him to stop.

“You gonna tell me what happened here?” His jaw is tight again. “I gotta know who to kill.”

Something lodges itself in my throat, making it impossible to talk.

I don’t want him anywhere near Tat. All I want is for us to get out of here and never look back.

“Nothing,” I say. “I got lucky, that’s all.”

It makes me think of Hadley, and I swallow. Where is she right now? Did the bastard from the other night get her again?

I shudder and close my eyes. “Hadley didn’t get so lucky, though.”

Axl swears and I open my eyes. His expression is dark. Dangerous. “She’ll be okay tonight. Angus has her.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Angus? Seriously?” I bite down my bottom lip. Angus is…unpredictable. But I don’t really have him pegged as a rapist. Asshole, yes. But this… “Are you positive she’s okay with him?”

Axl nods, but he does it very slowly. “He’s on our side.”

I trust Axl, but I don’t trust Angus for a minute. It’s impossible to forget how he acted when we first me. The first time I spotted him was in some hole-in-the-wall diner on Route 66. He looked at me like I was on the menu. And I know he only wanted to stop to give me a ride because of my double D’s. Since then, he hasn’t missed an opportunity to make sexual comments. Then there was the time he hit me. Yeah, Angus has a dark side. Just how dark, I don’t know. Would he hurt Hadley? If he did, he’d never be able to come back to the shelter, which would mean leaving Axl. Angus is an ass, but he loves his brother. I’m sure of it.

***

When I roll against a warm body, my heart almost stops. My back stiffens, and I suck in a deep breath. Fingers trail up my spine. I start to shake.

Then I remember where I am and who I’m with, and I’m slowly able to relax. Axl. I’m with Axl. Safe for the moment.

I crack one eye and look toward the clock. It’s three o’clock in the morning. As usual, Axl is awake. I sit up, and my eyes meet his. He smiles, and it makes my insides soften like a stick of butter that’s been left on the counter for too long.

“You never sleep,” I whisper, running my hand through his dirty blond hair.

He just nods.

“Why?”

He takes a deep breath, and when he blows it out his body feels harder. Like he’s turned to stone. Something keeps him from sleeping. Demons or ghosts, I’m not sure, but there’s a reason, and I want to know. I want to know everything about him.

“Dreams,” he finally says. “Used to be, anyways. When I was younger. Now it’s just habit.” His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows.

“What are the dreams about?”

He doesn’t take his stormy eyes off me. “My mom. The night she died. I was there, in the other room of the trailer we lived in. But I couldn’t get to her.”

My pulse quickens. I’ve been waiting for him to open up like this for so long. Been wanting him to trust me. I’m almost afraid to breath. Afraid he’ll stop talking.

“How did it happen?” My voice is softer now, like I’m talking to a frightened animal and if I’m too loud I’ll scare it away.

“She was datin’ some asshole. Nothin’ new, really. They was all assholes. This one, though, he was something different. I knew it right away. ‘Course, she couldn’t see it. They hadn’t been goin’ out long, and already she’d showed up with a broken wrist. Seems like violence was the only way she knew how to live.

“When I woke up that night, my room was full of smoke. It was late. Not sure how late, exactly. But I knew I had to get to her. The doorknob was too hot, though. It burned my hand when I tried to open it. I was coughin’. Couldn’t see. The only way I was gonna make it was to get out the window, but I didn’t want to leave her. She was a bitch but—”

“She was your mom.”

He nods and purses his lips. “Yup.”

“So she died in the fire?”

“Nope,” he says. “Bastard set the fire to try and cover up what he’d done. I got out and the fire department showed up. Angus came, too. He lived on the other side of the trailer park and had come runnin’ when the sirens woke him. We was both there when they got the fire out. Mom’s body was barely burnt, but she was dead. Skull smashed in. She and that asshole had been screamin’ at each other earlier that night, but I’d ignored them. Like always. Gettin’ in the middle of it usually ended with me gettin’ a black eye. Or two. Better to just stay in my room. But seein’ her like that… It made me feel bad. Like I shoulda known. Shoulda done something.”

I want to wrap my arms around him and pull him against me. To take away his pain. All the shit I went through as a kid, but I never lost a parent. And he lost the only one he’d ever known. Even a shitty mom is still a mom when you’re young. I know something about that.

“You couldn’t have known, Axl. It wasn’t your fault. You were a kid, and she wasn’t. She made her choices.”

“Still felt like shit ‘bout it.”

He isn’t looking at me now, but I wish he would. I hate the way he puts so much pressure on himself.

I turn his face toward mine, then gently press my lips against his. “You need to forgive yourself. Think of all the people you’ve helped since this whole thing started. You aren’t like her. You’re better.”

He buries his face in my hair and inhales like he’s breathing me in. I hate thinking I have to leave him tomorrow. That I have to go back to that room of suffering when all I want to do is be in his arms, away from this hell we’re living in.

“Don’t wanna let you go,” he says, echoing my thoughts.

“We’ll be okay.” I do my best to sound reassuring and confident. In reality, though, my insides are like mush.

***

Dirty Blonde’s blue eyes slice through me when I step into the suite. She’s watching, just like she said she would. Her lips press together when I lift my head high. Her eyes move down, studying every move I make. No walk of shame for me today. I don’t even pretend. I
want
her to notice.

Hadley is already back from her night with Angus. Thankfully, she doesn’t look any more broken than she did yesterday. I guess Angus behaved himself. If I find out differently, I’ll slit his throat.

She and Megan are huddled together against the wall. Talking. Megan still looks fragile, though. There’s no way she’ll be able to handle this on her own. We can’t leave getting out of here up to her. It’s too important.

I catch Dirty Blonde’s eye and motion for her to follow me. Her lips press together, but she gets up. She heads toward me while I back into a corner, close to the door. There isn’t much privacy in here, so we’ll have to be careful.

Dirty Blonde stops in front of me and crosses her arms. Her face is hard. Like a pit bull’s. “You’re looking awfully happy for someone who just got raped.”

I flinch. She just shrugs. This chick is a bitch. Probably was before all this. But I need her. We may not be able to do this without her help.

When I step closer, I have to breathe out of my mouth. Being this close to her is like walking by a dumpster full of sweat and piss. Her breath stinks worse than the zombies on the Strip. No man would want her. Not when there are so many other options.

She may be a bitch, but she isn’t stupid.

My mouth is an inch from her ear. “My friends are getting me out of here, and I need your help.”

She drops her arms to her side and steps back. Her eyes are huge. “What?”

“You heard me. Now shut up and listen, we don’t have much time.” I tell her how Hadley and I got here. How I sent Jon to find my friends. How they are ready to break us out of here tonight. Her breathing picks up. Every time she exhales, my stomach twists. I try my best not to breathe in through my nose, but I’m talking as fast as I can and sometimes I don’t have a choice. I wish she didn’t stink, but I guess if she showered we’d be in trouble.

“So all you want me to do is get that messed-up girl out of here? If I do that, you’ll take me with you?”

When I nod, her eyes shimmer. Bitch or not, you can’t hate anyone trapped in this situation.

She wipes her nose with the back of her hand and looks around. Then back at me. “What about everyone else?”

My throat tightens, and I avoid looking at the other women. There are times when you just have to think about yourself. “We can’t. There are too many men. We’d never make it out alive.”

Her mouth tightens like she’s considering telling me to go to hell. Too late, though. I’m already here.

“Can you do it?” I ask when she doesn’t say anything.

She nods so hard her greasy hair falls in her face. She doesn’t make a move to push it out of her eyes.

I step closer even though I don’t want to. The smell is so strong it turns my stomach. “You have to do
whatever
it takes to get her out of this room by nine o’clock. Got it?”

Dirty Blonde’s eyes snap toward me. Her lip quivers. She wraps her arms around her chest so tight it looks like she’s trying to crush herself. “I will do anything.”

That’s what I need.

12
Axl

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE AIN’T AVAILABLE?” My hand throbs from clenchin’ it so tight. Maybe I should be wearin’ that damn brace. My hand ain’t gettin’ no better.

“Just what I said.” The bald dude shrugs. “The blonde already has a date tonight. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” He grins, and I wanna hit him. If I get a chance, I’m gonna slit this guy’s throat wide open. “You must’ve had a good time with her last night.”

Angus elbows me. “Don’t sweat it, little brother. I’ll let you have the Hollywood chick if you want.”

I cough, tryin’ to loosen my jaw. “I’ll wait.”

The bald dude nods and heads back to the front desk, but I can’t move. We just handed these bastards a bunch of guns for nothin’. Some asshole already has Vivian tonight, and I gotta find out who.

“Relax,” Angus mutters. He looks toward the asshole in the suit. “We’ll figure out where she is and get her.”

I inhale slowly. That’s right. I’ll just find out which one of these bastards has her. Then cut his balls off.

Jon motions for us to follow him. We head toward the bar, and when we’re a safe distance, he says, “What are we going to do now?”

“Stick to the plan,” Angus says. “You two meet the others at the back door and head on up to my room. Hollywood’ll be with me. Then we split up. Half go for your sister, half for Blondie.”

I wish he’d stop callin’ Vivian
Blondie
.

“How we gonna find out where she is?” I mutter. I ain’t really talkin’ to the others, though. Just thinkin’ out loud. We gotta figure out how to find her. And soon. I don’t wanna leave her alone with some animal for even a second.

Angus puckers his lips and scratches his head. His hair’s gettin’ longer. I ain’t seen him with anything but a buzz since we was kids.

“Maybe the big fella that brought them girls to our rooms would know. Seems like he’s in charge of movin’ ‘em back and forth.”

Sometimes I think Angus is a genius hidden in an asshole’s body.

I look at the clock. Almost six. They brought Vivian to me little after seven last night. Don’t give us much time. “Let’s go find him.”

We search all the normal places. Casino, bar, pool. They got a big-ass TV set up in a conference room, and they’re constantly showin’ movies. Porn mostly. But the big guy ain’t ‘round.

My insides are in pieces. “What now?” I run my hand through my hair and pace back and forth. “Shit!”

“Shut up,” Angus mutters.

I clench my fist and glare at my brother, but he ain’t lookin’ at me.

“Tom would know,” Jon says.

I’m back to wantin’ to beat the shit outta that guy. I tighten my fist, and the pain in my knuckles keeps me focused. If I don’t find Vivian, this asshole is dead. I don’t give a shit ‘bout his sister. “Who the hell is Tom?”

“The man in the suit. The one from the lobby.”

The bald dude. I nod and take off.

“What’re you doin’?” Angus grabs my arm and spins me ‘round. “I gotta get upstairs and you gotta meet the others at the back door!”

“Jon can do it,” I snap. “I’m goin’ for Vivian. I’ll meet you in your room.”

Angus swears, and his mouth scrunches up. He’d be a moron to try and talk me outta this right now. He don’t, though. He just nods and swears under his breath. “Watch yourself, little brother.”

Something in his eyes makes me stop. He looks like he’s afraid to let me outta his sight. I ain’t never seen him look that vulnerable. There’s a lot of weird shit goin’ on, that’s for sure.

I give him a quick nod, then head to the front of the hotel. That’s where the bald dude has been every time I’ve seen the bastard. Actin’ all important. He’ll be there. He’s gotta be.

Just like before, he’s standin’ at the desk, talkin’ to some other prick when I round the corner. Now all I gotta do is get him alone.

The bald bastard looks up when I walk over. Then elbows the other guy. “This is the one.”

I stop. They was talkin’ ‘bout me? My eyes snap to the other dude, but there’s nothin’ special ‘bout him. He’s average. Looks like somebody’s dad. He’s wearin’ a Steelers jersey and hat like he’s headed to a game. Not sure what they’d want with me.

“This is Dave,” Suit Man says. “He’s in charge of this whole thing.”

The boss.

I clench my jaw, and the pain that shoots through my hand helps me think straight. So this is the guy I’m gonna kill. Not now, though. This ain’t the time. I gotta keep my cool or Vivian’s in serious trouble.

“Name’s Axl,” I say, shakin’ his hand.

“Hear you brought in some big things. We need more guys like you and your brother around.”

“Just wanna pull my weight. The payment ain’t bad, neither.” My jaw is stiff. Makes it hard to talk. “That blonde was something else. I was hopin’ to get another go at her.”

Suit man laughs and elbows Dave. “Told you. That girl is popular enough to get even Hector out on the Strip.”

“Hector?” The name don’t ring a bell.

“Yeah. He probably brought the blonde to your room last night. He’s one of the big guys. Looks like he should be in the WWF. This was his night off.”

The big guy. I clench my hand even tighter. That’s why we couldn’t find the bastard.

Dave slaps me on the shoulder, and it takes everything in me not to punch him in the face.