While reloading, Rorik asks, “Ever heard of the movie Nude Nuns with Big Guns?”
Rev snorts, popping out of the coat closet on my other side to shoot down two gunmen from the balconies. “You making shit up again?”
“Nah, it’s a real movie,” Rorik says.
“Focus,” I command, shoving another magazine of bullets into my rifle. This is why I leave victim extraction to Salem and her team. She doesn’t make light of the situation. These guys are all numb to death.
I press the comm piece in my ear. “Salem. Update.”
“We’re in the basement. Halfway through extraction.” She lets out a heavy breath. Salem was usually so put-together, so good at hiding everything but her warmth and kindness. “There are a lot of kids down here. So sorry, Cain. No eyes on Ezra.”
Beneath my growing storm of fury, a sense of failure burrows deep. My business exists to stop shit like this from happening, and yet it has been happening on such a large scale in my own city.
Of course, that sick fuck wouldn’t have kept Ezra with the others. Ezra is probably special to him. Just the thought has me coming unglued.
My eyes scan the balconies, homing in on hallways leading deeper into the church. Gritting my teeth, I push through the pain in my thigh and rush the interior staircases, blasting my way through nuns and criminals.
“Stitches!” I hear Rev shout at me.
Fuck that. I’m too enslaved by my rage to care.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EZRA
“Do you believe in God, Leo?” Mason asks, easing my head back with his hand tangled in my hair.
I should scream and spit and lash out at him, but I can’t seem to find the will to do anything except fall apart. Robbed of my sight by the blindfold, all of my muscles are tensed up in anticipation of what he’s going to do next.
“I… I don’t know,” I admit.
“An agnostic, then. That’s okay. I never shared religion with you. Your lack of faith is as much my fault as it is yours. I’ll do better with you this time.”
Mason slides his fingers down to my jaw. My throat bobs, every part of me chilled and itching like I’m covered in insects. Nerves fire messages of warning that make me squirm and whimper.
I can’t do this again. I don’t want to do this.
My brain tells me even if I get out of this situation, I may never get myself back to a good place. Why does he get to be in charge of plugging and unplugging pathways in my brain?
“Kill me. Please just kill me,” I plead, tears leaking from beneath the soaked blindfold.
Mason withdraws his hand.
“I’m offended, Leo. Were our times together so bad? You never opposed. You were so malleable, weren’t you?”
I can’t find any fire within me to counter that I was a fucking child. He was an adult. One who should have cared for me properly. I shouldn’t have had to tell him I didn’t want his touch. That my body didn’t belong to him.
Cold fingers drift down my arms, tracing over scars.
“No track marks. I suppose that’s a blessing. Though we’ll still need to cleanse you before I take you home. Who knows what you’ve picked up in our time apart.”
I let out a horrible sob, my mind giving into hopelessness as his hand brushes over my abs. It dips lower, a knuckle sneaking under the waistband of my pants.
“No one has touched you here, I pray,” Mason murmurs.
I shudder, bile rising in my throat. Even if I could manage a response, the glorious sound of gunfire pops off from somewhere in the church. Mason’s uttered curses are my salvation. My heart skips in my chest, and I push myself upright in the chair.
Cain’s here.
