Syn
Ihad lived in chaos with the Madfur pack, and some nights, I fell asleep to screams outside my room. It was crazy what you became accustomed to when your choices were crippled.
After everything I endured with my family, with my fated mate, I survived and got away from them. But was life in the compound just the proverbial jumping out of the pan and into the fire?
I’d seen too much death, and I didn’t want anything to do with it.
And what if I ended up the same way as Joe? I crossed the Alphas, and the next thing I knew, I was facing down the barrel of a gun.
A cry left my throat as I pictured the scenario.
My head hurt, going in a thousand directions.
I wiped the tears that refused to stay at bay, and I knew the answer. Stumbling out onto the balcony, I sucked in a shuddering breath. A terrifying, hazy sense of panic engulfed me. Along with that sensation of being trapped.
That, in turn, had my anxiety tightening around my throat, while I white-knuckled the railing.
I stared out into the night. Lights dotted the guard posts on the wall surrounding the property, and even down below, those tiki torches showed me where the guards stood from my balcony.
My gaze shot to the lawn where Joe had been shot. And suddenly, my skin felt as though it was stretched too tight over me.
I had to get out of here. That was the only solution.
A few dark shapes bopped on the calm sea--boats and yachts along with a boathouse I spotted yesterday. And it would make the perfect getaway.
Feeling completely out of my element, I wouldn’t let that stop me.
Wiping more tears from my cheeks, I made the decision that if I wanted to survive, then only I could make that happen.
I shut off the lights in my room and stepped back on the balcony to not draw attention to myself. And I stood there, watching the movements of the guards, along with the entrance into the compound. That was going to be the hard part… getting past the gate.
The longer I watched, the more I was convinced getting out through that entrance would be impossible. Guards never moved from the top of the wall, or down on the grounds. They would spot me in seconds, and then what? And what if I did make it to the gate? How would I open it if I didn’t have a key?
I gnawed on my cheek, rubbing the goosebumps out of my arms and wracking my brain. It didn’t help that all I could picture was the gardener being shot. All that blood, and the finality in how quickly he went down.
I needed to get out of here...
That was when I recalled that at Howler Bar, the supplies were always brought in from the rear entrance to the building. So, there had to be something similar here. Hendrix had told me they sent and received supplies to and from the island. And it didn’t look like the main gates down below were large enough to take in anything bigger than two people walking side by side, so there had to be another entryway.
Determination zapped through me, both terrifying and exciting that I was going to do this.
So, for the next two hours, I waited and watched carefully as fewer guards remained to patrol the wall. When the tiki lights were finally snuffed out, throwing shadows over the compound, I knew that was my opportunity.
I immediately moved to the edge of the balcony where the stone walls were covered in wooden lattices and secured to the mansion. White flowers peppered the vine that snaked through them.
I combed my hair off my face and into a ponytail, tucking it under the collar of my shirt. I didn’t need the wind blowing it and drawing attention.
Glancing down over the balcony, there were thick shrubs that I hoped would catch my fall if I slipped. No one was guarding this area, so there was no time like the present to get a move on.
Shadows covered most of the mansion, so if I was quiet, I wouldn’t be spotted. I climbed up and over the balcony railing and nervously reached out to the lattice. My fingers gripped the wooden frame, and I perched the tip of my shoe on it until it felt secure. Moving my other hand onto the structure, I then secured a second foot.
I hung there, my heart beating furiously, as I whispered, “Whatever you do, don’t look down, don’t look down.”
I’d become resigned to the obvious reality that if the gardener was so easily disposed of, there wasn’t a future for me with these monsters.
I didn’t want to die.
Releasing a long exhale, I lowered one foot, finding purchase, then shifted my hands down as well, and then the other foot followed suit. My fingers were white with how hard I gripped. But I kept on going, taking my time and not rushing.
When the sound of voices came from farther up the path, I froze.
Over my shoulder, I spied two guards talking low to each other, marching past the shrubs. Guns hung off their belts, and I knew they'd shoot and ask questions later.
Seconds felt like hours by the time they finally passed. My muscles screamed with pain, and my fingers were hurting terribly.
As soon as I no longer heard their voices, I hurried down… well, as fast as I could.
When a howl rang in the distance, I flinched and missed a step. Before I knew it, I was falling backward, and I yelped.
I hit the brushes a heartbeat later, the branches snapping loud in my ears as I crashed to the ground. I whimpered, lying there for a few seconds as everything ached. To make things worse, these dumb shrubs had spiny branches that poked me everywhere. I struggled to get up to my feet, moaning as my back started to hurt while I ripped off the broken branches from my hair and clothes.
But I’d made it down and survived. Yippee for me.
Quickly glancing around, the scene was clear, so I jolted to my right… in the opposite direction those guards traveled. I remained close to the shadows near the wall.
The minute I turned the corner of the building, I froze and snapped back around. A couple was beneath a lofty palm tree, kissing. He had her pinned, and she curled her leg around his hip. He grabbed her other leg, wrapping it around him completely. Then her moans sounded, and he was thrusting into her. Okay, I doubt they’d be spotting me anytime soon.
Head low, I bent forward and raced ahead. The most gorgeous smells of baking bread wafted out from a door I passed. It had to be the kitchen. As hungry as the aroma made me, I kept on going. The length of the mansion seemed to go on forever when a stream of voices came from up ahead.
Glued to the corner, I peered around to where a bulging man with no hair and wearing a black apron was dumping wooden boxes on a pallet sitting on the front of a forklift machine. Whatever was in them, they must be heavy. I’d never seen anyone groan and curse so much when working. His white tee was stained with sweat, and his bald head glistened with perspiration.
Across the yard, the gate sat open, but there were two men with rifles standing guard.
So much for that. But I kept watching the bald man. Once he’d loaded the pallet, he threw a huge, grey tarp over the boxes, covering them loosely.
And instantly, I had my escape. Considering he'd been loading the boxes, meant they were being taken out of the compound. I was positive about it.
There was no one else around, and I had to make a move. The man began shouting at someone through the open shutter doors I could only assume led into the back of the kitchens or the storage. I couldn’t see clearly from my angle.
When the man finally dusted his hands over his apron and made his way to the driver’s side of the forklift, he paused.