Page 33 of Fallen Hero

In my stomach, a lethal cocktail of fury and hate bubbled.

The enormity was such that we were powerless to stop it. The best we could do was save a few . . . but there would always be more.

“Sweetness.” Mason’s gruff voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“What?” I snapped.

“Calli . . . honey, look at me.”

Calli?

I dragged my gaze away from the disturbingly normal movements of those around me and looked over at Mason.

“Everything’s going to be all right.”

“No, it won’t. It’ll never be all right. We’ll never be able to make it all right.”

He nodded. “You’re right. But tonight we’re going to make one young woman safe and return her to her family. Think about that instead of wanting to murder every person who walks by us.”

“How’d you know I was plotting murder?”

“You’re glaring at every person who passes us, and you’re holding my hand testing my bone density.”

I was holding his hand?

I flexed my fingers and, sure enough, I was.

When the heck did I grab his hand? I loosened my hold, but he held strong.

Neither of us spoke the final two blocks.

And when we passed the alley, I kept my eyes trained on the concrete in front of me, not trusting myself to look.

I didn’t want to save one girl tonight. I wanted to save them all.

There were sisters out there who were missing them. There were mothers and fathers and grandparents.

“The shops on the bottom floor are vacant,” Mason mumbled.

I glanced over, and there was nothing but trash in the vacant spaces.

“That’s helpful.”

“Yep.”

Mason guided me around the corner. Unlike Al Fahidi Street, 74th was desolate. There were parked cars, but the street was empty of people. I glanced across the street opposite the Atheryat building. There were businesses, but they were all closed.

I wasn’t ready for Mason’s sharp tug on my hand. I stumbled forward, and before I could right myself, he spun me around and shoved my back against the building.

“What—”

Mason leaned closer. “Shh.”

What the hell?

“Move, brother,” a man said from behind Mason.

Shit, now I knew why the businesses were closed. After dark, this was Sparkle’s block.