Set Fire to The Rain -- Completed

Chapter 22

    “Liam?” Hope called out on the verge of tears.  Up till now she had kept quiet; stunned beyond belief at what Liam was doing.  When he went to the ground, Hope’s fear spiked.  “Liam!,” she screamed and made a move to get to him. 

    She felt a strong set of burly arms wrap around her midsection, restraining her.  “I don’t think so,” a deep voice crooned into her ear.  The sound sending cold chills racing up her spine.

    Hope stilled in the strangers arms.  Her eyes stayed on Liam who was now barely holding his head off the ground.  She warned the man behind her with an icy tone that would have frozen the demons in hell if they had heard it.  “Let….me….. go, or you‘re going to wish that you were never born,” she spat.

    The stranger laughed; pulling Hope even closer against his chest.  “Do your worst little lady.  With that collar around your neck, you're as worthless as your friend lying over there in the dirt.”

    Hope’s disgust was evident but her worry for Liam was stronger.  Drawing on her inner strength, she kicked up her heel and nailed the stranger in the one place that it counted the most. 

    The desired result was immediate.  He released her and fell to the ground. “Holy mother of God,” he muttered; cupping his balls and rolling over on his back.

    She didn’t waist anytime.  As soon as she realized that she was free she darted for Liam.  “Liam!” she called out again.

    “Run Hope,” he rasped; his breathing now labored.  “Please- just run,” he repeated.  She dropped down at his side just as his face fell to the ground and his eyes closed. 

    “No,” she cried, touching his cool cheek.  “Damn you Liam, no.  You have to wake up!”

    “So touching,” Joey spoke up, bringing her attention back to him.  She glanced up and if a glare could kill, Joey would have been murdered right where he stood.  He patted his hand over his chest.  “You make my heart bleed Hope.  Once upon a time, you would have said the same thing to me, right?”

   

     Hope bent over Liam and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  She held back the tears that were gathering in her eyes and focused her rage on the one guy that started the mess in the first place, Joey. 

    Slowly, she started to stand up.  “You,” she accused, pointing her finger at him.  “You are dead to me.”

    Joey shrugged his shoulders in that lax manner that he was known for.  “Believe what you want Hope but when I’m up in you, tearing that ass up; you’ll know good and well that I’m not dead to you.”

    She shrieked in outrage.  She couldn't believe the gall of him.  Her eyes were bright with fury and all that fury was centered on one person and one person only.  With a guttural cry she ran at him full force, her fists balled up and her only intent was causing major bodily harm.

    As soon as she reached him, she leapt.  Clawing at his face and everywhere else that she could get her hands on him.  Fists pounding, nails raking, she wanted blood and she didn’t care how she got it.  Animalistic sounds ripped from her chest as she did her worst.

    “You little bitch,” he bellowed.  “Someone get this thing off of me.”

    A different set of arms pulled Hope off of Joey.  She struggled with all her might to get back at him but the arms restraining her were like steel bands; not allowing her an inch of room to breathe.

    Joey narrowed his eyes on Hope.  With the back of his hand, he wiped at the blood spilling from his split lip.  “You’re going to pay for that,” he told her and without a second of hesitation he drew his hand back and brought it across her face; slapping the fire out of her.

    Hope’s head whipped to the side with the force of Joey’s hand as it came across her face.  She felt the sting of his fingerprints burning through every nerve cell on her face.  She lifted her head and stared back hard at Joey. 

     Breathing heavily, she lifted her lips into a taunting smile.  “That all you got pretty boy because a three year old hits harder than you.”

    Joey didn’t think; he only reacted.  He balled up his fist; reared back and let it go.  The effect was instaneous.  Her smile was gone and her eyes closed.  She drooped in the man’s arms that was holding her.

    Joey snorted and rubbed at his sore hand.  “What?” He said to an unconscious Hope, “You don’t have any more smart ass comments for me?”  He raised his brow at her when she didn't answer him. “I didn’t think so.”

    Stepping back he glanced over at Liam.  “Put a collar on him before he wakes up,” he ordered.  Glancing around at everyone else he gestured towards the van. “Load both of them up and let’s get the hell out of here.” 

    He watched for a few minutes as the soldiers loaded the two of them in the van and couldn’t help but to smile.  He was going to have fun tonight.  He was not only bringing in two more subjects for the Secret Service but he had a lead on the infamous amulet.  An amulet that the Service has been trying to find for years now. 

     And he would get that amulet, he vowed.  He had no doubts about that.  He would get it or Hope would pay for Liam's silence in the worst way possible.

    Oh yeah, he thought to himself wickedly, tonight was going to be a load of fun.