The Cage (Book 2) ✔️

The Weight of Weakness

The next part is already up on Ritoria if you'd like to read ahead! OR you can join my Patreon where you'll find The Cage already completed! ;) You can also get a first look at Book 3 of the Prison Series -The Cell- on my Patreon. Check my profile bio for the Patreon link. 

The Weight of Weakness

Schneider's P.O.V.

The SUV raced down the desolate backroads, the engine's hum filling the suffocating silence. Julian lay frighteningly still and cold in my arms, his breaths shallow and labored. His blood-soaked shirt lay discarded at my feet, a grim and unrelenting reminder of how serious his injury was. I'd stripped it away to wrap his chest in makeshift bandages from the first-aid kit Kasian had tossed back. The bullet wound sat dangerously close to his heart, far closer than I could bear to think about.

Colder and colder he grew, and I cradled him to me, willing my own body heat to warm him.

Every jolt and bump in the road felt like a fresh attack, sending sharp jolts of terror coursing through me. I pressed my palm harder against his wound, willing the blood to stop, willing him to stay. His head rested against my chest, his skin pale, his lips slightly parted but no words escaping.

Kasian sat in the front seat, his rifle balanced across his lap. His eyes never left the road, his expression carved from stone. He finally pulled out his satellite phone, punching in numbers with mechanical precision.

"Prep the farmhouse near Ash Creek," he barked, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "I need a surgeon there within the hour. You know the one."

He paused, listening to the muffled reply, and nodded once, his jaw tightening. "Good. Make sure it's clean. We won't stay long."

The phone disappeared back into his pocket, and without another word, Kasian gestured for Aiden to take the next left.

Minutes later, the SUV slowed as we pulled into an abandoned gas station, its shattered windows and broken pumps barely visible in the dim light of the moon. The tires crunched over the gravel as Aiden eased the vehicle to a stop.

Kasian opened the door and stepped out, the wind catching the edge of his coat. He slung his gear over his shoulder and turned back to face us.

"This is where we split," he said, his voice cold and final.

We all stared at him. In a tone full of disbelief, I questioned, "You're leaving?"

"I'm leading them away," he replied, his tone maddeningly calm. "You'll get to the farmhouse faster without me. If I stay, we risk drawing more heat."

"You've got to be kidding me," Schneizel muttered from the backseat, leaning against the window with a scowl.

So much for a happy family reunion.

Kasian's gaze flicked to him before returning to me. "I don't have time to argue. If you want him to survive, you need to keep moving. The doctor will be waiting. I'll make sure of it."

His words were sharp, calculated, and painfully pragmatic. Of course, they were. This was Kasian. He didn't care about Julian or the hell it was putting me through. All he saw was a problem to solve.

Kasian shifted, his eyes scanning each of us in turn. Something flickered in his expression, a brief, almost imperceptible shadow of emotion, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"You know," he said, his voice quieter but no less cutting, "this is exactly why I've told you not to have weaknesses. These men you love, the people you cling to—they'll be your downfall."

The words hit harder than I cared to admit, but not because I believed his foolish claim.

Schneizel snorted from the other side of the car. His smirk was sharp enough to draw blood, though his tone dripped venom. "Fuck you."

Kasian didn't react. He simply turned on his heel and walked into the darkness, his silhouette swallowed by the night.

The SUV surged forward again, Aiden pushing the accelerator as soon as the door slammed shut. Gravel spit out from under the tires, and the gas station disappeared behind us. Schneizel leaned back against his seat, his expression dark and unreadable, while Cade focused on reloading his weapon.

Julian stirred faintly in my arms, his breath hitching. My hand pressed harder against his chest, though I knew it wouldn't do much good. "You'll be okay." It was a lie, because I didn't know that for sure, and that terrified me more than anything.

An hour of reckless driving later, the farmhouse came into view in the distance, a small, isolated structure bathed in shadows.

Kasian's words rang in my ears, an unwanted echo I couldn't shake.

Weakness.

I glanced down at Julian for the hundredth time, his face pale and his body frighteningly still. My jaw clenched, and I leaned down, pressing my forehead to his.

"You're not my weakness," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You were my reason to fight all this time."

Kasian would one day understand just how sorely mistaken he was.

The SUV rattled over the uneven road, and as we pulled closer to the farmhouse, the knot in my stomach tightened. We weren't out of the woods yet—not even close. But I'd drag him through fire and ash if I had to. Whatever it took, I'd keep him alive.

The farmhouse emerged from the shadows just as Julian's breathing became dangerously faint. The solitary porch light flickered against the darkness, a fragile promise of salvation. Aiden brought the SUV to a sharp halt, tires kicking up a cloud of dust that swirled in the dim glow.

An older woman stepped onto the porch, her sharp eyes cutting through the gloom to assess us. Her gray-streaked hair was pulled into a loose bun, and her hands were steady, even as her voice carried an air of impatience. The hint of a dark tattoo peaked from underneath her collar.

"Dr. Marek?" Schneizel called, already stepping out, his weapon drawn and at the ready.

"That's me," she replied curtly, her gaze flicking briefly to the gun before settling on me and Julian. "Get him inside before he bleeds out on my porch."

Ignoring the fiery protest of my muscles, I gathered Julian into my arms once more.

Behind us, Schneizel and Cade moved with precision, their weapons raised, scanning the shadows for any sign of pursuit. The silence outside was deceptive, heavy with the possibility of violence lurking just beyond the dim halo of the porch light.

As I stepped onto the wooden steps, they creaked under my weight, but I pushed through the door without hesitation. The air inside was cooler, filled with the sterile tang of antiseptic—a stark contrast to the warm, iron-rich scent of Julian's blood still clinging to me.

"You will save him," I said to the doctor's back, my tone leaving no room for argument. It was not a plea- it was a command laced with an unspoken threat.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Something tells me that doctor is now very motivated to save our baby Julian.

The Cage (Book 2 in the Cross Brothers Series) has ended on my Patreon, and soon, I'll be launching Book 3! If you would like to catch up with the story, consider joining my Patreon for early access, exclusive NSFW content and much more! https://www.patreon.com/c/feastofnoise

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