Ryder

prologue

Chaos. That might've been the only word that could describe the air around me when I told James, through the tiny device that could send signals perfectly fine even in the underground dungeon that I was in, to activate and fire the explosives.

The loud, shattering booms followed next, which sounded far away but I knew they'd be nearing us soon. I had minutes--seconds--before this whole place collapsed on me and everyone else who was stuck in here. Trapped, I reminded myself, on purpose.

Moving hurriedly past the darkened hallway and swearing under my breath, I wasn't much surprised when I found most of the cells empty. Iron bars encased them, yet all were empty. None of them held the only person I was here for in the first place--one of my men who'd been foolish enough to get captured, despite me telling him what he should not have done. And now precious seconds were ticking by fast and I couldn't fucking find him.

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath, eyes scanning the darkness that lay ahead that I knew held nothing. It might, I thought a little belatedly while wiping the trickling warm blood from my forehead, or it might not. I would've started retreating if I hadn't heard the sound.

A soft, pained whisper from somewhere behind me.

I stopped dead in my tracks but only for a moment, and then I picked up my pace once again and followed it. The voice led me to one of the darkest of cells, strong metal bars stopping me from going in. I could've sworn there wasn't anyone in there, but then something--someone--shifted and I saw her.

"Boss, we've checked the cells ahead. No one's in there." James came up behind me, tense and alert for any threat that showed up. "Did you find Lucius? I think we're in the wrong place."

We were in the wrong place and I heard him just fine, but I didn't reply, not soon enough. Not when my gaze was stuck on her--on the girl inside the cell right in front of me, hidden from sight within the stale darkness. I stepped towards the bars and felt around for the padlock or any kind of lock that must've held the bars shut. Surprisingly enough, the bars pulled open without any fight.

"Boss--"

"Fucking hell," I whispered under my breath and stepped inside the cell when I blinked and saw her--the girl--tied up with thick, heavy ropes. "There's someone in here." I threw the words over my shoulder.

James didn't follow me inside and I didn't much cared in that moment. Not when I kneeled down on the rough concrete and felt around for the ropes in the dark, jostling the mostly unconscious girl without meaning to, and swearing some more under my breath. I was confused and maybe just a little taken aback. Who was she?

She wasn't fully unconscious and I found it the hard way when she jerked upright all of a sudden, knocking her head just below my jaw in the process.

"Jesus." I hissed and my hand shot out to grab her by the arm. The battered sleeve of her sweater until I was holding her frail wrist. Don't hold too tight, I reminded myself even when I still spoke a little too harshly, "Can you hold still and let me undo your fucking ropes?"

She whimpered again, that soft pained sound leaving me restless more than I was a few seconds ago, and I loosened my grip a little more as I simultaneously looked around for the knots.

"There's...there's..." She groaned and her head rolled forward again, limp and onto my shoulder. "Ropes?"

"Yeah." I tried not to stare at her or think too much of the steady weight on my shoulder as I frowned and tossed the rope away before moving to her ankles. Looking over my shoulder, I yelled at James, "Go search around the cells again! There must be someone else in there. Get them out!"