Free Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2) by Keri Lake Page B

survivalist.
    He rounded the back of the building and stood with his legs spread apart. Pissing. His head tipped back until, at last, he finished and tugged up his leathers.
    Draven sprung from his hiding spot and skulked toward the kid like a shadow, sneaking up from behind. He wrapped an arm around Deuce’s neck and covered his mouth, taking him down to the ground. Fighter or not, Deuce was no match for Draven’s agility and strength.
    As Deuce wriggled and kicked, struggling with his arms pinned behind his back, Draven leaned into his ear. “Relax, man, it’s Draven.” He removed his hand from Deuce’s mouth.
    Deuce froze and craned his head to the side. “Draven? What the fuck, man? Where you been?”
    Draven let go of Deuce’s arms, allowing him to totter onto his back. “Hiding out. We need to form a group. There’s some nasty shit going down on these streets.”
    “Yeah, no shit.” Deuce sat up, pulling his knees in. “Had a freak-out moment with Zach earlier.”
    “What happened?”
    “Didn’t look right. Just seemed crazed, like he’d seen something real bad go down. Said something was after him. After all of us. Then he took off. There a new drug underground?”
    Draven shrugged. “Where’re the others?”
    “Scattered. All over the damn city. Zach said he’d come from the dock. We seen them head that way when we left the compound.” He tipped his head. “What happened to your crew?”
    Draven had rounded up a decent-sized group of Alexi willing to flee the compound with him—all of whom perished when the wolves attacked.
    The same slaughter that’d taken Jacob.
    “Killed,” he said. “All of them … just gone. Demon bastards ambushed us.”
    “Demons?” Deuce’s eyes narrowed on him. “I heard it was ly—”
    “You heard wrong. Wade wanted you to believe they were lycans. He’s been using us to pit the wolves against each other. A goddamn war, and he threw us in the middle of it. All this time, we’ve been fighting the wrong enemy. The demons are our true threat.”
    Deuce sat quiet for a moment before shaking his head. “Just don’t make sense, man. Demons ain’t never been on our shit list.”
    “That’s cos Wade had us all brainwashed. How many came with you?” Draven rubbed his hands together.
    “Four others. Jenna, Tiff, and then Rowan and Paul.” Deuce brushed a hand over his short-cropped hair. “Fuck, man, everything burned. Ayden and those demons …”
    “You see? They’re out to destroy us.”
    He frowned. “But Ayden was the one who told us to leave the compound.”
    “They’re sport killers. Out here? We might as well stick a skewer up our assholes and throw ourselves on the flame. At least the compound offered some protection.”
    “Man, the shit they did to Wade and all those wolves … crazy.”
    “Do you have the antibody?”
    “Nah, Paulie said he heard someone took Wade’s journal, though.”
    Paul was smart. Too smart. Draven had never cared much for him. Ryke’s words echoed in his ear: Kill off the weak ones. And I want you to bring the strongest Alexi to me.
    “We’ll have to leave the weak ones behind. They’ll slow us down. Endanger us.” His eyes bored into Deuce’s. “Rowan and Tiffany can come with us. The other two are on their own.”
    Deuce shook his head. “I can’t … I promised I’d protect them. I was the one who formed the group when everyone scattered. Can’t just leave them behind. Paulie’s smart. And Jenna’s a decent fighter.”
    “Quit talking with your dick. I know damn well why you want to keep Jenna around, and it isn’t for her fighting skills.” Damn, Draven almost sounded like Wade.
    Deuce stood from the snow until he towered over Draven. “They come. Or I don’t come.”
    Deuce would prove to be a powerful force in taking down other Alexi soldiers and forcing them to come along. Even if Draven would have to brainwash him, somehow. Draven nodded. “We’ll be going after the other Alexi. You