Chasing the storm

Chapter 11: Into the Storm

(Rowan's POV –)

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I should've known it wouldn't be that easy.

Supplies, in and out. That was the plan.

But nothing ever goes as planned.

The wind had picked up fast, the sky turning an ugly shade of gray, thick clouds swirling like they were ready to crack open.

The roads were worse than before—flooded in some spots, broken apart in others. I stuck to the alleys, moving fast.

A few empty stores. A couple of overturned cars. Not much left to take.

Then I heard it.

Not the wind.

Not the rain.

Footsteps.

I turned, muscles tensing.

And then?

A shadow moved between two abandoned cars.

Someone was here.

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Sienna's POV –

"Where the hell is he?"

I was pacing. Again.

Oliver, Ava, and Caleb were sitting near the back of the gas station, but they weren't relaxed. No one was.

Rowan should've been back by now.

I checked the clock. Two hours.

Too long.

Caleb exhaled sharply. "Look, he's an idiot, but he's also stubborn. He'll be fine."

"Yeah?" I shot back. "Then where is he?"

No answer.

The wind howled outside, rattling the windows.

Ava pulled her knees to her chest. "The storm's getting worse."

I knew what that meant.

If Rowan was caught out there? He wasn't making it back.

I grabbed my jacket.

Caleb's head snapped up. "No."

"Try and stop me."

He stood, blocking the door. "Sienna, listen to me. If you go out there, you won't find him. You'll just get yourself killed."

"I'm not just going to sit here!"

"You have to."

I clenched my jaw, glaring at him. "Move, Caleb."

He didn't.

Oliver stood too, voice calmer. "Sienna, I get it. But the storm is brutal. You won't even make it down the road."

I didn't care.

I didn't care that they were right.

All I cared about was that Rowan wasn't here.

And that scared me more than anything.

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Rowan's POV –

It wasn't just one person.

It was three.

And they weren't friendly.

"You lost, buddy?" one of them sneered, stepping closer.

He was tall, wiry, but his grip on the metal pipe in his hands was solid.

The other two flanked him—one with a switchblade, the other cracking his knuckles.

I didn't have a weapon.

Didn't matter.

"Not lost," I muttered. "Just in a hurry."

Pipe Guy grinned. "See, that's a shame. Because we don't like strangers passing through without sharing."

"Sharing what?"

He tilted his head. "Supplies. Clothes. Maybe that jacket of yours."

Yeah. Not happening.

"Sorry," I said, voice dry. "Not in a giving mood."

Wrong answer.

They lunged.

I dodged the first swing, twisting to avoid the pipe as it whistled past my face.

But I wasn't fast enough for the second guy.

Pain exploded in my ribs as a fist slammed into my side, knocking the air out of me.

I staggered, but I didn't go down.

Another punch, this time to my jaw.

Stars burst in my vision, but I recovered fast, swinging back.

My fist connected.

One down.

Two more to go.

I didn't stop. Couldn't stop.

I fought like hell.

By the time I got away, I was bleeding.

Bruised.

Breathing hard.

But I was still standing.

And now?

I had to get back.

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Sienna's POV –

Ava gasped first.

Then Caleb swore.

I turned—heart in my throat—just as the door creaked open.

Rowan stumbled in.

Soaked.

Bruised.

Bleeding.

He barely got two steps in before his legs gave out.

"Rowan!" I ran to him, dropping beside him before he hit the ground.

Up close, it was worse.

Blood dripped from his temple, a cut ran across his cheek, and his knuckles were raw.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded, hands shaking as I touched his face.

He tried to smirk. "You should see the other guys."

I wanted to hit him.

Instead, I grabbed his arm, looping it over my shoulder.

"Help me get him to the back," I snapped at Caleb.

He hesitated, then nodded, moving to Rowan's other side.

We dragged him to the old cot in the back, easing him down.

I was already reaching for the first aid kit.

He flinched when I pressed the gauze to his cut.

"Stay still," I ordered.

"Bossy," he muttered.

"Shut up."

For once, he listened.

The room was silent except for the wind outside and Rowan's ragged breathing.

I worked fast, cleaning the worst of the cuts, dabbing at his bruised knuckles.

Caleb hovered nearby, arms crossed.

"You shouldn't have gone alone," he muttered.

Rowan sighed. "Yeah. Figured that out the hard way."

I pressed harder than necessary against his wound.

He hissed. "Sadist."

"Next time," I said sharply, ignoring him, "just take one of us..and don't act tough."

He didn't answer.

His gaze was on me now.

Watching.

Something unreadable in his expression.

Something that made my stomach tighten.

I swallowed hard, focusing on his injuries.

I wouldn't let myself think about it.

Not now.

Not when he was hurt.

Not when I had almost lost him.

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