Hers to Love

by Talia Ellison

  “They won’t have time,” Marco said. “We’re coming from all directions, and they’ll want to check out what’s going on first. Even if they notify someone, the house is very close to the border with the Viteris’ territory, so I’m sure we’ll be there before they can initiate any security protocols. And if they do, we should still be able to get Aaron and Tony.”

  “I just hope they don’t kill them when they see their plan failed.” Michael was chewing on his lower lip; it was something I rarely saw him do. My hands were strangely cold while my face was burning with warmth. I had two guns tucked in my holsters, and I held the third in my hand, cradling it as if it was the only thing reminding me that I was still me.

  “If they want to survive our attack and negotiate a truce, they’ll need to keep them alive,” Marco said. “We only need to prevent them from moving them somewhere else because then we won’t be able to find them again. This is a one-shot thing only.”

  Cars beeped in the distance as we zoomed through the streets, and I wondered if people were wondering what the hell was going on. It would be so nice to be oblivious to the whole crime world for a change.

  “We’re getting closer. Be ready.” Michael pulled out his phone to check something. We’d formed multiple teams so we could approach the Paytons’ house from all directions and make it harder for them to spot and attack us. Our team was a little behind because my father didn’t want me to be on the first line.

  Other teams were supposed to take care of the Paytons’ guards around the house, and we were supposed to arrive just in time to get inside and go straight for the dungeons. My only hope was that we wouldn’t be too late, and that my brother and Aaron were still alive, because if they weren’t... I didn’t know what I would do. My chest constricted a little, and my hand closed even harder around the butt of my gun.

  The SUV was slowing down, and I took a deep breath. Shots were ringing out everywhere, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear police sirens. Someone must have reported weird things were going on, but we didn’t have time to worry about the cops. They wouldn’t dare get in our way anyway. They’d just wait nearby and make sure our conflict didn’t spread to innocent citizens.

  “Go!” someone yelled, and the door opened. Marco jumped out, and I went after him, ducking my head. We were right in front of the main entrance to a huge house. Bodies lay all over the ground, and I stepped over them, keeping my head low. We had to get inside as soon as possible. Marco stopped behind one of the pillars, then dashed for the door, waving at me to follow.

  He fired at whoever got in his way. And as I entered the foyer, I crouched behind a statue and a small fountain that was in the middle. Instead of water, red liquid was spraying around. An armed guard with a golden symbol on his jacket came rushing downstairs, his gun raised, but I lifted mine and shot him before he could spot me. He tumbled down the stairs. Michael and the rest of the guards had gotten inside too, and were shooting at our enemy.

  I glanced right and left, trying to remember the blueprint Dylan had showed us when we were getting ready. He’d somehow found the house this place had been modeled after, and there was also some info our spies had collected over the years. The door to the stairs that led to the dungeon had to be just down the hallway.

  Looking up and making sure no one was around to shoot at me, I raced across the room. Marco and Michael hit an attacker before he could aim at me. When I was in the hallway, shots and my heartbeat resounded in my ears, and I rushed toward the only door I could see, praying I was in the right hallway.

  I tried the knob, but the door was locked. Cursing under my breath, I checked for a keypad or anything that could open it, but I didn’t see anything. Taking a few steps back, I fired at the knob, then rushed and kicked at it. The door flew open, and I grabbed another gun. Two guards raised their guns toward me from the bottom of the stairs, and I pressed myself against the wall, a bullet lightly grazing my leg.

  Ignoring the sting of pain, I pushed myself off the wall and fired at the guards. One crumpled to the ground, and the other disappeared around the corner. My two guns ready, I slowly made my way down. The guard shot at me, only his hand showing, but he missed. I fired back until he retreated.

  As I flattened myself against the wall and threw away the gun that was empty, I knew that if I showed my face around the corner, the guard would shoot me. A shadow appeared at the top of the stairs, making me look up. It was Marco. He came running and slowed down when he saw me. I placed my finger over my lips and pointed at the wall, then raised a finger to indicate I’d seen one guard.

  Marco reached into the pocket on his leg and pulled out a small grenade. I moved upstairs a little as he prepared to toss the grenade around the corner. The explosion rocked the floor and caused my ears to buzz. When the smoke cleared, Marco peered around the corner and waved at me, indicating it was safe to come. The guard was lying on the floor, and Marco shot him in the head, probably to make sure he wasn’t pretending.

  There were four closed red doors in this small hallway. I rushed to the first one and Marco went to the second. The door was locked, and I realized it required a key card. I holstered my gun, running over to the body of the guard. After I patted his pockets and snatched a rectangular piece of plastic that luckily hadn’t been damaged, I raced back with it.

  “You go inside. I’ll keep watch,” Marco said, and I nodded, swiping the card through the slot until the light at the door turned green. The door slid open and I burst inside. My brother was lying on the filthy ground, and my heart skipped a beat.

  “Tony!” I crouched next to him, rolling him over. His hand was wrapped in a bloody piece of dirty fabric. His face was ghostly pale, his skin hot to the touch. His chapped lips parted slightly, and I lifted him into my arms. “Oh, my God. Tony! Brother! Please open your eyes.”

  He cracked his eyes open as much as the swelling allowed it. He was badly bruised and his nose was probably broken. We had to get him to a doctor as soon as possible. His wounds must have gotten infected.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re safe,” I said softly, caressing his matted hair as I inspected him for more wounds.

  “Please.... let... me... die...” he rasped.

  “No, Tony, hey. Stay with me. No one’s going to hurt you.” A movement behind my back caught my attention, and I turned around, going for my gun. Michael appeared at the door, his face ashen.

  “Oh, God!” he said.

  “We need to get him to a doctor! Now!” I wanted to get to my feet, but Tony gripped my hand.

  “Octavi... Don’t... leave... me...”

  Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes, but I forced them back. “Shh. It’s going to be okay. Michael’s here.”

  “Take care of him. I need to find Aaron,” I said to Michael, who immediately went over to Tony. Marco was waiting for me outside, his brow creased with worry. I got the key card and swiped it through the next slot, but when the door opened, the cell I entered was empty. I swallowed hard, my heart hammering in my chest. Where was he? Damn it.

  When the next door opened, the first thing I saw was blood all over the floor, and a shudder ran through my body.

  “Aaron...” I said, but the cell was empty. Shit. My hand was shaking as I brought the keycard to the last door. No, he had to be here. They couldn’t have killed him or taken him somewhere...

  More people had arrived down here, and Michael was carrying Tony upstairs with the help of two men. Marco’s eyes were swirling with worry, and his body was perfectly still as he waited for me to open the door. When it finally did... My stomach dropped. Empty.

  “He’s not here,” I said, looking at Marco with wide eyes. “But where..? What if he...?”

  Marco didn’t say a word, just stared inside the cell as if he could somehow manifest Aaron there. I didn’t know for how long we’d been standing there unable to move, but then I spun around and rushed upstairs. He had to be somewhere... He had to be...

  “Octavia!” J
ason’s voice reached me as I dashed into the foyer, unsure where to go next. “Over here!” He waved from one of the open doors and I raced toward him. When I reached him, he moved out of the way and I burst into a small room.

  My father was leaning over a stretcher that two guards were holding up, and I couldn’t see who was in it. As I inched closer, hoping one of my brothers hadn’t been hurt, I nearly burst into tears.

  “She’s here. Don’t worry,” my father said, his hand resting on Aaron’s bruised cheek. I must have made a sound because Aaron’s blue eyes lifted to mine.

  “Octavia!” he said, and I grabbed his hand as my father stepped away. Leaning forward, I bent my head and planted the softest of kisses on Aaron’s lips.

  “You’re okay,” I said, unable to hold back tears. My eyes flitted up and down his body. His shirt and pants were torn and bloody in places, his jaw bruised, but there didn’t seem to be any serious injuries. I breathed out a sigh of relief, squeezing his fingers.

  “Take him with Tony. His wounds need to be checked too,” my father said, and I noticed a blood smear on his jacket.

  “Dad?” I said.

  “It’s fine. Just a scratch. See?” He lifted his shirt a bit, revealing a wound that was still bleeding a little.

  “You should get checked too,” I said.

  He nodded. “You should return home and...”

  “No. I’m not leaving Aaron or Tony.”

  “Fine.” My father watched me for a moment, and I thought he’d seen something on my face that had made him realize he wouldn’t be able to dissuade me. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll be safer on our own territory.”

  “What about the Ferlantes and Paytons? Are they dead?” I asked.

  “Some yes, but some have escaped. Dylan and the others are going after them, so they won’t go far.” My father’s face darkened.

  “Good,” I said. If those who’d hurt my brother and Aaron were still alive, we’d hunt them down.

  Chapter 18

  “You don’t have to do that,” Aaron said after I finished arranging the pillows so he could be more comfortable. My father’s doctor friend had checked on Tony and everyone who needed medical attention, and we’d decided to bring Aaron and Tony home since this was the only place where we knew we’d all be protected, and my dad had convinced the doctor to bring everything he needed here with him.

  “But I want to. I’m not leaving your side ever again,” I said.

  Aaron was mostly fine, but Tony had an infection, so the doctor had to take special care of him. He’d said my brother would be okay if his condition didn’t unexpectedly worsen, and I hoped he was right.

  I took a seat on the bed and grabbed a bowl of soup from the nightstand. Picking up the spoon, I dipped it into the soup and brought it to Aaron’s mouth. Amusement glinted in his warm blue eyes. There were still bruises and cuts on his face, his hair was tousled, and he was so damn gorgeous that I wanted to squeeze him to me like a teddy bear and never let him go.

  “Open your mouth,” I said, and he obeyed.

  He grinned at me after he swallowed. “I can pick up a spoon just fine.”

  “Your ribs are bruised. I’m sure lifting your arm would hurt.” I lifted the spoon again, and as his lips closed around it, he gave me a look through his thick eyelashes.

  “I can handle it.”

  “Well, if you didn’t refuse the painkillers the nice doctor wanted to give you...”

  “I don’t want painkillers. I’m fine.” He caught my wrist and got me to lower the spoon into the bowl. “Put that back. I’m not hungry.”

  “But you haven’t eaten much since we...” I protested, but he gave me a long look, so I sighed, returning the plate to the nightstand.

  “Come here:” He patted the bed next to him, shifting slightly so there would be more space for me. I climbed onto the bed and settled on the pillows next to him, turning my head so I could look into his eyes.

  “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it,” I said, “but what happened to you? Who dared to hurt you? I know Oswald handed you over to someone and...”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, averting his gaze, but I pushed myself up and gently gripped his chin until his eyes were on mine again.

  “Yes, it does.”

  “Why? You want to make sure everyone who touched me is dead?” His lips tilted up, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  I let out a groan, settling back against the pillows. “Um, damn straight I do.”

  “I heard what happened with Oswald.”

  I pressed my lips together, staring at the ceiling.

  “Octavia...” He shifted until he was on his side, his body tensing a little, then glided his finger down my cheek. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I said, not willing to think about what I’d done to Oswald. “I don’t want to lose you ever again.” I met his eyes. “I love you, Aaron. I’d burn the world down to get to you. You know that, right?”

  He nodded. “I’d do the same for you, because I love you too, and I can’t imagine my life without you. When they tortured me, all I could think about was you. You’re the only reason I kept fighting them and wouldn’t let them break me.”

  I lifted myself up and leaned in, brushing my lips against his, then gave him a slow, exploring kiss.

  “What did they want from you?” I asked as I curled as close as possible to him, being careful not to come too much in contact with his ribs.

  “They wanted me to give up everything. I thought they would kill me and just go to Sebastian next, but they waited. I don’t know why.” His smile faded and was replaced by a frown. “I guess they needed more time to figure out how to get to Sebastian. He’s new in town and can be quite elusive. I guess they wanted to make sure he didn’t have any connections or run away before they could get to him. As long as a Viteri was alive somewhere, they’d have a problem.”

  “Was there a woman with you?” I asked, and Aaron flinched, the color draining from his face.

  “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “How do you know about that?”

  “Did she tell you who she is?” I waited for a few moments. Yvette had been there with him. She’d escaped, along with a few other Ferlantes. Our people were looking everywhere for them, though, and I was sure we’d find them eventually. The only thing that mattered was that Aaron and Tony were with us again, safe and sound.

  “They told me... They told me she was my mother, which is ridiculous, right?” A nervous laugh escaped him. “Why did they think I’d believe that? She was there to torture me, just like the others. It was all just mind games to get me to break.”

  “There’s something you need to know.” I hesitated for a moment, because if Aaron found out now that he’d been so close to his mother who he’d never met before and that she’d hurt him or let others hurt him, I didn’t know how he’d take it. But he still had the right to know the truth.

  “Octavia?” Aaron’s voice roused me from my thoughts. “What is it?”

  “There are actually two things you need to know.” There hadn’t been time to explain to him that Sebastian was now officially the head of the Viteri family, and Sebastian had assured me he would speak to Aaron once Aaron was better and ready to talk to him. “That woman... Her name’s Yvette Hulsey.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s what they called her, but how do you know about that? Did you catch her? Is she here?”

  “No, she escaped, but... she really is your mother.” I bit on my bottom lip as I watched a wave of emotions exchanged in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, his brow wrinkling, then licked his lips.

  “Are you sure?” His eyes searched mine as if he wanted me to tell him it had all been some kind of a misunderstanding. “She was saying incoherent things about my father, but I just... She actually hits harder than my father.” He brought his fingers to his bruised cheek, and I grimaced.

  “Yeah. She’s mentally ill and off her meds. The Ferlantes
tricked her or something... Anyway, I think you should hear this from your aunt. She’s here, and she helped us fight the Ferlantes.”

  “My aunt?” Aaron’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, you said Hulsey? The Hulsey?”

  I nodded.

  “Lora?”

  “Yep.”

  He blinked, rubbing his brow. “And she didn’t tell me any of that when we came looking for help? She almost shot us.”

  “Your mother made a deal with your father. It prevented the Hulseys from ever telling you the truth and your mother from contacting you.”

  Aaron’s body stiffened, and I placed my hand on his chest, tracing my fingers up and down to try to get him to relax. “My father was telling the truth,” he said. “She made a deal with him. I was just a business transaction to her.” His voice was barely audible. “She didn’t want me.”

  “No, Aaron. It’s not like that.” I gently cupped his chin. “Your father threatened your life and hers if she didn’t agree. He wanted you for himself.”

  Aaron swallowed hard. “You said she escaped?”

  “Yeah, with the Ferlantes’ leaders Ruben and Cary, but we’ll find her.”

  He covered his eyes with his hand, letting out a loud sigh. “I still can’t believe that’s the truth. The things she...”

  “I think you should talk to Lora about her. I’m sure she can tell you more.” My fingers intertwined with his. “There’s one more thing. It’s about Sebastian.”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s the new leader of the Viteris.”

  “What?”

  “There was no other way. We needed to find out where you and my brother were, and the only way to do that was to catch the Ferlantes’ spy who’d been working for your father all those years. The only way to draw him out was to convince Sebastian to convene a meeting to announce he was taking over, so I told Sebastian the truth about the will, and then he was able to lead your family’s men against the Ferlantes and help us. We couldn’t have done it if we didn’t all join together.”