by Lora Ann
Her eyes flashed with the comprehension I knew who had harmed her, as well as who was responsible for her disappearance. Then I watched gut-wrenching fear overtake her as she collapsed against the wall. “You need to get away. Quickly, Lacey.”
I helped her stand upright as I acknowledged, “We’re all getting out of here.”
Aimee chimed in, “Right now.”
“We can’t leave without Ari,” she stated resolutely.
“Who the hell is Ari?” Aimee hissed.
Keeley looked her in the eyes. “One of his toys.”
“Oh my…” I gasped. “How many women does he have here?”
Keeley focused on me. “As far as I can tell, that’s all of us.”
“Show us where she is,” Aimee began to stride down the hall determinedly.
I instinctively wrapped my arm around my sister to help her walk. “What happened to you?”
She glanced up at me. “Surgery,” she answered.
My brow arched in question.
“I’ll explain everything later,” she assured.
I nodded my response, attempting to put together what she had just shared. How had she been in surgery? Unless… “He has a doctor here?” I queried in shock and disbelief.
Aimee acknowledged, “Viviane.”
Keeley left my grasp as she eased a door open. “Ari?” she called out.
A soft groan responded.
Dear Lord, what had he done to this one? I had my answer within a few short moments. Lying on the bed was a girl. Stunned, I squeaked out, “A child?”
Aimee’s reaction was more forceful. “Fucker. Has. To. Die.”
Seemed Nik had rubbed off on her. I swear I could actually hear his venomous rasp saying those exact words.
Keeley took control. “We don’t have time for this, ladies. Come over here and help me.”
She had her arms underneath Ari’s and was trying to pull her to a sitting position. Sweat ran down her forehead from the strain. Without any more thought or questions, I went to assist. We were on borrowed time, and I knew we had to get out of there before Caleb’s minions returned. Swiftly and gently, we helped Ari stand. She was burning up with fever, and I had to wonder just how long she could go on like that. Before I could gather any information, we heard a male voice boom, “AIMEE! Where the fuck are you?”
There was a collective, “Oh shit,” among us as Aimee peeked out the door.
She held her hand up for us to stay put. After a beat, she motioned us forward with one hand. With the other one, a finger was over her lips to remind us to stay silent. Stealthily, we wound down the corridor. The danger had just ramped up as the race to safety was on. We were all aware of what was on the line: Our lives. But it was a risk worth taking—because if we didn’t, we would surely die when Caleb returned. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Chapter Thirty-Four
E
“Where are you going,” Alex inquired, quietly shutting the bedroom door. Nik had finally fallen asleep with the help of a tremendous amount of alcohol, but that was beside the point. My brother was resting, which was all that mattered.
We had no further information to go on. Truth was, my skin was crawling with worry. For some odd reason, I had a sick feeling deep in my gut that Lacey was in serious danger. I had to go for a walk, or beat the shit out of someone. I felt walking was the best course of action. “Out,” I barked while closing the door behind me. I hadn’t given Alex a chance to respond. Though I should turn back and apologize, my brother was aware of how high my emotions were running. Didn’t make it right for me to take it out on him, but that was the way it always seemed to happen. I was more than grateful my brothers understood. Besides, they were known to dish it out every now and then. Just the way we rolled.
I had made my way out to the street and strode through town. Problem with that was, there were too many damn people milling about. Unable to take being around anyone at the moment, I made a split decision to hike. On my way into the woods, I sent a text to Alex.
Needed fresh air. Am hiking towards the mine. L8r.
His reply came through a minute or so afterwards.
Take your time.
I shoved my cell in the back pocket of my jeans and trekked my way along the trail. Since I wasn’t in any mood to be around tourists, I went on the back side of the mines. Many of these shafts were condemned for good reason. A decent earthquake and one would never be found again. An icy chill settled into my bones. What if Lacey were trapped? Could she have chosen not to leave town after all? Instead, going for a hike to clear her thoughts and ending up injured, or worse, in a closed mine shaft. Urgency filled me as I frantically searched all the areas I knew of. Thankful there hadn’t been any earthquakes since she had left me in the hotel. Still, I was anxious. Worried sick something wasn’t right.
For hours I searched and found no clues to verify my suspicions. The sun was going down and I knew this would be the last mine shaft I could investigate before heading back to the hotel. My phone vibrated as I approached the rusted gate.
Hey. U alright? Nik needs air. Where are u?
First off, I was shocked I had service out here. Second, I was clueless to my whereabouts. As I began to text Alex back, a shimmer caught my eye. I glanced down and saw a padlock broken on the ground. What the hell?
Not sure. Follow trail head to left of lodge and tourist office. Maybe three miles in. Searching condemned shafts.
I went over to the gate and saw that it was, in fact, open. At some point, someone had busted the lock and gone inside. I knew once I was in the shaft, my phone wouldn’t work. I looked at the screen and realized my battery had died. Fuck. I had forgotten to charge it. Unsure if Alex had received my last text, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that Lacey was close. As if I could feel her in my veins. Without further hesitation, I ripped off the bottom part of my t-shirt and tied it to the gate. At least that way if Alex and Nik were up here, they would hopefully notice the clue I was leaving. I couldn’t worry about that now as I entered the dank and dark mine shaft.
Since my battery was dead on my phone, I couldn’t use it for a flashlight. Dumb-ass move. I put my hand out against the rocks and instantly retracted on a hiss. My hand felt sticky and wet. Shit. I had cut myself on the sharp surface. I eased my way over to the other side and used the back of my hand to test the consistency. This side seemed smoother to the touch, so I began to walk cautiously. After an indeterminable amount of time, I thought I heard voices. Great. Now my mind was playing tricks on me. I acknowledged that I’d probably gone far enough and should turn back before it was too dark to find my way back to town. Problem with that, I was not one to pussy out. Instead of making the wise choice, I forged on. Again, I thought I heard voices. This time I didn’t write it off as in my head. I called out, “Hello. Is anyone there?”
There was a pregnant pause before I heard a deep, painful groan. Damn it. Someone was hurt. It sounded like a woman, but the way sound echoed in here that was too hard to confirm. I continued moving forward when I heard a whimper. Now, that was definitely a feminine sound. “I can’t do it,” a young girlish voice admitted.
Holy hell. There was a hurt child caught in here. “Stay put,” I instructed. “I’ll find you.”
“Who was that?” I heard a woman’s voice croak out. She sounded like her throat was raw.
“I don’t know,” a soft whisper replied, “But we have to hurry.”
“I won’t harm you,” I affirmed. “Can you follow my voice?”
“Yeah. Keep talking.”
I stopped and took in a sharp breath. Fuck a duck…that was Lacey! For a moment, my pulse beat so rapidly in my ears I couldn’t hear anything else. I concentrated on getting my heart rate to slow down so I could communicate with the women. Once I was able to hear clearly, I answered, “Anything in particular you want me to say?” I was attempting to sound flirtatious and friendly. But I wasn’t so sure that’d been a wise decision when I heard
a gasp.
“Even?”
Ah, Lacey had just identified me. Elation filled me as I hurried towards her voice. “Yes, sweetness.”
“E, is Nik with you?”
That was when I recognized Aimee. Holy shit. How the hell did Lacey find Aimee?
Another moan of pain ripped through the dense darkness, piercing and overwhelming. I rushed towards them faster than I should have. The point was driven home when I tripped and fell awkwardly on my arm. Stupid ass. That was a bonehead move. Yep, it was. Because when I rubbed my other hand over the spot that hurt like a bitch, I felt bone protruding through the skin. “Fucking A,” I roared.
“What’s wrong?” Lacey called out.
“Nothing,” I lied.
She busted my chops with, “I know you’re lying to me.”
Well, shit. Before I could respond, I heard another woman’s voice. “We’re almost there, Ari. You can do this.”
“E will help us,” Aimee added.
“I’m right here, ladies,” I reassured. “I’m not leaving here without you.”
“Good to know,” a male voice boomed.
All hell broke loose after that. There was screaming along with frantic footsteps. For fuck’s sake if anyone hurt them, I would kill him. With the need to protect surging through my blood, I ran towards the commotion. I rounded a corner and was blinded by a kerosene lamp. My good arm came up over my eyes. Suddenly, I had the two most important women in my life hugging me. Tears of joy and relief filled my eyes as I gazed into theirs. Our reunion was cut short by the sight behind them. One was wincing in extreme pain and the other could barely stand. She was way too pale and shaking horribly. I kissed Lacey, fast and hard, on the lips and then went to help the other two girls. I quickly realized one was a very tiny woman, and the other was in fact a teenage girl.
I bent to pick her up and then had to put her back down due to my broken arm. I was damn lucky I hadn’t dropped her. She was burning up with fever, and, to make matters worse, I could hear heavy footfalls. I looked at the other woman standing there. “Help me out. Put her on my back.”
She nodded and grimaced when she attempted to do as I had instructed. Lacey and Aimee came over to assist.
“No, Keeley. Stop,” Lacey commanded. “Aimee and I will do it.”
Oh shit. She’d found her sister, too. I was in love with fucking Wonder Woman. Seriously, I would’ve paid homage to my super hero if there had been time. Later, I promised myself.
Aimee ordered, “You go first with Ari. We’ll be right behind you.”
I called back, “Form a train, ladies. I want everyone to hold on to the person in front of you.”
Once they were all accounted for, I began the trek towards the exit. Again, we heard a man’s voice. “You won’t get out of here alive,” he threatened.
“Like hell we won’t,” I growled back, low and menacing.
Then I heard Aimee at the rear end of our conga line. “That’s the right hand man, if you catch my drift.”
“Loud and clear,” I apprised, as I acknowledged to myself just how dire this situation was. Caleb’s henchman was on our tails. If we couldn’t make it out of there safely, we weren’t going to make it. Period. Well, wasn’t this fun? Not! With the adrenaline dump pumping through my system, I began to haul ass.
Keeley was having trouble keeping the pace.
“You guys go ahead.” Lacey declared, “I’ll help her.”
The beast in me roared, “No. Put down the kid and help your woman.” While I completely saw his point of view, I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. Fuck ‘right,’ asshole. Where does your loyalty lie? Before I could fire back a retort, I heard the scream. Easing the feverish Ari off my back and propping her against the wall, I spun around to see who needed help. The sight before my eyes made every muscle in my body freeze. Lacey was fighting a mountainous man as he furiously held Aimee by the hair, pulling her further into the mine shaft. This guy made Nik look small, and that was saying something. As I began to stalk towards them, a gun came up over Aimee’s shoulder and was aimed directly at me.
“Stay the fuck back, asshole,” he growled.
My eyes widened not out of fear for myself, but at what Lacey did next. She eased into the giant’s personal space and bit down on his wrist, which was holding said gun. His fingers released the gun as she drew blood. My little pit bull wasn’t letting go. No, instead, she bit him even harder. I could see how tight her jaw was locked down. Aimee took the opportunity to lunge forward as his grip left her hair and went for Lacey. At that moment, everything went into slow motion. He began to shake Lacey viciously; all the while Aimee had the gun in hand and turned to fire. Bang! I howled as I saw the trajectory was off. Sure enough, Lacey’s body jerked violently to the left. As she fell over, the giant lost his hold and turned tail to run back where he’d come from.
By that time, I had reached Aimee’s side and gripped her hand in mine. With silent communication, she released the firearm to me. I sighted the Sig on the son-of-a-bitch and fired. The shot rang out, reverberating against the walls and making it impossible to hear a damn thing. He went down hard onto his stomach. I wasn’t concerned about him as I stepped over to my beautiful girl. Lacey’s blood was pooling beneath her shoulder as I hit my knees to inspect her closely. Aimee gasped once she was beside me. We gently rolled Lacey onto her side and ripped her shirt so we could see the wound. I sighed in relief when I noticed the bullet had only grazed her. Yes, it’d left a nasty laceration that needed stitches, but it hadn’t entered her body. Thank you, I silently prayed to whoever was listening. Upon closer inspection, we found another wound that needed tending to as well.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t…” Aimee’s voice broke on a sob as she stood, backing away.
I eased away from Lacey and stood up, enfolding my sister-in-law in a tight hug. “Shh. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
A gasp pulled our attention to the man lying on the mine’s floor. “Oh my God, you killed him.” Keeley stood there in shock.
Aimee walked over to her. “Thank God he did,” she said as she encircled Keeley’s shoulder with her arm.
Keeley looked at me over her shoulder with not a little awe in her eyes. I returned my focus and attention back to Lacey. Sure, I knew my way around a gun, and yes, I was a marksman. But that was neither here nor there at the moment. I leaned over Lacey and tenderly kissed her cheek. Her eyes began to flutter. “Hey, gorgeous.” I half-smiled at her.
She scoffed, “I’m a mess.”
I had to chuckle. After everything she’d been through, she was concerned with how she looked. This time, I worshipped her mouth with mine. At the clearing of a throat, I pulled away from her. Aimee winked as she said, “Wait until we get out of here, would ya?”
I shook my head at her, leaning towards Lacey again. All of a sudden there was a loud rumble. Oh fuck! The ground pitched wildly as the earthquake rattled the mine shaft. I held on to Lacey, covering her body with mine to shield her from anything that might fall on top of her. Once everything settled, I searched our group. There was some debris, but all in all we had gotten lucky. Problem was, there would be aftershocks. We needed outta here—pronto.
Aimee gathered Keeley and Ari while I assisted Lacey. After Ari was placed on my back, we reformed our train and started to hike. We rounded the last corner before the exit and hit a wall, literally. Mind you, that wall hadn’t been there before. “Oh, shit,” Aimee exhaled.
My vocab was a bit stronger, but yeah, that’d work. What the hell were we going to do now? We were trapped in a mine shaft with no way to call for help. Plus, we had no food or water. Lest that wasn’t bad enough, we couldn’t go back into Reynolds’ lair because if he showed up, we were dead. This was an actual rock and hard place, or catch twenty-two, depending on how you wanted to refer to it. Either way, we were fucked six ways to Sunday.
I made sure Ari was safely against the wall and Lacey was as far out of harm’s way as possible.
Next, I started to haul a large rock from the pile, grunting from the strain since I was working with only one arm. Everyone pitched in except for Ari who still had a raging fever. To be honest, I wasn’t sure the kid was going to pull through. I kept those morose thoughts to myself as we worked as a team. For about an hour, we attempted to dig our way through, all to no avail. The girls were exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, notwithstanding injured. We all stood against the wall trying our damnedest to come up with a solution.
Lacey leaned heavily against me. “No one’s coming, are they?”
I tucked her hair behind her ear. “My brothers won’t give up.”
“Nikko will find us,” Aimee said confidently. “Don’t you worry about that, Lace.”
I sure hope they hurry the hell up. Though I kept that thought silent.
Lacey inquired, “They know where you are?”
“Not exactly, søta,” I confessed.
“At least if I die,” she sighed heavily, “I die in your arms.”
“You’re not going to die,” I answered fiercely. People like her had to be in this world. She had too much light for it to be extinguished. I, on the other hand, should not be here. Darkness belonged in hell.
As if she caught on to where my thoughts had led me, she grabbed my face in her hands. Wincing from the pain in her shoulder, she gazed into my eyes. “You’re getting out of here with me,” she stated firmly.
All of a sudden our lantern went out. An ominous silence filled the shaft as our hope was dwindling. I found Lacey’s forehead with mine and murmured, “I love you,” against her lips. “No matter what happens, don’t ever forget that.”
Her hand smacked my chest loudly. “Stop talking like that.” Then she began to cry softly against my neck. I sat and held her tight. If I did die in here, I couldn’t think of a better way to go.
A little while later Aimee whispered in my ear, “She has a fever.”
