It hit me then. Father McKinnon, man of G.o.d, wasnat anywhere near the perfect person Iad thought he was. It made it so much easier to talk to him and not worry head judge me harshly for it. I didnat say anything back as I studied his face, waiting for him to say more.

aItas hard to find compa.s.sion for someone after theyave done such a thing as Robert has. The man in me would like nothing more than to take a swing or two at him for it. The other side of that, of me, is seeking answers for his actions and praying for G.o.d to do his will. Itas a double-edged sword, Airen, because I want nothing more than seeing him get what he deserves.a I blinked, wide-eyed at his admission. aHow do you move past it and let go of the anger?a He looked past me, over my shoulder, as if the answer were just out of his reach. With a shrug, he said, aYe just do. Eventually. The thing that matters most right now is that youare safe. Brenda and Mina are getting the best care possible. We need to focus on being here for them and holding out hope that things work out for the best. Expect the worst and pray for the best, as my mum used to say.a aSounds like something Aunt Brenda would say,a I replied.

He found my eyes again and smiled. aWhat else is bothering you?a I looked around the room, settling in on my next question. aWho are these people? Do you know them?a He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying the skin to a white line.

aPlease tell me yer not gonna give me the same song and dance everyone else has. I have the right to know what Iave been brought into,a I said, trying to keep myself from lashing out at him.

His hand came up, a smooth lift and wave, telling me he wasnat trying to make excuses, but merely thinking. aGrant came to me a few months ago, long before all of them showed up. Heas a good man, Grant is.a His fingers steepled in front of him as he tapped them against his lips for a moment on a sigh before dropping them back in his lap. aAiren, I gave my word as a man of G.o.d that I wouldnat speak of this. That no matter what, his cause would go with me to the grave. I canat break that promise, Iam sorry.

aBut I can tell ye that Grant and Aiden are good men. Men you can trust wholly and completely with your life. I know that doesnat answer yer question. Iam asking you to believe me, based off the fact that I trust them enough to allow them to be here, operating under the protection of this church.a Lacing my fingers together in my lap, I thought about what he said. aYe must have a lot of faith in them and who they are to allow it.a He dipped his head. aAye, I do.a aWhy? You hardly know them,a I countered.

aSometimes, ye have to have faith in people. Itas the only way to truly get to know them.a I snorted at that, thinking of Aiden. aBut what if yer mislead from the beginning? What if ye didnat meet the real person, but the one theyare playing at in the beginning?a aAsk yerself thisa Was it the person or the situation ye were misled on?a he asked, one brow raised as he let that sink in.

Had Aiden been playing at who he was? I really couldnat say. If so, head been a really good actor. If not, then he really was a great guy.

Did that matter though? Head been untruthful from the beginning. Head come into our lives under false pretenses, and I didnat know how or what to think of that.

aSometimes, Airen, itas for our own good that weare not privy to the reasons why. Maybe, weare just not meant to know them until itas time. Itas up to us then, when the truth is known, to decide if the intentions were true enough that it doesnat matter the why anymore.a aSo itas okay for someone to lie to us? We should just accept it because theyare a good person when you get down to the crux of it?a I couldnat believe what he was saying. It was like telling me that I should just omit one of the Ten Commandments he lived and breathed his life by.

Understanding dawned on his face as he answered me, aThou shalt not lie. Aye, oddly enough, there are situations where that particular rule can be a bit tricky. And no, Iam not bashing my own religion. Iad rather think that no man, woman, or child could get through life without one or two lies chalked up against them. Itas the intent of the lie, I believe, that makes it a sin. Itas sad, but some people are so quick to judge others and condemn them based off ten rules written a verra long time ago, then to understand the reason why the rule was broken to begin with.a Did that make me feel any better? Not really. Aiden had lied to me, not outright, but head hid things from me about himself.

How could I forgive him of that and move past it? Would he even care how everything that had happened affected me?

Anger rolled through me again. If Iad have known Aidenas purposea if any of us had known why Aiden was really there, would we have been more vigilant? More careful? Would it have made any difference in the outcome?

aPlaying the awhat ifa game will only drive ye crazy,a Father McKinnon said, taking a stab at the thoughts going round and round in my head. aThe only thing that truly matters is what happens from here on out.a I sighed, not ready to let go of the only things holding me together. My feelings. If I chose to release it all, it might just break me. aI appreciate your advice, Father McKinnon, but itall take a little while, aye?a The warmth of his smile warred with the hardened sh.e.l.l I was trying my best to wrap around me as he said the one thing that shattered it completely apart, leaving it laying in shards around me. aThis is about the young man, Aiden, aye?a I swallowed a sob, refusing to give it the power to unleash everything inside of me. Looking away, I gave him his answer by not saying a single thing. And it p.i.s.sed me off.

Not the lies or the withholding of truth. Nope. It was the fact that Iad somehow developed feelings for him. Real feelings in a fake situation. Feelings that had snuck up on me. Fast. And I didnat know what to do with them.

Worse was, I wanted so desperately to believe that Aiden had been just as caught in the situation as I was, but that couldnat be true. Not after witnessing the way he interacted with Agent Jackson, and the argument head had with the guy he called Ace.

Theyad argued like theyad done it for years. Like they were brothers or something. The way Adam, my best friend, and I had acted all those years ago.

aAiren, have you ever heard the expression athe eyes are the window to the soula?a Father McKinnon asked, pulling me back to the conversation.

aYes,a I answered, waiting for him to expand on where he was going with that.

aThen you know that ye can look at a person and see them for who they really are as yer talking to them, or even when ye watch them interact with others?a I thought about it for a second, trying to think of a situation with Aiden that would link Father McKinnonas meaning.

aI watched him, really looked at him, when he carried ye into the church earlier. Thereas a depth to him that echoes the man he is. I saw a lot of things in those brief seconds when the two of ye were both in front of me. And Iad put my faith, and everything else I stand for, on the line by saying that he cares deeply for ye. More than even he might understand right now.a aThatas a lot to wager for someone neither one of us know much about,a I tossed back at him.

aIt is. Which is why Iam so sure of it. Now, even though I see those things, it doesnat mean head be just as willing to admit them. But for the sake of argument, Iad also bet my best hat on the fact that head walk away from ye before he admits the truth to ye. Men like Aiden are few and far between. Head sacrifice his own happiness for ye and yer safety. Remember that in the months to come.a There was nothing I could say to that as I watched Father McKinnon get to his feet. aI need to get back upstairs. Think about what Iave said, Airen. Try to put yerself in his shoes and ask yerself how he feels before ye say or do something that may or may not be something ye can take back.a He left without another word, and all I could do was stare at the door head closed behind him.

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE had a head start on us,a I said, focusing my binoculars at the truck as it came to a stop beside the construction trailer.

aHe did,a Grant answered.

aThen why the h.e.l.l is he just now showing up here?a Ace jumped in.

aNo idea. But whatever heas been up to, it canat be good. See the logo on the door of the truck? It matches the one on the construction trailer,a Grant said, hissing a curse under his breath, but loud enough that we all heard him.

aEither he stole it or he took out whoever was driving it,a Oliver said, voice dripping with disgust.

aI hope itas stolen. If not, thereas either a body to report or an ambulance needed. s.h.i.t,a Grant answered, cussing louder that time. aHe just canat f.u.c.king help himself, can he?a he hissed, not really expecting any of us to answer his rhetorical question.

aWhat do you want to do?a Oliver asked.

aHold your positions until we can figure out what heas up to. If he goes inside the trailer, Iall move down and around to the back of it to report what I see,a Grant answered.

aAnd if he goes the opposite way towards the cliffside?a I asked.

aIf he does, you and Oliver follow him. Ace, keep your rifle trained on him. Iall make my way to the trailer and see if anyone is inside,a Grant replied as we watched the door of the truck open and Robert de Fleur emerge from the driveras seat.

It was a good thing Ace and Grant had the rifles, because my fingers itched to pull the trigger on him where he stood so brazenly out in the open.

Satisfied with his surroundings, Robert hauled a bag across the seat and then closed the truck door, moving around the front and away from the construction trailer.

aSomethings not right, Grant. Heas headed towards the water with a d.a.m.n overnight bag,a Oliver said, shifting beside me as Robert moved closer to the beach.

Before Grant could reply, Robert brought his arm up to check his watch, looked back over the water, and then up at the cliffside to his left.

aHe must be waiting for someone to pick him up. I need to make a quick call, give me a second,a Grant said, disconnecting the com from us.

Around us, the wind picked up, blowing in a cold, stiff breeze and some nasty-looking rain clouds. Somewhere in the distance, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. Hearing it, Robert pulled the strap of the bag over his head so that it ran across his chest.

The contents of the bag sat snug against his back, unmoving as he turned to head for the jagged rocks on his left.

aHeas going for the rocks. Iam gonna lose sight of him in fifteen paces,a Ace said.

Oliveras steady voice came across the com. aHold your position, weare moving now to get a better vantage point.a aCopy that,a Ace replied.

Oliver turned, communicating with me in hand signals. Stay low and keep an eye out, they said.

I nodded and fell into a crouched walk behind him as we picked our way over the uneven ground as quickly as we could.

Stopping at a low point in the wall, Oliver brought his binoculars to his face again.

Grantas voice came back over the com. aWhatas the status, Oliver?a aYouare safe to make your way to the construction trailer. Ace is out of range, so Aiden and I are moving to the path on the cliffside.a aCopy that. Ace, keep your eyes open. Heas a wily b.a.s.t.a.r.d and if he even has the slightest inclination heas being watched, heall backtrack,a Grant said.

aCopy that,a Ace replied.

Oliver pulled the binoculars away from his face, waving for me to follow him as he reported what he saw back to Grant. aHeas starting his climb up the rocks.a Slowly, we made our way down a narrow path cut between two ma.s.sive stones.

Stopping when we made it to a level spot on the hill, Oliver put the binoculars up to his eyes again and focused them in.

aIall be d.a.m.ned, do you see that?a he said, lifting a finger to point at a spot above where Robert hefted himself up onto a narrow slab of rock jutting out of the cliffside.

My eyes followed his finger before bringing the binoculars up, giving me an idea of where Iad need to focus them in at.

From where I stood, there was nothing to see, but once I zeroed in on it with the binoculars, I could.

It was a cutaway, blended in so well with the rock that unless you knew what to look for, youad never see it. And it was exactly where Robert de Fleur was headed, inch by inch of his climb.

aGrant, thereas an opening in the cliffside like wead talked about. Heas still climbing, so weare going to wait at the base of the cliff until he disappears inside. Once heas in, weall make our way up,a Oliver reported.

aCopy that. Iam heading into the construction trailer now,a Grant answered.

As we waited for Grant to report his findings, Oliver and I watched Robertas progress up the cliff. He definitely knew what he was doing as he put his hands and feet in places that ensured he made it up to the next rock.

The good news for us was that the climb didnat take us up the face of the cliff since the rocks jutted out all the way to the top in sections. It would, however, keep us hugging the wall and climbing the side on a demented set of rock stairs.

Putting the binoculars up to my eyes, I looked at the cave entrance again, trying to get an idea of how big the opening was. It didnat look like much from where we stood, but looks could be deceiving and the cave, once inside of it, might be huge.

aItad be nice to know how big that cave is before we climb up there. Iad hate to step inside and have a gun put to my head,a I said, keeping my voice low as I spoke to Oliver.

aWonat know atill we get up there. Besides, it wouldnat be you head put the gun on if Iam going in first,a Oliver said, giving me a weird look. aYou getting cold feet about this?a aNo, Iave just seen what heas capable of, and frankly, I donat want to be another name on the long list of people heas taken out to get what he wants. I donat want you to be either.a Hearing myself say that, I realized it really did sound like I wanted to back out.

If we didnat stop him, head get away, and everything Airen and her family had been through would be for nothing if he was still on the run.

Looking back up to where Robert stretched his left arm up and gripped his next handhold made my stomach knot. aWe see where heas headed. Why not take the shot and end this now?a Water rolled over my feet, surprising me. aWhat the h.e.l.l?a aTideas coming in, Grant. Weare gonna have to move soon before we either have to backtrack, or climb while heas still climbing and take the chance of him seeing us.a Grantas voice came through the speaker, almost breathless sounding as if he were running. aHold your position; Iall be there in just a couple minutes.a aCopy that,a Oliver answered.

Pulling the com out of his ear, he pegged me with a hard look. aYou went and fell in love with that girl. Didnat you?a aWhat?a Head thrown me for a complete loop.

aYou heard me. Youare thinking with your d.i.c.k and not your head. After this is done and we move on to another case, sheall still be in danger. You canat live this life and not expect that. I thought you of all people knew better,a he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

aFirst of all, I didnat fall in love with her. And second of all, keep your f.u.c.king nose out of my personal business and worry about the fact that we have to climb up that and square off with a madman whoad rather shoot us than look at us,a I said, jerking my thumb over my shoulder where Robert had almost made it to the mouth of the cave.

Oliver rolled his eyes. aYour business is my business when weare putting our lives in each otheras hands. What affects you, affects me. If your heads up your a.s.s, you wonat be the only one who pays for it.a af.u.c.k you, Oliver,a I said, rolling my shoulders as my bunched muscles begged me to punch him in his arrogant face.

He sighed, shaking his head as he brought the binoculars up to his eyes. He said, aYou think youare the first one to fall for a beautiful girl youare in charge of protecting? Iam not saying this to be an a.s.shole. Iam saying it to remind you that loving someone, h.e.l.l, even caring deeply for someone, could get them killed. Might not be today, might not be years from now, but it happens. You have no idea what that does to you. What kind of h.e.l.l it puts you through day in and day out. Thereas no escaping it.a Anger ripped through me. aSounds like your story, not mine. And Iam not in love, so drop it.a aGrant, heas only got about two more feet and heall be inside the cave,a Oliver said, bringing the com up to his ear as he spoke.

aBe there in just a few seconds,a he huffed. aJust coming down the path now.a Oliver dropped the com, and it swung against his chest from the neck of his black T-shirt. aLook, Aiden. Iam not trying to be a d.i.c.k, but I saw your face when you had her in your arms. I saw the looks pa.s.sed between the two of you before we left to come here. You can deny it all you want. Maybe you donat even realize it yet. But thereas something between you. You canat deny that at least. I just donat want you to suffer the same fate I have. It breaks something inside of you. Something you can never fix.a aAnd you chose now to say something? Seriously?a Did he have any idea what kind of turmoil head thrown me into when I needed to keep myself focused?

aNow is just as good a time as any. Maybe hearing it now will make it sink in a little deeper, especially when things go to s.h.i.t. Because theyare gonna go to s.h.i.t. Weare chasing a f.u.c.king lunatic up a cliffside covered in moss and slime with no place to take cover, into a cave we have no idea the size of.a aWell, your timing sucks,a I snapped at him.

aYep, it usually does. Thatas my point. Just do me one favora walk away from her. If you really care about her, thatas the only way you can ensure she lives a long and happy life.a aWhatever, Oliver.a I rolled my eyes at him, turning away and hoping he was done spewing his advice. aIam not in love with her, so drop it.a Putting my hand up to stop him from saying anything else, I said the only thing I hoped would end the discussion entirely. aIf ever I fall, Iall make sure itas not in love. Iall make it a d.a.m.n mountain or that,a I answered, stabbing a finger in the air at the cliffside.

Water poured over the tops of my boots and spread up the heavy canvas of my cargo pants. If Grant didnat hurry up, wead be swimming our way to the cave opening.

As if he heard my thoughts, he stepped out around the rock wead kept to our backs. aTideas coming in pretty fast.a Oliver handed him his binoculars, stepping out of the way so Grant could take his position.

aThis puts us in a really bad spot all the way up. Never mind it being actual suicide once weare at the mouth of the cave.a Pulling the binoculars away from his face, he tapped his finger against them.

aCan you hear that?a Oliver asked, craning his neck to look at the sky.

Grant whipped the binoculars up to his face, cussing when he spotted something in the distance. aHelicopter. About four minutes out and closing in. Weare losing our chance.a Tossing Oliveras binoculars back at him, he spoke to Ace over the com. aIf for whatever reason we donat make it up to the cave entrance and you see Robert swinging from the sky, climbing into a helicopter, take him out.a aCopy that, moving into position now.a aHurry, Ace, you donat have much time,a Grant said, gesturing for us to follow him.

That saying, the first stepas a doozy? So not the case when we started up the side of the cliff. It was more like the eighth one that almost sent me sliding off the slippery edge.

Worse than that though, was when fat drops of rain plopped down as if in warning before all h.e.l.l broke loose.

The wind picked up, ripping at our clothes, pulling at us with invisible fingers as we clung to the rocks, out of breath and fighting, of all things, the elements, in order to survive.

aThis is a suck-a.s.s plan, Grant. Weall never make it all the way up with this s.h.i.t.a Oliveras voice hammered into my ear as he yelled loud enough for the com to pick up the sound of his voice over the howling wind.

aJust keep moving; the weatheras in our favor right now. Thereas no way the helicopter can get close enough to pick him up in this. Itad be suicide for the pilot to even try it.a aItas suicide for us to even try it,a I said, tossing my thoughts in.

aWeare halfway there, so itas either man up or give up,a Grant snapped in our ears.

aI vote up, cause down isnat looking too promising,a Oliver b.u.t.ted in.

Grant looked over his shoulder. I followed his gaze, seeing the water level had submerged the spot wead been standing only ten minutes prior. aUp it is,a I added, watching a wave crash violently against the wall about five feet below us.

There was no more talking about it after that as we clung to the rocks with everything we had to keep from succ.u.mbing to the elements.

Mother Nature was p.i.s.sed, and I couldnat help but feel like her personal target.

Oliver hissed a curse, growling a string of words. I looked back and saw him tuck his right arm against his side.

aWhat happened?a Grant asked, pushing himself up to peek under his arm, trying to see past me where Oliver was.

aSlipped. Caught my arm on a rock,a Oliver replied, adding. aKeep going. Iall be fine.a Grant took his word for it and moved up to the next rock. aTwo more from here and Iall be at the mouth of the cave.a We moved up another foothold and stopped, waiting for Grant to pull himself up onto the ledge that led to the mouth of the cave.

When he made it to his feet, he swayed slightly. Regaining his stance, he braced his back against the wall. aAiden, be ready to move up to this position once I slip inside, but donat move in until I give you the all clear,a he said, keeping his face turned away as he issued the order.

I didnat blame him. I wouldnat turn my eyes from where Robert had disappeared into either.

When he slipped inside the opening, I moved up, fighting a wave of dizziness that threatened to buckle my legs. I pushed my back hard against the rocks.

Something sharp poked me in the shoulder blade, keeping me completely aware of the situation I was in.

aYou good?a Oliver asked. I looked down at him, noticing a streak of red rolling over his elbow and spreading out where his hand gripped the rock he used to keep himself anch.o.r.ed.

It was then I saw the waterline as each wave pulled back and then raced forward again, slapping at the wall. Only three feet below us, it looked angry enough to swallow us whole and never spit us up if we made any mistakes.

aFine. You?a I said, flicking a glance at his arm.

aIave had worse. Just need to get to a spot where I can bind it. Last thing I wanna do is slip up on my own d.a.m.n blood and fall into that,a he said, jutting his chin towards the water below.

Thunder rumbled closer, bringing the storm over our heads. Forked lightning split the bruised-looking sky. The visibility went from low light to almost no light, as if night had crept up on us.

There was no sign of the helicopter anymore, so that was at least one good sign.

aAiden, can you hear me?a Grantas voice whispered from the com.

I pushed my finger against it, plugging my other ear so I could hear him over the howl of the wind.

aYes,a I said, keeping my answer brief.