Turning his back, he didnat say another word about it.

Nadia moved into position as I followed behind Ace with Eli stepping in behind me.

THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE resembled a nightmare Iad once had when I was little. It just screamed of monsters and other things that went b.u.mp in the night.

Biting back a wave of hysteria, I forced my feet forward, keeping my fingers wrapped up in the bottom of Aceas shirt until Oliver came to a stop as the darkness sealed us in.

Aceas hand came back to settle on my arm as a beam of light came from Oliveras hand.

aItas blacker than a well diggeras a.s.s in here,a Oliver hissed, moving the light around the floor of the cave.

aHow far back do you think it goes?a Ace asked, pulling out his own flashlight and clicking it on.

aNo telling,a Oliver answered, moving forward again.

Peeking around Aceas shoulder, I caught a flash of something as he swung the light in front of him from right to left.

Grabbing his arm, I tugged to pull the beam back to the right. aWhatas that?a as.h.i.t!a Oliveras light joined up with Aceas as he rushed over to where Grantas unmoving body lay on the ground.

Ace slapped his flashlight in my hand, joining Oliver beside Grant. aPulse?a aFaint. Help me get him up. We need to move him to the front of the cave where Eli can take a look at him. Airen, I need you to guide us out,a Oliver said, moving to lift Grant up.

With shuffling steps, we made it back to the cave entrance where Ace and Oliver set Grant down gently.

Eli stuck his head in the cave, noticing Grant immediately. He bent down, running his hands over Grantas arms and legs. Blood welled from a spot along his forehead.

aFlashlight,a Eli called out, not taking his eyes off Grant.

Oliver handed his over and Eli lifted Grantas eyelids, shining the light in one, then the other. aJust a nick along the temple. Add his fall and Iad say it knocked him out. He should come around soon.a Eli shifted, handing the flashlight back to Oliver. aWeare good here.a Oliver looked to Ace. aLetas go. G.o.d only knows what heas done to Aiden.a My stomach dropped. aYe knew he was hurt?a aComs were sketchy once they entered the cave. We knew something had happened. I didnat expect that though,a Oliver answered as we fell in step behind him.

aSo ye have no idea if Aiden is alive?a I asked, pushing myself to speak loud enough for him to hear me.

aNo, I donat,a he answered, keeping a steady beam of light ahead of us. aBut weall find out soon enough.a How could he sound so colda so callous?

Aceas hand went to the holster on his side, popped the snap, and pulled his gun out, holding it up alongside his flashlight.

aDonat get trigger happy back there. One wrong shot and weall all be diving for cover,a Oliver said, reaching into the waistband at the back of his shirt, pulling out his own pistol.

Ace and Oliver worked as a team after that. When Oliver swept his gun/flashlight combo to the left, Ace swept his to the right as we continued further into the cave that seemed to have no d.a.m.ned end.

What it did have was a sheer drop off to my left. Ace swept the flashlight down, losing the beam to the blackness below. He whistled through his teeth as my mind raced with worry.

Had Aiden fallen over the side? And if he did, how the h.e.l.l would we know unless we climbed down?

aHeas not down there,a Oliver said over his shoulder.

aHow do ye know?a I asked.

aBecause I lost communication with him just after I heard Robert speaking to him. Keep moving, this cave has to end somewhere,a he said, not giving the drop off another look.

That didnat mean he hadnat pitched Aiden over the side. Just because head heard them talking didnat make Uncle Robert any less crazy.

aYou ever see one of those movies where a giant spider pops up out of nowhere and eats everyone?a Ace asked, running his flashlight over a jagged row of stalact.i.tes.

aNow is not the time to call up s.h.i.t like that,a Oliver grumbled, following it up by saying, aI f.u.c.king hate spiders.a My head bobbed in agreement even if they hadnat included me in their conversation.

aWell, s.h.i.t, looks like the path splits here,a Oliver said as we came to a halt.

aYou take left, Iall take right?a Ace asked.

aYou see him, take him out. Donat give him the chance to run or even talk. Okay?a Oliver asked, running the flashlight beam over the opening to the left.

aWait! Isnat it dangerous to split up? Shouldnat we just stay together?a I asked, grabbing Oliveras shirt sleeve as he pa.s.sed by me.

He nodded to Ace. aBe careful. Iave got her,a he said, wrapping his hand around my wrist.

aYouall just let him go off on his own?a I asked, keeping pace with Oliver as we moved down a path that blew cold air hard against our faces.

aHe can handle himself. The only thing that matters right now is the target.a Not Aiden? My stomach squeezed hard, making me want to double over from the twisting pain. aAre ye no even concerned about Aiden?a aI know Aiden. And I know what heas capable of. Worrying about him wonat make the outcome of this situation any different. Now keep moving and stop talking,a Oliver said, tossing a dirty look over his shoulder at me.

I fought the urge to tell him off. Fighting with him wouldnat help Aiden and if I started shrieking, it would definitely alert Uncle Robert to our presence.

My palm smacked against my forehead with a snap. Oliver stopped so quickly that I bounced off his back.

aWhat was that?a he asked, shining the light up my entire body until the beam forced me to blink the floating white spots from my vision.

Putting my hand up, I pushed the light from my eyes, practically bouncing on the tips of my toes. aI have an idea!a aGreat. Keep moving.a Oliver turned his back to me, but I wasnat going to be ignored.

Tugging on his shirt sleeve, I dug my feet in until the material pulled taut. aHear me out,a I pleaded, stepping around him to block his path.

With nostrils flaring, he dipped his head for me to continue. aOut with it, so I can tell you no and youall stop being a pain in my a.s.s.a I doubled up my fist, clenching it tight to my leg to keep it from swinging out and connecting with his gut. aYou want Robert, aye? And Robert wanted me for some reason, aye? Well, here I am, and here he isa somewhere.a His eyebrow quirked as he leaned in close. aI know what youare saying and the answer is no. Are you f.u.c.king delusional or something? You canat just walk in and start yelling for him. Youall get us both killed.a He pushed me to the side as he stepped around me. Pulling in a deep breath, I let out a bloodcurdling screech.

Oliver spun around so fast that I ended up tripping over my own feet and landing on my a.s.s.

Jerking me up by my shirt collar, he lifted me off the floor as if I weighed nothing at all and shook me.

Growling, he said, aI should kick your a.s.s for that.a Pressing my lips together, I fought to keep my breathing under control. I very well could end up becoming another person who just up and disappeared from the property. The next unexplainable death on my family tree. Because as surely as I was standing inside a cave, I had infuriated a man who could snap me in half and toss me into one of the many black holes.

Anger rolled off him in waves, but he returned me to my feet. Sticking his finger in my face, he was ready to release another warning, or threat, when we heard it. The sound of footsteps coming towards us. The flashlight in Oliveras hand clicked off and he moved to stand in front of me, shielding me with his body.

Leaning down so that his lips touched my ear as he spoke, he said, aTake the flashlight. If itas him, blind him with it when he gets close. Iall take it from there.a And then he was gone, shrinking off somewhere behind me.

I fought every instinct to run, but I couldnat run. Aidenas life could very well depend on me holding my ground and facing off with my uncle.

The closer the footsteps came, the clearer it became to me that it wasnat just one person. I wanted to voice my thoughts, but I had no idea where Oliver had slunk off to.

My entire body shuddered in place as the footsteps came nearer and the sound of a girlas sob broke as if shead been holding it back.

A hand clamped over my mouth, cutting off my scream, as Oliver brought his mouth up next to my ear. aSomethingas not right. Bring the flashlight up and shine it right at the spot you hear the footsteps. Okay?a When I nodded, he moved his hand and I brought the flashlight up, fumbling with the on switch.

Light shot out, highlighting the last person I ever expected to see again. aLiv?a Her head snapped up as Aiden pulled her behind him. aAiren? What are you doing here?a Oliver reached out, taking the flashlight from me and pointing it down. aWhereas Robert?a Aiden went to shrug, gasping from the movement of his arm.

aDislocated it?a Oliver asked, moving over to stand in front of Aiden.

Aiden clutched at his elbow, backing himself up against the wall of the tunnel. aYeah, I tried to reset it, but couldnat.a Oliver moved himself into place, grabbed Aidenas arm, and before I knew it, Aiden dropped to his knees with his hand clamped over his mouth to keep from making any noise.

The pinched look on Aidenas face smoothed out. He took Oliveras outstretched hand with his good arm and stood.

aHowas Grant?a Aiden asked, worry dancing in his eyes.

aHe was unconscious when we found him. Elias with him now. How did you get away from him?a Oliver asked, dismissing Grantas injuries as if they werenat really all that important.

aAfter he shot Grant, he put the gun to my head and walked me to the end of this tunnel where there are a handful of catacombs. He made her tie me to the outside of the cage he had her in and told her that if she released me, head come back and shoot her in the head instead of releasing her like he planned to do.a Oliver snorted. aReleasing her, my a.s.s. So she untied you then?a aNo, I did. Her knots suck, and I had my hands free in no time,a Aiden answered, flicking a glance at where Liv had pushed herself as tight as she could against the wall.

Her thin frame shook as she wrapped her arms around her knees and sobbed.

aHow the h.e.l.l did you manage to dislocate your shoulder then?a Oliver asked.

aBy rescuing her. The opening to the cage wasnat wide enough to crawl in and grab her once I busted the lock. So I had to stretch in order to get a hold of her. When I had her, she jerked back. My arm caught against the bar and popped it right out of the socket,a he answered and then followed it up by asking, aWhy is Airen down here?a I didnat wait for Oliver to explain. aIam here because I chose to be here.a The sound of rock exploding from a gunshot had all of us ducking to the floor as Oliveras flashlight turned off, sinking us in complete darkness.

aI donat know about you, but Iam sick of this f.u.c.ker,a Aiden hissed.

aAiren, stay here with the girl,a Oliver said, shoving the flashlight into my chest. aAnd donat move until one of us comes back.a I swallowed back a protest when a set of lips pressed against my forehead. aPlease stay here.a And with that, Liv and I were left to the darkness.

Crawling over to her, I put my arm around her. She didnat say a word. She just shuddered and buried her head into my neck. I wanted to ask her so many questions, but it wasnat the right time.

I felt like the worst friend on the planet. Thinking Liv had stolen from me and taken off was one thing Iad have to live with. Especially when that hadnat been the case at all. Ever since I returned home, Liv had been in the clutches of a complete madman. Bile rose in my throat as I wondered what kind of nightmare shead been through.

Another round of gunfire pinged off the rocks as someone ran towards us up the path. The flashlight came to life in my hand and I brought it up, hoping to see Aidenas face.

aWell, Iad call this a bit of luck,a Uncle Robert said, reaching down and hauling me up on my feet in front of him.

Liv cried out, scrambling on her hands and knees to get away, putting herself between where Uncle Robert held a gun to my head and Aiden, whoad came to a sliding halt just outside the beam of my flashlight.

aLet her go and take me instead,a Aiden said, taking a step closer.

aNo, Aidenaa The rest of my sentence cut off when Uncle Robert jabbed the barrel hard against my temple.

aTake one more step and Iall kill her,a Uncle Robert hissed.

aYou wonat make it out of this cave alive, Robert,a Aiden said, delivering his warning with words that brought the temperature of the cave down several degrees.

aWhoas gonna stop me? Huh? You? Iad say youave outlived your usefulness,a Uncle Robert said, moving the gun from my head and pointing it at Aiden.

aNo!a I shoved my elbow into his gut as the gun went off.

Shards of rock rained down on us as I threw myself backwards, hoping to knock him down and give Aiden enough time to make a rush at us.

The gun came up as I pushed myself away from Uncle Robert. The metal hit my cheek with a sickening crack. Warmth spread out along my face as I felt myself teetering on the edge of oblivion.

When I fell, another gunshot went off. A heavy darkness descended on me. All I could think was Iad been shot and Iad never see Aidenas face again.

ROBERT'S EYES WIDENED SECONDS BEFORE he crumbled to the ground.

Behind him, the gun that ended his life lowered to the floor.

aThatas for kidnapping Jared and then Aiden. I hope you rot in h.e.l.l,a Ace said, stepping over Robert de Fleuras body and sweeping a path of light over all of us, stopping short on Liv.

Whistling through his teeth, he took in the scene around him.

aJesus, a little warning would have been nice, a.s.shole,a I said, b.u.mping my fist against his.

aYeah, well, the opportunity presented itself, and Iam all about opportunities. She okay?a he asked, shining the light down on Airen.

aSheall be all right once she comes around,a I answered, crouching down to check her pulse. It beat slow and steady against my fingertips, flooding me with a wave of relief. Head cracked her in the face pretty good with the gun and as much as it p.i.s.sed me off that he hurt her, I felt equally justified that he was dead. Shead have one h.e.l.l of a headache when she came to, but shead be alive and that was all that mattered.

aAnd her? Who is she?a Ace asked, settling the flashlight over the girl crouched as far away as she could get.

aAiren called her Liv. I think she knows her,a Oliver said, taking a few steps over to crouch in front of her.

She ignored him even as he snapped his fingers in front of her face.

aShock probably,a Ace said when Oliver couldnat get her attention.

aGuess that means one of us has to carry her out and one of us has to carry Airen out,a he said, lifting the girl off the ground.

Once in Oliveras arms, she buried her face into his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

aWell, that settles that. Iall get Airen,a Ace said, kneeling down beside her.

aI got her,a I said, trying to push his hands away.

aSeriously, Aiden. You canat carry her out without s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up your shoulder even more than it is,a Oliver said, nudging me with his foot.

I moved out of Aceas way, allowing him to wrap his arms around Airen and cradle her to his chest. It was probably better that way. Keeping my distance would be hard enough once she woke up.

Holding her, knowing I could never have any sort of relationship with her, would only make it harder to let her go.

aWhat about him?a I asked, moving over to put my fingers against Robertas neck.

Knowing there would be no pulse there didnat stop me. I had to be one hundred percent certain, since the evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d seemed to be like a cat with nine lives.

Nothinga"there was no life left in him, even though the warmth hadnat left his body.

aLeave him. Once we get everyone back to the church, Grant will send a team in to recover the body,a Oliver answered.

Getting back up to my feet, I moved around everyone. Taking Aceas flashlight and Oliveras, I lit the tunnel up enough for them to walk safely back to the entrance while carrying the girls.

The sound of our footsteps alerted Eli we were coming long before he could even see the double beams I held in my hands.