I wanted to ask her a million questions, but they had to wait since I didnat know how much time we had before Robert stopped the car.

Bringing my hands up to my mouth, I sought a good place to try and break through the tape with my teeth.

Airenas fingers pushed against my wrists, and I heard the tape give way as she unwound it from my wrists.

She was obviously scared, but she was functioning better than I thought she would, considering our circ.u.mstances.

When my hands were free, I pulled her close. She folded against me, shaking with sobs, as I held her tight to my chest.

aItall be okay. Iall keep you safe,a I told her, hoping to G.o.d I could keep that promise.

aHe shot them, Aiden. Aunt Brenda and Mum. He shot them and left them on the fl.. floor,a she cried into my shirt, her body jerking both of us.

The gentle sway of the car rocked us both as the droning hum of the tires did nothing but infuriate me more with every second we moved further away from someone finding us.

It was up to me to make sure we survived. My hands were at least free, but that didnat mean much since he had my gun and my feet were still bound tight.

How many bullets were left in the clip? Iad fired at him twice when head shown up on Brendaas porch, and I hadnat reloaded. He fired two shots, which meant there were still six bullets left in the gun. Six chances he could kill both of us. I couldnat think like that though. Shoving the doomed thoughts away, I focused on the moment and tried to keep Airen from completely falling apart.

aGrant will get to them. Heall make sure they get the help they need,a I told her, putting as much support as I could into my words.

She drew a deep breath and pushed herself back from my arms.

aWhat are you doing?a I asked, feeling her hands move down my chest to my hip, fumbling as she curled over me and shifted to change positions, getting behind me to reach my legs.

The small, confined s.p.a.ce of the trunk warmed with each pa.s.sing mile, making the air feel heavy and stagnant. I could taste the exhaust fumes leaking in. We didnat have much time before carbon-monoxide poisoning set in. So while Airen worked at getting the tape from around my ankles, I made quick work of disa.s.sembling the taillight closest to me. If I could get it punched out, not only would it give us some fresh air, but Iad be able to stick my hand out and hope that someone would report a hand waving out of the back of a car.

My legs were suddenly free and Airen wormed her way up between my legs, making it partway up and collapsing on my stomach. I knew I needed to act quickly.

Ripping the last of the wires free, I punched my hand against the plastic light cover and felt the jagged shard where Iad cracked it pinch my hand. I gave it one more hard punch, and it busted free. My hand, dripping with blood, blocked most of the light coming in, but not the much-needed fresh air.

I helped Airen move the rest of the way up beside me, gulping greedily as she shuddered against my chest.

The car continued moving on for what seemed like forever before something happened. And it happened fast.

The sound of a horn blaring, and then the screech of tires came from somewhere beside us. I pulled my hand back in the car, hoping to see something, but all I saw was the empty road stretching out behind us.

The horn blared again as the car fishtailed. I felt it before it happened. I knew what was coming. I could only hope Airen and I would make it out alive.

I pulled her as close to me as I could, curling myself around her, ready to take the brunt of force that would be put on us when the car flipped.

I wasnat sure how many times we rolled, but it felt like forever.

Airen screamed, but there was nothing I could do to stop what was happening. I could only hold her until we stopped moving.

There was nothing like the sound of an accident. The screech of tires. The crunch of metal. The explosion of noise that rattled through you. And when it was over, the deafening silence that followed, it as if the world came to a halt, holding its breath for the outcome. We lay together, legs and arms locked, not daring to move.

And then, after what seemed like an eternity, everything came back. Sound, movement. Someone yelling orders at someone else. The rush of footsteps in our direction. All of it loud.

aAiden!a Grant hollered long before he made it to the car.

Someone moved around the side of the car; I could hear the fabric of their clothes sliding alongside the metal. Before I could draw my next breath the trunk popped open.

Hands reached in, prying at my arms, which were locked around Airen. Her frantic cries as she fought to keep hold of me broke my heart.

aStop,a I said, cracking my eyes open against the harsh light. aJust stop; weare fine. At least, I think we are.a Airen shivered against me.

aSheas in shock. Just give us a second,a I said, waving Nadia off.

Nadia reluctantly moved, blocking the sunlight so I could see. aWe donat have time, Aiden. He bailed from the car. He could be anywhereaa aNadia, get them out of the car. We have to move. Now!a Grant shouted.

I sat up, bringing Airen with me. There wasnat a spot on me that didnat feel busted or bruised, but I had to get her to safety. I couldnat leave us sitting in the open like we were.

With Nadiaas help, we got out of the trunk. Calling on every ounce of energy I had left, I carried Airen to where Grant held the door open to a blacked-out sedan.

Both Nadia and Grant had their weapons drawn, watching the only place Robert could have escaped toa"the trees.

When both Airen and I were safely tucked in the car, they holstered their weapons and Grant pushed the pedal to the floor, moving us back down the road faster than I was comfortable with.

From the window, I looked out over the sheer drop that plunged to the ocean below, thanking whoever it was looking out for us that the car hadnat gone over the side.

Grant held the steering wheel with both hands, knuckles turning white as Nadia grabbed her cell phone and gave orders to someone on the other end.

aHe canat go far. I want both deployed.a She ended the call by rattling off coordinates. Looking over at Grant, she said, aItas not your fault, so stop brooding over it.a Grant didnat answer her, but he did slow down after that.

aWhoas out there?a I asked, knowing Nadia would understand what I was asking her.

aOliver and Ace,a she answered, flicking a glance at Airen. aWeare taking her back with us to the church. Itas the only safe place now.a I bit my lip and looked away. Brenda and Mina had not survived; I could see it in Nadiaas eyes without her having to say a word.

Airen would need us. Airen would need me. I understood why Grant felt like it was his fault. If we hadnat used Airenas family as a way to get intel on Robert, they might still be alive.

I itched to be in the field with Oliver and Ace. To be the one who put the bullet in Robert de Fleur and watch the life go out of him. There was no way Grant or Nadia would approve that. Not with the shape I was in, knowing theyad almost watched my death firsthand.

aWhat is she supposed to do once weave eliminated the threat?a I asked, looking down at Airenas still form.

I knew she could hear me. That she used the silence to take it all in.

aWhatever she wants to. Heall be dead. The threat gone. Sheas a lucky young lady.a Nadia said the last part softly.

I snorted. aLucky? She just lost everything. How can you even say that?a aBecause sheas one of his only untouched survivors,a Nadia explained.

aThatas not true. Jaredas okay, and he was kidnapped by him,a I fired back at her.

aJared never came face to face with Robert de Fleur. Had he, things would have turned out a whole lot different. A whole lot worse.a She paused, moving her gaze to where Airen was curled up against me. aSheall be okay. Sheas a survivor.a I tucked Airen closer and she came willingly, making me wonder how willing shead be later when the shock wore off and her anger replaced it.

Pressing my face to her hair, I spoke softly so only she could hear me. aIam sorry, Airen. So, so sorry.a She shuddered, nuzzling further into my chest.

GRANT PULLED UP ALONGSIDE THE back of the building, leaving only enough room for us to step out of the car and into the church.

He went to take Airen from me as I tried getting both of us out of the car, but Airen wouldnat let go.

With his help, I was able to get to my feet and not hand her over.

Father McKinnon opened the back door, stepping back to give us room, but he was close enough that I could see the lines of worry etched along his brow.

aBring her right down, Aiden,a Nadia called out as she made her way down the stairs.

aOh, my child,a Father McKinnon said, placing his hand on Airenas head as he mumbled a prayer.

He made the sign of the cross and fumbled back a step to stand beside Grant as I carried her slowly down the steps.

In the middle of the dimly lit hallway, Airen let out a heartbreaking sob. aTheyare gone. Really gone.a My throat tightened as a tear rolled down my cheek. I couldnat brush it aside, so I let it fall, not caring if anyone saw it. Not caring what anyone thought about me grieving over a family that wasnat my own. None of it mattered.

I found Nadia two doors down from where Iad originally set up my room. She stepped out of the way, and I carried Airen over to the bed and lowered her to it. She let me go then and rolled onto her side so she could no longer see me.

Nadia placed her hand on my arm. aWhy donat you go grab a shower and get changed?a I jerked as if shead slapped me. aGrab a shower? Thereas a f.u.c.king maniac on the loose and you want me to go take a shower?a I knew I sounded like a complete a.s.shole; I just didnat care.

She grabbed my arm, urging me towards the door. I looked down at her hand, pulled my arm free with one hard tug, pushed past her, and sat down on the edge of Airenas bed. aIam not leaving her.a Nadia crouched down in front of me. aIam not asking you to leave her, Aiden. Iam telling you that you need to get cleaned up. Have you even seen yourself?a She moved back, pointing at my hand. aYou have blood all over you. You need to shower and change your clothes. Then come back and Iall bandage that up.a I looked down at my hand, seeing the dried streaks of blood and the places where it continued to leak from the spots that broke open with each clench of my fist.

My jeans were smeared with it, my shirt too. I turned, noticing Airenas blood-soaked clothes for the first time, and said, aIall be back. Youare safe now.a She didnat answer me, but I hadnat really expected her to.

aIall be right back,a I said again, directing it at Nadia.

She pulled out a first aid kit and sorted through it, not looking up at me. aI know you will.a I left then, making my way back to my room. After I stripped, I stood under the pelting water of the shower, not waiting for the water to warm. I didnat deserve any sort of comfort. I wouldnat have been able to feel it anyway.

By the time I showered and changed, Nadia had Airen cleaned up and changed into a white T-shirt that suspiciously looked like one of mine.

Airen slept soundly, and I understood why when I saw the syringe laying on the nightstand. aWas that necessary?a I asked, pointing at the needle.

aItas not what you think it is. I just gave her a heavy dose of pain meds. Sheas gonna need them with the extensive bruising, especially the ones on her ribs,a Nadia answered as she made me sit down on the edge of the bed.

aYouare sure itas only bruises?a I asked as she smeared antibiotic cream over the smaller cuts on my hand.

aI had our medic come and check her out while you were in the shower. Do you have any idea what happened to her?a she asked, pulling out a small tube of Super Glue and b.u.t.terfly bandages for the larger cuts.

aI donat know for sure because I was locked inside the trunk when it happened.a When she was done tending my hands, she stood up and ran her fingers through my hair, feeling along my head for hidden b.u.mps or gashes. She pulled her hand back immediately and pushed me down to get a better look at the spot where Robert had cracked me in the head.

Hissing, she parted my hair and set to cleaning the tender spot. aWhat the h.e.l.l did he drop you with?a I shrugged my shoulders. aNo idea, but it knocked me out for a little while.a Nadia spoke as she prodded the sore spot on my head. aIf I had my guess, Iad say it was a tire iron. Iall go get our medic; youare going to need st.i.tches for that.a aJust sew it up. I know you know how,a I told her as she stepped back to leave.

She chuckled. aYeah, but Iam not that great at it. Youad have one h.e.l.l of a scar if I did it.a aI donat care if it scars or not. Just st.i.tch it closed,a I told her, keeping my head tilted.

aI donat have anything to numb it. Iall be right back.a I let her go. It wouldnat matter if it were numbed or not. I couldnat feel much of anything anyway. Iad let Airen down. Her mother and aunt were dead because I let my attraction for her cloud my mission. And my mission was out running free until either Oliver or Ace took him out.

aYou look like s.h.i.t, bro.a aEli? What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?a Neither Nadia nor Grant had mentioned he came to Scotland with Ace and Oliver.

aJust going where the action is. Ya know?a He chuckled, setting a box down on the nightstand.

I put all the pieces together when he pulled on a pair of latex gloves. aYouare the medic?a aNope, but Iam qualified enough to st.i.tch you up, so here I am,a he answered with his back to me. When he turned around, he had a syringe in his hand.

aI donat need that,a I said, ducking my head so he could st.i.tch it closed.

aMmmhmm,a he agreed, jabbing the needle into my skin. aBut youare getting it anyway.a I wasnat sure if it was the feeling of cold where the numbing liquid spread, or the fact that Eli was there with me, but I fully relaxed.

When I did, I felt every single b.u.mp and bruise. The shakes started then, and I couldnat for the life of me get them to stop.

aAdrenaline crash,a Eli said as he bent over my head.

I didnat feel the needle, just the slight tug of each st.i.tch. Meanwhile, he chatted away, holding a one-sided conversation as if pulling the questions from my head.

aGrant asked me if I wanted to come work with them. Said he had an important job he thought Iad be good at. I figured why not? At least then, I wouldnat be cut off from you guys. Believe me, if Iad have walked away after Haiti and seeing what happened with Jared, Iad never get a full nightas rest ever again. Anyway, long story short. Youare stuck with me too. Now we just need to bring in Mark and Josh, and weall all be together again.a I wanted to kick him in the leg, but thought better of it since he still held a needle in his hand.

With a couple of short tugs, he pulled a small pair of scissors from the white jacket he wore, made a quick snip, and stepped back. aJust gonna put a little antibiotic spray on it, and youare all done.a aWhy, Eli?a I asked, unsure if I meant why did he agree to work for Cole Enterprise, or why head want Mark and Josh too.

aThatas a pretty loaded question, but what the h.e.l.laa He placed everything back into the kit head carried in and closed it before answering.

aBecause, a.s.shole. After all the years weave been friends, not having yaall around was the most mind numbing thing of my life. Weave always been around each other. Always. Other than Mom and Dad, all I had was the Six. I didnat know how hard it would be, leaving all of you and going out on my own. But it sucked and I donat want to go back to that. Ever.a I understood how he felt. The first few weeks after Iad left home and lined up alongside a bunch of strangers, I had a wave of homesickness that threatened to pull me under and drown me. When Grant had showed up right after boot camp, I jumped on the opportunity to leave and start a new life, no matter the risks. Especially when Grant had laid it out in black and white. But I couldnat help wonder if head told Eli everything.

aDid Grant tell youa? What did Grant tell you?a I asked.

aI told him the same things I told you, Aiden,a Grant said from the doorway. aHowas she doing?a he asked, looking at Airen.

But I didnat want to talk about how she was doing. Because the reality was, shead wake up, relive the moment everything was taken from her, and blame me. Just like I blamed myself. So instead of answering Grant, I shook my head.

aAny word from the field?a Eli asked.

aNothing. Theyave worked their way through the section where Robert could have fled, but thereas no sign of him. Iave called them back in for now,a Grant answered.

The normal shadows under Grantas eyes had spread further down his face. Lower than Iad ever seen them. He was a mess, and it wouldnat get any better until Robert de Fleur was taken down.

aAiden, we need to talk,a he said, coming further into the room.

Eli grabbed the box from the nightstand and left.

When the door closed, Grant seemed to sag in on himself, shuffling over to the only chair in the room. He pulled it away from the wall and brought it over to where I sat on the end of the bed.

He lowered himself down, closed his eyes briefly, and blew out a long breath before settling his eyes on me. aWhat the h.e.l.l happened this morning, Aiden?a THE SOUND OF VOICES BROKE through my cotton-filled subconscious. They spoke words I understood, but I had no way of connecting to them with the state I was in. Something was very wrong, that I knew, but only by the feel of it deep in my bones.

Ever so slowly, I floated a little closer to the surface and heard more of what was going on around me. The creak of someone shifting in a chair, the dip of the mattress underneath me.

Aiden was close; I could feel him there, which seemed odd. He spoke, confirming I hadnat lost my mind, and someone else answered. The conversation flowed back and forth, until it pulled me out from whatever Iad been submerged into.

When I rolled over onto my back, both voices halted.

aAiren?a I opened my eyes, finding Aiden looking at me with a kaleidoscope of expressions. Guilt, frustration, embarra.s.sment. They moved quickly over his face, chasing one another in rapid succession.

I tried sitting up, but a band of fire wrapped around my chest and I collapsed back on the pillows, sucking shallow pants of air to keep from crying out.

aYour ribs are bruised. Itall take a little while to heal,a Aiden said, reaching out to brush my hair from my face as a cold sweat broke out along my brow.