Part 14 (1/2)

”I guess this means they know we're here.”

Colton said that nonchalantly like we were discussing the weather or something. I'll never understand these boys or how they manage to keep so calm while facing things that would make a normal person bat-s.h.i.+t crazy.

”Are they dead?” I couldn't stop myself from asking.

”Would you prefer them alive? I don't know about you but I don't enjoy being used for target practice.”

He had a good point. It wasn't like any of these dead men had done me any favors or wanted to let me out. Everyone here knew that Alexander was torturing people and none of them did a thing to stop it. They might not have done it themselves, but standing idly by made them just as guilty.

Even so, I couldn't help but feel bad about the trail of bodies left behind us, and I hated myself for it.

”Let's go princess! We don't have all day.”

Colton's voice brought my attention back to reality. His brother had already taken Amelia from him and took off while he stood there waiting to see if I was able to move on my own. He started towards me as if he was going to toss me over his shoulder in a typical Tobias fas.h.i.+on, but I brushed past him and headed down the hall while trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder.

Colton pa.s.sed me easily, as one of his steps was the equivalent to two of mine. I sped up a little to try to keep up with him despite my entire body protesting.

”f.u.c.k!”

Colton's scream was the only warning I had before he dropped to the ground. Someone had managed to shoot him in the shoulder. I couldn't see his brother or Amelia anywhere, and Colton's eyes lit up like there was literally a fire burning in them.

I've come to recognize when the curse was taking over Tobias, and I've caught a glimpse of what happens when the curse was taking over Tristan. The sudden change in Colton's eyes was pretty much a dead giveaway to duck for cover.

I couldn't find anywhere to run or hide so instead I dropped to the ground and tried to conceal myself with the dead bodies that were littering the floor.

Colton's screams were all I could hear before the pounding of my own heart drowned everything out. I tried to take a peek at what was happening, but one by one the lights that lined the hallway went out making it pitch black.

The beating of my heart echoed in my head and I tried to call out for Colton in the dark. I couldn't hear myself, but within seconds I was face to face with a pair of fire glowing eyes. Fear struck me to my very core. Tobias told me that Colton was the one having the hardest time controlling the curse, which meant there was a very good chance my life was in danger.

A deafening bang broke through the silence and just like that the glowing eyes were gone. I didn't know if he was dead or alive, but I knew we definitely weren't alone.

”Tell Alexander we got them.”

A voice was barely audible through the ringing in my ears, but his words made me even more terrified that Colton was dead. I felt hands gripping on to my arms and pulling me up from the ground. There was still no light, so Alexander's henchmen must be wearing some kind of night vision goggles.

I was so close to freedom and it was taken away from me all over again. I was beginning to wish for death when the hallway suddenly burst into light.

Colton stood in front of us holding a ball of flames in each hand. The light from the flames showed the four silhouettes of the men who had captured me.

Colton's eyes were still lit up and there was no doubt in my mind he was going to kill every last one of them. His features no longer looked like a young kid, but rather a rugged young man who lived and breathed danger.

My arms were released as the four men scrambled for their weapons. I wasn't stupid enough to sit around and wait to find out what was going to happen; I already knew. I turned and ran the opposite way as fast as I could, leaving the light from Colton behind me.

My foot slipped out from under me as light came flying down the hallway and an invisible force propelled me forward. Pain exploded through my body as I connected with the ground and everything around me seemed to go dark as I lost consciousness.

I woke up to the sound of my own scream as I was thras.h.i.+ng around trying to lash out at the closest person to me. I wasn't sure if I would find Colton, or more henchman, but at this point I didn't care; everyone was a threat.

It took a moment for me to realize I was no longer in a dark hallway, or in a steel holding cell. Instead I was lying in bed my bed. I wanted to believe that everything that had happened was all just a terrible nightmare, but the pain in my shoulder as I tried to move made sure I knew that it wasn't.

I leaned back against the headboard and pushed my hair out of my face. My mind was so messed up I didn't even know if this was real. For all I knew I was locked away in a cell still and this was all just my imagination playing a cruel prank on me; wouldn't be the first time.

”Morning sleepy head.” Amelia said with a smile.

I looked around expecting to wake up and find her in her cell across from me, but instead she sat at the end of my bed, far enough away so she wasn't in my line of fire.

”Is this real?” I whispered.

Amelia got up and walked around the bed, then sat down beside me on the bed. I thought she was going to hug me or say something to try to convince me that I wasn't dreaming, but instead she reached over and pinched my upper arm.

”Ow! You stupid cow, what the h.e.l.l was that for!” I yelled while slapping her hand away.

”Making sure you know it's real. You've been pa.s.sed out for two days.” She chortled.

I stared at her for a minute, and then smiled as her laughter grew to the point of being contagious. I tried to laugh with her, but it hurt like a b.i.t.c.h so instead I ended up coughing.

Tristan came in to the room followed by Colton and two others. All four of Tobias's brothers stood in front of me; I realized now why they had looked so familiar. Colton shuffled around uncomfortably before Tristan cuffed him upside the back of his head and gesturing towards me.

”Uh, sorry Willow.” He said awkwardly; I was confused.

”For what?”

”For, uh, kind of sort of almost blowing you up.”

Well that explained blacking out and why it felt like someone tossed me off the roof of a house.

”Colton, you don't have to apologize-”

”Yes, he does!” The other three said in unison.

I was beginning to wonder if the whole talking at the same time thing ran in the family; Tobias and Tristan did it all the time. Speaking of Tobias, I didn't see him with his brothers.

”Where's Tobias?” I asked abruptly.

All four brothers stood there silently looking back and forth at each other. I could tell that they were hiding something, but no one wanted to say it.

”Look, if he doesn't want to see me then just tell me. I don't blame him after what happened; I wouldn't want to see me either-”

”It's not that, I'm sure he does want to see you.” Amelia said warily ”Then what is it?” I choked out.

I didn't even realize I had started crying until my voice cracked and tears fell free from my face and landed on my hand. I reached up and brushed away the tears as everyone in the room s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably.

”He's not here.” She said, and then bit her lip.

”What do you mean he's not here?”

Again, they all avoided answering my question. There was a knot in my stomach and I felt like I was going to be sick. I knew the answer already, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it until someone said it out loud.

”Where is he!” I demanded with a strength I didn't feel.

Amelia jumped at the sound and took my hand in her own.