Narrator's POV
Aiden tried his best to hide how much pain he was in, but his injuries spoke for him. "You don't have to hide, I know they're not Cole's friends" the boy said, showing he was much more clever than they gave him credit for.
"You have nothing to be scared of" he told Jason, still searching for any signs that he'd been hit. Thankfully, there were none. "I'm not. I mean, I was, but then the tall girl brought me tacos" he said, avoiding to tell him how scared he really was up until the moment he saw him. "How did you get hurt?" he asked, his question reminding Aiden that he was probably scaring the boy, more than he was consulting him.
"This?" he pointed to himself. "It's nothing. I just thought I could drive much better than I really can" he attempted a joke, to ease the tension. Jay always wanted to be like Aiden, fearless and strong. "Is she your friend?" he asked, bringing the focus back to Lindsay. He didn't really believe his excuse, but avoided telling him. "No, she's not. But you don't have to worry about her anymore, you won't see her again" Aiden promised, hoping he could get him out before the day was over.
"How often does she check on you, Jay?" he asked, knowing that what he had done was incredibly risky. "Not very. I'm alone for most of the day" he explained, trying his best to hide the loneliness he felt the last couple of days, away from his family.
Aiden gave him a comforting hug, noticing the slight tremor of his hands. His embrace felt almost fatherly, not that either of them knew what having a father felt like. Aiden's chest filled with pain, stronger than the one any of his injuries caused him. He saw his young self in Jason; he only hoped it wasn't too late to save his innocence.
Aiden cracked the door open, just enough to check on what was going on outside. Jason't door wasn't locked, as Lindsay didn't think that he'd try to leave the room; and she was right. The warehouse's industrial interior wasn't exactly kid friendly.
Looking through the crack, he was glad his back was facing Jason, as that way he wouldn't see the defeat in his eyes. To reach Jason's room , you'd have to walk up a steel staircase on the right side of the vast room, identical to one on the left.
In the bottom of the stairs, talking to Lindsay, he saw no other but Axel and Ivory. What the fuck are they doing here? he questioned, trying to keep his mind from wondering around, but deep down he knew that with them there, he was fucked.
He wasn't in shape to get Jason out on his own; his best shot was to find a way to get himself out, and bring help. And it had to happen fast, before she realised he wasn't tied anymore, or worse, found him.
"Jay, I need to hide, but I promise I'll get you out of here today. If she checks on you, you never saw me, got it partner?" he reminded the boy, using the nickname that brought the most light in his eyes. And it worked. Pride overflowed within his little chest, feeling like an agent on a super important mission. "Got it"
~~~
Present Time
"So boys, tell me something. How long did it take for you to get this... big?" she asked, grazing the biceps of one with her fingertips. He smirked, his eyes following her hand, then up to her shoulder, and then... well you know where it goes. On the other hand, the second one rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
"It took hard work" he replied, cheekily. Ivory circled him once, her fingers still on his shoulder. With the corner of her eye she saw what looked like a shadow behind the staircase, but in the dim light of the warehouse, she wasn't sure if she could trust her eyes.
"I see... and how much do you lift, handsome" she turned her attention to the man standing near the staircase. Behind him, the 'shadow' revealed itself just enough for her to see it bring a single finger to its lips, silently begging her not to reveal it. Aiden. She nodded slightly, hoping it was enough for him to see. Her heart flipped upside down, seeing the man she desperately wanted to call hers, now in such a terrible state, because of her.
"That's enough playtime. Be quiet 'till they're back" the man replied, bringing her back to the role she had to play. She fluttered her eyelashes. "Lucky for you, I can play the damsel in distress real good. Will you be the hot kidnapper?" she smirked, and he shook his head. Maybe this wasn't going exactly how she had planned, but it was still good enough to occupy them.
For Cole and Evelyn, things weren't as simple. "What's taking so long?" Cole asked, clearly aggravated. "Oh I'm sorry, do you wanna carry out the whole plan?" Evelyn rolled her eyes.
'I'm never gonna speak to him again' is a phrase most teens say at least once about their sibling. Only in her case, she actually meant it. She knew that once the adrenaline coursing through her veins was gone, she'd have to face the unbearable pain that came with such a decision.
"There's enough junk for us to hide once we're in, but I have no idea how we'll get upstairs without getting caught" she explained. Axel had given them a walkthrough of the place, mentioning the numerous containers that were kept there. He thought about it for a second, his eyes narrow. "Only one way to find out" he said, grabbing onto the edge of the window and climbing inside in one swift motion.
Evelyn's mouth fell agape. She shook her head, cussing. Who her curses were directed to, though, she wasn't sure. She grabbed on the railing, the same way Cole had seconds ago, but struggled to raise her leg high enough. Her determination made up for her lack of strength, and she managed to reach the edge of the window.
A sudden tug at her foot made her grip on the rail over her head tighter, as she nearly fell on her back. If looks could kill, Cole would for sure be dead. "I'm trying to speed this up" he whispered. "How will a broken leg speed anything up?" She said, looping her other leg through. Cole held onto her waist, guiding her so that she could get in without a noise.
"I can help you loosen up" Ivory's voice echoed in the room, confirming that everything was going according to plan. Evelyn tried to scan the room, which proved to be hard with all the containers around them, creating long corridors in the big space. She caught herself overwhelmed and confused; how the hell would they find Jason when they can barely see over their noses?
Her eyes followed the sound of footsteps coming from the steel balcony over their heads as she could make out a figure entering a room. For the first time in a while, her and Cole shared the same thought; the advantage they had, being able to look upstairs, could very easily turn into a death sentence.
"Follow me" Cole mouthed, using Axel's description to guide him to the right, closer to where the stairs should be. "No" Evelyn whispered, her gaze stuck to the floor. Cole's face turned into a scowl. "The fuck you mean 'No'?" He spat. Too stunned to speak, she pointed to the trail of blood that shone through the darkness. Not saying a word, they followed it cautiously, the same thought tormenting them; the possibilities of that blood not belonging to one of their lovesd ones were slim.
The cold steel seemed to almost burn through Evelyn's fingertips, as they grazed on the containers around them. One could assume she used them for balance, but in reality she just needed something to keep her mind from derailing. Behind her, the boy already had. Immense guilt washed over him in headlong waves, as the reflection of the blood pierced through him repeatedly, making him bleed as well.
He was hotheaded, and he knew. But he never thought that this trait of his, could cause such destruction. If the trail belonged to his brother, he'd have to face the undying pain of having led one of his own to his death. Ironic. If it belonged to Aiden, he'd be confronted with the never ending remorse of being the reason a life was cut short- even if it was a life he had thought about ending many times before.
Evelyn came to an abrupt stop. "It ends here" she whispered, distraught. Cole sighed. He contemplated putting his hand in hers, but decided it was better not to. "Wait here. I'll go find Jay" he said, meeting with her wide eyes. "No. We have no idea how to get to him without getting caught, it's stup-"
The cold hand on the small of her back cut her off, and a scream would for sure have slipped out, if a second one hadn't been covering her mouth. "Shh, it's just me" the familiar, now hoarse voice put her heart back in its place, but it wasn't for long.
She turned to look at him; Her hands caressed his face, soft like feathers. Bruises tarnished the face she had grown to adore, various wounds sprawling over his body. No wound, though, could match the pain that pierced through Evelyn, sharp as a blade. His eyes shut briefly, savoring the first gentle touch he had felt in what seemed like weeks.
"What's she doin' here?" His tone was stern, as he looked at Cole. "I couldn't talk her out of it" he explained, hands in his pockets. Aiden scoffed, shaking his head. "That's funny. Protecting your people just isn't your thing I guess". He spat, but it wasn't Cole he got a reaction out of.
"Talk me out of it? We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me" Evelyn fired back, desperately wanting to shake off the title that was given to her. She lived her life very differently than any of the people in this room, but that didn't make her dumb, or in need of protection.
"You'll have all the time in the world to blame me, but for now we need to get our brother out of here" Cole argued. "I know where she's keeping him, come on" Aiden's usual dynamism was evident, but he'd need more than that to pull this off.
He had used all his strength trying to get down, and his body threatened to give up on him with the first step he took. Evelyn's hand on his shoulder, as well as her concerned expression revealed what she wanted to say, before she had the chance to.
"I have to help" he was almost begging. "You can barely stand. Look at how much blood you've lost already" she paused, pointing to the stained floor. "You'll collapse." Her voice was strained with agony.
She was trying to pinpoint what was causing this much blood, but with no luck. That realization frightened her even more. They needed to get him to a hospital as soon as possible â assuming they'd stay alive long enough to get back to him. That thought alone, gave Evelyn the strength of ten women combined. He was usually the one taking care of her, but today, it was her that had to help him.
He shook his head. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again, Eve. I'm coming" he announced. He risked a lot by coming back to her, but none of it compared to the damage he did to her. He felt obliged to undo it, even if that meant that he wouldn't come out of that warehouse.
The look in his eyes, convayed these thoughts to her, and she feared that his remorse would make it impossible to persuade him to stay back. "If you want to help me, wait in the car" she cut off the retort on the edge of his tongue. "I know you want to be the one to end this, but you'll only slow us down. For once, let me handle it, please" her pleas, as well as her soft grip on his arm, seemed to work. She was right, and there was no denying it.
With careful but swift movements, they helped Aiden climb out the window. Evelyn's heart ached at the thought of leaving him alone, but she knew that if she doesn't get to her brother, then Aiden went through all of this in vain. He assured her that Jason was untouched and well, which put her mind at ease momentarily, but they were running out of time, as Ivory wouldn't be able to hold them off for much longer.
Cole had remained quiet during most of their encounter with Aiden, but for no good reason. The more he observed him, the more cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He never thought that seeing Aiden in such a debilitated state would make him feel anything but serenity, but he was mistaken.
Was there anything he could do to make up for all that he caused? Would he ever be able to look at his mother's eyes and tell her he was the reason she nearly lost her boy? No. His cowardice wouldn't let him face any of them again, not even to give them the apology they deserved. The only thing left to do was get Jason back to safety, and away from him.
Evelyn let out a breath she was holding, ready for the next step. "I'm texting Ivory, we need to get Lindsay out of here quick if we wanna get upstairs" she said, pulling out her phone. "What should I-"
No.
Hell no.
Before she could finish her sentence, Cole had taken off, the same phrase leaving his lips repeatedly. "Jason, I need to find Jason" she could hear him whisper. Unable to yell at him, she just stood there, watching as he made what seemed like the dumbest decision possible.
~~~
i can't believe i'm finally posting 0.0
First of all, i wanna thank all of you for continuing to show your love to my child, and for all your lovely messages and comments! i haven't forgotten about this story, and finally, i had enough time to pick it up again.
i can't promise you another update soon, but it is in the works, and i'll do my best not to keep you waiting too long.
'Till next time folks <3