Page 56 of Fatal Vengeance

I keep pace in front of Prudence while we charge ahead, our steps echoing around the carved stone walls, even as we try to move as quietly as we can. Or maybe I'm just hearing the pounding of my heart in my ears.

The flickering candles lighting the path are ominous in more than one way. Not only are they casting our shadows in every direction and making my skin prickle with goosebumps, but clearly, if the candles are lit, then The Celestials are down here. And if they're down here, I'm even more confident that my family is.

We just have to find them… and hope they're okay.

We come to a fork, the path splitting off left and right, and I can't remember which way leads to the room Prudence was held in. I'd caught her running from that direction last time, after she pulled some badass shit and got herself free, but there was so much going on that I have no clue which way is right.

Prudence brushes my shoulder as she slips in front of me, looking down each pathway. She shakes her hands out and then points down the right one, whispering, "I think it's this way."

"Are you sure? Because we really don't need to run into any trouble before we find Creed and Griffin," I murmur as I step right up behind her and place my hand on her waist. I peer down the path she's pointing down, but the candles only do so much, and it's dark as fuck.

Prudence shrugs helplessly, taking a few steps forward. "I don't know," she says anxiously, turning back to look at me with concern swimming in her eyes.

I rake my hand through my hair, warring with myself. "Well, fuck, me either. Maybe it was that way?" I point down the left path, heading that way, but just as I get a few feet away from Prudence, footsteps echo up the path I'm staring into, and my stomach plummets.

I rush back to her and snatch her hand in mine, yanking her as I run down the right side. Our footsteps are loud and Prudence is panting from the exertion, but there's nothing I can do about that now. We either take our time, be silent, and possibly get caught or we run like hell, announcing our presence, and hope we find who we came here for before it's too late.

Shouts follow us as we run down the corridor, and a manic laugh bursts from me. With Prudence's hand in mine and my heart thrashing at this life or death situation we're in, I call out over my shoulder, "Hey, if we die tonight, I think now's a good time to tell you I love you."

Her steps falter at my admission, but she rights herself quickly and keeps pace while we follow the curving path and spill out into a big circular room with a goddamn altar in the middle. There's a hole in the ceiling right above it, which is letting in the natural moonlight, and countless lit candles flickering around the stone altar, which is decidedly blood stained…

But that's not what has me coming to a shocked halt.

No, that would be the sight of Griffin and Creed on their knees before the altar, bags over their heads and their hands bound behind their backs. I don't need to see their faces to know it's them. They've been stripped down to their boxers, and their bare skin is covered in bruises and cuts, drying blood smeared everywhere, and fucking hell, it's a horrifying sight. Creed is shouting threats of brutal murder to the people who did this while Griffin is grunting and struggling against his bindings, but it's obvious he's too weak to break free.

Prudence gasps and jerks forward, pulled to her other two lovers like an invisible string is drawing her nearer. She runs to them and drops down in front of Creed, and I'm right behind her, stopping in front of Griffin and pulling the bag off his head.

Creed snarls and jerks away from Prudence's touch, but she whispers soothingly, "Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be alright. It's me and Asher." His muscles relax instantly, and she removes the cover from his head next.

"What— How did you—" Griffin stammers weakly, blinking between me and Prudence as if he thinks he might be hallucinating this moment.

I smile at him in relief a second before slamming my lips to his, gripping his bearded jaw in my hands to keep him close. Griffin groans into my mouth, his tongue hungry and eager as it meets mine, and my fucking god, I missed him. Even if they were only gone for just over twenty-four hours, it was too goddamn long.

I end our kiss and drop my forehead to his, murmuring, "Don't ever do this shit again, or I'm going to chain you to me and make sure you're never more than five feet away."

Griffin huffs out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Promise," he rasps.

I stand and round him so I can undo the thick rope knotted around his wrists, biting out a curse when I see the other end of the rope is tied around their ankles. No wonder the guys didn't try and run for it, even though they were alone in here.

We're fucked.

Prudence is already working on Creed's, but from the curse she mutters under her breath, she's not having a ton of luck. When I reach down to start on Griffin's, I hiss in a pained breath. He's been tugging on them relentlessly for who knows how long, and his wrists have been rubbed fucking raw. There's blood dripping down his hands and puddling on the stone floor beneath him.

"Jesus, Griff," I choke out, trying to be gentle as I start on the knot. "Hang on, man, I'm gonna get you out of this."

A few moments later, those footsteps that were following us sound throughout the room, announcing our very limited time. Prudence whimpers in terror, looking to me for help. "Asher, I-I can't get Creed untied. What do I do?"

I grit my teeth, having trouble with Griffin's too. We're running out of time, and unless the FBI do show up and save our asses, I don't see this ending well. But I won't leave Creed and Griffin here, no matter what, so it looks like Prudence and I will have to fight like hell to keep the bound fuckers safe for as long as we can.

Oh, fuck the wrists.

I frantically start pulling and yanking on the knot around Griffin's ankles, hoping at the very least, I can get him on his feet. I tell Prudence to do the same, and she frantically starts on Creed's ankles.

A few seconds later, five elder members in white robes come striding into the altar room at a lazy pace, like they weren't concerned about us getting away. I look up as sweat beads on my brow, meeting my father's heartless eyes while he leads the others in.

He grins at me in such a cold, detached way that I swear I see my death reflected back at me. "Hello, son," he muses as he comes to a stop a few feet away and the other four fan out around him. "Glad you two could join us. It's going to be quite the night."

"Get out of here, both of you," Griffin growls in a low, lethal voice, turning to catch Prudence's gaze. Her eyes are swimming in tears, fear riding her hard, but she steels herself and shakes her head at him. "Dammit, Prudence, go!" he snaps at her, and then turns to plead with me.

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