Page 33 of Crimson Flames

My throat constricts thinking about all of the things that could go wrong. The house could be under attack right now and we would be none the wiser.

Except, that’s not true. Lev and Damien are there, and I know they would get word to us instantly. Not to mention, Alexi has an arsenal of weapons stocked in the basement, and there are plenty of people guarding the exterior.

But what if that all goes away when things calm down and that’s when the enemy strikes?

“I will be honest with you, Kai,” Alexi says as we watch Evie sit in a chair looking defeated, “I have fear coursing through me daily. It comes with being part of the underworld. However, Ihave also found the greatest family I could have ever asked for in this life. We fight for each other, sacrifice, and claw our way to better days even when we are fifty feet under.”

Alexi turns to me, something shining in his bright blue eyes that makes me really hear his next words.

“And we will fight for you too. You are allowed to be disappointed in us, angry even. But we will still fight for you.”

I swallow hard, emotion clogging my throat because I have never heard those words before. No one has ever fought for me, it’s always been me fighting for myself or others.

When all I can do is nod, I think Alexi understands why that means so much.

“If there is any information you can think of, I am always here.”

Evie comes back and they both begin making phone calls while I try to recall anything of importance. I need to get them this man’s name.

It’s on the tip of my tongue; I can almost taste it.

Maybe that’s just leftover Twizzlers.

Alexi paces the floor just like Boris does, and Evie sounds like she’s assembling the Avengers for a mission. I swear if they have someone like Iron Man on this team, I will fanboy so fucking hard.

No no no. Focus, Kai.

“Do you know where the other camp was?” Evie asks me with the phone pressed to her ear.

“I remember it wasn’t in Norway. They had to take a plane to get to it, but I don’t know if they ever said where it was to me. I never really expected someone to save us, so I didn’t file all the information away.”

I look down at the floor, frustrated I can’t freaking remember such an important piece of information. I’m a kid, I should be able to remember everything.

But too often, my thoughts were with the others when I was in the room with the guards. I constantly scanned to make sure the ones I knew would beat the kids were with me as often as possible.

Some would try to take food from us as punishment, but we created a good system for handling it so it was less of a worry when I was away.

Every meal Mikey, Isaiah, and I would save our bread and pocket it. If food was taken from someone, then we would put it under their pillow when we got back to the bunker. That way, at night they could eat.

Survival was never just about one of us. It was always how we could help each other.

“Kai, the guards got to Pokey again. He won’t come out from under the bed,” Mikey informs me as he walks into the training room.

Pokey had been struggling ever since he lost a match against the twins. They pulled his hair, and one of them split his cheek. I’ll never forget how all three of them cried afterwards, and I was the one who had to pick up the pieces.

It took hours of explaining that bad men can make other people do mean things, but that doesn’t make the other person bad. Pokey eventually forgave the girls, but the guard who forced their match is still a sore spot for him.

“I’ve got it.”

I head back to the bunkers to hear the man yelling. The bunk beds have a wire piece on the bottom that Pokey can squeeze underneath, and the guards can’t get to him from there since they are bolted to the walls. It has probably saved his life a few times.

“You little shit, get out here before I set this place on fire!”

I hear Pokey whimper as I approach the man from behind. They never tell us their names, so I just make them up. It confuses them, which is the extent of the fun I have in here.

“Hey, Greg. The bunker is made of metal and concrete. What exactly are you going to burn?”

The man spins, glaring at me with a gaze so sharp it feels like it could cut my skin open. “Get him to the training room.”

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