Page 120 of Beautiful Revenge

“Right.” Aiden joins me and we tap along all the walls until we meet in the middle. Our final tap reveals something hollow underneath.

“A hidden door.”

Aiden shakes his head. “A hidden fucking door.”

“Ladies first,” I say, motioning the way.

“Not funny right now, Finn.” Aiden enters the through the door into a long corridor that is just made out of dirt. What the fuck is Sal getting up to?

We make our way through the entire tunnel and up in another basement.

“The house next door,” Aiden says. He’s right. The fucker has the two houses connected with a secret tunnel. I swear Sal is more like a cartoon villain than real fucking life. If I wasn’t so worried for Aria right now, I’d probably laugh.

Neither Sal or Aria are in this next basement so we head upstairs. And that’s when I see her.

Aria strapped to the same table she was once before. Her dress is cut open and Sal is drawing his knife along her stomach. Her screams of pain crush me.

“Fucker,” I growl, running towards them with my gun drawn. Sal ducks down when I fire my gun. I can’t keep shooting. I might hit Aria instead.

From his position behind the table, he’s able to untie Aria’s wrists. When he stands back up, he uses her body as a shield.“I wouldn’t think of shooting me again, Finn.” His hand is right next to her breast. Her stomach is bleeding.

I brought Aria into Sal’s orbit. I need to be the one to save her, even if it kills me.

“Let her go,” Aiden demands.

Sal’s eyes light up. “Oh. How interesting. Both brothers are here now. I thought I heard you next door.”

“Let her go,” Aiden says again.

“Or what?”

“Or you’re going to find out what happens when you piss my brother off.”

I smile. “Aiden is right. You don’t want to be on my bad side, Sal. Why don’t we fight like men? No weapons. Right here and right now.”

“You see, if I do that, then your brother here is going to get my little plaything to safety and I can’t have that.”

Aria whimpers. The sound hits me right in the fucking gut.

“She’s not your plaything,” I growl.

“Oh really? I thought she was.” He brings his knife right to her throat. “I can easily kill her right here and right now and there’s no way you can stop me. I’ll only stop if you give me that delicious pregnant girl back.”

“No,” Aiden snaps. “You will not have Elena.”

“You can have me.” The words are out of my mouth before I even realize I’m speaking. “You can kill me, Sal. You were hired to do it anyway. Let Aria go and you can kill me. No funny business. You wanted me dead. Now’s your chance.”

“Hmm.” He taps the knife against Aria’s throat. “Interesting proposal. I do like it. But, you see, I don’t trust either one of you. The second I let my plaything go, you’re going to kill me. So, I don’t think so.” While keeping his knife against Aria’s throat, he undoes the cuffs around her ankles and drags her off the table.“I’m taking her with me and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Keeping Aria in front of him with his knife to her throat, Sal walks backwards to the basement door. Aria pleads with her eyes for me to help her. I want to so fucking badly but I can’t risk her getting killed. I need to find a way to save her when she’s not in such a dangerous position.

Sal smiles like he’s won as he backs down the stairs. The second they’re at the bottom, Aiden and I run after them.

He throws Aria to the ground and runs into the tunnel, slamming the door behind him.

“Aria,” I rush to her side.

“Get him,” she says. “I’m fine. I’m not dying. Just kill him. End him now. I’ll be fine.”

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