Page 31 of Stay With Me
Suddenly, an alarm sounds loudly throughout the entire house. The shrill tone echos down every hall and my eyes go wide as they snap to Everett’s.
“Basement, NOW!” Breaker shouts. He opens a cabinet in the kitchen and retrieves a pistol from its hiding place. Momentarily, I wonder who the fuck keeps pistols next to their cereal bowls, but it’s Breaker we’re talking about.
Ember holds Silas tightly to her chest while Willow scoops up Scarlett, wrapping her hand tightly around her tiny ears.
Within seconds, we all hustle down the basement steps. Ember shushes her son softly against her chest as Willow does the same with Scarlett. I have an arm wrapped around Jax, who looks scared but is trying to put on a tough face. Glass shatters somewhere on the main level as Everett and Elijah arm themselves from a cabinet in the corner of the basement living area.
“Everybody good?” Eli asks, rubbing his son’s head gently and kissing Ember’s cheek.
Breaker holds his position at the top of the stairs while Everett stands guard at the bottom. Elijah seems to look over each of us, assessing our safety and mental status. His brows furrow as he furiously searches the room.
“Where the fuck is Aurora?” He shouts, eyes snapping to Everett, who immediately looks to Breaker.
“She was in the shower,” Ember says desperately. Eli is already climbing the stairs. Breaker sprints from his post at the basement door in search of her. Glass shatters again from somewhere upstairs, followed by a scream.
“Fuck! Kelsea, take this,” Everett shoves a pistol in my hand, the cold steel feeling foreign against my skin. “This door is solid. No one can get through the biometric security. Do not open it for anyone, no matter what you hear. One of us will come back for you guys.”
“Ev, wait! I don’t know how to use this!” I say, my voice panicked and unsure.
“Here, take Silas. I’ve got it,” Ember says, taking the gun from my hand and passing me her baby. “Eli’s been teaching me. I can handle it.”
Everett nods to his sister, kisses my forehead quickly, and runs up the stairs. He shuts the door behind him, leaving us in terrified silence.
twenty-four
Anxietyand adrenaline rush through my bloodstream as I make my way through the house towards Breaker’s bedroom. I can hear Eli and Break shouting and a third voice I don’t recognize yells back. Between the thunderous roars, I hear the tiniest whimpers and sobs coming from Rory, somewhere in that room.
As I step through the doorway, I see a man dressed in all black holding Aurora with one hand around her throat and the other pressing a gun to her head. Elijah and Breaker both have their weapons trained on him. Aurora is trembling in his grasp, naked and terrified, with blood coming from a cut in her lip.
“Let her go,” Eli says, the venom in his voice saturating the room around us. Breaker’s white-knuckled grip on his pistol is a direct expression of the rage coursingthrough his veins right now. His eyes are locked on Aurora’s, desperate to end the suffering she’s enduring.
The man’s grip tightens around her throat and she whimpers, “I don’t know boys, I kinda like holding on to this little hellcat.”
Tears stream down her face, and Breaker takes a step closer. “Let her go or I’ll fucking end you,” he shouts to the intruder.
The man trains his gun on Breaker, “Ah ah ah, watch it. I have no problem putting a bullet in this pretty head.” He yanks aurora’s hair, tilting her head back until she’s wincing. I can see the anguish playing out in Breaker’s eyes, knowing he can’t make a move without someone getting hurt.
“It’s me you’re after, asshole. Just let her go,” I speak up, drawing his attention away from Breaker.
“That fucking congressman is willing to pay a pretty penny for you, even more if we bring you back alive,” he sneers, a sinister grin spreading across his lips.
I exchange a look with Elijah, who gives me a small shake of his head. I know no one will be happy with what I’m about to do, but I won’t let them pay for my sins.
“Then take me and let her go.” I slowly place my pistol on the floor, putting my hands up in surrender.
“Oh fuck no, you’re not going anywhere.” Elijah makes a move to stop me, but I shake him off.
“You let her go and I’ll go with you. You can take me to the congressman and get your fucking money.” I hope I’m at least buying some time for the guys to come up with a plan. But if not, I’d gladly trade my life for Aurora’s. She’s innocent in all of this.
“Get over here. On your fucking knees,” the man motions for me to kneel in front of him and I do. “Put these on him.” He gives Aurora a pair of zip-cuffs and shoves her towards me. Her hands tremble and tears roll down her cheeks as she tightens the restraints around my wrists.
“Please don’t do this, Ev,” she whispers to me, but I don’t respond.
Once I’m secured, he shoves aurora towards the guys. Breaker immediately pushes her behind him, stripping his shirt off and handing it to her.
“Now everybody’s gonna play real nice until we’re long gone,” the intruder says, grabbing me by the arm and hauling me to my feet. We back out of the bedroom, his gun pressed tightly to my side while Eli and Breaker keep theirs trained on him. We make our way to the front door, the man kicking it open behind us. There’s a black SUV idling at the end of the driveway with two people standing just outside the gate, rifles strapped to their chests. These men came here willing to do whatever was necessary to leave with me. I’m even more convinced that I made the right decision to trade placeswith aurora, knowing they wouldn’t have hesitated to end her life.
“I don’t fucking like this, Everett,” Elijah grits out between clenched teeth. “This is a stupid idea. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
