Relief lets loose some of the tension in his body.
“How did you find me?”
Koen reaches down, picking up the silver chain around my neck, holding up the little Celtic knot on the end. “You never took this off.”
My brows furrow in confusion; he just watches me expectantly until I work it out.
“You—” I gasp in shock. “You put atrackerin it?”
The corner of his mouth ticks up.
“I said you would always be safe, so long as you kept this on.”
God, I want to hug and punch him all at the same time.
“I told you, Briar Rose, there’s no escaping me.Not this time.”
91
STAY
KOEN
I’ve got her…She’s okay…She’s okay.
Part of me still can’t believe it as I hold Briar’s hand, her fingers swallowed by the sleeves of my sweatshirt, pulling her behind me, gun out, as we move through the hallway and down the stairs.. Gunfire and screams fill the air around us. I turn right for the door but stop short, meeting resistance.
Glancing back, I find Briar, feet planted and shaking her head. “Where are we going?” she asks.
“I’m getting you the fuck out of here,” I tell her, stepping again toward the front door, but she doesn’t budge.
“Briar…”
She shakes her head, taking a step backwards. “No. No, I’m not leaving Lily.”
My eyes scan the foyer, constantly looking for threats. “The others will get her out.”
She looks at me, and when my eyes meet hers, my jaw tenses at the steely defiance I find in her hard blue eyes.Fuck. I stand there thinking for a moment, contemplating just how mad she’ll be if I throw her over my shoulder and force her out.
“Please, Koen,” she begs, and I sigh, knowing I’ve already lost.
“Fuck. Fine!” I relent, turning left. “But stay behind me.”
We pass several bodies on the way to the basement, and I pull out my radio. “Anyone have eyes on Lily?”
Both teams report back a “negative,” and I internally curse before starting downstairs.
The cavernous basement of the mansion has erupted into a war zone. The cages have all been opened, and most of the girls have fled or are hiding, but some still crouch inside, too afraid to leave, hands covering their ears as gunshots continue to ring out from further in.
“Stay close!” I shout at Briar behind me. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, doing my best to keep her body shielded with mine.
Two guards appear around the corner up ahead and they raise their guns, but it’s already too late—I drop them both.
There’s more gunfire up ahead near the processing rooms and I move toward it, until it stops. Freezing, I keep my gun trained on the doorway, letting out a breath when a familiar face steps through it.
Alex has his gun trained on my head, but he drops it as soon as he realizes it’s me, and steps toward us. Mac follows closely behind with Lily in his arms.
“Lily,” Briar breathes out in quiet relief at my back, and immediately I switch us into reverse.
