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Colton whistled, three short bursts: his cue for the team to move. The guards were already upon us, and adrenaline surged through my body as I fell into action, relying on my instincts. Fists flew, and I knocked a guard to the ground the next second, whirling as another came up behind me.
“Stick to the plan!” Colton shouted over the chaos, just as his team poured through the door. Colton caught my eye as I sent another guard sprawling. “Evan! This way.”
I hesitated, then followed, aware I had to hold up my end of the bargain. Sebastian broke free of the fray as Colton’s team took over handling the guards, and I fell into step beside him as Colton led us through the warehouse. Our eyes scanned the dimly lit space, searching for any hint of where Jax and Porter might be hidden.
This was the part of our plan that couldn’t be worked out ahead of time. We had no idea of the layout of this place, and we had to act fast.
“There,” Sebastian hissed, pointing toward a door tucked away in the corner. It was guarded by two hefty men who looked ready to rip us apart. We moved as one, the sound of fighting echoing through the warehouse as we made our way across the room to the waiting threats. My heart pounded in my chest as my dragon rose up, ready to burn them to ash, but I couldn't let him take over. Not yet.
A growl rumbled in my chest as I cracked my knuckles. Sebastian caught my eye and gave a subtle nod. Together, we lunged at the guards, fists connecting with flesh, taking one of them down together while Colton took care of the other. Then the path to the door was clear.
“Come on,” Colton said, glancing behind us at his team. The sounds of fighting echoed as we pushed through to find a darkened stairwell, looking as if it led far below ground. The air grew cold once we silently made our way down the stairs, the damp smell of mold clinging to the walls.
When we reached the bottom, it was only thanks to my enhanced vision that I was able to make out a near empty room. There, slumped against a wall, battered, but alive, was Jax. Relief washed over me.
“Jax!” My voice echoed off the concrete, and Colton sent me a warning look. He raised his gun, scanning the room as he went deeper into the darkness, while I rushed to Jax’s side. Thankfully, he wasn’t chained to a wall, but he might as well have been for all the strength he had left when I tried to help him to his feet. Getting him out was going to be a challenge, but we’d planned for this.
“Where's Porter?” I said as I slipped an arm around his waist, supporting most of his weight. He looked around, disoriented, before shaking his head, wincing with each movement.
“I don't know,” he managed to say. “They took him somewhere else.”
“Damn it.” I let out a string of curses under my breath. We'd come this far but still didn't have them both. At least we had Jax. If we could just find Porter, we could get the hell out of here.
“Do you know the layout of this place?” I said, glancing up at Sebastian, who wore a grimace as Colton continued to search the dark room.
Jax’s voice was strained from pain and exhaustion. “You should have just left me to my fate.”
“Like hell we would,” I said. Not so long ago, I could barely stand the man. Now it was my mission to get him out alive. “You're not dying today, Jax. Not on my watch.”
There was gratitude in his eyes, but there was something else there, too—something that looked a lot like guilt.
“Where's Porter?” I demanded. “We can’t leave without him.”
He looked away, agony etched on his battered face. “It's probably too late for him.”
My heart sank when I heard that. “What do you mean? What has Tomas done?”
Jax swallowed hard. The bruises on his neck meant he was in pain each time he tried. “I had my suspicions about what my dad was really up to, but I never thought he’d go this far.” He shook his head. “I didn’t want to believe it. And now…”
“Spit it out, Jax,” I said. We couldn’t wait around much longer. Surely an alarm had been triggered, and Tomas likely had his own backup ready for us. “We need to find Porter. Now.”
But before he could answer, one of Colton's men came rushing down the stairs, breathless. “You might want to follow me, sir,” he said urgently, his gaze fixed on Colton.
“Is it Porter?” I said, hope and dread mingling in my chest.
“Let’s go.” Colton turned to follow his man, gesturing for us to as well.
“Can you walk?” I said to Jax as I helped him stand, glancing at Sebastian.
“Yeah, I'll manage.” But he still leaned heavily on me for support. In a flash, Sebastian was on his other side, helping me practically carry Jax down the hall to another set of stairs. My mind was racing over what we might find when we climbed higher, my gut churning as I replayed Jax’s words. From how it sounded, Tomas’s plans were even darker and more twisted than we’d imagined.
The man leading our group moved quickly, the urgency in his steps fueling my own, and when we came to another section of the warehouse, I couldn't shake the feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn’t right.
“Through there,” the man said, pointing to a door at the end of a hallway.
Colton went first, followed by the other. I took a deep breath, then exchanged a glance with Sebastian as we pushed through the door, bracing for whatever might lie beyond.
The sight that greeted us was enough to make my blood run cold. There, sprawled on the ground, was Porter, battered, bruised, and unmoving. A surge of relief washed over me when my enhanced hearing picked up the very faint sound of his heartbeat. He was alive, though barely.
