Ethan hesitated another second and then released him, running toward the door. Ronan watched him as he slipped inside. Ethan met his gaze through the kitchen window, seeming to hesitate again. Ronan didn’t breathe again until he heard the lock slide into place. He smiled reassuringly at the young man. His plan was stupid and dangerous, but it wasn’t just about keeping Aiden safe. He wanted to protect the entire Varik clan. They were too important to Aiden to allow anything to happen to them.
Plus, Ronan found that he genuinely liked them with their snarky comments, strange quirks, and unwavering loyalty. And love. They all loved so deeply. That love would get Aiden through this if his idea failed miserably.
Stepping into the snow, he smiled to himself as he crossed the yard toward the woods. He wished he’d grabbed a knife or a sword. A nice blade would make quick work of these vampires, not that he wanted to kill them all off right away. Just enough to make them wary of him. But he could handle getting a little bloody with his bare hands. It has been years since he’d enjoyed a nice fight. He’d remind them why the Ministry had been happy to give him a wide berth for so long. No one fucked with a thousand-year-old vampire without paying the price.
Chapter Sixteen
When Aiden got Ronan back, he was going to strangle him.
Assuming he got him back.
No. He couldn’t think like that. Ronan was smart and he was strong. He would stay alive. He wouldn’t risk anything that would rip them apart after it had taken them so long to find each other.
Unless it meant keeping Aiden safe.
“Fuck!” Aiden shouted randomly, his hands clenched so tight into fists, they were shaking.
Bel reached over and covered one of Aiden’s hands in his own and squeezed. “We’ll get there in time. He’s fine. He’s a damn idiot, but he’s fine.”
Aiden turned his hand and grabbed Bel’s, clutching it tightly. It had been years since he’d held the hand of any of his children, but right now, it was surprisingly calming. Well, maybe not calming. It was helping to keep the worst of the panic at bay.
Turning his head, he stared out the window at the darkness as it raced past. Wyatt was driving the SUV with River in the passenger seat next to him. Aiden had jumped into the back with Bel and Rafe. He couldn’t trust himself to drive right now, even if they were simply following Winter and the others in the rescue van. Ethan was working hard in the van to track the signal from Ronan’s phone.
He just prayed they didn’t think to ditch Ronan’s phone before they reached their ultimate destination. Not that he could even guess where they were headed. He thought Mara and Heller might be drawing them to some warehouse or even to the airport, where she could get Ronan shipped back to Europe, but they’d been heading northwest for several minutes now. They were far from the city, with trees and mountains passing by his window.
“Where the devil are we?” Rafe grumbled as he shifted in his seat.
“The last sign said we’re approaching Simsbury,” River said from the front.
“Shit.” Rafe swore softly and dug for his phone. He started typing rapidly, and Aiden leaned forward to look at him.
“What?” Bel demanded.
“David says that he’s got people at the various airports. I thought I saw one listed for Simsbury. I’m checking with him and Sofia.”
Aiden closed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. When Ethan had run into the room, he’d just sensed the other vampires approaching the house. There had been no moving fast enough. They ran outside and into the woods, but they were already too late. In the distance, car doors slammed and engines roared as they sped away. Three vampires were found on the ground with their throats torn out, but there was no Ronan.
They’d taken him, likely as he’d predicted they would. Mara would want revenge, and the tastiest would be handing him over to the Ministry. He could begin to imagine how she planned to keep him subdued for the entire flight. His Ronan would rather crash the plane into the ocean than return to the Ministry.
“Yes,” Rafe said suddenly, breaking the silence. “There’s a small airfield in Simsbury, about three miles from where we are now. I bet they’re taking him there.”
Bel leaned closer, looking over his brother’s shoulder