be fine. I promise.”
My stomach tightens and I clutch it as a wave of pain shoots through me when it hits me who is there.
And it’s not just Wyatt I’m scared for.
“Lily’s there,” I whisper.
“What?” Landon asks, his hardened eyes coming to me.
“No,” Hayden whispers, reaching for Hope’s hand and squeezing when she whimpers. “They’ll be okay, Hope.”
“I’ll call Maverick and Teagan,” Charlotte murmurs, pulling her phone out with trembling hands.
“She came to the office earlier to see where Jaxon was working, remember. I gave her the address.”
“Fuck!” Landon growls, gritting his teeth. “Can we not catch a fucking break?”
Paisley hiccups, ducking her head into Landon’s chest. “My brothers.”
I have to believe Wyatt is okay, that they all are.
“Okay, the library on the first floor?” Maddox asks. “Okay, I found the tunnels. No, it doesn’t go down that much from the bunker. The tunnel is low, so it will be cramped if these calculations are correct. There will be a few steps down before it leads to the tunnel. Follow that and it will lead you to a manhole at the back of the garden. But, mate, these prints are years old. I’ve got the originals on me, but I left the recent copy at work. There’s no telling if the manhole was covered up over the years. Right. We are on our way.”
He ends the call and Landon steps forward, Paisley crying in his arms. “What’s going on?”
“Some kids have set the house on fire,” he explains, rolling the blueprints back up. “Jaxon, Wyatt, Reid and Lily are surrounded, so even if they could get down safely, they’ve got a group of young lads outside waiting with bats. And if their only escape is covered, we need to be there to dig them out.”
Hearing Wyatt’s name has my stomach turning, and my knees lock to stop myself from collapsing. I rub at my chest, feeling tears burn the back of my eyes. I don’t understand why I’m having such a strong reaction. I know I like him, but this feels different. I barely know him.
This is all my fault.
“We need to go,” Landon rushes out. “Paisley, stay here.”
“No! I’m coming.”
“The police have been called, so she’ll be safe there. Come on,” Maddox barks, pulling open the car door. “I want to get my hands on one of them and wring their fucking necks.”
“We’re coming,” Hayden rushes out.
“Stay here,” Landon snaps, when his sister takes a step forward.
“Yeah, fuck that. I’m coming. Lily is going to need us. And Hope’s a nurse. She can help if she’s hurt. So stop wasting our fucking time.”
“Come on.”
“I’ll get in touch with the others. See where they are,” I inform them, my throat tightening.
Charlotte squeezes my hand before jumping into the back of Hope’s car.
I close my eyes, praying that they all get out safely and unharmed.
CHAPTER FOUR
WYATT
Thick black clouds of smoke choke the air as the fire begins to devour the walls of the library. We needed to move, and quick, before the fire turns us, along with the house, into ash.
Reid shrugs off his jacket, soaking it with the remains of water he has left in the forgotten bottle of water on the table.
“Cover your face,” he orders Lily.
She nods, placing it over her mouth and nose, and Reid helps secure it to the back of her head as Jaxon gets off the phone.
“Let’s go. Maddox said it leads to a manhole at the back of the garden. Once we have Lily somewhere safe, we can go sort them dickheads out ourselves.”
“You don’t think it’s—you know…” I start, coughing over the thick smoke.
“Black? Yes, I do,” he grinds out, his jaw clenched. “Let’s go.”
When Jaxon goes to take a step into the secret passageway, I step forward, placing a hand to his chest, stopping him. “I’ll go first. It’s dark down there,” I explain, getting my phone out to turn on the torch.
A worried expression mars his face as he gives me a sharp nod. “Be quick.”
Although the lights are still on from earlier, it’s hard to see with the smoke. I lift up my phone light higher, using it to guide me down as best as it can.
Smoke begins to follow us as we descend into the darkness on the stairs. “How sure is he about the manhole?”
“He isn’t, but it’s the best shot we have at getting out of here,” Jaxon snaps. “He said the stairs don’t go down much deeper into the ground, just enough to lead to