|Aaron's POV|

I WAS ANXIOUS as fuck. Bryce was nowhere to be found and Reuben fucking lost her. I try to cool my nerves and think rationally but I was two snaps away from murdering everyone.

I flex my hands on my knees and watch the cords of veins in my arms contract.

I'll murder Liam when I find him. He took something of mine and I might just have to end everything of his.

"Have you checked the girls dorm?" Olivia rattled through the screen Sersha was holding.

"Yeah." Sersha pursed her lips to hide her sob. "Principal Simone told us to stay here until she gets further notice. Aaron has already run laps around the whole school."

I get up frustrated. I've been put down for five minutes and my mind was going insane. I needed to do something. Find her.

"You guys will find her." Olivia confidently put out, her voice lagging due to the shitty internet quality. West didn't even take her fucking phone.

I pulled at my hair and let out an angered sound. I threw the door open and went out,  jumping down the steps for the hundredth time trying to look somewhere. Anywhere.

Reuben looks up at the sound of my stomping. His face goes from dread to alertness. "I can't find her." I ignore him. As much as I love Reuben I don't trust myself not to punch him. I have anger issues and they get violent. "Aaron. I don't know where else to look."

I turn to him in a flash. "Search the whole damn academy. Search the whole damn world if we have to to. I'm not losing her." I turn back around and walk to Simone's office. I barge in through the polished brown doors and watch her jump in her seat.

"Have you no manners, Mr. Mercer-"

"Where's West?" I ground out looking between her and the short woman present next to her. She was holding a clip board and a frown so deep I would not be surprised if she was made of plaster.

Simone's face contorted in a perplexing manner. "West?" The short woman looked at us, intrigued.

"Bryce. Where's Bryce?" I impatiently ask looking at her desk. Nothing. No paperwork.

"We are looking around for her. All staff and security are on foot and searching. You students are ordered to stay in your dormitories till the investigation is cleared."

"I need to find her."

"Mr. Mercer, I understand that you love Bryce but there isn't anything we can do until we have everyone safe and she is located. Your aggression needs to be calmed. I understand that you feel-"

I was not here for a fucking therapy session. For fuck's sake what was wrong with everyone?

"I want access to the CCTV cameras around the whole perimeter ." With Owen at the hospital we could not hack into the system and gain the footage we needed. So I was dependent on the permission tabs.

Simone looked at me through her large cheetah framed glasses wildly. "Aaron that is prohibited to any student." I scoff and look back at the short woman who seems thoroughly offended that I live on the same planet as her.

Reuben gives me a tilt of his head. A warning not to push. Like hell I wasn't. "Are you compromising the safety of your students or is that no longer your priority?"

Simone thinned her lips and I swore steam puffs left her nostrils. How did West like her? "Aaron Mercer, I will not ask again. You are dismissed to your dormitory until further notice." I splay my hands on her desk and lean down with a dangerous look.

"I want the footage." Simone opened her red painted mouth again but somebody cut her off.

"Give it to him, Simone." I jumped internally but did not give anyone the advantage. My eyes cut to a man standing in the far corner of the office. He wore a dove-grey coat with a a darker flat cap.

I half expected him to hold a cigar too but instead his arms were crossed as he stared at me quizzically. At least some one appreciates my looks. "Nigel, I-"

"Simone." He presses at her and cuts his attention to me. "Can you find the girl, boy?"

"I can certainly do a better job then whatever the fuck you guys have been up to."

"Language!" The woman screeched. West could swear if front of Simone but I couldn't. Favorites must be loose throws these days.

Nigel walked to me and stopped a meter away. It was enough for me to assess him and him to assess me. "Apparently the footage has been rigged. Somebody had put it on loop."

I curse loudly and look at Reuben who had the same annoyed expression. We were running in circles.

"But-" Nigel paused looking at Reuben. "I did manage to keep a private camera after the first attack. I have footage on there that I can use. We must retrieve it."

"And where would it be located?"

Nigel picked at his coat and drawled tossing away imaginary lint, "Under the pine tree at the boys dormitory."

"There are five different pine trees." Reuben hissed impatiently. I didn't have intense blood pressure but I felt in this moment that my blood could explode at any second. Being patient meant pausing. And I was not going to pause for even a second.

"The thin one." Nigel looked at our exasperated faces and huffed. "Just follow me, lads." We didn't waste a moment. My head was crushing in thoughts and my chest felt like a fucking fire. I don't know why and I don't get these emotions I'm feeling but they are real and they... hurt.

I can't imagine the thought of what Liam would do to Bryce. He's a nut-job and apparently a runaway from the psych ward. And the worst part is that he is unpredictable. Someone like him can be capable of anything.

But one thing is for sure. If he touches West in anyway- any single fucking way. I will twist off every single one of his bones and burn them. Not to mention the other slow ways I could use to kill him. I would end him in many platforms and enjoy it.

I would kill him.

Suddenly being a murderer sounds delightful. Delightful enough to pursue it making me look forward to see that horrible fake blonde hair of his.

"Are you listening, boy!" Nigel snapped at me as we sped walked down the slope towards the red bricked dorms. I gave him a lazy eye and retrieved out of my own reverie as he muttered to the heavens above. "I will need to know if you are armed."

"I'm not." I causally lie though I could feel every single metal or handle press against me as if accusing me of treachery.

He gives me the pointed  look. "I can see two guns peeking out from under your belt not to mention the knife strapped to your arm. Are you some hero, boy? Do you like dramatizing an entrance? Woo the girl type, boy?" His voice irritated me.

Reuben hid his laugh as I halted at Nigel. I could rip his salt and pepper moustache right off and let him have it as a toupee for his balding head. "Call me boy one more time and you will regret it." He swallowed and looked in front towards his fucking tree.

"This one, b-men." He amended making me roll my eyes. He stood in front of a tree that looked exactly like the other and pointed between the branches. "Right there." He points at the few broken branches that were limping to the sides. I easily manage to grab  the camera from the tape textile thanks to my height.

I bring down the black camera and hold it to him. He snatches it from my hands immediately. "This-", he pulls out the USB. "Is special because I had this designed to transmit all footage into this device to make my life easier." He holds up the hard drive with a grin. I stare at it skeptically but there was no defiance that hope was building in my chest. Brick by brick.

"Excuse me. Who are you again?" Reuben breaks in looking at the man wearily. I don't blame him. Nigel tips his hat at him and shines his teeth as if he had been practicing his answer in front of the mirror all day for this very moment l. I would not be surprised though.

"I am a private detective. The best one in Archdale."

"I've never heard of you." I take the USB from him to see him frown unimpressed.

"Because I am private. Now come on. Let's not waste anymore time then necessary. We still have a student who is most likely on school grounds thanks to the paparazzi waiting outside."

Reuben glanced at me and I shrug. I didn't hire all of them. Just enough to make sure Liam would not get out of the school grounds. The rest of the shitheads who got access to Bryce's medical files and personal details and mine were not my idea. They were just ants who happened to find crumbs to munch on.

We go into a small room and Nigel pulls out his boxy laptop quickly and puts the drive into the slide. He clicks a few times and we wait patiently for the footage to be downloaded. He drags the window to the center and pressed play.

He hovers his curser over the timeline and tries to skip forward to the scene. He moves forward until we see West climbing up a pipe. I nearly palm my head if it were not for the acceleration of my heart.

I leaned down, drawn to the video of her, and fist my hands as I see Liam grab her and yank her down. He pulls her somewhere in the center and says something to her. "Why can't we hear them?" I growl.

"It's a footage not a video." Nigel says as if that makes total sense.

I look at the security guards and watch them do nothing. They were accomplices. Fucking hell.

"There!" Reuben pressed his finger onto the screen causing a light area to appear due to the pressure. I squint my eyes as he drags her down a pitch. There's a boy too.

I can't see his face but I recognize his frame. I must have met him somewhere. And by the way Bryce is shouting at him she must know him too.

I zoom in onto the face and curse. Archer. Of course she would walk willingly for him. How did they get Archer?

"Know him?" Reuben asks. I nod and tell him. "Real smooth." He mutters and looks back at the image.

"He's going down that place. It'll lead to a dead end and the-" I cut off my words and jerk my head up. Of course. "He's in the indoor sports court. It's locked due to maintenance and investigation."

"How'd he get in?" Nigel asks looking between us. I roll my shoulders and walk out with Reuben behind me.

We run to the place and I swear I feel like I'm floating. I feel like I may just mystify if I don't get to see her face. Touch her. There's too much overwhelming emotion in me it makes my throat close up with every meter we come closer. I don't know what to do with all these feelings but I sure as hell won't give them up. They are mine.

I look the shattered window and confirm my suspensions. I immediately clamp my hands and wince at the bite of glass against my palms and torso as I pull myself up and over. Reuben is more logical and careful then me and barely receives anything but scratches. I walk towards the heart of the dark room and spot them.

Bingo.

The only problem is that it's Archer and one of the security guards. Archer looks bruised as hell and his head is bent as the guard knees him.

I pull out my gun and make sure the sound of it getting locked is echoed through the room. The guard freezes and barely gets to turn before I shoot him. I ignore the thud of his limp body and move to Archer.

Yanking down the gag I shoot my question. "Where is she?"

He juts his chin to the garage. "There. Go get her."

"I will." I look at Reuben who checks the pulse of the guard and gives me a confident nod.

I run to the garage and press the buzzer to pull the hood up. It's a few meters up before I slid in and get face to face with Liam's back.

He's holding Bryce's sagged frame in his arms and pressing her to the wall. His mouth is forming words as he strokes her with his gun. I snap and use the butt of gun to hit the back of his head.

"I told you I'd kill you." I hiss as he throws a punch on to me. He was fast on his feet as I swing at him. His fists make contact with my shoulder and he pushes me against the wall harshly.

I stare at him in a mixture or red and fire. My eyes cut to Bryce who was panting on the floor looking extremely pale. There was not too much intense damage.

"You just can't fucking leave us alone, can you?" Liam snags me against the corner. I press the nuzzle of my gun to his abdomen and he placed one to my chest. I tense under the cold metal that digs into my flesh. "You can't win a losing game."

"Liam. Don't-" Bryce stumbles forward gripping her stomach. She has a bruise on her face that was hidden behind her hair.

"What did you fucking do to her?" I yell into Liam's face. He snarled and fleeted his eyes to Reuben and Archer. They were unarmed and I could tell both of them could not fight off a bullet. None of us could. But physical tactics was hard to achieve right now too.

But Liam did not know if they have bullets. Not that this was an advantage either.

"Fucking shoot me and I'll take him to hell with me." He snarled at both of them. Archer made way for Bryce put Liam shoots a bullet to the roof causing spot to rain down gently. I try to dodge but he slams the nuzzle back into my flesh. "Move to her and I kill you too."

"Liam stop this. I'll go with you. Just leave them alone. I'm begging you." West sobs and Liam looks at her compelled. His blonde hair sticks to his forehead as she stares at her deprived.

"You'll come with me?"

"You aren't taking her." I grit at them and West ignores me and moves to Liam.

Her eyes are watery and she mouths at me. Sorry. "I'll go with you. I promise. Just- just leave them alone. Leave them alone." She repeats it to him trying to coax him into calmness.

Liam steps back an inch and contemplates the decision. My own heart is fucking breaking as I stare at West who won't meet my gaze.

Look at me.

I urge her through my head like a moron. She needs to know. She needs to know I can't let her go. I can't let her give her life up for something like me. I'm trash kicked on the street. I have no value. The world would still run after me.

But my world will stop if she goes.

"Liam." Reuben cautiously approaches holding his hands up. "Think about this rationally. There are people out who'll tag you and police inside who'll capture you. You have no way out."

Liam holds his face in his hands as if he can't handle our brain cells. He looks at the ceiling at mutters a slur of sentences. I watch Bryce watching me with the same expression.

The silver glint of the gun against the light catches my attention as Liam looked at his gun in amusement. "There is always a way out. You just have to make it sometimes." He grabs West by the wrist and yanks her forward. Automatically my defense system turns up and I strode forward only for him to press the gun to her pulse.

She whimpers closing her eyes from the vulnerability of it. My heart drops and so does the ground around me. "Now here's my proposal. You give me safe passage without any twists and turns and this beloved creature here doesn't die."

Archer let's our a bitter scoff shaking his brown hair from his face. "We both know you won't kill her."

Liam tilts his head at Archer and pulls the gun higher onto Bryce's pulse. She tightens her fists that are stamped to her thighs and inches back. "That's right. But I don't necessarily need Bryce with all her limbs. It makes me feel better that I can take care of her."

He was crazy as hell. "I'll exchange her for me." I blurt and confidently step forward. I hold my gun in front of me to get his attention and place it on the ground. A peace offering.

"I'm not stupid. She's the one I want."

"And I'm the one you want dead." I countered with a shrug.

"Aaron." Bryce hisses at me but I try not to pay attention to her fragile voice.

Liam zones put, calculating. He clearly didn't think this through. This was all a blur in the moment for him. He never though he'd have to do all of this so quickly. So messily.

"Front gate. I'll see my mind there." He juts his chin forward and instructs me to walk. "Any funny acts by you or your nonsensical friends and I'll strike her leg."

I swallow at the threat and nod at Reuben and Archer to follow me. They do so with their hands on the air. We all walk forward and Liam  presses a remote and the garage to the main exit opens.

I look up slowly to see Nigel standing there a little taken aback by this deliverance of events. We walk past him and towards the front gates. The security guards all look at us alarmed.

Some move their hands to their belts while others communicate silently with their fellows. A mix of them were scattered about. No wonder the investigation was so slow.

Liam had inserted a virus here.

Principal Simone rushed down alone looking fearful. Her eyes checked one every one of us before she stood at the front gates. "Liam. I need you to stop this madness."

"Move aside or I'll shoot you too." At the word too, Simone's eyes widened. "You want to be a hero go grab Madison."

"Madison?" She muttered and shook her head. "Release Bryce. She's done nothing wrong."

"Move aside." Liam seethed pushing Bryce forward with him. She stumbled and my hand itched to get to her. To protect her. Simone stayed where she was testing Liam's patience. "I said move aside bitch!" He shouted kneeing the backside of Bryce's knee. She kneeled on the ground wincing and I noticed blood stitch through her jeans.

Anger ignited in me as I watched the asphalt scratch against her knees. My fucking fault we were here. My fault she's getting hurt. I failed. Again.

Simone stepped back immediately at the vividness of the threat. "Stand your people down right now. Stand them down." She nodded her head behind her, dazed. The security guards hesitated before rallying up the crowds and opening the gates.

We watched the large black gate swing back and divide the people allowing us to pass. Liam turned to me with a smirk.

"Get on your knees." He ordered. I scowled at him stubbornly. What was he? Was this really what this was about? Humiliation? "Do it or she dies."

I drop on my knees and so does everyone else. My pride is being splintered here and I try my level best not to kill Liam on the spot. I glance at Reuben and he nods at me merely.

Do it, his eyes tell me.

"I hated you since I met you." Liam spat on my face making me jerk to the right. "You took her from me. And now I'm going to take everything from you. You don't deserve her. You never will." I look at West and she knows what I'm doing.

God, she always did.

I love you, I mouth to her. Her eyes tear up and I can see her face turn red. She shakes her head at me and I offer her the smallest lilt of my lips.

Please don't, she mouths. She's trying to hold her sob in. I can see her biting her lips but I have to do this. I have to make this decision.

"I'm going to kill you, Aaron. I'm going to watch you die." Liam smiles locking his gun at my