Thirty Three

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Skylar's POV

I probably should've felt more scared right then--at the words that just left Felix's lips, especially when he had a gun in his hand and an almost manic look in his eyes that said he will kill me without any second thoughts.

I should've been frightened. But I wasn't.

Because it also happened to be the exact same moment Caden finally managed to yank off the ropes around his wrists. And since they were the only ropes on him, it didn't take him another second to practically pounce on Felix, dragging him away from me before taking a swing at his face.

Felix let out a surprised grunt and stumbled. The gun fell from his hand when Caden grabbed him by the coat and punched him again. There was a crack, a sickening crack, and my eyes widened. It felt like Felix was still gripping my throat, but a bit lower now. Invisible hands almost choking every bit of air from within me. It hurt to breathe and I wondered if maybe I'd received a blow to the ribs that I couldn't quite remember.

He wasn't going to stop, I realized, even when Felix wasn't given a single second to fight back and was practically thrown on the ground, blood marring his face and his neck. Caden looked murderous, jaw locked, and another fist slamming into Felix's jaw. "You don't threaten her." He growled out, yanking him up with a deathly grip on his throat before slamming his head into one of the empty concrete pillars. "You don't, you fucker. You don't touch her either."

Blake was suddenly in front of me and my breath hitched. "How did you..." I swallowed, frowning. "...your hands were tied?"

He didn't give an explanation, just muttered something under his breath and went behind me, quickly untying me. "We don't have much time before Felix's men hear the commotion in here, Sky. Try not to ask me stupid questions and take this." He got the ropes off of me and pressed something in my hand--the one that wasn't pounding in pain. "Seth gave this to me. This was supposed to be our signal for backup and I already tried operating it earlier, but I don't think it worked. So you've got to do it again, all right? I'll handle Felix's men in the meantime."

I nodded, breathing heavily as I leaned against the pillar behind me. "What...How does it work?"

"The blue button." Blake had already moved towards Rena by then. "Press on it until you feel it buzz. That should do."

I looked over at Blake, watched him starting to untie Rena's ropes and murmuring something all the while. He was murmuring something to her. And Rena was still crying, shaking her head apologetically as small hiccups left her lips.

I sniffled softly and looked over at the darkness that was the only way out from here. Felix's men hadn't arrived yet, but they would soon. And Alex? I thought.

"I'll find...him." My voice broke as I whispered to myself, directing my gaze back at the device in my hand. "I'll find him."

I had a moment where I thought my knees would give in and I'd fall. But--breathe, I told myself. Caden always told me to breathe when everything started to feel too much, didn't he?

So I did just that.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay." I could hear Blake. "You do remember me, don't you, Reny?"

"Y-Yes. Yes. Blake."

"You do remember me." Blake huffed out a small laugh. "I'd have been rather wounded if you forgot your most favorite person on this godforsaken planet already."

The blue button, I reminded myself and tried to still my trembling fingers as I pressed it.

A loud thud resounded in the distance and I looked up to see the wooden crate now smashed to pieces as Felix shoved Caden on it. Alarmed, my eyes widened as I fumbled with the device in my hand. But that's only as far as Caden let him take the upper hand before picking up a long, broken wooden piece and ramming it on the side of Felix's head. "You bloody bastard."

The device in my hand buzzed finally, like Blake had said it would, and someone spoke through the tiny slit of a speaker underneath the blue button.

It was right then that I heard a loud, deafening gunshot and stiffened, jerking up my head with wide eyes. It seemed to have come from outside. From outside this dirty old, underground room we were in.

Blake was already crouching by Alexis and trying to wake her up by the time I stumbled towards them, helping him untie her ropes with unsteady hands.

"Lexi, wake up." He grumbled out, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. I think I saw her bristling a little until Blake grabbed her face in between both his hands, looking at her with a somewhat troubled expression on his face. "Lexi. Alexis."

I pulled off the ropes and threw them aside with a grimace. Alexis's features tensed as she blinked open her eyes, stiffening even further when she saw Blake right in front of her. "Blake--"

"Hey." He leaned even closer, only inches left between their faces, and sounded so shamelessly relieved. Alexis fell silent, her eyes resembling saucers by then. He fixed her with his deep blue gaze before adding, "I've gotta kill some men. Think you can help me out?"

I turned away from them and looked back over at the darkness that led out of here, and towards Rena. She stood by the corner, shivering in the thin grey sundress that she wore, eyes wide and darting from one person to another. I didn't know what exactly Blake had said to her but at least she wasn't crying anymore.

There were thundering footsteps above us and from towards the darkness ahead. Men shouting and guns firing. I couldn't imagine what was happening out there. Maybe the backup had arrived already.

Wiping my palms on my battered sweater, I tried not to feel any more queasy by looking at the smudged blood on my right hand and trying to get my thoughts straight. Alex, my heart raced. Yes, Alex. I needed to find him. I needed to--

Someone grabbed my arm and turned me around. "Sky. Jesus, fuck." It was Caden I recognized almost instantly, and I couldn't really fight him off when his hands touched my face, heated and gentle and pulling me against him as he held me. "Fuck."

I trembled all over in his hold and touched his arm with my fingers, pulling away a little and looking up at him. "You're...you're fine, right? Why did you..." I trailed off, suddenly so exhausted as I leaned forward once again and rested my head on his chest. Why did you leave me?

His heart was racing wildly. And his hands on me were insistent, feverish, maybe a little desperate. As if he was still scared and couldn't believe I was standing right there. My heart wasn't racing anymore, though. I pressed my face into Caden's neck and shivered, breathing out a small, barely-there whimper. I just wanted Alex and I knew everything would be fine again.

Caden pressed a quick kiss on the side of my head and murmured something to me--too soft and reassuring. And then he was pushing me away a little, pulling off the t-shirt that he wore. There were visible bruises near his torso, I noticed, muscles shifting as he tore off the dark cloth until he had a long strip in his hands. His eyes found mine and they darkened with tension. "Can you lift your arm a little for me?"

I wanted to ask him to hold me. Tightly. Because he wasn't anymore and it felt like I was drifting away. His green eyes, I found myself thinking, looked haunted under the awful lights in here.

"Skylar." He spoke again, brows furrowed in desperation. "Come on, baby."

I swallowed and lifted my arm, wincing and grabbing his forearm with my other hand. He leaned closer and gently--cautiously--wrapped the cloth around the gash, tightening the knot on my arm until I winced again. "Sorry. Sorry, fuck." He swore and once satisfied with the makeshift bandage, pulled me close once again, much closer this time, one hand in my hair, cradling my head and the other arm wrapping around my waist. And then he was kissing me at every spot that he could. My forehead, the side of my head, my left cheek, before kissing my forehead again and wrapping both of his arms around me. "Let's get out of here." He said. But there was anger still in his voice. "I'll get you out of here."

Blake came up with Alexis before saying something to Caden. Something about clearing the way? I sighed quietly when I felt Caden nod but he didn't push me away. If anything, he just pulled me closer.

"Alex." My voice went muffled in his shoulder. I knew I wanted to cry, but the lump in my throat was making me feel dizzy. Light headed. "Alex is..."

I trailed off when I blinked slowly, dizzily, and saw. I glanced over his shoulder and saw Felix standing up behind Caden, a few feet away from us, face bloody and a hand gripping the side of his bleeding head. His other hand, however, held a gun. And he was lifting it to Caden's back.

For one tiny second, everything just froze. Like ice. Cold and deadly and alarming.

He was going to shoot him.

And there it was--my mind screaming, no, no, no. I won't lose anyone anymore. I couldn't lose anyone. Not Alex. Not Caden, no--especially not Caden. I loved him and I couldn't lose him when I'd just...just got him back.

And so when I saw Felix about to pull the trigger, I pulled myself away from Caden with every bit of energy left within me. He let go quick enough, surprised and concerned--almost as if he thought he had somehow hurt me, worsened my injury, by holding me too close. He couldn't see what was behind him anyway. I pulled my hands away from him and placed them on his chest, heart beating, once, twice. Slow and painful.

I loved him too much to lose him.

So I shoved him out of the way.

And then Felix fired the gun.

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