Darkness Falls (The Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 40

Kyler

I wait in the tree line from my position while members filter into the main building. They really didn't consider the repercussions of making something like this mandatory. Having all the men in one place is a huge flaw in the Society’s overall safety, and it allowed Barrett and me to slip through unnoticed. Once everyone is at the trial, there will be nobody to guard the entirety of the compound. Fucking idiots. They unknowingly left themselves open for attack.

The whole trial is a bunch of bullshit anyway. It’s just a contest to see who has the biggest dick. Jokes on them. We’re going to destroy them all.

After a few minutes, the last person finally disappears into the building, but I wait a few minutes longer to make sure there’s no movement near the house. Cautiously, I take the first few steps, staying in the shadows until I feel confident enough to make a beeline for the front door.

I peek my head inside the house and am pleasantly surprised to confirm it’s unattended. I close the door behind me and head straight to the basement. That’s where Callie thinks Avery is, so there is no sense in wasting time .

The door to the stairs that lead down to it isn't far from the front door, but I pause for a moment before going down them and think about some of the things my girl endured. That son of a bitch tortured her whenever he could. The scar on her stomach is just the newest proof of it.

Gabriel deserved to suffer. The only thing that makes Gabriel’s quick death seem a little better is the fact that his entire legacy will burn down soon enough. Damien will die too, and Callie will become a Monroe. She hasn't agreed to it yet, but she deserves to have our last name. She deserves a name she can be proud of.

I shake the thoughts from my head and slip down the stairs to wander around. Before I can even start looking around, I hear someone call out.

"Let me out of here, you piece of shit!"

I walk toward the sound and find a door with a barred window, so I peek inside. "Did someone call for a rescue?" I say with a sly smile that she most likely can't see.

"Kyler?" she questions like she can barely believe I’m really here.

"The one and only. Callie sent me for you."

She stays silent while I pull the lock pick set out of my pocket and get to work. After a few seconds, I hear a click, and I’m able to push the door open. Avery looks rough, like she’s been crying nonstop. I give her a moment to walk over to me, but she doesn’t, which is when I notice she's chained to the floor. I quickly cross the room and get to work on that lock, too.

"Callie is my sister, and my parents are dead," she blurts out, and I stop messing with the lock, completely stunned.

"What?"

"Sorry. I shouldn't have let out the word vomit like that, but I've been down here mulling in my feelings ever since I found out. I had to see what it felt like to tell someone before I tell Callie."

"You said Callie is your sister, as in your parents were her parents?"

"Yeah, do we have time to talk about it?"

"Not really. We should get out of here to avoid any potential incidents, but you can't just say something like that and not expect me to have questions." How the hell is that even possible, and how did Barrett not know?

I focus my attention back on getting her unchained as she tells me her parents were actually the Stones. They left her a note and a box after they died. I click the lock free just as she tells me about some lawyer lady she met up with and got them from.

"Wait! We need to go check on Reese. Damien was watching me. What if he hurt her because of me?" she says while rubbing the skin around her ankle before standing.

“Reese?” I question.

“Yeah, the lawyer I slept with after she gave me the stuff from my parents. I thought you were the brother who listened?”

I roll my eyes. "We can stop there once we get back to Braxton Falls. Are you good to walk out of here? "

She nods. “Let’s get out of here. I don't want to stay down here any longer than I already have."

When I start to walk out of the room, she reaches out to grab my elbow. "What is it?"

"Is Callie okay? He took me because he wanted to hurt her."

"She’s fine. She's with Sebastian right now, getting ready to make a big-ass distraction so we can blow this compound to bits."

"Good," she agrees.

We walk up the stairs, and I pause briefly before looking out to make sure we are alone. You can never be too careful, and I'd rather not get shot again. There’s nobody there, so I grab Avery’s hand, and we start running. I don't give either one of us a chance to relax until we are away from the house and in the security of the tree line surrounding the compound.

"We have a bit of a walk to where we parked. You're not hurt at all, are you?" I didn’t think to ask her before.

"I'm fine."

She turns to look toward the compound and then back to me. "I can't imagine what Callie went through living here. I know she's told us some things, but it had to be so much worse. I'm scared, Kyler. I don't know how she's going to react when she finds out she could have met her birth parents this entire time. I feel so guilty for not introducing her to them."

"You couldn't have known. It's not your fault."

She breaks down, face full of tears. I step over and pull her into a hug, letting her sob into my shoulder. We have a few minutes to let her gather her emotions before we have to get back to the car, and it sounds like she could just use a friend right now.

"You can't blame yourself for any of this. Damien is the sole person responsible, and he will pay for it."

She nods, unsure of what to say. I don't think anything else needs to be said. With that, I grab her hand in the most friendly way possible and lead her toward the car.

Callie is strong, and she’ll be able to handle the news; I know it. She may be upset, but she has a sister now. Avery can pass along the memory of her parents through photos and stories. It'll be enough to get them through. It has to be.

We walk for a bit before the car comes into view. I'm the first one out of my brothers to make it back, and it has me pacing back and forth, unable to stop. Barrett should be back soon if everything goes to plan. He should be signaling Seb and Callie, and the bombs should all be in place.

Now that my part is done, I have to sit and wait. I glance over to Avery and see her crying again. She’s sitting on the ground next to the car with her legs crossed, staring out into the trees. If I weren't so anxious right now, I’d try to comfort her again, but I don’t think that will help much this time. She needs Callie just as much as I do.