13. 13 Blaze
13: Blaze
I thought things couldn’t get any worse: Tori kidnapped, my gut still healing and throbbing, Thorne's grazed shoulder still bothering him, and the words she spat at me still gnawing at my insides. But I was wrong—so fucking wrong. What we did to Marcus earlier felt like sticking my hand into a roaring fire and just leaving it there, letting it burn through my skin to the bone. We may hate each other, but he’s still my brother.
He had the silver spoon, the whole damn silverware drawer, really. Yet here he is, not even the leader of some gang that's about to get their asses handed to them.
I’m ready to tear the world apart to find Tori, but now we know we need to deal with Alicia first. It’s the only way to get our girl back.
"For fuck's sake," Ryder murmurs, his voice thick with frustration as we move down the narrow hall. "I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kill a girl more."
“No kidding,” I grunt in agreement, my mind already racing through the plans I’ve got simmering. Alicia has been tricking Tori this entire time, forcing her to do things she shouldn't.
Some best friend she turned out to be.
I should have gotten rid of her the moment Tori's future went stagnant.
We round a corner, prepared to make sure whoever crosses us knows exactly how dangerous we are. But instead, I'm hit right in the chest with a small thud. My hand twitches on my gun but relaxes the moment I look down to find her.
Tori .
My breath catches in my throat, and for a second, I freeze, taking in the sight of her. Her delicate skin, her beautiful pouty lips. I stare into her wide, brown eyes, and I feel an overwhelming mix of emotions: relief, love, guilt, but ultimately rage at the fear in her eyes where there shouldn't be any. When I take her in from her head to her toes, I note she’s wearing his shirt and no shoes, her feet dirty and lightly scratched.
A part of me wants to go wild, to tear that shirt off her, to rip everything in me open and go after Nico like the animal I feel inside. But the other part—the part that’s been broken, that’s been holding on by a thread for days—just wants to hold her and never let go.
“Tori…” Her name falls from my lips like a prayer. It’s the only word that can reach my mind right now. Her arms wrap around my waist first as she buries her head into my chest, and I hold her close as we both inhale deeply, as if trying to memorize each other's scent. I very reluctantly let her go, knowing a reunion in the halls of the Niners’ hideout isn't the safest idea.
The moment I let her go, though, Ryder’s at her side, pulling her toward him. Her arms wrap around him like she’s drowning and he's her raft to salvation. I can see it in his eyes, too—the same relief, the same surge of desperate need I’m feeling. But he’s not paying attention to the details that matter— Nico did something to her, something he's going to regret.
"Where is he?" Thorne's voice snaps through the air, colder than ice, raw with a rage so deep that it rips through everything else. I feel it coiling in my gut, knowing his anger is getting close to the breaking point.
He noticed the shirt.
He notices everything about Tori, always.
She stares at us—wide-eyed, her lips trembling, as if she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do next. And then, just as I brace myself for whatever she’s going to say, her eyes fill with tears. My chest tightens.
And then, in an instant, she wraps her arms around Thorne, because maybe Tori can read Thorne just as well as he can read her. His shoulders instantly sag as if our girl sucked the demon right out of him. His head ducks into her neck, inhaling so deeply you'd think he was trying to suck her soul out of her.
The moment lasts for the longest second of my life as my eyes dart around the hall, just waiting to be discovered.
We don't have much time .
When I turn back to look at them, Thorne has dislodged himself from her, holding her by her arms as he leans forward, leveling himself in her sights.
“Tori, where is he?!” His tone is sharp, seeping into every word. His anger is simmered, but not fully extinguished. The edge in his voice is enough to make anyone freeze in their tracks, and I can’t stop myself from reacting.
I take a step toward her, needing to move us all along. She's the earth core, and we’re just pulled to her as naturally as gravity. My hand moves to her face, wiping the tears from her cheeks, my heart breaking as I see the fear in her eyes.
Don't worry, Tori.
I'll bring that fire back inside you.
I will make you bloom.
She opens her mouth to speak, but it’s like the words are stuck. She doesn’t know what to say to us. The confusion in her eyes makes me ache, but I can’t let her get lost in it.
“Where the fuck is Nico?” Thorne demands again, his voice cutting through the fog in the hall, but Tori just stands there, her body trembling. She’s barely holding it together, and I know— I know —I need to stop this soon.
Everything in me screams to protect her. But right now, we need answers. We need to know where he is.
Yet, she doesn’t answer. We sit in that moment, that breathless second where everything stills… feels like the calm before the storm.
And then, as if the world itself decides to fuck us over one more time— because, why not?— I hear a sound. A rush of footsteps approaching quickly.
I yank Thorne's hands off and scoop her into my arms, knowing every step she takes is painful. My hands tighten around her, holding her close to me, ready to move, ready to get out.
“Come on. We need to go now,” I say, voice low and commanding. No hesitation. I start sprinting us all down the hall we just came from, each step echoing.
Tori lets me carry her at first, just for a second, but then she's pushing against me, almost falling right out of my arms. I don't grip her tight enough, worried I'll hurt her, so when she pushes away from me even harder, I let her down, too afraid she'll fall. She stands like a statue, immovable. Her gaze is locked forward like she’s seen something that makes her heart race in the worst way.
She shakes her head slowly, almost in disbelief.
“No,” she breathes, her voice trembling but hard. “I need to find Alicia. I can't leave her here.”
It’s a jolt to my chest, like someone shoved a knife into me and twisted it. My mind is screaming at me to pull her away, to drag her to safety, and tell her to forget all about that bitch.
She'd hate me forever if I did.
“Alicia’s not your responsibility anymore,” I say with more bite in my tone than I mean for there to be. I try to pick her up again, but she pushes me away.
“I’m not leaving her behind,” she shoots back, voice unwavering. The sharpness in her tone screams stubborn, but her eyes… her eyes are starting to betray her. There’s fear in them.
She's worried of being caught again. But I won't let that happen.
Not ever again.
Before I can even say another word, she's gone. She sprints down the hallway—more like she very quickly hobbles away—her bare feet slapping against the cold floor recklessly.
I’m already on her heels, catching up easily as she seems to struggle to walk fast. There’s a slight limp to her step as if she twisted her ankle funny. I hear Ryder behind me, keeping up, trying to stay with her. We’re all chasing her, making sure to be no more than a foot away, knowing that if we lose sight of her, she’ll run straight into a trap.
“Tori!” Ryder calls out, his voice rising with frustration. “Stop! You don’t know what you’re walking into!”
She doesn’t even look back. She doesn’t stop for a second, moving down the hall, her eyes scanning every room. Her desperation is suffocating as she searches for Alicia.
If I wasn't so against hitting women, I'd break that bitch's nose
“Alicia’s working for Nico!” Thorne shouts, his voice like a warning shot. It’s not enough. Nothing will stop her now. He’s running after us, his heavy steps thudding in the distance, his anger fueling his every movement. “She’s been working for him, Tori!”
She doesn’t flinch. It’s like she hasn’t heard him at all. I see her push open another door, peering inside, her hands trembling as she swings her head toward the next room, desperate, frantic. She’s ignoring everything we say, every attempt we make to pull her back.
I’m right behind her, just a few steps away, my mind screaming at her to turn around, to stop for a fucking second and hear us out.
But she won’t. She keeps going.
“Tori!” I shout this time, my voice louder, more urgent. My chest tightens with each step she takes.
She’s not the person you think she is.
I reach for her again, my fingers brushing against her shoulder, but she shakes me off, still not stopping, still pushing through the doors, peering into the rooms like she’s going to find something that will magically change everything.
And then, she stops. She actually stops. My heart slams against my ribs as I realize why. She's standing in front of one of the opened doors, her eyes wide.
She’s found her.
Alicia.
I peer around Tori, seeing Alicia for the first time since I was stabbed. She looks like she hasn’t been touched, hasn’t been through anything that could possibly put her in the same category as the rest of us. There’s no dirt, no scratches, no signs that she’s been tortured or broken.
Tori’s eyes flicker over her, and I can see the suspicion settle in like a cold knot in her gut. Her arms drop to her sides, and I hear her breath hitch as she steps back, taking in the sight of Alicia like she’s seeing her for the first time. The confusion is palpable, thick in the air.
No, not confusion.
Disbelief.
“What the hell is this?” Tori says, her voice a mix of hurt and anger. She looks at Alicia like she’s seeing a stranger, and I can’t blame her. Alicia was supposed to be family, and she betrayed her.
Alicia’s eyes flicker, a flash of guilt crossing her features, but it’s gone in an instant, hidden behind whatever reasoning she has for doing what she's done. She doesn’t speak, doesn’t make a move. She just stands there, calm, untouched, like she’s waiting for us to accept it.
Tori’s mouth opens, but no words come out. She stands there, frozen, her mind working overtime to put it all together, but she can’t. She doesn’t want to.
“What's going on, Alicia?” Tori breathes, her voice trembling despite her best effort to stay strong.
Alicia doesn’t answer. She doesn’t have to.
The silence stretches too long. Too heavy.
And I know this is it—the moment Tori puts it all together and her trust is shattered for good.
Her eyes narrow, flickering between heartache and anger. The confusion, the betrayal, it's all building. Tori can’t even look at her anymore. She stands there like a statue, her hands clenched into fists by her sides, eyes glued to the wall.
Tori’s voice cracks, but she doesn’t soften. “Why, Alicia?” she asks, her tone low and edged with hurt, something deeper than I’ve ever heard from her. “How could you—how could you do this to me?” The words fall like stones, each one heavier than the last. “I just… I was going to let him… to save you!” She throws her arm out, her voice shaking with pain.
Alicia flinches, her lips trembling, but she holds her ground. “Nico—he showed me everything. He said you were brainwashed, that you needed saving.” She takes a shaky breath, her face desperate, pleading, like she’s trying to convince herself more than Tori. “He said you’d never listen to me, not when you were so deep in their lies. I had to help him. I had to make sure you weren’t—weren’t lost to them.” She points to Thorne first, then Ryder, and finally me.
Tori’s face falls and she takes a step back, like the words themselves are pushing her away. “Lost?” Tori’s laugh is bitter, cutting through the tension. “I'm not the one that's been brainwashed here. You really think they’ve been the ones lying to me?” She shakes her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “You are the one who’s lost, Alicia.”
Alicia’s expression falters, but she doesn’t step back. She doesn't back down. She presses forward, eyes pleading with Tori, voice thick with the urgency of someone drowning. “Tori, please. You can’t go back to them. You don’t know what they’ve done. Nico told me everything. He said you—he said they killed Bren. That you were too far gone to see it. He said you—”
Of course he pinned that on us. Manipulative cocksucker.
“No,” Tori interrupts, her voice cold, slicing through Alicia’s words like glass. “That’s not true. Bren tried to sell me to Nico, Alicia. He tried to hand me over.” The words are fierce now, as if Tori’s finally had enough of this shit. “And when he couldn’t get Nico what he wanted, Nico killed him after selling his organs. That’s the truth. Not the lies he fed you. Not the shit he's been telling you to manipulate you.”
Alicia’s face twists. Her eyes flicker with uncertainty, like Tori’s words are beginning to chip away at the fortress she’s built around herself. Probably telling herself what she was doing was ‘ the right thing’.
“That’s just what they told you!” Alicia’s voice rises, her hands shaking as she steps forward. “You don’t know, Tori. You think you’re telling me the truth, but you don’t know what’s real. Nico's trying to help you. He’s the only one who can save you from them. From what they’ve made you.”
Tori’s eyes go wide, but there’s no hesitation in her anymore. The truth is burning through her, and it's burning through the only familial bond Tori has ever known. It's snapping the thread that ties her to her old life and sealing her further to us… to this life.
“Save me?” She laughs, bitter and raw, and the sound cuts through the air. “From what? From the people who’ve never stopped loving me? From the guys who fought for me? Nico’s not saving anyone, Alicia. He’s using you. And he’s using me. He doesn’t care about us. He’s just manipulating this whole mess to get what he wants. All you're doing is being a good pawn on his board.”
Alicia takes a step back, her breath quickening. There’s something in her eyes now— doubt —but it’s buried beneath layers of guilt and confusion. She’s not ready to face it. She’s not ready to believe the truth.
“I’m trying to do what’s best for you,” Alicia whispers, almost to herself, her voice breaking. “Please, Tori... just listen. You can come with me. We’ll get out of here together. You don’t have to stay with them. You don’t have to be part of them anymore. You don't have to endure their torment anymore.”
Tori’s fists are shaking now, the rage and hurt bubbling just beneath the surface. “I am not leaving them, Alicia,” she says through gritted teeth, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “I’m not going anywhere with you or Nico. You’ve been feeding into his lies. God, Alicia, you let him make me marry him. You were willing to let him use me however he wanted. Did you ever stop to think about what he was doing to me?”
Alicia’s face falls. The desperation is still there, but it’s starting to crack. “Tori—” she starts again, but Tori’s already shaking her head, cutting her off and taking another step back.
“You’ve let him manipulate you into thinking he’s the one who can save me, when really, he’s the one who destroyed everything. He’s the reason we’re in this mess. He’s the reason I’m here. And you’re the reason I can’t trust you anymore.”
The words hang in the air, cold and final. Alicia’s face falters, and for a split second, she looks like she’s going to break down—the guilt in her eyes is undeniable—but she doesn’t. She holds her silence.
Tori takes one last look at Alicia—really looks at her—and I can see the moment it hits her. The realization that everything she’s known, everything she’s trusted, is shattered. The person she thought she knew isn’t the person standing in front of her anymore. Alicia’s become a stranger, and it’s not something she can fix.
I want to give her a moment to come to terms with it all, but we're running out of time, and I don't need any one of us getting shot at.
The way we're trending, I'm next to get a bullet.
No, thank you.
“We need to go, Tori.” Thorne’s voice is low, urgent, and there’s no mistaking the steel in it. He steps forward, his hand reaching for her, and she doesn’t resist. There’s a weight to it, a finality that pulls her in, and before she can argue, he lifts her into his arms, her body sagging against him.
Tori doesn’t fight him. She doesn’t argue. She lets him take her, and with every step he takes, she sinks further into him like it's all weighing down on her now.
She’s silent, her face buried against his chest, and I can feel the anger rising in me again, seeing her so hurt.
Thorne’s grip tightens as he carries her, his jaw set, his eyes never leaving the door, the hallway. He speaks—softly, just for her. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you from me, Vic,” he murmurs, his voice rough with a raw intensity I’ve never heard from him before. “No one’s gonna hurt you. Not now. Not ever again. You don't need her. You've got us.”
It’s not a promise of safety. It’s a promise of protection—of an all-consuming, obsessive love.
And it may be the only thing that’ll keep her from shattering completely.
We're all on a razor’s edge as we move swiftly, the sound of our footsteps pounding against the floor, barely drowning out the gunfire that echoes in the distance. Keagan must be on a roll.
The chaos outside is getting louder with every second. We push our way through the dark hallways, guns drawn, eyes scanning every corner. We need to get out. We need to get Tori back home with us.
We keep pace even with the adrenaline coursing through our veins. Tori’s still in Thorne’s arms, but she’s quiet. Too quiet. Her head rests against his chest, her body stiff from whatever pain she’s holding in. All I want to do is hear her say some sarcastic remark, some smart-ass comment, but instead she's silent, and that shatters me.
Thorne looks down at Tori, his jaw clenched, eyes tight. He won’t let her go. Not now. Not ever. Not even with his arm bleeding in protest, his stitches coming undone once more.
“We’re almost there,” I mutter under my breath, the words more to myself than to anyone else. But it’s enough for Thorne to nod, his focus narrowing in on the path ahead.
We burst through the exit doors, fresh air filling our lungs, sharp and biting. The sounds of hell fill the space, but now we’re out in the open, moving faster. The van’s not far, just across the lot with Marisol tied to the top, sharp shooting anyone chasing after us. In the distance, there’s something else—someone else.
Keagan.
This crazy motherfucker.
I spot him standing in the back of a truck bed, a grin spread wide across his face as he cackles like he’s having the time of his life. There’s no better way to describe it. The guy is completely shirtless, his broad chest bare to the night, a cigarette hanging from his mouth like he doesn’t have a care in the world. In his hands? A fucking machine gun, and he’s letting it rip, the gunfire lighting up the night sky, spraying rounds into the air with an enthusiasm I can’t even comprehend.
He’s loving it. Every second of this madness.
I swear to God, I can hear him laughing even over the sound of the gunfire.
“We’re not waiting for that idiot,” Ryder mutters, his voice tight with frustration as he picks up the pace.
Is he jealous? Does he wish that was him?
“Agreed,” I growl under my breath, prying my eyes away from the maniac and toward the van again.
We're almost there when I turn my head to lay cover fire, and in the distance, I spot him.
Nico.
He’s standing at the edge of the lot, shirtless, his hands steady on his gun. I don't have time to process the fact that he's shirtless because Tori is wearing his shirt. There’s something cold in his eyes, lethal. His gun is raised, aimed straight at us, and I know, I fucking know—he’s about to take his shot.
“Get down!” I shout, grabbing Ryder’s arm, pulling him behind the nearest cover. Thorne, quick as ever, dives for cover too, just as Nico fires, the sound one among many other gunshots. I see Marisol take aim, and I almost want to tell her not to shoot, to leave him alive so that I can kill him, but that's stupid, isn't it?
She doesn't get her chance, because immediately after, Nico is flanked by his guys, no longer a clean shot.
“Thorne, move!” I yell, my voice a sharp command as we scramble toward the van.
Tori’s still in his arms, her face pale, but her eyes are wide. She's scared, desperate—even more desperate than we are—to escape this hellhole. Thorne’s quick to slide the door open when we reach the van, barely glancing back. He climbs in first, carrying her in with him, settling her down on his lap as carefully as he can.
Ryder and I follow right behind them, jumping in, our weapons at the ready. Nico’s still in the distance, but we’re moving too fast for him to get a clean shot.
Suddenly, Max is peeling out, the truck’s engine roaring so loudly it can be heard coming a mile away. The tires screech as it peels out, Keagan still riding in the back like a maniac surfing on a car. The truck sends dust and gravel flying, blocking us from view, which seems to have been Max's intention. The truck veers off into the night, its headlights shining as Keagan’s cackling echoes into the distance, still shooting at the Niners as he goes.
He does his job well.
The best distraction around.
I slam the door shut, breathing a sigh of relief that feels like it might tear through my chest.
We've got her.
She’s fucking here!
The van speeds off with Rick in the driver's seat, our headlights cutting through the darkness. Marisol, ever the talented woman, climbs down from the roof and into the van through the passenger window as if the van wasn't racing through the streets.
We made it out, but my mind is still at the asylum, knowing Nico's not dead. But he soon will be.
I'll make sure of it.
Thorne’s arms tighten around Tori as she rests her head against him, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She’s still not speaking, still not fully with us. I don’t blame her. Not after everything that’s happened.
But she’s safe. She's here. And that’s all I need.