Chapter 38
Tate’s in the passenger seat as we follow behind Z. I’m not really sure why she rode with me.
“She’ll be there.” She nods her head.
“She has to be.” I can’t help but whisper back to her as my hands grip the wheel, my knuckles turning white.
“What’s going on between you and Zane?”
“What?” looking back over at her, confused.
“He came home the other night pissed. When I asked him what happened, he just said, ‘fucking Eli.’ So what happened?”
I glance back over at her and sigh. “Drew.” That is the only thing I can get out.
“What about…” she trails off.
Z’s already off his bike as we pull into the drive, gun in hand, and nodding for us to follow.
“Come on.”
Z shoves the door open. And I hear Tate’s feet on the ground behind me. Stepping into the house, he looks over at her and nods. “Where’s the basement?”
“This way.” She glances to the side of the house.
Following behind her, she halts at the door, attempting to push it open, but it doesn’t budge. “It’s fucking locked.” She mumbles to herself.
“Move,” Z tells her, lifting the gun and aiming at the knob. The hole opens as the knob from both sides falls to the ground, and she pushes the door open.
Z nods for me to follow Tate down the stairs. I’m not exactly sure why he’s doing so, except that he wants to keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t put both of them in danger.
The steps creak as we make our way down them, and Tate looks around. “No.” whispering to herself. “No. It can’t be.”
“What?” Z and I both say in unison.
Rushing down the last remaining steps as he moves around the room, looking in every direction.
“What?” Z asks her again.
“It’s all the same.”
“What?” looking over at her.
“Nothing’s changed. It’s exactly the same.”
I can’t help but look at her, still confused. “What?”
“I thought he bought all this to keep me here. I mean he had to have right? What else would you need all that shit for?” Her eyes panic as she looks back at me.
“Tatum, it’s okay. It was a good idea.”
“Maybe he would have it somewhere else?” the words leave my mouth before I realize it.
“What?”
“You’re right. If they were all working together, they’d know about it.
Whatever place Darren set up for you would be a perfect place to keep her.
” I pause, looking around. “But Darren also knew that the club would come looking when he brought her back. So he wouldn’t have it in such an obvious place. ”
“You’re right.” Z nods. “Here.” Z tosses something at me as I pop the comms in my ear. “Tatum, look around down here. Eli —” nodding back up the steps.
“Where’s mine?” Tate looks at him.
“What?”
“I need one so I can tell you guys if I find something.”
Z looks back at me as if he can’t believe it before he shakes his head. “Fine.” Tossing another one in her direction.
Moving up the stairs, I can hear him coming up behind me as I make my way out the back door.
“What are you doing?” he asks as he steps out into the night with me.
“How far back does the property go?” I ask.
“It’s a little over an acre.” Tate tells me.
“Jesus, here, how the fuck?”
“His parents gave him the property.”
Must be nice.
Nodding my head, I move away from the house.
“Where are we going?” Z asks, falling in line behind me.
“Think about it.” Turning, I look at him for a moment. “Far enough away from the house, but close enough where you can still monitor it.”
“Yeah,” he nods his head. “You search over there.” He motions to the left of the property. I keep my eyes scanning everywhere.
“Oh my God,” Tate mumbles through the comms.
“What?”
“I think you’re right. I just remembered him telling me about how the property had been a place his dad had plans for. He was one of those preppers.” She pauses. “He told me about an old bunker that was out there. I just never gave a shit enough about it to look.”
Rushing towards the back of the property, I stop as a hollow sound comes from where my foot lands. Taking two steps back and hearing it again.
Kneeling down, I swipe away the dirt, revealing a hatch. “I think I found it.” It comes out in a whisper as I pull the door, but it doesn’t budge. “Shit.”
“Coming.” Both say in my ear.
Looking around, trying to see if there’s anything that I can use.
“Yes,” whispering as my eyes land on the crowbar sitting to the side as if someone was trying to keep it concealed, but here for their own use.
Gripping the bar, I hope this is enough. Hooking the claw underneath the lip and using the leverage of the bar. It doesn’t budge.
“Goddamnit,” I mutter as I push again, but still no give.
Trying to hype myself up as I place my foot on the opposite end and step down with all my weight.
The sound of the metal reluctantly moving against itself brings me relief.
The rusted springs creak as it lifts. Reaching down and lifting it the rest of the way up.
There are ladder rungs on the wall leading down into the darkness.
Pulling out my phone, I glance around. Hopefully, it’s as safe as it seems. Not bothering with the rungs, I jump down, landing hard and feeling a slight sting in my ankles but not letting it slow me down.
The tunnel extends past where my light can see, but I keep moving.
“Eli!” Z shouts from the opening.
“Yeah, down here.”
“Wait for me.” Tate calls out in my ear.
I’m not waiting for either of them. I can’t take one second longer of her being held than she needs to be.
Almost 50 feet into the tunnel, my light shines on a door in front of me.
Please be here.
Time slows down as I move towards the door, surprised when the knob turns easily, opening up to reveal a room.
An empty room.
“Fuck!” shouting, covering my face with my hands.
How could she not fucking be here?
“What is it?”
“The room’s empty.” I whisper, feeling the water threatening to fall.
“Shit,” Tate whispers, I’m sure not meaning for it to be picked up by the comms.
“We’re gonna find her.” Z says, trying to reassure me, even through the hesitation in his voice.
Taking the comms out of my ear, I fall backward against the wall, forcing down my emotions because if I let them float to the surface, I won’t be able to contain myself.
A muted ting grabs my attention as I look to my left. Taking a couple of steps closer before hearing it again. Pushing the comms back into my ear.
“Wait,” I whisper to them. “I hear something.”
“Wait for us,” Z calls out as I imagine he’s making his way down the rungs.
Ignoring his suggestion, I pan the light in the direction, seeing another door as I exhale.
Twisting the knob, but it doesn’t budge. Realizing the door’s pulling against the latch and lock dangling just below my face.
Stepping back, crossing my right hand holding the gun over top of my left, bracing my wrists together for stability.
Firing, the lock breaks in two; the bottom half falls to the ground.
Lifting the hook from the latch, I push the door open again, and feel relief washing over me when it slides from the frame.
Still with my wrists bracing against one another, I enter the room. My light lands on her face as she stands next to a metal pipe with a chain in her hand.
“Sketch.” It comes out in a gasp as I rush across the room, pulling the comms from my ear and shoving it into my pocket.
“Eli!” she cries out as her arms wrap around me, and I’m pulling her close.
“Thank God!” whispering, placing a kiss in her hair.
It’s so dark in here, I can’t see anything; I can’t even see her as she’s pressed into my body.
“I didn’t think you’d be able to —”
“Shh,” I whisper as I smooth her hair. “I’m here now. I’ve got you; you’re safe.”
“I love you.” Even in the darkness, our lips find and press against each other. Relief washing over both of us.
Even with my eyes closed, I can tell when the lights flipped on.
“Oh, that’s why,” Tate whispers from behind me.
Pulling away from Drew, I smile at her safely in my arms. That is until my eyes trail down her body and I gasp.
“You’re bleeding.” My hands come down, searching her, trying to find the source of the dried blood.
“Eli,” she reaches, stilling my hands. “It’s not my blood.”
There’s a sense of relief that comes over me again until our eyes lock and I can read the pain in hers.
“Low?”
Slowly, she nods her head.
“Is she...?” Z trails off, afraid of sending his sister over the edge after everything else.
“I don’t know.”
I move to the side, but my arms are not leaving her as she talks with him.
“He said he was keeping her alive as long as I behaved.”
I don’t need to look at her to know she’s rolling her eyes.
Nodding his head, Z pulls out his phone, starting to make a call.
“Shit.” He looks at us. “I’m gonna go meet up with them now.
” He walks over to where we’re standing, and if I were to look away for a moment, I would miss the nod he gives me as he closes the distance.
As if he’s trying to tell me eventually we’re going to be okay, I’m not sure if I believe that yet.
My arm lets her go just long enough for him to hug her, and as he pulls back, he smiles at her. “I’m…” he trails off, the words he’s trying to find being difficult for him.
“I know.” She nods.
Z steps back, turning around as my arm finds its way back to her body, pulling her back and keeping her safe.
Tate remains in the doorway. Z pauses for just a moment to give her a kiss and whispers something I’m sure along the lines of he loves her before he moves back towards the bunker’s entrance. She watches him as he leaves.
“We should get going.” I nudge Drew, but she remains still.
“Did you miss something?” giving me a tilted grin before looking down to where the chain wraps around her ankle, and a similar lock that was on the door, securing it.
“Shit,” looking over at Tate. “Is there a key out there?”
“Eli, we can’t just wait; they’ve been coming back to check on me.”
My eyes widen as I look at her, knowing what she’s asking me to do.
“I can’t.”
“You can. I trust you.”