In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)

“Let’s roll,” Zack barked out. “Do you want us all to die so you can have your revenge, Ari?”


Beau snarled at him and Ari could see the rebuke poised to fly. She squeezed Beau’s hand. “He’s right, Beau. I’m not thinking clearly. Forgive me. The last thing I want is for anyone to die because of my hatred and thirst for vengeance.”

Beau wrapped a steadying arm around her and guided her toward the doorway. Or what was left of it. As the rush of adrenaline began to wear off, her knees started shaking. Her entire body shook. Her legs buckled and Beau had to haul her up against his side to keep her from sagging to the floor.

“I’m all right,” she said through gritted teeth. “I can make it. You need both your hands.”

“You are not all right,” Beau bit back. “You don’t see how bad you look, Ari. You scared the ever-loving shit out of me when I saw you back there. God. I thought I was too late. I can’t believe you’re still standing after bleeding so damn much. The very first thing we’re doing when we get the hell out of this godforsaken place is take you to a hospital.”

They hurried down the hall amid shouts from Dane to Beau to hurry his ass up. Ari knew she was slowing them down, but Beau refused to let go of her.

They were within sight of Dane and the two men flanking them when the walls on either side of them exploded outward, pelting them with debris and Sheetrock. An ominous cracking sound erupted and then Ari found herself flying backward, Beau cradling her to absorb her fall.

The entire ceiling and second floor had caved in, blocking their pathway to where the others waited.

“Zack?” Beau yelled, worry in his voice.

“I’m here. I’m okay.”

Then Beau reached up to frame Ari’s face in his hands. She was atop him, Beau having broken her fall. His worried gaze raked over her. “Are you all right? Do you hurt anywhere?”

She grimaced. “I hurt everywhere but it has nothing to do with this particular incident. I’m fine, Beau.”

“We’re going to have to get out another way,” Zack said grimly.

“What?” Ari asked incredulously. “I can get through that. I’ve certainly done a lot more difficult things.”

“No,” both men said in unison.

She shook her head, sure she was misunderstanding something.

“You can’t take much more, Ari. Any fool can see that. You’re done. Finished. If you incur another bleed I can’t even imagine what will happen and if it’s all the same to you I’d rather not have you a vegetable for the rest of you life.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” she muttered. “And how do you propose we get out this ‘other’ way if you won’t let me use my powers.”

“Because we’ll blow a hole in one of the outer walls so it doesn’t bring the interior structure down on our heads,” Beau said patiently.

She sighed. “Whatever. Let’s get on with it. I want to see my parents.”

They picked themselves up from the floor and Zack led the way, Ari positioned between the two men. She should be in front. It made no sense for men who were vulnerable to bullets to be on the front line instead of a woman who wasn’t vulnerable to attack to lead. But she didn’t even waste her breath arguing because one, they’d never agree and she’d waste precious time beating her head against a brick wall. And two, she just wanted it over and done with so she could see for herself that her parents were okay.

At least Beau was letting her walk under her own steam this time, and she was determined not to hinder their progress in any way, so she powered past the agonizing pain and extreme exhaustion and stayed right on Zack’s heels the entire way.

They veered left into the very last room before the one where the goon was playing Spider-Man and Zack immediately went to the far wall and began adhering plastic explosives at various spots.

“Won’t this just blow a hole into the corridor of prison cells?” Beau asked with a frown.

Zack shook his head, never looking up from his task. “The last three rooms in this hallway extend farther than the outbuilding that houses the cells. When we bust a hole in this wall, we’ll be on the outside.”

“Works for me. Hurry,” Beau urged.

“Get down and take cover,” Zack directed.

Beau ducked behind an island cabinet that looked like solid steel construction, dragging Ari with him. Beau got down on his haunches, but Ari was much shorter, so she simply half squatted, just to the left side of Beau so her hand held his shoulder to steady herself.

An eerie prickling sensation caused every hair on her body to bristle and stand on end. A chill chased down her spine and around to her gut, tightening her stomach until it was a clenched ball.