Dread seeped into every part of me as I began to replay the events of the last few days, with one key aspect at the center as we drove in a dash to Laurence's house.

My fault.

My brothers were missing. Carter had used who I loved most against me like a bargaining chip, and it was my fault. The guilt made it hard to breathe.

How? How did he get them?

It didn't make sense. I pulled up the messages about Carter's earlier locations, trying to wrap my head around what detail I was missing, hoping I would find something that would click into place.

How did Carter get ALL of them? My brothers fight over everything, and that's just for fun. How could he have taken every single one of them in a real fight?

My fingers paused on a specific text. The blurry picture Sam had shown me of the man Carter was paying off. I squinted at it, remembering Sam's words. "He feels familiar."

Where had Sam seen him? The man felt familiar to me too now. Something that hadn't been true a few days ago. I pounced on the new detail, the change. That blurry picture of the man was the key.

I turned the phone toward Will. "Have you seen this guy before?"

Will's brows puckered. "He looks familiar."

"That's what Sam said a few days ago. And now he feels familiar to me too. Why? What's changed in the last few days?"

Will's brows shot up. "Oh! That's the guy who fixed our AC a few hours ago."

"The one who owns the place? The one who smelled like rotten eggs when he was leaving?" I asked.

Will nodded. "Yeah."

Bex's eyes left the road for a beat. "Rotten eggs? Like the smell of knock out gas?"

"How do you know what knock out gas smells like?" Will asked.

My heart pounded. Knock out gas?

Bex paused. "I considered using it on you as a prank at one point," she admitted breezily.

Will took it without a blink of concern. "That would have been good."

Bex sighed wistfully. "I know."

"Knock out gas?" I asked, trying to focus both of them. The truth hit me a moment later, and I shouted, nearly causing Bex to swerve off the road. "Carter paid off the owner of the AirBnB to install knock out gas into the vents! That's why everyone was so sleepy when you and I were leaving! That's why you weren't taken! We left! You were out and they missed their shot to take you too!"

My wheels spun faster. "The gas started. We left. They fell asleep. The owner unlocked the door... and," I swallowed. "They were taken..." because of me.

They'll be at Laurence's house. Something tells me Carter will want all the pieces in the same place. He wants me there. To watch whatever performance he's going to create.

I closed my eyes for a beat, another wave of guilt coating my insides, thick like tar, making it hard to breathe.

If something happens to them...

My fault.

He wouldn't have known about my brothers without Liam's help.

My fault.

My brothers wouldn't have been in this mess if it wasn't for me.

My fault.

I've heard that a lot of people live in a state of neutral, where their feelings are normally a five out of ten. And then there are those that feel everything at a ten. Ultimate joy or sadness that either tugs everyone around them down, or up— like an emotional yo-yo, yanking emotions around in a way that can't be ignored.

Dash and Will would be the ten group. Everything was either the best or the worst. Bex was a neutral. I tended to shift around, but as we drove at top speed to Laurence's house after the break in, I was a ten— everything inside of me screaming in panic, refusing to be ignored.

"Where are his bodyguards? Why didn't they stop him?" I asked Will, who continued to monitor Sam's text thread, hoping for another update.

"I don't know," he replied softly.

"Well there has to be some kind of backup plan right? He has to be fine," I said, growing louder.

Will nodded, voice growing softer. "Yeah."

But we both knew he was lying. There was no guarantee that Laurence was fine. And the fact that Will had taken on the utterly calm, rational route while I seemed to become more unhinged by the moment was a clear indicator that both of us were on the verge of losing our minds with worry.

Bex was silent, eyes on the road as she pushed her car faster, a blur as we drove far beyond the legal limit.

We took a sharp turn, the car nearly toppling as it tilted up onto two wheels to make the turn, and suddenly the house came into view, strangely bright in the dark sky.

I gasped, eyes wide. "No."

The word came out in a strangled whisper, seeming to rip from my throat.

Bex slammed on the breaks, startled by the sight, and a moment later, I was outside, stumbling down the sidewalk before the car was fully stopped.

Will swore. "LILY! DON'T!"

But it was too late. I was running, desperate to get out of Will's reach, knowing that he would stop me, and I refused to let that happen.

Because Laurence Royals house was on fire, and I was pretty sure he and my brothers were trapped inside.

...

As far as nightmares went, this made the rest laughable, as it consisted of literally burning everyone I loved to ash.

The top floor of Laurence's home was ablaze, smoke billowing up into the sky, blocking out the deep blue, leeching the world of color, snuffing out the stars and eliciting a sense of doom and danger with each spark of fire that licked up into the sky with it, embers swirling upward like tiny beacons screaming of danger only to be chocked out by the smoke moments later.

Scrambling up the front steps, I shoved my shoulder into the door, hoping to break it down before my brother caught up to me. But it wasn't locked, and my force sent me bursting through it, feeling the heat instantly, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and adrenaline, my eyes watering against the sudden smoke. Ash poured over me, a second skin in seconds.

Will's voice shouted from some distance away, but everything washed away as the roar of fire and the crackling of wood broke to life against my ears.

I worked my way through the entryway, half-blind from the smoke, pulling the collar of my now wrinkled dress up over my nose and mouth, my black stockings blending into the dark, heeled feet telling me the exact moment when I went from marble foyer floor to rug in the living room. I hadn't changed before falling asleep, and I was paying for my red polka dot dress, and heels as I stumbled through the smoke, off balance.

My heart pounded wildly, growing panicked. Can I yell for Laurence? Will Carter find me first if I do? Where will I find Laurence? My brothers?

A crash to my left made me scream, ruining my attempt at stealth, and a moment later, I heard someone laugh, the sound chilling me deep into my bones. "Ah, the guest of honor..."

I spun, unable to find the source of the voice. Everything was lost in ash and smoke.

Carter.

He continued. "You take a girl's favorite toys away, and she comes out to play."

I couldn't breathe. He has my brothers.

"I was missing one of your toys from my collection. Thank you for bringing him. Now I have all six."

My heart stopped. He has Will. Did he get Bex too?

I spun, trying to find the source of the voice, feeling suddenly wild, itching to claw, bite, hit— anything to peel Carter apart until I found my family. I sucked in a shaky breath and was about to respond, but before I could, two hands, wrapped around my mouth and waist, pulling me back through a door.

I fought and struggled as I was pulled into the dark, fighting wildly as the door slammed shut and the world around me became blindingly bright.

The hand instantly left my mouth and I was left standing in the middle of a safe room with clean air and metal walls. I spun, ready to attack the person who had dragged me inside, only to find myself face to face with Laurence.

I threw my arms around him, crushing my body with his. "Laurence," I rasped in surprise. "Are you okay?"

"Lily," was his only response as he pulled me tight against him, seeming unable to fully believe I was real as his hands burrowed into the hair at the nape of my neck, keeping me close.

His heart pounded steadily against my ear, my cheek against his chest, too relieved to let him go just yet. "I thought..." I swallowed. I could barely think the words, let alone say them.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I'm sorry for the surprise. I didn't want him to hear you. He's been setting different parts of the house on fire every time I make a noise, I didn't want him to burn you."

Laurence didn't seem shaken. He seemed resigned. Like he accepted that his family was insane and had learned to deal with it. His reaction made me ache. This is normal to him.

"I'm okay. Where are we?" I asked, glancing around.

"Safe room. Fire proof. Had it installed when I bought this place. Carter's always been a pyromaniac."

Another lovely piece of the family puzzle.

"You've been expecting him to burn your house down?"

Laurence walked to one wall and with a single touch, the wall split and flat screens came into view. Each with a different camera angle of the house. "I've been waiting for him to do something dangerous. Fire was on my list of things to watch out for. But when he didn't immediately make his move... I started to believe that I was getting paranoid."

He sighed as the screens flickered to life. "I wish I was paranoid instead."

I gasped when I saw my brothers on one screen, tied and gagged in a room I didn't recognize. Will was being shoved down next to them, his hands tied behind his back.

The sight of my brothers in a burning house was like a physical blow, causing me to stumble a step back.

Laurence stared up at their screen. "Stay here. The fire can't get inside this room."

I shook my head wildly. "No."

He turned to me. "Lily. You don't know where that room is or how to get there—

"THEN TELL ME!" I shouted, stepping toward him, angry. "I'm not leaving them trapped."

"You'll get lost in the smoke. You're staying here." When I started to shake my head again, he placed his hands on either side of my face, his gaze steady, determined. "I'll get them out. I'm not leaving you out there with him. Not if I can help it."

He gestured to a small microphone built into a table underneath the wall of video feeds. "Distract Carter. The intercom connects to a speaker in my room and will make him think you've slipped in there. It'll lead him away from your brothers and will give me an opening. I'll slip through and get them."

I wanted to argue. This wasn't how anything was supposed to go. Laurence was supposed to be wrong. Carter wasn't supposed to have the ability to ruin things. Burn the things I cared about to the ground and yet... Carter was going to burn everyone I loved if I didn't risk Laurence.

It was a decision that had the risk of killing me no matter which way I played it, because people I loved could die either way.

"Lily." He took my hands in his, his eyes pinning me. "I need to fix this. I need to end this with Carter. I've let his choices control mine for too long."

"Okay," I said, a part of me believing that I was letting him go in a permanent way. That the moment he walked out that door I would never see him again, and the thought left me numb, afraid that if I let myself feel, the only thing inside of me would be grief and pain and regret.

But we all had to face our demons at some point, and where mine were far more mental, forcing me to fight the voices inside that lied about who I was and what was true, Laurence had a far more physical demon to face, one that was currently trying to burn his world to ash.

I gazed up at Laurence, forcing my voice to steady even as tears filled my eyes. "Be safe, okay?"

His fingers dropped mine, and I itched to pull them back, already missing their warmth. He surprised me, his knuckles coming up to brush my cheek, his thumb catching my bottom lip, his touch hot against my skin.

"I wish I had the time to memorize every part of you."

My heart stuttered for a beat, unable to fully process his words, even as his dark eyes made clear what he wanted.

"What are you—"

Laurence's mouth suddenly covered mine, pulling me to him, kissing me in what felt more like a goodbye than I was ready for. His fingers buried into my hair, arms caging me in, body pressed tightly against mine. It was electrifying, addictive, setting me ablaze with want I had curried deep.

He broke a way only to have me pull him back, my kiss unfinished.

A moment later, he forced himself to drop his hands away from me, breathless.

"You said you'd never do that again," I whispered against his neck.

His chest brushed against mine with each breath he took. "I just needed you to know I don't regret what happened and to kiss you one more time."

My heart stalled, panic beginning to bubble up.

"And after this is over—" A loud crash pulled his attention towards the monitors for a moment.

His eyes found mine again, his pupils blown wide, his hair mussed, his lips red from our kiss. Marks that I wanted to be permanent. A sight I wanted to see every day, for as long as I could have him.

"After this is over, I want to finish that kiss."

He cupped my cheek, fingers memorizing my face, his eyes burning with intensity. "I love you Lily Autumns."

Then he turned and disappeared through the door, into his burning house, nothing but smoke and ash in his wake.

I was left standing in the room, alone, fingers on my lips, stunned by his parting words. Burned by them. Feeling them knit themselves to my skin. Because I loved him too, and he left before I could tell him. Before I could say it back.

I stared at the now closed door, shocked, elated and devastated in a single breath. He loved me. Laurence Royal loved me. And I didn't get a chance to respond.

"Don't you dare die Laurence Royal," I said to the closed door. "Not before I say I love you too."

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my eyes from the door and turned toward the monitors. Carter and Derik were easy to spot on the screen. Derik pacing back and forth before my brothers with a cocky gate. I could only imagine the monologue he was giving, but the screens didn't make a sound, and I had no idea how to turn it on.

Carter stood in the middle of the hall, his eyes assessing, a can of gas in one hand, a set of matches in the other, his eyes gleaming. He looked unhinged, the hint of flames in the distance making his eyes flicker menacingly.

Shuddering, I turned toward another screen, where I saw Laurence, moving down a different hall.

Sitting down at the small intercom Laurence had shown me, I pushed a button and began to talk, forcing my voice to sound calm and amused. If Carter wanted to play, I would show him how an Autumns girl played.

"Hello Carter." I watched him spin around on the screen, searching for the source of my voice. "I'm afraid I've grown bored of your game..."

He turned again, hearing the intercom in Laurence's room projecting my voice. I continued, trying to bait him. "So I've created a game of my own... If you want me to play your little game... you'll have to catch me first."

Carter hesitated, thinking. The pause seemed to last forever and I held my breath, knowing the house, my brothers, and Laurence were all on borrowed time.

But after a beat he began to walk in the direction of Laurence's room. And soon, Laurence was on the move, toward my brothers.

I watched Laurence, unsure of how he was going to get past Derik standing guard, when suddenly, Derik left the room. The opening felt too coincidental.

Where is Derik going? Why would he leave his post?

Curious, I tracked him to another screen, one that I hadn't noticed before. One that flicked on and off, the feed unreliable. I watched him walk up to another figure in a different room, one with hands tied behind her back.

Heart pounding, I gasped. "Natalie..."

Laurence's therapist was also in the house. Alone in a room with Derik.

I scanned the details of the room, and was relieved that it was one I had seen before. The guest room that had been filled with afternoon light when I had visited Laurence recently. It had looked like a treehouse paradise on the route to Laurence's master bedroom.

I knew where it was, I knew how to get there, and I needed to get Natalie out.

I glanced back at the other screens, watching Laurence slip past Carter, unnoticed, while Carter continued on his way to Laurence's room.

That will have to be enough time to get Carter's attention off of you. Sorry Laurence, but I can't stay here. I have to do this.

I spoked into the intercom one last time. "Now you see me... Now you don't."

Then I left the safety of the safe room and moved back into the burning house, determined to save Natalie.

---

Thank you for reading chapter thirty three! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!

Will Lily get Natalie to safety?

What will Lily do about Derik?

Will Laurence get Lily's brothers to safety?

Will Laurence and Lily get to finish their kiss?

What will happen next?

CHAPTER QUESTION - Do you have a favorite love song? What is it?