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"Oh God," Ty whispered He was apparently just realizing that he’d knocked unconscious the only ht knohere the kids were hidden

Aht not have been Zane’s blood, but he still considered her his niece She was so hunted by ruthless people who’d already killed to get to her, and they were all helpless to find her

"Ty," Zane grunted "We have to go find Amelia Doc and Emma will take care of Nick Co dazedly He turned his attention back to Kelly "Where would Nick stash them?"

"He said he didn’t know," Kelly snapped "Maybe if he was conscious he could lead us there!"

"If he was going on instinct, where would he have gone?"

"II don’t know," Kelly stammered "There’s so many places inside those walls he’dit has to be the basement He always took his sisters to the baseone down until he couldn’t go anyround Look underground"

Ty gave a curt nod "Okay It’s a start" He looked down at Nick one last tilanced up, glaring briefly "Tell him yourself"

Zane pulled Ty away before he could respond They turned to hurry back to the mansion, but Kelly called after them

"He always booby-trapped the stairs! Be careful! Think like Nick!"

Ty groaned "Think like Nick I’ die in Scotland"

Chapter 11

When they approached the front door of the ain crept into Zane and settled in his stoood reason for it

They slowed as they ca black hole of the interior Both of them took out the weapons they’d stolen fro sure the safeties were off It was so they’d done a hundred ti the that last moment to prepare As partners Sometimes side by side, sometimes with only a voice on an earpiece to let Zane knoith hi the clip back into his gun They would never be partners again The realization hit Zane hard Ty met his eyes

"I love you," Zane said quietly

Ty stared at him for a few breaths "Should I ask you to , but he shook his head "Ask h this"

Ty stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on the back of Zane’s neck as he kissed him "I love you too," he whispered

"You find Amelia," Zane said, his voice hoarse when Ty o for Stanton, et"

Ty nodded, and they headed into the house

In a few steps, Ty was gone, vanished into the darkness It was a not-so-gentle reminder of what his lover was capable of, but it comforted Zane in ways he didn’t want to exa rooht of the fireplace, candles, and hurricane laun when he stepped into the roo the doorway, a rifle ai the weapon across his legs again

Zane gave the roolance

Mara sat with her ar quietly Mara’s cheek had been roughly bandaged Several others appeared to have been wounded by the falling glass They needed to get Kelly in here to tend to them

Stanton sat with his son, Theo, their heads bowed over a table as they spoke quietly They were exauests were huddled around dining tables, some with blankets or coats wrapped over their shoulders, others conversing quietly or sione

"Where’s English and his boys?" Zane asked Earl

"Did you find the kids?" Earl asked

"No"

Earl’s shoulders slumped He looked older than he usually did, but the shadows fros to people’s appearances "Stanton ordered them to search the house for Amelia He told them her safety was more important to him than his own, so they went out"

"Shit," Zane hissed "Ty’s off looking too; if they run into each other there’s going to be soure if Stanton’s a target, then you’re looking at last line of defense," Earl said with a tap to his chest "We found this rifle on the wall above the fireplace It’s loaded, but I don’t even know if it’ll fire"

"You have a knife?" Zane asked Earl nodded and patted his hip

Stanton had noticed Zane there and washis way to the until Stanton and Theo joined the to kidnap Aes within the walls He hid them somewhere inside the walls and then ran as a decoy for Fraser" He es were there?"

"Yes, we used to play in the, frowning so hard his eyebroere touching "Jockie Fraser? I’ve known him since he was little He was Theo’s play the summers e’d visit"

"Jockie did this?" Theo asked, looking horrified It was the first time Zane had seen the man with any sort of expression "I don’t believe it"

"We caught hi to send pieces of Arowled

Theo and Stanton both blanched Zane could hear Earl growling, and he took a deep breath, sorely tee about the threat to the little girl Others had drifted closer, listening in, probably wanting to know if they were safe now, if it was all over Zane looked over them and raised his voice to be heard