A/N: They have alternating POVs here so be careful when reading!❤️
Liam's POV
Dad woke up a couple of hours right after Mom did, and I slumped in relief seeing that they were fine.
He told us that someone hit him in the back of the head when he and Hannah were about to go out for some air near the garden.
He didn't handle the news well when I told him that Hannah was kidnapped, and he blamed himself for not protecting her.
Mom on the other hand, was still shaken up but tried her best to stay calm and not think about negative things happening.
It was hard for all of us but I kept a strong front because one of us needed to have a cool head right now.
*****
Ryder's POV
2 days have passed before we received a message coming from Alisander.
Call off your tracker. She won't be able to find me. I'm willing to talk to Liam. So tell him to pick up when an unknown number calls.
We immediately sent men to Mexico, the location which the text was traced to, but we only found a man who said he picked up the phone near a dumpster.
"Damn it!" I gripped the bottle in my hand too hard and it shattered into pieces, soaking the table.
"Should we do what he said?" Kayne asked us and Raegan, together with the council members, had serious expressions while weighing their options.
"We all know what he's going to say." Enora said with disdain and scowled at the message we received.
"It's not for us to decide. It's Liam's." Katherine told them and I inclined my head to her as a sign of thanks for being on Liam's side.
"And we can try tracing his location again while he's on the call." I added and this made them agree.
I called for multiple personnel who can trace and monitor the location of the caller while they're talking, and asked them to remain on standby.
"Tell him that Alisander has a message for him." Raegan said to me and entrusted the part in relaying this to Liam.
*****
Liam's POV
I was biting on my nail as I paced around the room. I had one hand on my waist and I was trying my best to not get absorbed by all the thoughts plaguing my mind.
She's okay. Hannah's okay. Ryder said they won't hurt her. Hannah's strong so I shouldn't worry that much. We'll get her back. Yeah. We'll definitely get her back.
Do you really believe that?
Don't listen. Don't listen to that voice. Hannah's okay. She's okay.
But she's not here is she?
No. Shut up! I won't listen. I won't listen. Surely they won't hurt a kid? Won't they?
But all of this happened because of you.
No! N-No. R-Ryder said it wasn't my fault. I-It's not. I don't think it is. It's not my fault. Is it?
What if your sister is already...dead?
NO!
"Liam." I jumped at Ryder's voice and he had a worried expression when I turned around.
"Is everything okay?" He gently grabbed my waist to pull it to him and I nodded my head and forced a smile on my face.
"Are you sure?" He asked doubtfully and bent down so that he was face to face with me.
"Yeah. I'm sure." I pecked his lips softly and he kissed me back in return. I took strength from his presence to ground me and I held his face in my hands.
We stayed like that for a moment, like he knew that I needed this, needed him.
"A message came this morning." He told me while connecting our foreheads together. My eyes widened at this, and I immediately pulled away.
"W-What did it say?" I asked hastily and grabbed his hands.
A muscle in his jaw ticked before saying,
"He said he wants to talk to you. So you should pick up when an unknown number calls." I quickly grabbed my phone on the nightstand and looked to see if there was any missed calls.
"There's nothing." I chewed on my lower lip but Ryder's thumb halted what I was doing.
"We'll get her back. I promise."
----
Just like the message said, an unknown number called my phone.
I was in the council room with Ryder, Raegan and the High Masters, and the people who were sitting in front of a computer looked to Ryder for a signal.
They already informed me of what they plan to do so when I answered the call, everyone did their part.
"Hello?" I waited for a response as I stared at the center of the table.
"I'm glad you answered." Came Alisander's voice from the other end of the line.
"What did you do to my sister?" I asked him with clenched teeth.
"Ah, straight to the point I see." He laughed and I gripped my phone tighter until my knuckles turned white.
Keep going. Ryder mouthed to me and looked at his men who's fingers were moving on the keyboard with insane speed.
"She's safe. For now." There was a threat to his answer and my hands trembled with so much fear and anger.
"How do I know she's safe?" The line turned quiet for a while before another voice spoke.
"Liam?" I placed a hand on my mouth and swallowed the sob of relief upon hearing Hannah's voice.
"Hey you. Are you okay there?" I forced my voice to sound normal so that she wouldn't suspect that something was wrong.
"Yeah. Where are you? Can I go with you?" I forced my eyes shut and clenched my fists to stop myself from crying.
"Just- Just hang on, okay? We're going to get you." I told her and hang my head low as I waited for her response.
"Aaww, you're such a sweet big brother." Alisander's voice was the one who replied and I didn't know I could hate someone so much until now.
"You monster."
"I can give her back to you. On one condition." I straightened up at his offer and held my breath.
"Go to the location Ryder's men deciphered after this call." Shock was written on all of our faces and Alisander's answering laugh proved that he knew of what we were doing.
"Alone."
"If I find out that someone's with you, I can't guarantee that your sister will be...in one piece." He said tauntingly and I felt my blood boil.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her." I warned and made sure he heard the venom from my voice.
"Do I make myself clear, Liam?" My mouth formed into a thin line and I swallowed.
"Yes."
"You have 24 hours." With that final words, the call ended.
I expelled the harsh breath I was holding and Ryder immediately wrapped his arms around me. I clung to him and I didn't mind that there were people around us.
I was shaking so much, so he kept whispering sweet words into my ear to calm me down.
Someone gave us the location of the call and it was immediately displayed on the screen.
"Florida, huh." Icarus mused aloud.
"There's a compound near the coast of St. Petersburg. Locals have been prohibited from entering but there have been sightings that it's still on use." The guy who was controlling the screen presented all the information we needed and pinpointed the origin of the call.
"We'll have the legion scout the area and go with him so that-"
"Wait, what?" I cut Raegan off and breathed out a dry laugh as I looked at him.
"Liam, it's for precautionary measures." Rowan tried to defend the idea but I was having none of it.
"You heard what he said." I stood my ground and gritted my teeth.
"Child, you should-"
"Don't! Don't call me a child." I snapped at Enora and she pulled back with a shocked expression.
Silence descended over us but Ryder cleared his throat before speaking.
"Excuse us for a moment." He took my hand and led us out of the council room to go to our own.
The anger that ran through my veins after talking to Alisander was still there, and what the council said made me even angrier.
This...dark intent to commit violence was eating me from the inside out and turning me into something I'm not.
"Liam, listen to me." Ryder grabbed my shoulders gently to grab my attention.
"What Raegan and the council said is right. We can't afford anything to happen to you." I frowned and shrugged his hand off of my shoulders.
"So you're siding with them?" I laughed and threw my hands in the air to express my frustration.
"Liam, that's not-"
"He has my sister!" I cut him off when I screamed at him and it made him silent. I knew that he was taken aback by what I did but he didn't show it and just kept a straight face.
"He made his threat clear that if someone's with me, he will hurt Hannah." I stated and he nodded his head slowly and licked his lips.
"The legion was put together for a reason, Liam. They're the best team out there. They won't be detected so easily." My mood turned even more sour when he intended me to understand.
"Stop pushing this!" I shouted and turned my back on him to go the living room.
"It's for your own safety!" He shot back and followed me out.
"Then what about Hannah's safety? Huh?" I questioned him with a sharp edge to my voice. He took a calming breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"They'll make sure she's safe."
"How do you know that?" I stopped and crossed my arms over my chest as I waited for his response.
"Because I trust them, Liam. I'm the one who trained them." He managed to calm himself and answered me with a gentle voice.
"That's not enough for me." I tried to end the conversation and go to sleep but he grabbed my wrist.
"Then what do you want me to do?" I felt that he was getting tired with this conversation but still, he looked at me with a soft expression.
"Let me go so that I can figure out what Alisander wants and bargain for my sister." I went straight to the point and I watched as his brows dipped and formed a line.
"He wants you! Why can't you get that?" He exhaled a frustrated breath and raked a hand through his hair.
"As soon as I know Hannah's safe, I'll get out of there." I gave him an ultimatum but he just laughed.
"It won't change a damn thing."
"Don't curse at me." I glared at him and he answered it back with a change of his eye color. It turned red.
"I didn't curse at you."
"You did!"
"It's because you have no care for your own safety, Liam! That's why I'm doing it for you!" He growled and the muscles on his arms flexed as he clenched his fists.
"It's because you don't have a family! That's why you can't understand!"
As soon as the words left my lips, it was only then I realized the weight of it.
Silence followed what I said and I lifted a trembling hand to my mouth. I wanted nothing more than to take back what I said but the damage was already done.
He smiled a bitter smile and my eyes watered when I felt the pain I inflicted on his heart.
"I-I didn't mean-"
"It's okay." His jaw hardened and he wasn't looking at me anymore. I clamped my lips together and was about to reach for him but he stepped away.
"You're right. I don't. And I don't want to lose the last person I care about." He turned his back on me and it felt like my chest was getting stepped on.
He was already to the door but I ran after him and hugged him from the back.
"I'm sorry." I cried and clutched him tighter when he stayed rigid in my arms. He sighed before turning to face me, and I buried my face on his chest.
"Aaron, don't go."
I pleaded while looking him up at him with tears freely rolling down my face. His face softened at what I said and I felt his adoration when I called his name.
"I-I didn't mean it." I started to have hiccups and he frowned in concern as he connected our foreheads together.
"Sshhh. Sshhh. It's okay." He kissed my lips while brushing my cheeks with his thumb, and my lower lip trembled at the amount of patience he had for me.
"I-I love you." I told him and he rubbed my nose with his to stop me from crying.
"I know, Eli. I know." He kissed me again and I hooked my arms around his neck to lose myself in his taste, in his touch, in everything he is.
"Hold me."
A/N: Hi!! It's me again😚 Out break is coming soon so I'll be able to upload faster and begin to write again!❤️ Thank you so much for supporting me🥺, and please don't forget to vote!!