Emery’s POV

“Emery, are you up?” The all too familiar voice of my guard called as the lights flipped on. I pinched my eyelids even tighter together, just wanting to be left alone. Now that I was down in the cell, I really had nothing left to live for. I just hoped that my sister and the Avenged guys had gotten far away from here and never looked back.

“Emery, I have food and water for you. I can bring you to the bathroom.” Oh, so now I was going to be allowed the luxuries of the bathroom instead of the piss bucket in the corner? Was Chris sure he could help me now? Because the last time I checked, he had sided with my father and refused to help me. He betrayed me and I didn’t know if I could ever forgive him for that, considering everything we’d been through. I mean, how could he stand idly by and watch my father do this to me? It was sickening!

“Emery, please. You need to eat. I need you with strength.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting the urge to scoff. Yeah, he should have thought of that before he decided to follow through with my father’s orders instead of helping me escape when I asked. Now I was fucking trapped here with nothing. The only thing that I had was the hope that the ones I loved were safe.

“Leave me alone.” I said, my tone void of emotion. I didn’t have enough energy or willpower left to fight with him.

“Emery, please… I… I need to tell you something.” I rolled my eyes and lifted my head ever so slightly so that I could turn and look at him. I didn’t want to but I couldn’t deny the hint of desperation in his voice.

He quickly crossed the length of my cell, set down the tray, and sat down beside me, looking at me with concern, desperation, and something else in his eyes. Was it fear? Never in my life had I seen Chris look afraid – not even when we were sneaking around and having sex behind my father’s back. So why was he nervous now?

“I heard about your sister, she is doing well.” Chris said and my heart instantly jumped in my chest. He heard from Jolie? Was that even possible?

“How?” I asked, grasping his hand on the mattress. “Please tell me she is far away, tell me she told you that she is safe and will never be back, right?!” I practically begged, not wanting her do anything stupid. Because the one thing I knew for certain was that if my father caught her and/or the Avenged guys, it would be a death sentence. I couldn’t live in a world without them so I would do everything in my power to keep them safe, even if it meant being a prisoner for the rest of my life. Their freedom was worth my suffering.

Chris swallowed thickly and looked down at me with small smile. “She is safe, and you need to help me keep you safe Emery, please eat and drink. I need you strong, I know it’s hard, but… we also need you healthy.”

I shook my head and pulled away from him, moving toward the borders of my cell. Something just didn’t seem right about all of this. I mean, why did Chris suddenly seem interested in helping me? Or was he doing this for my father? And more importantly, how in the world would he have heard from Jolie?! It just wasn’t adding up and I was staring to become angry. This asshole was playing my father’s sick and twisted game, trying to break me even further.

“You’re a liar,” I hissed, my back to him as I looked out at the other cells in the basement. I clenched my fists, as my chest started to heave up and down in anger. How could he fucking do this to me?! Hadn’t I been through enough?!

“What? No, Em I’m not lying to you I—”

“Don’t call me that!” I snapped turning to look at him with fire in my eyes. I was pissed off and I didn’t know how much more I could take. “You lost that privilege when you decided to work for him.” I seethed, referencing my father. “And what does he want you to do now? Make sure I’m at a healthy body weight so he can try to sell me again?” I let out a humorless laugh as I angrily paced my cell.

Chris let out a frustrated growl and ran his hands over his face. “It’s not like that at all! I’m just—”

“Just what? Frustrated that I didn’t fall into your little stupid trap?!” I raged, tears now building in my eyes at the thought of not actually knowing anything about my sister. What kind of heartless monster would give me false news, especially when they knew how close my sister and I were! “So whose idea was it to lie to me about Jolie? You or my father?”

Chris was suddenly standing and his hand were clenched in fist, anger and hurt written over his features. “I’m not fucking working for you father, Em!” He hissed and I laughed. Oh that was rich!

Suddenly I felt him take my arms and gently but firmly press me against the cold brick wall. “I’m being fucking serious, Em!” Those familiar green eyes bore back at me with an intensity that I couldn’t describe. It was almost like he was willing me to believe him with every ounce of his being. “I’m not working for your father. This is not a trick. We all agree that Pagano has lost his fucking mind and it’s not safe for anyone anymore,” he said and I nodded, understanding his reasoning now.

“Oh,” I nodded, the venom dripping from my voice. “So now that your life is in danger, it’s okay to help… but when it was the life of my sister, our friends, and myself, you sided with my father? Thank goodness you’ve come to my rescue now!” I said sarcastically as I pushed away from him. I had never felt more betrayed. In all honesty, I could deal with the fact that my father was bat shit crazy, but what hurt the most was losing Chris as a friend in all this. For many years, he was the only one besides Jolie I could rely on. But now? He chose the dark side until it wasn’t convenient for him anymore, and that hurt.

“Don’t be like this Emery,” Chris growled and I couldn’t help but shake my head. “You know how dangerous your father is to work for. Now, I’m trying to help you and get you out of here.”

I stopped and looked back into his green eyes, trying to decide if he was being truthful. “Please, Em, I can’t stand to see you like this and if I could, I would take it all back and help you when you asked the first time. You cant live like this… no we cant live like this,” he practically begged, which was another thing I had never seen him do.

“So how do I know this isn’t some kind of trick?” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to be sensible and not just give into him—even though it was the only piece of hope I had left.

Chris let out a light sigh and shrugged, “You’re just going to have to trust me, but everything I said about Jolie and you needing your strength is true,” he said before his head set made a light beeping sound. “Brown here,” he replied as my head started to spin with thoughts.

“Yes, I will be up in a moment. I am just delivering rations to Miss Pagano as instructed,” Chris finished before looking back down at me. “I have to go, but just know we have a plan in action and we are going to get you out of here, Em. I promise you that.” He said before turning and walking out of my cell, the door locking in place behind him.

“We? Who’s we?!” I called after him, placing my hands on the bars. My heart was now racing in my chest and a new hope filled my body. Was this real? Was he really going to get me out of here and with my sister? Or was that just wishful thinking? I didn’t know but it was all I had left to go by. “Will I see Jolie?!”

“Yes… if all goes well,” Chris whispered with a small smile. “But that’s all I can say for now. So eat your dinner and I will give you an update as soon as I can… stay strong, Em.” And with that, he disappeared up the stairs, leaving me alone to eat.

So I was going to see my sister!? My heart was racing with joy as I started to put the pieces together in my head. So if I was going with Jolie…then I had to be going with Avenged! My heart soared at the thought. There was no way Matt was going to let go of my sister and where Matt went, Brian and the others were sure to follow. Oh god… that meant that I was going to see Brian again! We could be together! I couldn’t stop the smile from forming on my face as I moved over to my tray, looking down at my dinner. There was suddenly a new hope within me and I would do anything to be with Brian and my sister again. Anything.

Matt’s POV

“Okay, progress report,” I said walking into our makeshift conference room after getting off the phone with the Dan the Body.

Every one of my men, including Jolie, had being sitting around our two kitchen tables for the past twenty-four hours doing recon and surveillance on Pagano. Everywhere you looked, someone was on a phone, taking notes as they listened in on tapped wires, or watching security cameras, trying to find the right time to make our move. It was like looking at a well-oiled machine. I just wished it had been under better circumstances and not a rescue mission.

“Reports are surfacing that we have been sighted on multiple occasions around the mock-compound,” Jimmy said as he pulled out one of his ear buds. “They’ve taken the bait and are talking about moving forward.” I couldn’t miss the small smile on his face from the pride in his work. It was indeed good news, but from the range of emotions I saw flash in Gates’ eyes, I knew we needed to move faster. We were all anxious but as the hour passed without the little blonde in his arms, the more he seemed to come unhinged.

“Bout fucking time,” Gates snapped, standing up and adjusting gun in his belt like he was ready to leave right that moment.

“Sit down, Gates. You know if we jump in too soon it could jeopardize the whole mission or put one of us in danger—” I started, raising my hand in his direction to try to get him to sit down. In all honesty, he looked like shit. If the bags under his eyes were any indication, he hadn’t slept in days, which only increased his agitation. Gates needed his beautify sleep to function at his best and seeing him like this made me feel a little unsteady. It was clear to me that he would risk everything just to get the little blonde out, even his own life, and I didn’t want to take that risk. I had to make sure he followed the plan.

“I don’t fucking care if I’m in danger! I want her out of that hellhole!” He raged, slamming his fist down on the table.

I opened my mouth to try to get him to see reason but Jolie beat me to the punch. “I know you’re anxious to have her back, I am too.” Jolie gently rested her hand on Gates’ shoulder and I couldn’t fight the twinge of jealousy that coursed through my veins. She shouldn’t be touching anyone but me! I shot Gates a death glare making that fact very evident.

“But you know how my father is. One wrong move and he…he could…kill her.” Jo’s voice sounded strangled at the end I knew how painful this must be for her. I would do everything in my power to take that pain away from her and make her the happiest woman in the world. Both girls deserved that after the hell they’d been through.

Brian’s eye grew dark as he clenched his fists and locked his jaw – the true Synyster Gates warning signs. I quickly placed myself between him and Jo, fearing that he would explode any second. “We. Need. To. Get. Her. Out. Now.” He hissed dangerously and I nodded, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

“And we will but we need to wait for the signal,” I said reassuringly. “But if you can get yourself together, I’m taking you off the mission. You will not be a liability to this team,” I warned, receiving the darkest look I had ever seen.

“Over my dead body,” Gates’ voice was so low that it was almost inaudible and I knew he was on edge.

“Then sit down—” I gave his shoulder a hard shove as I knocked his knees out from behind him, forcing him to fall backward into the chair. “And do your job. Watch the surveillance for any signs of Pagano’s SWAT unit.” Damn he was a piece of work lately. It was like fucking babysitting a toddler, just watching to make sure they didn’t get into any trouble.

Gates muttered something under his breath as he pulled on a pair of headphones, but I let it go. At least he was being productive. I turned to look over at Jolie just as Christ’s voice cut through the momentary silence that had settled in the room.

“I just got a encrypted or coded message from Pagano’s office,” he said, his words causing every head in the room to pop up.

“Can you decode it?” I asked as Jolie wrapped her arms around me, looking up at me with hope in those beautiful blues. God she was gorgeous. What I wouldn’t give to see her smile again.

“I think so. It’s not a very sophisticated pattern,” he shrugged, his eyes scanning his screen as he wrote something down on a piece of paper. “Pagano seemed to be getting lazy in his tactics.”

“Or has completely lost his goddamn mind,” Zacky added, earning a nod. “From what we’ve seen and heard from his business dealings in the past twenty-four hours, he’s lost all sense of security or usual patterns. He’s off the grid.”

I felt Jolie’s grip tighten around and I looked down at her. The look of hope was now replaced with a look of fear and that made my heart ache. She shouldn’t have to go through this shit! “If he’s not being secretive about his business dealings… he must really be unstable,” she whispered, tears building in her eyes. “We have to get Em out of there… if he is that unstable, god know what he’ll do to her.”

“Don’t worry, we will bring her home, Babe. I promise you that.” I carefully ran my hand over her sleek, soft hair before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Your father wont get away with this.”

“But what if he’s already—”

“We are not going there, Jo,” I said sternly, whipping away the tears that were welling in her eyes. She was worried and I didn’t want her to be. I wanted to take all her pain away because seeing her like this was literally killing me inside. I loved the girl so damn much that I felt physically sick seeing her so upset, but I would never tell anyone. They would all think their boss had gone soft.

“The guards are there and they promised to keep her safe until we could get her out of there. We just have to be patient and trust them,” I nodded, deep down trying to convince both her and myself. I still didn’t fully trust the guards but they were the only inside connection we’d had and so far everything had gone according to plan. I just hope it stayed that way. “Emery will be home soon.” I promised, hugging my girl close.

“Got it!” Chris burst a few moments later. “Pagano is sending his SWAT team to our mock-location around 1AM,” he finished and all eyes turned to me.

“Good, then we will be ready to strike a soon as the vans pull away from the mansion. Rev do we have two untraceable vans ready to stake out the Pagano estate?” I asked, feeling my blood start to pump with adrenaline. This was the shit I lived for. I fucking loved going on missions and getting my hands dirt. It was got me addicted to this job in the first place – but I would give it all up after this for Jolie.

“They are ready in waiting in the enclosed loading dock. They are fully equipped and stocked with medical supplies,” he replied.

“Perfect. Now all we need is a plan for entering the mansion,” I said, running my hand over the stubble on my chin as I thought. What would be the best course of action to get in and get out safely with Emery?

“I’m going to get Emery out of that cell,” Gated announced sternly and I nodded in agreement. He deserved that much after all that he’d been through. Maybe he would finally focus and not do anything reckless with Emery in his arms.

“Yes, Gates and the Rev will free Emery from the basement cells while Vengeance, Body, and the Berrys will be inside keeping us covered, Christ will stay in the van watching the perimeter, and I will find Pagano,” I said, clenching my fists. After all the hell he put those girls through, the man didn’t deserve to live and I would personally take care of him. Nothing would give me more pleasure than squeezing the life out of the man with my bare hands, feeling his gasp or his last breaths, begging for his life. The man deserved to suffer and feel the same pain that his daughters did and I would make sure that he did.

“I’m going too,” Jolie announced and my head snapped in her direction so fast that I swear that I got whiplash. What did she mean she was coming too? Over my dead body! “You can’t go in there alone, especially with the state that my father is in. He is unpredictable and the mansion can be like a maze.”

“No. You are staying here with—” I started, shaking my head. I wouldn’t risk her! I refused!

“No! I’m not staying home and anxiously waiting for you to rescue my sister! I know that house better than any one of you and could tell which guard is on patrol when. You’re not doing this without me!” Jolie was standing firm but so was I. She was not worth the risk to me. She would stay home and safe, far away from her father’s evil grasp. Fuck I hated that guy.

“That answer is no—”

“She may have a point, Shads,” Vengeance said, standing up and giving me a pointed look. “After having been in the mansion a handful of times, I can honestly say that I have never been the same place twice. It would be good to have the inside knowledge, especially with the guards. We know they are sharp shooters and any leg up with help us with our mission.”

I growled and ran my hands over my face in frustration as everyone started to mumbled around me. No! No! No! Jolie was not supposed to go back into that house! She was to stay as far away from Pagano as humanly possible! She was not going to get dragged back into that fucking hellhole!

“You’re not going alone and that is final,” Jolie said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and giving me a challenging look. Damn it why did she have to look so sexy and royally piss me off all at the same time. And as much as I hated to admit it, it was fucking hot. “I’m going with you!”

I growled one more time and took a step toward her, pointing my finger in her direction. “Fine,” I agreed unwillingly. I hated that my men were all siding with her and were willing to put her in danger. “But you will stay with Gates and the Rev and you will get out of that mansion as soon as your sister is free. Do you understand me?” I could feel my heart racing in my chest with each word because the threat of losing her again seemed too close for comfort.

“We will make sure the girls get out safely,” Gates nodded. I was thankful that she would be with my best marksmen. I just hoped Gates didn’t do anything reckless or stupid. “They are the number one priority.”

“Agreed,” everyone in the room said just as my phone vibrated with a text from the guards.

“Alright, that’s the go ahead from our intelligence inside the mansion. Let’s get suited up, packed up, and ready to move. We load the vans in ten!” I announced, followed the scurrying of every person in the room. “We’re going in!”

Notes

Finally a new chapter! Hope you like it!