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66 - The End.

I cry into Aiden's chest as he wraps one arm around my waist and grabs my hand with the other. He starts to hum in my ear, a calm tune but my heart is beating out of my chest.

It all happens so quickly, I can hear heavy furniture being tossed against the walls downstairs, and bullets buzzing below us. I cringe against him knowing that Howard is down there. They're searching for us.

"They're going to come for us any minute, Aiden." I cry. He pulls me closer to him. Why aren't we doing anything?

"Shh, I won't let anything happen to you." I revel in his embrace, sighing in defeat, I give up. There's no way out and I'll be damned if my last moments with him are spent in terror.

He takes his phone out and plays a slow song. Grabbing my hand he twirls me underneath the starry lights, I follow his fluid and romantic movements in the chaotic mess.

"What are you doing?" I ask through tears.

"We're slow dancing while they scream."

The sound of heavy boots trekking up the stairs makes tears flow down my cheeks, luckily there's a heavy metal door separating them from us so we have more time together, and we always lock it when we come up here. This is supposed to be our safe haven, the one place we don't have to worry about danger.

Aiden pulls me back from him, studying my face before planting a solitary kiss on my lips.

"Come with me." He whispers, placing a hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the bed. The bed we first made love on.

In one quick movement, he slides the bed against the concrete carefully, revealing what looks like a trap door. Pulling the open lock from it and lifting the door I see a small underground room. I shudder in relief. Why did he wait so long?

He lowers me in, gently.

"Come on!" I yell at him while he studies me from above. His emerald eyes drinking me in.

"There's only room for one." He lies, I know he knows they'll search the place up and down for him and eventually lift the bed.

"Fuck that!" I yell. They're banging on the door; I can hear them.

He holds a finger to his lips. "Shh, they'll hear you."

I try to think of what to say, finally, I decide that I'm going down with him. I begin to crawl out, but he pries my hands from the sides.

"I want to go with you." I tell him, not caring about the consequences. He can't leave me like this. My eyes widen at the sight of the padlock in his hands as he brings his hand down.

Aiden blows me a kiss, his voice brave. "Thank you for you. I'm sorry you have to live without me." He looks behind him, his movements becoming frantic, but his voice is calm as he turns back to me one last time. "I love you, Emilia."

"I love you more." I cry as he closes the heavy door, trapping me inside with no way to get out. The lock clicks and I hear the bed slide above me as my brain tries to register what's happening.

I want to scream, protest, anything but I can't. I know me banging on the wood door above would cause terror to leak through him and he looked so brave. Fuck.

Yelling. Gunfire. Silence.

E N D O F B O O K O N E

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