“I’m going in there,” I said, and with a nod, Liam immediately moved to follow me.

“Wait a minute. We’re not going to just storm the gates—” Cade said.

“She’s in there. I’m not storming anything. We go in quietly.” I checked my weapon, then tucked it away. I was wearing a Kevlar vest, we all were. Plus, I had stashed all my usual weapons of choice in their usual spots. I glanced at Liam. He had done the same. It felt like the old days, except that this time, I had more to lose than just my life. The fear had gone straight to my soul, and I couldn’t shake it, I couldn’t bury it, and I couldn’t let it consume me.

Liam clapped me on the shoulder. “Luke. Steady,” he said, and I nodded.

We all froze as a commotion started up from the side of the building. A bearded man came barreling around the corner, dragging Lily behind him. My whole body sighed with relief for one second, then I snapped into action, following behind Liam, who had already started running in their direction.

“Shit!” Liam yelled as the two men we’d identified earlier as the probable kidnappers burst out from a door on the side of the building. The bearded guy with Lily let her go, turned, and rushed the bigger of the two kidnappers, tackling him to the ground.

“Go, Lily, go, go!” he yelled at her.

She looked back at him for a brief second, then she turned in my direction. She spotted me and ran faster. She screamed as the ponytailed kidnapper caught up to her and grabbed her from behind, lifting her off her feet. Liam and I had almost caught up to the fray, with Ben and Cade close behind.

Lily swung her head forward and slammed the back of it into ponytail’s face. She did it hard. I heard the impact. She shoved herself forward, out of his grasp, then turned and punched him, right where she had headbutted him. He went back on a foot and almost fell. He did fall after she kneed him between his legs and shoved him.

But Lily didn’t stop. She tackled him as he fell, landing with both of her knees in his stomach. He let out a sickening oof as her weight hit him and his breath wheezed out in a rush. Using her closed fist like a hammer, she hit him in the face again, and again, all the while screaming and cursing at him about how he killed Will, and how he wouldn’t scare her son or hurt anybody else ever again.

“Lily, stop.” I had finally reached her, along with Liam, Cade, and Ben. She pushed herself up and collapsed in my arms, sobbing.

“He killed Will. He tried to take Dylan,” she cried.

I held her tighter, then picked her up.