Free Chance: An Action & Adventure Romance Novel (Sacrifice) by A.C. Heller

distracted by his thoughts.
    “I'm sure you've already figured out why I'm here,” Aaron said vaguely.
    Aiden really had no idea why he was there.  He suspected it had something to do with Dora but he wanted to know for sure. “Not a clue. Why don't you fill me in?”
    Aaron stared at him for a moment, his dark brown eyes searching Aiden’s face. “I've come to make sure Al has finished the chamber for Pandora.”
    “ Dora!” Aiden immediately responded without even thinking.
    “Pardon?” Aaron asked clearly confused.
    “She doesn't like to be called that.  Her name’s Dora.”
    Aaron raises a skeptical eyebrow at him and carries on. “Right, well she needs to be placed in the chamber as soon as it's finished. Orders.”
    Aiden's first reaction is shock, but that only lasts seconds before anger takes its place. “You've got to be shitting me!” He explodes taking a menacing step towards Aaron.
    Aaron doesn't move.  He stares up at Aiden with a curious expression on his face. “You know I'm not and I'm here to make sure that this order is carried out. If it is not, I will have you removed from this compound.”
    Inwardly cursing Aiden uses every ounce of his self control to keep his shit together. He knew Aaron had the authority to do what he said and the idea of not being there if Dora needed him seemed even worse. Just then a loud explosion rips through the air causing both men to turn and start running towards the compound just as people are running out of the exits.
    Aiden is the first to make it into the compound but Aaron is right on his heels. As Aiden rounds the corner towards the medical facility he's joined by Takeo and Angelo. The door to the medical facility is locked when they reach it, but thick black smoke is billowing out from the seams. Takeo uses his massive bulk to push through the men and he slams his boot into the door cracking it off the door frame and causing it to fall to the floor with a thud. The smoke pouring out of the room is so thick that none of the men can see an inch in front of their faces, but they still wade through it.
    The room is eerily silent as Aiden calls out to any survivors. “Anyone breathing?!” To his surprise there is only one response.
    “I knew I shouldn't have used four bricks of C4.  Next time definitely three. Yup three... Maybe three and a half.”
    Aiden follows his voice and as the smoke is just starting to clear he reaches Al and grabs him by his shoulders. “Tell me you didn't do this shit on purpose!?” Aiden roars at him.
    Al's brows scrunch together and he looks genuinely confused. “You want me to lie to you?”
    Angelo growls and stomps out of the room, followed by a scarily silent Takeo. Aiden opens his mouth to rip Al a new one, but he really can't be surprised. This is Al. This is what happens when he works.
    “ Why?” Aiden asks while taking a calming breath.  Crossing his arms over his chest and planting his feet he waits for a response that will most likely piss him off all over again. “I had to test the chamber. And good news! Not a scratch.” Al turns and opens the door of the reinforced steel box behind him. The first thing Aiden notices about it is that it is bigger than the old cell she was in, though it's not going to make it any better. Al peeks his head in and mutters something to himself that is too low for Aiden to hear.
    Following him, Aiden peeks his head in and his eyebrows shoot up. “Jesus fuck man, there's a thirty foot hole in the fuckin' floor.”
    Al gnaws on the inside of his lip for a moment, obviously in thought, before mumbling in response. “That could be an issue.” Al walks over to his blue prints and starts working on them as if Aiden wasn't even there. Frustrated beyond reason, Aiden wipes both hands over his face and into his hair. Unable to deal with the shit he just had to endure for another second, Aiden walks up to his room and runs into Dora in the hall.
    “Aiden?” She asks with a tone and