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Darien looked at the tunnel one more time. It was pretty straight—they could probably go for a while before needing to turn.

He tightened his grip on the sword, keeping it in hand in case they needed it. Without it, they were well and truly fucked. “Let’s do this.”

They started walking, bits of stone crunching under their feet. The ground softened as they ventured deeper, mud sucking on their boots.

“You good?” he asked Roman, his bass voice echoing.

“Fine,” Roman mumbled. “Just…thinking.”

“About what?”

“Everything.” He inhaled, the sound scraping across the walls like sharp talons. “You ever reach a point in your life where you feel like you totally fucked everything up, and there’s no going back?”

“All the time,” Darien said, Loren’s pretty face flashing into his mind. He sighed, missing her so goddamn much it felt like someone had punched their way to his heart and ripped it—raw and bloody and still beating—out. “All the damn time, man. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good at this wholelifething. Mistakes, though…I’ve always been good at those. My lifeis one big train wreck. So yeah, I’ve definitely reached the point where I feel like I fucked everything up. I feel like that right now.”

“You’ve done better than me, in a lot of ways. Least you don’t have your psycho dad to deal with anymore.” A beat of silence, and then Roman confessed, “I’m worried Paxton’s dead.”

Darien’s scalp prickled. “He’s not.”

“How do you know?” Roman challenged. “We don’t—that’sthe problem. I promised to keep him safe, and what’d I do? Ilefthim. I left my little brother all alone. And now I’m stuck in these gods-forsaken tunnels…” The grinding of his teeth was audible. “Meanwhile I have no clue where he evenis?—”

“You didn’t know what was going to happen. None of us did.”

“Doesn’t matter. I still screwed up. I made a mistake, and I’m not going to even try to pretend that I didn’t. He’s probably scared. Probably wondering where the hell his brother is. If he’s dead, I’ll have no one to blame but myself?—”

“I need you to listen to me,” Darien said, lifting the sword so he could see Roman in its reflection. He looked haggard, dried Venom and blood streaking his cheeks, his eyes wild with rage. With self-loathing. Darien had been in his shoes many times; he wouldn’t stand by and let Roman spiral like this. “We’re alive right now when we shouldn’t be,” he began. “So I need you to trust that Paxton is alive, too. You’re going to see him again—I promise you that.” He clapped Roman on the shoulder. “The best thing you can do for Pax right now is stay strong and get out of these tunnels. All right?”

His next inhale trembled. “Gods, I hope you’re right. About him being alive, I mean.”

“I am. I can feel it.”

A pause. And then Roman said, “I don’t suppose you can feel if Shay’s alive, too?” He huffed, disappointed with himself all over again. “Another of my many screw-ups.”

Darien considered how he should answer. He could tell Roman another lie, if only to make him feel better. But he didn’t want to—not when it wouldn’t solve anything, and not when promising Pax was okay was enough of a risk. So he settled on, “One step at a time. Let’s get above ground, and we’ll go from there. Good?”

Roman gave a rigid nod. “Yeah. Good.”

They walked on, the tunnel soon stinking of iron. The ground was still squelching—muddy in feel, but with ridges that felt like roots, making it a little easier to find purchase.

“I gotta say,” Roman began a few minutes later, “I never really took you for the romantic type.”

He smirked, grateful for the distraction. This was the most they’d talked in hours. “No?”

“No.” The smile in Roman’s voice was audible. “But it kind of suits you.Shesuits you.”

Darien’s own smile widened. “Thanks.”

“I’ve been dying to know what made my cousin—the famousDarien Cassel?—”

“Famous? I don’t know about that.”

“—decide to protect this girl. She give good head or something?”

Darien chuckled. “Fuck off.” He paused. “She does give good head though, yeah.” Fuck, did she ever. She’d only gone down on him once, but it was the most unforgettable experience of his life.

Roman let out a husky laugh that bounced down the tunnel. “What was it then, if not the life-changing head?”

Darien thought about it, but there weren’t enough words to describe all the good Loren had brought into his life.