When Lucas broke another piece of furniture, a woman walked into the room and told the guys they had to leave. After a long drawn out argument, the guy that kept touching my face refused to leave my side until he carried me out of the place they were staying.

I don't know what happened after that. I went into a strange dream world where more people were being beaten and tortured. There was one man that I had to watch regularly. I knew him well in my dream, but when I woke up, everything got blurry again.

I'm not sure how long I'd been asleep, but I knew I wasn't in a place I'd seen before. Thankful to escape the torture of watching that sad man being incessantly beaten with whips and chains, I let my eyes adjust, examining the dark walls around me.

After staring into the darkness for awhile, I realized that the bedroom surrounding me was painted black, and a blue nightlight with green laser dots was slowly moving across the ceiling. It looked like the universe was moving above me. The nightlight was awesome. It reminded me of my hometown. Wherever that was.

I was tucked into someone's bed. It smelled like oranges and something sweet. I wanted to eat the smell. Actually, I was ravenous. When was the last time I'd eaten?

I'm not sure how long I spent just inhaling the intoxicating scent from my blanket, but it was comforting as I gave myself time to wake up. The door was halfway open, and there was a light on in the hallway. Somewhere nearby, guys started talking. When someone yelled in anger, I tuned into their conversation.

It was easy, like turning up the volume on a stereo. After listening for a moment, I concluded that it was the same guys that I'd been with before I blacked out.

They were angry and upset, but they had no idea how amazing their lives really were, and they had no clue about the horrible events going on in the dark place. Recalling the fires and thousands of burning people made me wonder how I'd gotten back into my body. I knew I never should've been there, and now, it was all I could remember about my past. I knew I had a life before that horrible place, so I figured my memory wasn't working properly.

I tried to put the pieces together. Before this, someone had shackled me inside a prison or cell. There had been a nasty, cruel burned lady that scared the shit out of me. I couldn't forget her disgusting, bloody teeth as she kept eating something. There was a lot of screaming from some girl nearby, and someone had slapped me while they were saying mean things to me, but it hadn't been the woman in my cell.

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes in irritation. My memories were clouded and foggy. The events weren't lining up. The worst part about it was that I couldn't remember anything about the three guys that clearly cared deeply for me. Well, except for a few minutes after I returned from that awful place.

I knew there were countless memories hiding under the surface, but it was like they'd been erased or blocked out.

Somehow I'd escaped the dark place, but how? Too exhausted to keep digging inside my brain, I gave up and continued watching the starry green dots moving across the ceiling.

"I know I've said this before, and I don't know how, but I can feel her energy, and it's stronger than ever." From the sound of his voice, I remembered his name was Justin. "And she's been getting stronger over the last few days."

"You're right." The one that liked touching my face said. "I can feel her with us. It's like her soul is trying to come back, and she feels a lot stronger. It's weird. I can't explain it."

"Why are you guys doing this to me? I miss her like crazy, and I want her back too, but she's not here. If she were here, she'd be awake. In my dreams, she's sleeping in my arms, but when I wake up, she's still in a fucking coma. I can't handle it anymore. We need to stop talking about it and focus on getting her father back. He's the only one that'll be able to retrieve her, that is, if he's even in the right mind to do it." The voice belonged to the angry one named Lucas.

They were talking about me, and what they were saying felt vital to my soul. My heart ached with them. They were so upset, and it made me sad. It was strange, but I knew they were all a part of me. I couldn't remember them, but they deserved to know that I was fully awake.

"H-hello?" The sound of my dry voice startled me. It sounded weird, and my throat and tongue were killing me. Clearing my throat, I realized I hadn't spoken loud enough because no one answered. Working to amplify my voice, I shouted. "Hello?"

Three sets of feet instantly moved in my direction. The first guy in the doorway was super tall. He flipped the light switch, forcing my eyes to clench shut.

Opening my eyes, I squinted and took him in. He stood there, staring at me like I was a ghost. His brown hair was completely disheveled, but it was still hot as fuck. Thick, tense muscles flexed under his black tee shirt, making it obvious he was a star athlete. His cheeks and square jaw were darkly shaded with brown facial hair, but his most telling characteristic was his bright blue eyes. I stared back as his eyes took on a hypnotic glow of fluorescent blue.

Another guy shoved past him, and he had to be an athlete too because he was muscular as hell, and damn, why did they look like Greek Gods. He was an inch shorter than Blue Eyes, and he had dark chocolate brown hair. It was sticking straight up in complete disarray. To be honest, it was too long. He definitely needed to shave and get a haircut. His expression was cold and detached while his chiseled jaw clenched. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious as his green gaze examined me like I didn't belong here.

The last guy behind them growled, and they stepped aside as he walked into the room. He was so handsome that I sucked in a breath and held it. He was a couple inches shorter than the other two and leaner, but he was still athletic and at least six feet tall. His sandy blond hair was flattened and messy, but it still looked good. His desert brown eyes were full of eagerness as they took on a golden glow. Like the others, he had an overgrown layer of facial hair, but it was splotchy, telling me it hadn't completely filled in yet. His eyes glazed over when he made eye contact, rushing to my side.

"Hey," The golden-eyed guy sat next to me, and his voice told me this one was Justin. He was the trembling one that kissed my hand. He was the one that never lost hope.

Watching them closely, I did my best not to show how afraid I was. They knew me, but I couldn't remember who they were. I pulled my hand out from under the blanket and gave him a small wave. "Hi?"

Justin's lips pulled up at the corners as his eyes searched my face with a look of relief. "Hi."

Blue Eyes released a sad sigh and backed up to the wall. Folding his arms across his hard chest, he continued watching me closely. From his reaction, I knew I'd already done something wrong.

"Do you know who you are?" The angry one with green eyes asked from the doorway. By his tone of voice, I knew that this one was Lucas. He was the angry guy that broke everything.

"Uh..." I searched my memory, trying to remember who I was. "No?"

"Shit." Blue Eyes raked a hand through his hair before letting his head fall, kneading the back of his neck.

"How'd you escape?" Justin reached for my hand that was still raised in a wave.

Balling my hand into a fist, I hid it under the blanket. "Escape what?"

Justin's hand fell. The sad, lost look in his eyes told me I'd hurt him, but what was I supposed to do? I didn't know him.

"Fucking Purgatory!" Lucas's eyes raged into a dark green as he yelled louder. "Where else?"

Flinching back, my eyes widened as I shook my head. Why was he yelling at me? I didn't have to be here. They brought me here, didn't they? They were the ones that were calling to me. This wasn't my fault.

Blue Eyes pushed off the wall and stood to his full height. He stalked over to Lucas and shoved his shoulder. Hard. "Dude! Fucking stop. It's her. She lost her memory. Get a fucking grip."

"Angel?" Justin, the golden-eyed boy, called my name.

"Yeah?" My eyes met with his as I waited for what he wanted to say.

Justin's eyes widened with delight as a huge smile crossed his face. Okay. Maybe I wasn't such a lost cause.

"Shortie?" Blue Eyes spun to face me after he called my name.

"What?" My gaze shot to him, and his eyes shimmered.

"Gorgeous?" Lucas called my name in a sweet voice.

"You don't get to call me that after what you just said, asshole." Instantly, I covered my mouth and shook my head. "I'm sorry. I-I don't know you, and I'm not sure where that came from. Please don't get mad."

Surprising the hell out of me, a sexy grin teased on Lucas's lips as his eyes flared into a fluorescent green. "It's okay."

All of their eyes were glowing now, and they were all staring at me like I should remember them. Did I know them? They felt familiar, but I couldn't recall anything about them. My instincts told me they'd never hurt me and they'd always protect me, no matter what, which meant more than anything at a time like this. I never wanted to go back to the dark place, and I knew they would help me stay.

"I just don't wanna go back." My gaze fell to the black comforter.

"So, you do remember?" Blue Eyes walked to my other side and sat on the bed.

Shrugging, I shook my head. "Honestly, I don't remember anything, but the dark place. The names you call me... I obviously remember those, but I'm still trying to remember you guys."

"Do you remember screaming?" Lucas moved slowly in my direction as his eyebrows drew together. The curious way he was looking at me tugged at something deep in my heart.

Pressing a hand to my throat, I swallowed. "Is that why my throat hurts so bad?"

"You screamed like a banshee so many times over the last few days, I almost had a heart attack." Blue Eyes looked heartbroken as he frowned. "I fucking hated it. I wish I could've been there with you."

"Days?" My eyes widened as I recalled the girl screaming in the dark place. The girl had been me. "How long was I down there?"

"Nearly a week. What do you remember?" Justin scooted closer, causing the mattress to dip.

"A week? What the hell? It didn't feel that long." When my side slid into Justin's leg, I didn't move away. I wanted to be closer to him. In fact, I kind of wanted to crawl into his arms to let him hold me, but the thought shocked me since I didn't know him.

"Shortie?" Blue Eyes interrupted my thoughts.

Turning toward him, I remembered that I liked how he said my name. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember anything from the dark place?" Blue Eyes asked as he rubbed the hair on his chin, and I followed the movement, wondering what the hair on his chin felt like. They needed to work on their hygiene.

"You need to shave," I said. "Actually, you all need to shave and take showers. Why do you all look like crap?"

All three of them stared at me for a long silent moment before they burst out laughing.

"Well, she hasn't changed that much. That makes me feel a little better." Lucas ran a hand over the long patch of hair on the top of his head. "And, she has a point. My hair is too long."

"We've been worried about you. Hair hasn't exactly been on our list of priorities." Justin kept laughing as his leg flexed against my side. He ran a hand over his overgrown facial hair as if he just realized it was there.

"Well, I'm here now. So, you guys can stop with the interrogation and take care of yourselves. I can only remember bits and pieces of the dark place. It was pretty fucking shitty, and I'd rather not talk about it right now, but on another note, I'm starving to death. Is there food around here? I feel like I could eat a giraffe." My stomach gurgled at the thought of food.

Pushing the bedding off me, I gasped when I realized I had no clothes on. All I had on was my underwear. Symbols were drawn all over my body, and my boobs were hanging out for everyone to see. Yanking the blanket up, my eyebrows slammed down. "What the fuck? Where're my clothes?"

"Um..." Blue Eyes glanced at Justin.

"We had to do some rituals and spells while you were gone. They were for your protection. No one touched you, but us." Lucas was all business as he walked over to a bag sitting on a dresser and unzipped it. He rooted around and pulled out some joggers and a tee shirt. He tossed them on the bed. "Here. These are yours."

"Thanks." I snatched the pants and glanced around at them. "Well, are you gonna leave, so I can get dressed?"

Blue Eyes and Justin grinned as if this was entertaining. Lucas immediately turned away from me while Blue Eyes and Justin stood to join him, facing the wall.

"Why aren't you leaving?" I didn't move to get dressed.

"We can't leave you unprotected now that you're back, Shortie. Just get dressed. We won't look even though I really want to." Blue eyes said with a smile in his voice.

I shoved the blankets down and pulled the shirt over my head. "This is fucked up. I don't remember everything, but you guys don't have any right keeping a naked girl hostage."

"Hostage?" Lucas shouted defensively. "That's not what we were doing. We needed to keep you safe. If you had any idea what we've been going through, you'd understand."

"Whatever." I stood and pulled on the joggers. They were a little loose, but after I re-tied them, they were perfect. I must've lost weight. "Okay, I'm dressed. Can I have food now?"

"Yep." Blue Eyes walked over to me and smiled. Chills ran over my skin as his eyes brightened. "You need to eat. Look how skinny you are. I like some meat on my girl."

Raising one eyebrow, I quirked my head to the side. "Your girl? Who said I was yours?"

"You did." Blue Eyes bent down and threw me over his shoulder, and I squealed, which really hurt because my throat was raw as hell.

Justin and Lucas laughed as Blue Eyes started walking.

"Put me down. This isn't funny." I tried to lift my head to see things right side up.

"Watch her head," Justin pressed my head down as Blue Eyes ducked through the doorway.

We were in what looked to be a normal house. Passing several doors, I noticed the hallway didn't have any pictures on the white walls as Blue Eyes descended a flight of stairs with me in tow.

"Where are we, anyway?" I asked as I twisted, trying to see where we were going.

"My house." Lucas tugged up the back of my shirt so it wouldn't fall around my head. It was a nice gesture for such an angry guy.

That's when a small memory came to mind. Something significant about Lucas and his home life teased at the fringes of my mind. One memory was already trying to work itself free.

I tried to pull it out, but all I could remember was something about Lucas and his family. Someone had told me a story that made me feel bad for him.

When nothing else came to me, I gave up as we passed a huge living room with the biggest flat-screen television I'd ever seen. "Whoa. That's a big TV. We're totally watching a movie on that later."

They laughed again.

"Gods, I fucking missed her." Blue Eyes slapped my ass, and I tensed.

"Hey, you can carry me, but no funny business." I chided. "That means no ass play. I need sustenance."

Blue Eyes chuckled and rubbed my ass where he'd slapped.

Justin gently took one of my hands, and I let him. His golden gaze, no matter how happy to see me, held a lot of sadness within it. He was hurting, and it all had to do with me. Trying to make him feel better through our touch, I accidentally linked up to his thoughts.

I can't believe I let this happen. I should've tackled her. Fuck. Lucas was right. I was arrogant and blind to how far they'd go. This is all my fault. Thank the Gods she came back. We're lucky. I can't believe I made it this long without her. She's everything to me. To us. Fuck. I thought sharing her was gonna be hard, but losing her is so much worse. Those fucking Darklings are gonna pay for this. I'm gonna rip them all to pieces. She's pure and untainted. They had no right.

"What are Darklings?" I asked as Blue Eyes ducked through another doorway.

"What?" Justin raised his eyebrows in surprise before his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Why?"

"Because you said you were gonna rip them all to pieces." My words weren't what they were expecting as Blue Eyes abruptly stopped and set me on my feet.

Lucas and Blue Eyes examined me while Justin stepped in front of me. "Were you just... reading my mind? We haven't been able to hear your thoughts since they took you, but now you can hear mine?"

Shrugging, I glanced toward the kitchen. "I guess. I didn't mean to. Honestly, I'm glad you can't read mine. You don't wanna know what I'm thinking. Everything's all messed up in my head right now. It's just that..."

"Just that?" Lucas gestured for me to finish my sentence.

"I don't want any of you getting hurt, and if something is called a Darkling, I can only assume it's pretty bad after what I've seen. I don't want any of you to die. From what I can feel, I don't have anyone that cares about me except you guys. And to be clear, I know you're not keeping me hostage. I'm just confused, but I know my memories are gonna come back. I could feel one about Lucas trying to come back a second ago, but I still don't know your name," I pointed at Blue Eyes. "What is it?"

They all stared at me with shocked expressions until Blue Eyes smirked. "It's Tyler."

Smiling, I walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer. "Tyler? Huh. Okay. I've been calling you Blue Eyes in my head. Anyway, is there pizza? It's okay if there's not. I make some yummy homemade pizza. You guys are gonna love it."

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