"Where are we?" I asked as he parked the car in front of a short building.

I looked around the empty streets wondering what part of the city this was before looking at the building of me, then at Nickolas when he didn't answer.

"Where are we?" I asked again.

He looked at me for a moment before taking his seatbelt off and got out of the car. I shook my head he got out of the car and walked around it

I opened my door too after taking my seat belt off and he stood right there. He reached his hand out and I grabbed it as he helped me out of his car.

"Come on." He said pulling me away from the car and slamming the door shut.

"What is this place?" I asked as we started walking toward it.

"You ask a lot of questions." He remarqued and I shrugged a little.

I would ask questions, if I'm in a strange place at night, without knowing what we're here for.

Nonetheless, I followed him silently until we reached the entrance of the building. We stopped in front of the door and he typed in a code and the small sound of the door unlocking was heard. He opened the door and looked down at me, waiting for me to move.

I must not really value life, because I still got in and looked around.

I jumped a little at the sound the door made when it closed behind him and briefly looked back at him before looking back at the place. I took a moment to look at the completely empty place. There was nothing, but the building on the outside could pass on as an apartment building.

"Come on."

I looked back again to see Nickolas walking on the other direction and I quickly followed.

"Where are w-"

"Maya." He cut me off but I could practically hear the smile in his voice, causing a frown to appear on my face.

He reached for the wall and more lights turned on in this empty place.

Why is this so empty?

He walked down a set of stairs and another metal door came to view. I followed him down and that's when I started questioning my sanity.

Why would I just follow him in placed like this?

Right now he could just kill me and get rid of my body and nobody would know where I went.

He opened it and looked back at me again. I looked at him skeptically and he stared back at me not saying a word. I silently scolded myself before slowly walking in.

My eyes widen at the gigantic shooting room before me and a small gasp left me.

What the-

"Wow." Was all that could leave my mouth as I looked around in utter shock. "I thought places like these would be closed at this time of the night." I said almost absently walking further in.

"It's mine." Nickolas said and my head whipped toward him.

"Yours?" I repeated and he walked in closing the door behind him with a nod.

He owns places like this?

"Here." I looked back at his voice and took a step back when I saw a gun in his hand.

I shook my head quickly moving my gaze to his face before letting out a nervous laugh. "Oh no, thank you. I don't know how to shoot."

"Just take it in your hand." He instructed and I eyed it for a moment before slowly reaching for it.

I took a deep breath and grabbed with both my hands, not really knowing how to feel about having a gun in my hand. I never thought I would have one in my hand, I was really not expecting it tonight.

Nickolas grabbed one of my hands and made me properly hold it before placing my finger on the trigger. I sucked in a breath as I looked at him locking my gaze in his.

I didn't know if I should be more worried about holding a gun in my hands, or the sudden comfort Nickolas' touch gave me. The feeling of his warm hands only brought back the images of my dream and my whole body tensed as I felt myself heating up.

"Relax." He said before squeezing my other hand lightly. "The safety's on."

That's not why I was worried.

I inhaled deeply looking down at the hand that was holding the weapon. Nickolas completely released my hands, his eyes never leaving my face.

"How does it feel?" He asked and I twisted my wrist a little.

"Heavy?"

"How do you feel holding it?" He then asked and my eyes stayed glued to the black weapon.

"I don't know." I said truthfully.

I don't know how to feel about having a killing weapon in my hand. I could feel Nickolas looking at me but I couldn't bring myself to do the same. But his voice made me.

"Some people use weapons to feel stronger, others use people." He suddenly said and I moved my gaze from the weapon to him.

Weapons, I understand. But how can you use people to make you stronger? How does that even work?

"People?" I asked looking at him questioningly.

"They want you weak so they can feel strong." He said. "What they don't know is that they are the weak ones."

Huh?

"If someone tries to make you feel weak, it's because they see something in you that scares them. So, they try to kill it." He continued, ignoring the expression on my face.

Well he seems to know what he was talking about. It's the fact that he seems to directly be talking to me, or about me, that made me nervous.

"They feed off your fear. But fear is just an illusion. Nothing you can't fight."

I stayed processing his words.

An illusion?

"When someone hurts you, you can hurt them right back, right?" He asked.

I nodded slowly and he continued.

"But you choose not to. You show mercy. The problem is that some people don't deserve mercy, because they will keep hitting if you don't hit back." He said and my thoughts began to race in my head.

He moved further in the room and opened one of the drawers to take out a pair of earmuffs and glasses. He then moved back to me silently as I looked at his face.

"What do you do when someone hits you?" I asked as he placed the ear protections on me, followed by the glasses.

"I hit much harder. I'm not a forgiving person." He said pushing my hair back, brushing his hands against my neck.

"At all?" I asked in a whisper, trying to calm my breathing as he moved his hands back.

"At all." He said grabbing my arms and moved behind me, before lifting them so I was pointing directly at the target.

"Even if they apologize?"

"Those mean nothing to me." His tone sent shivers down my spine, because I didn't hear an ounce of humor or doubt in his words.

He can act so distant and non-caring, but here he was helping again and again for some reason.

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

"Because I can." He simply said and I sighed because this was the exact same answer he gave earlier. "Focus." He said moving back a little.

****

"Hi." I smiled as I sat on the table where Damon was waiting for me.

He called me this morning before he wanted to meet up for lunch. We haven't spent much time together in way too long. So, I just couldn't refuse and reluctantly left my bed.

I was planning on spending half of my day in bed, because I got home late last night and because my arms were sore from the shooting session I had with Nickolas.

"How are you?" He asked looking at me curiously.

"All good." I grinned grabbing the menu. "How about you?"

"All good." He said back and I rolled my eyes ignoring the tone he used to say it.

"I tried to call Sam yesterday. Where is she?"

He furrowed his eyebrows looking at me. "She went to Rome for a few days."

I leaned back as in utter surprise and my face twisted in confusion. "Rome? Why didn't she tell me that she was going there?"

Kaden is in Rome and she knows that. So, why would she go there without telling me?

"I thought she did. She said she would call you." He said and my confusion increased.

"What is she doing there?"

"It's for her boss, Kaila. She said the lady sent her there to supervise her next fashion show."

Samantha worked in fashion. She has been an intern for Kaila for a year now. She just told me last week that the woman was making her life miserable and that she didn't trust Sam's work, and now she just sent her to Rome to supervise a whole fashion show.

"That's weird. I thought the woman hated her." I frowned looking back at him. "She has opportunity like this and doesn't tell me about it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know how their fashion things work."

I leaned back a little as her waiter came to take our orders.

We talked two days ago, so I find it weird that she didn't tell me about her trip. I'm pretty sure she didn't call me yesterday.

Then why would she tell Damon that she did?

Or maybe she didn't want worry me because of Kaden. However, I just couldn't help the uneasy feeling that crept to my chest.

She would have known that Damon would tell me since she obviously didn't tell him to keep it a secret.

"What is it?" I heard Damon ask making me look at him.

"Nothing." I said shifting on my seat a little. "I just don't know why she would go there without telling me."

"Maybe because that son of a bitch is there." He said venom dripping from his voice as he said Kaden's name.

I sighed as the words left his mouth. I knew this conversation would come when he called me to invite me for lunch. As much as I didn't want to talk about it, I couldn't avoid him forever.

"Why do you stay with him? You have to leave him, Maya." He said annoyed and I just let out a breath as his annoyance became more obvious.

"Just stop, okay? I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine." I said, not really wanting to talk about it with him.

"You're fine until he comes back. And then what? You're just gonna take his blows again?" He asked angrily and I looked at him letting my annoyance appear on my face.

"Stop it." I hissed getting annoyed and defensive about it.

The last thing I need, right now, is him judging me and pushing me too hard.

"Why? You need to open your eyes." He snapped clenching his fists and I looked at him raising an eyebrow.

"You need to stop, or I'll leave." I said seriously and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why? Because I'm telling you the truth?"

"No, because you talk about things you don't understand."

"What I don't understand is when did you become so weak that you would let anyone take their anger out on you." He gritted and I moved back as if he's slapped me.

Weak?

This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. Him thinking he knows everything is not something I need right now. I don't need him yelling at me or demanding things from me, as if my mother wasn't doing enough of that already.

"I have to go." I stood up grabbing my purse and I let him let out a small groan.

"Wait, Maya. I'm sorry." He rushed standing up too. "Don't leave, okay?"

"I'll talk to you later." I said ignoring him and walked away before he can say anything else.

I was here to have lunch with a friend, not having someone judge me, because they can't understand things from my point of view.

I quickly walked out as Mike got out of the driver side to open the door for me.

"Maya, wait." Damon called again grabbing my hand to stop me from getting in the car.

Mike moved a step closer. "Is there a problem, ma'am?" He asked as his eyes moved from Damon's hold on my hand to his face.

I pulled my hand away and Mike almost instantly took a step back.

"No, it's fine." I said turning to Damon who was looking at Mike curiously.

"Another one of that bastard's minions?" He asked angrily looking at Mike.

Mike just looked down at Damon with his face void of any expression as he opened the car door wider for me.

"Bye Damon." I said finally getting in the car without looking back.

Mike moved back closer to close the door and I sighed sinking into my seat.

"What I don't understand is when did you become so weak that you would let anyone take their anger out on you."

I leaned my head back taking a deep breath and closed my eyes tightly when tears started springing to them. I shouldn't have told Sam about my problem.

I forced my tears back even more when Mike got in the car slamming his door shut.

"Did he hurt you, ma'am?" Mike asked looking at me through the rearview.

I inhaled and quickly shook my head while opening my eyes to look at the side of his face.

"No, he didn't. Friends have disagreements. Nothing that can't be fixed." I said with a small smile.

He simply nodded and started the car without saying another word.

****

"Good morning, Rosa." I said as I walked into the house to find the table by the entrance.

All I want right is go to bed, and forget about everything. And that's exactly what I plan on doing. He tried calling on my way home, but I chose not to answer. I'll call him back once I get my sleep, and forget about the incident.

"Good morning, Mrs. Russo." She said as I silently went toward the stairs, my pace matching the mood I was in right now. "Wait. Some flowers came for you."

Flowers?

I looked back at her in confusion and she smiled nodding.

"I put them on the dining table." She smiled walking away and I followed as my curiosity peaked.

I walked behind her and my pace slow down at the vase that was placed on the table. The bright red color of them immediately catching my attention, before my eyes travelled lower to the soil in the vase and I immediately wondered what type of flower they were.

"They are beautiful." Rosa said with a fond smile and I nodded.

"Who are they from?" I asked looking around it for a card, once I stood in front of it.

"I don't know. There was no name, and no card." She explained and I turned the vase around slowly.

"Who delivered them?" I asked running my finger over the soft petals slowly with a small smile.

"A young man. He gave me your name, but he didn't know who they were from." She said still smiling wildly. "They are really beautiful."

I nodded in agreement. "They are, but I don't know which types of flowers they are."

"Gladiolus." She smiled and I looked at her questioningly. "That's their name. I'm from Singapore and my mother plants these everywhere around our home."

I smiled softly, remembering that this is the first real conversation we've ever had. "Really?"

She nodded looking up at me. "Yes. They represent pride, victory, admiration and strength." She smiled absently running her finger over one of the petals. "That's a delicate attention. They must be from Sir."

I internally laughed at that.

I really doubt that.

"Maybe." I said to her, pushing my thoughts aside. 

As she turned to walk away, my eyes moved back on the flowers and my smile grew bigger. I know for sure that they couldn't be from Kaden.

Pride, victory, admiration and strength.

There's no name or card, yet only one person came to mind.

Nickolas.

** Third Person **

"So, she didn't come?" Sam asked from the bed looking Kaden as he poured a drink before turning to look at her.

"No." He mumbled grabbing his glass. "There's something that's going on there. And you're incapable of telling me what. You can't tell me what the fuck she's up to. What the hell am I keeping you around for?"

She sighed sitting up to move on the edge of the bed. "Why don't you just leave her? I can be better than her. That bitch doesn't even love you."

"Yes, she does. She just doesn't know it yet."

"No, she doesn't. I do." She insisted earning a scoff from Kaden. "I do everything for you. You don't need anything from her. What exactly does she give you that I can't?" She asked moving closer to him.

Kaden stayed silent watching as she moved across the room to stand in front of him.

"That little bitch doesn't deserve you." She whispered wrapping her arms around him. "She doesn't even appreciate what you do for her crippled father."

"And her I was, thinking that she was your best friend."

"You mean more to me that anyone else." She said brushing her lips against his jaw as her hands moved to his belt to undo the buckle. "You know I could do anything for you."

Kaden studied her face before moving his hand onto her hair to grab a hand full of it. "Then fucking make sure you find out what she's up to when you go back." He hissed and she nodded quickly.