Bloom screamed but her scream was muffled under the palm clamping her mouth.

Her eyes met the warm eyes staring at her in the dark alleyway. As enchanting as they looked, it still scared her. He looked furious, she knew she couldn't use her defense skills on him, he knew her so well. His sharp jawlines hardened as he looked down at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

She trembled at the tone of his voice.

She looked down at the hand covering her mouth, she admired his slim fingers and the veins that trailed up his solid arm that was covered in a black hoodie. She tried to read the tattoos on his fingers but it was hard to when she was trembling in fear.

Her eyes caught sight of the gun in his other hand, she panicked and bit his hand as hard as her teeth could take. He cursed and pulled away, he stared at the mark she left with her teeth on his palm.

"Help!!!" She screamed and tried to run away but he grabbed her and pressed her to the wall with his hands on her shoulders.

"If you still wanna leave here alive, keep your mouth shut!" He said sternly and removed his hands then pulled away, the warmth around her left with him.

She was glued to where she was standing, her heart was racing as different thoughts clouded her brain. What did he mean by leave here alive?

Zayn cursed under his breath and brushed his curly hair back with his fingers, he took a glance at her and cursed again like her presence was trouble.

"Jeez Bloom, what were you thinking coming here?"

She saw the worry in his eyes but she told herself it was her imagination. He didn't care if she died.

"I'm so sorry ... I didn't know you stayed here. I swear I was just taking a walk, please don't kill me, let me go and I promise ..." she prattled with a shaky voice.

"Stop talking," he sighed and she nodded.

He ran his palm down his face and growled in a low tone, she watched him confused. He looked down at the alleyway like he was searching for something. He reached behind his black jogger's pants and pulled out another gun, her heart stopped beating.

"Hold this." He forced the gun into her hand and turned to leave.

"Don't. Move. From. This. Spot." He warned in a serious tone.

She was unable to make out a word from what he was saying as she stared at the gun in her hand. It felt so heavy and her hands won't stop shaking. She thought of all the horrible things the object in her hand could do, maybe that was why it felt so heavy.

Holy cheese I'm holding a gun, there's a gun in my hand. Oh my God, there's a gun in my hand

She stared at the object, she had seen guns, many of it. The security team at the White House carried it around and she had seen Damian's gun but she had never touched it. Holding it made her chest compress, fear consumed her as she thought of the whole situation she just got herself into.

"Why does he have a gun? oh no, he is going to kill me. He knows who I am, he is going to kill me when he gets back. "

"I should have stayed home," She said to herself feeling helpless. Regret washed over her as she looked around her at the creepy neighborhood. She was going to go down with a fight, this was what her Dad was training her for but she wished she knew how to fire a gun.

"I will just use my fist," she mumbled moving away from the wall and increasing her grip on the gun. She swallowed the dryness in her throat as she looked around.

She remembered the neon red mask she saw earlier. It was her first time seeing one in reality and the shiver that went through her body when she saw the mask made her heart race faster than ever.

Those leeches are here, should I make an anonymous call to the cops?

She tried to hold the gun but her hands won't stop shaking, she gasped in fear when she heard footsteps. She looked around, alarmed.

"Stop or I will shoot!" She was surprised that came out of her mouth.

"You can't even hold the gun and you're threatening to shoot" Her subconscious mocked her.

The figure got closer and her shoulders relaxed when she saw it was him.

"You sound like a coward," Zayn said and snatched the gun from her shaky hands then dipped it behind his jogger pants.

"The safety was on, I wonder what you've been learning in your self-defense class," he snickered.

She stared at him feeling offended, she wanted to say something but her lips won't move. He looked more handsome with the stray curls from his hair that stuck to his forehead from the sweat.

She wondered who he just murdered, the Anti-sams were around the neighborhood, she wished she could call the police and inform them.

"What are you doing here?" He sounded dehydrated when he asked.

"Just taking a walk." She shrugged casually.

"A walk in a place like this? Are you so dumb to differentiate between a place to stroll and a place to stay away from?" He was back to being furious. His eyes blazed in anger as he stared at her.

Guilt flashed in his eyes as he saw her flinch. He didn't like that she was terrified of him, it broke him more. He wanted to apologize and speak more softly but felt she didn't deserve it.

She opened her mouth to defend herself but closed it, there was no need to tell him she didn't know anywhere in the city. He reached for the hem of the hoodie he was wearing and took it off.

She pressed her back to the dirty wall and watched him adjust the loosed red muscle top he wore inside, she caught a glimpse of the gun tattoo at his external oblique before he covered it with his shirt.

Her eyes trailed up his other tattoos left open from his muscular arm, they were many, suddenly she was interested to know more about his tattoos. She wondered how he would look on her drawing pad, she would pay attention to every detail when drawing him.

She felt something being thrown to her face, she caught it before it fell.

"Put it on."

She gave him a questioning look but he pretended not to notice.

"I'm comfortable in my own clothes."

"Put the damn thing on," he said with a clenched jaw.

"Fine," she mumbled.

She slipped it on and it swallowed her torso to her mid-thigh. His scent was intoxicating, musk, dark wood, and sweat filled her nose. He took a step closer removing the distance between them.

She was engulfed in the heat from his body and his scent, her lips parted slowly on their own and her breathing became hoarse at the sudden contact with his body.

Zayn's eyes lingered on her lips, he noticed her breathing was different. He didn't expect his being close to affect her, it didn't change a thing about how she still didn't recognize him.

"Why does it feel so hot here all of a sudden " She wanted to tell him to step back but her throat was dry.

She felt so hot, she didn't like the way her body was reacting and the dirty thoughts filling her head. His eyes left her tempting lips that were begging to be kissed and met her eyes, she swallowed uncomfortably not looking away.

What he intended to do was pull the hood to her head and tuck her hair in. When he moved his hand toward her face, she stiffened pressing further to the wall behind her. He frowned at how scared she looked, he pulled the hood to her head and tucked her hair into the hood in a gentle manner.

She kept her eyes on his chest as he moved her stray hair into the hood that swallowed her head. Just when she opened her mouth to thank him, he pulled the sides roughly making her forehead to almost collide with his chest.

He stepped back leaving enough space between them. She eyed him under the hood and adjusted it so she could see clearly.

"You almost hurt my neck," she groaned rubbing the left side of her neck.

"Let's go. " He took her small hand and pulled her away from the wall.

Bloom followed him clutching her bag with one hand. His grip on her other hand was tight and he was walking too fast making her jog.

"Where are you taking me? Are you going to kill me? Are you planning to sell me off for sex trafficking? Say something," he ignored her.

"Answer me! What are you going to ... "

She was cut off by the gun being pressed to her forehead. She gasped and tried not to scream.

"If you want to return home to daddy dearest, keep your mouth shut!"

She nodded frantically and he pulled the gun away.

He took her hand again but this time around it was gentle and not tight. "Keep your head down," he barked.

She obeyed.

They walked past two alleyways before he entered a five-story building, they climbed the stairs in silence. It wasn't what she planned for the night, she just wanted to look around and return home but it seemed she won't see home again.

The building stunk of smoke and alcohol, music was blaring from a room as they climbed another set of stairs. She wanted to tell him she was tired but changed her mind thinking he would just put a bullet in her brain.

When they got to the fourth floor they didn't go further. She was relieved, they walked down the set of rooms with their numbers written on the door. She could hear two people arguing from room 63.

They stopped in front of a door with the number 66. He opened the door without knocking and waited for her to walk in.

"Now he is being a gentleman?"

She tried not to eye him as she stepped inside.

"You're back."

Bloom turned to the owner of the voice and saw a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Her dark hair was perfectly styled and looked so glossy. She was sitting on the brown sofa sipping tea with a knitting needle and yarn on her lap.

The bookshelf behind her was filled with different books that were neatly arranged. She was dying to explore every book but she wanted to return home alive.

"Hey," Zayn said dryly to the lady not looking her way.

Her blue eyes stayed on Bloom and she couldn't tell if the lady was curious or happy to see her.

"Hi, I'm Bloom." She introduced feeling uneasy with the lady's piercing stare.

"No one asked you," Zayn said walking past her.

"I'm Rosa, may I know why you're here at this time of the night?"

"Leave her alone, is none of your business," Zayn replied from the living room where a little girl sat watching TV.

Bloom stared at the girl from where she stood. She looked so adorable, her long hair was plaited into two fat cornrows.

"You didn't stay for breakfast, I made dinner," Rosa said ignoring his rude behavior.

"I'm not hungry, " He sounded upset, she watched them trying to figure out the relationship between them.

"Maybe he got her pregnant and was forced to marry her"

She guessed.

She put all her attention on the little girl ignoring whatever family feud was going on. She found herself smiling when the little girl smiled at something on the screen.

She watched her captor kiss the girl on the head with so much affection that it was hard to believe he was the same person that pointed a gun at her. He whispered something into her ear with a charming smile that reached his eyes and made him look unreal, the little girl giggled and he stood up still smiling.

She pretended to look around when he turned to look at her. She saw him walk away from her peripheral vision.

"Bloom right?" She turned to look at the pretty lady.

"Yes," She smiled.

"Want some tea or juice? " Rosa asked.

"No, I'm good."

"I baked some cookies." Rosa persisted.

"I'm not hungry, thanks."

She admired the way the lady carried herself with grace, she looked around the living room to keep herself busy.

It was a small apartment but the home décor gave it a fancy look. It was hard to spot any dirt or anything not in order. The hardwood floor looked lustrous and the white walls had no pictures or paintings. Fresh flowers and cactus plants stood in a vase at the wide window.

Bloom noticed the little girl was staring at her. She gave her a cheeky smile and walked to where she was sitting.

"Hi, I'm Bloom." She outstretched her hand for a handshake.

She adored kids, it'd been so long since she spoke to any kid, she wasn't sure she had spoken to one either. She was scared the girl would not like her.

"I hope her dad didn't tell her to hate me "

She was about to drop her hand when the girl took it with a wide grin on her face.

"Mind telling me your name?"

"She can't talk."

She heard Rosa's voice, a sudden sadness washed over her. She stared at the girl wondering the cause of her disability.

"She understands sign language though," Rosa added.

Bloom wanted to ask what happened but she was a stranger here, she didn't even know why he brought her here.

"Ohh," She smiled at her.

"Her name is Tumika," Rosa told her.

"Nice, I love it. Can I call you Mika?"

She nodded, there was a sudden bond between them that made her want to steal her away.

Tumika tugged at the hand of the hoodie and patted a spot next to her for her to sit. Bloom smiled and sat down joining her to watch Pj Mask.

"Want some chocolate?" Bloom asked.

She nodded with a grin, Bloom grabbed one chocolate bar from her bag and gave her.

"Don't take too much of it, remember is not good for your teeth," Rosa said from across the room.

She ate half of the chocolate and saved the rest, Bloom didn't know how long she stayed there but it felt like hours.

Mika was already asleep, her small head was resting on Bloom's shoulder. She kept wondering where her Captor went and if she was ever going to go home.

"Let me take her to her room," Bloom allowed Rosa to scoop Mika's tiny body away from her.

Immediately she left, he showed up looking calm. She stood up from the soft rug and stared at him.

"Give it back." He said pointing at the hoodie.

Whatever, it reeked of sweat anyway.

She pulled it over her head and folded it neatly then gave it to him. He wore the hoodie and her jasmine and vanilla scent filled his nostrils. He tried not to inhale her scent while she was watching.

Bloom tried not to blush at the thought of him wearing what she just removed from her body, she expected him to fling it away for laundry.

"Let's go." He didn't take her hand this time around, he just walked past her.

She followed not uttering a word, they took another path when they came out of the building.

They stopped at a quiet and lonely street that had old cars parked everywhere. He took out his keys and unlocked a blue pickup truck that stood out among the other cars. It was an old pickup truck but it looked well maintained it could be mistaken for a new car.

"Get in."

"I'm not a dog you know? Try to be nice, I can't remember doing anything to upset you!" She snapped not moving.

"Do you want to walk home from here or will you shut the hell up and get in?"

He entered the car and slammed the door making her heart jump.

She shot daggers at him and entered the car. She looked around the car, searching for blood stains but it was neat and smelt really nice, she expected worse.

"Let me guess you're not used to something mediocre like this."

"I like it," She cut in trying not to get annoyed that he was judging her because of her status.

"I don't own a car neither can I remember the last time I sat in a car."

She expected him to say something but he didn't. She stared at the sunflower inked on the back of his palm then the different symbols on his long fingers.

"Hey sunflower"

It replayed in her head.

"Why do you like Sunflowers?" She asked staring at the tattoo, she wanted to touch it.

He didn't say anything, she saw his hand clench around the wheel and his jaw hardened, she decided to keep quiet.

She moved her hand to turn on the radio to get rid of the awkward silence but his stern tone stopped her.

"Don't touch anything."

Her hand paused midway. She shot him a glare and looked outside the window. "Stingy much?" she whispered.

She looked away from the window when the car stopped. In front of her was the Valley House twenty feet away.

She wasn't surprised he knew, they were so many questions she wanted to ask him. How he knew so much about her, why he didn't kill her and why he was so mean to her?

"I don't have all night to wait for you to get out," he said not looking at her.

She wanted to hit his head on the wheel but just got out of the car with a smile. At least he brought her home and didn't kill her, she should be grateful.

"Thanks," she said. "Even though you don't deserve it "

He whipped his car around and drove off not saying anything to her.

"Being a prick is not good for your health!" She yelled after him.