Hi everyone!

Just wanted to thank everyone who has gone out of their way to reach out to me and be so supportive over these last few weeks, it truly means the world to me.

+++++

Chapter Nine

"We're living in a dirty world,

Might as well get dirty girl."

- Emile Haynie "Dirty World"

There was an ache in my throat, one that resulted from me holding in the hurt and pain as my eyes welled and my heart thudded forcefully in my chest.

"Why?"

My voice cracked, and I flinched as soon as it did, my eyes flickering downwards in shame and humiliation. I sounded weak and I felt weak; I was at my lowest point.

"You don't get it." The voice was firm, yet I could detect the slightest bit of emotion in the words.

My eyes flickered back up, desperately searching the brown ones that stared back at me, hoping to find even a sliver of regret or guilt. But there was nothing, nothing concrete enough for me to allow my hope to take over. I refused to let hope make me think that there was any source of humanity in them.

I had hope once, I thought bitterly, and look where that got me.

"Explain then," I hissed out, the betrayal evident in my tone. "Tell me why you're doing this."

I watched as they took a step back, shaking their head as they did so. Anger started to fill me at a dangerous rate, mixing in with the hurt and betrayal already there to form a toxic substance.

"How could you do this to me?" I shrieked out, unable to hold in the devastation I felt. "I trusted you! I fucking trusted you! How could you do this to me? You're supposed to be my friend."

My voice was nothing more than a weak whisper by the end of my statement, the tears burning the backs of my eyes while my face flushed heatedly.

"This was out of my control."

The words served as the spark that ignited the wildfire within me. A murderous, animalistic growl left my throat as I lunged forwards, making the figure in front of me stumble back in horror. A snarl escaped my lips as a burning pain shot up my wrists that remained firmly bound together behind my back. I could physically feel the build up of sweat, blood, and grime on my body, causing the nauseating revulsion to grow stronger with each passing second.

The chair let out an awful screech due to my actions, barely moving an inch forwards while I released an avalanche of profanity from my lips. In the mix of death threats and cruel words, I saw a look of guilt flash across their face.

"Evie," they began, their voice nothing but a pathetic whimper.

"You fucking sicken me." I interrupted, my eyes staring harshly into their own, making the person shift uncomfortably before whispering a soft apology as they exited the room, leaving me tied to a chair in complete darkness.

It was only then that I allowed a heartbroken sob to break free from my trembling lips. The ropes were rubbing my wrists raw and my legs had been numb for hours, unable to move even the slightest bit against the ropes wrapped tightly around them.

"You have no one to blame but yourself. This is your fault."

And he was right.

I could practically feel my father's disappointment in me, making the cries quicken, as the ache in my chest grew unbearable.

I had been betrayed.

Betrayal is absolutely the worst thing that someone can experience. It is so much worse than physical harm; it is one of the cruelest forms of mental and emotional abuse.

With ragged breaths I let out another scream of anger, fury ripping through me before heart wrenching hurt took over, leaving me breathless as I silently sobbed.

"You deserve this."

I do.

"Now you have to fix it."

I will.

"I don't think you fucking can."

I don't either.

+++++

96 Hours Earlier

"You've got him by his balls."

I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh as Kate passed me, a smirk on her face as she looked at the computer, glancing over the files she had downloaded onto it.

Nate's phone was now safely back in his possession, and if he had ever realized it was gone, he showed no indication that he had. Getting it back to him was much more difficult than taking it away, as he was much more on edge than he had been before.

And the best part: he was on edge precisely because Nick Harmon was.

It still made me sick to my stomach whenever I saw him, and frankly the thought alone was enough to make me quite literally sick to my stomach. On top of being suicidal, everyone now assumed I was struggling with an eating disorder from how much I had been throwing up lately.

Even Sebastian was starting to worry, especially after realizing how weak I was becoming from all of the stress.

Every day I was being drained; drained of my hope, my strength, and my willpower. I was being emptied out, unsure if I was going to be able to handle Nick when he came for me.

"You look like you're going to be sick again."

I heard Kate shut the laptop closed rather forcefully as Emily entered the room; her eyes trained on my body perched on my bed.

I offered her a shaky smile, one that she regarded cautiously, hardly reciprocating it in any way. I snuck a glance at Kate, who now had her eyes focused on the ground, refusing to lift them.

"I'm just tired, that's all." I muttered softly after a few more moments of silence, realizing that she had no intention of leaving the room anytime soon.

"How about we get breakfast?" Kate finally spoke, her eyes yet to move from their spot on the floor.

The tension was painfully evident as Emily continued to watch me, almost as though she was waiting for me to break down and confess to her the reason behind my actions. But I couldn't. I couldn't afford to screw another thing up, and if that meant I wouldn't be able to talk to Emily, then that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

"Yes, let's do that." I forced out, standing up from the bed slowly. "Emily?"

Her eyes flickered between me and Kate, even dropping down to the laptop that lay by Kate. When her eyes returned to mine, there was a look of distrust and even disgust. The distaste she felt towards us had become uncomfortably obvious.

"Yeah, fine, whatever." She bit out, turning on her heel and exiting the room before anyone else could make another move. A pang of guilt shot across my chest as I listened to her walk down the stairs alone, knowing she felt hurt and lonely.

"Are you going to tell her?" Kate spoke up, drawing my attention away from my thoughts.

I didn't bother to think about it as I shook my head quickly, a quick "no" leaving my lips. As much as it pained me to leave Emily out of the loop, it was absolutely necessary. I couldn't let my sympathy be a weakness for me, and if I allowed myself to give into it, it would only hinder me.

I felt myself grow lightheaded as we walked downstairs, my eyes trailing over to where Nate sat by my brother, my hands curling into fists at merely the sight of him. My stomach lurched as my brother gave him a small grin, unaware that I had entered the room.

"You look better today!" Mason pointed out cheerfully; although his eyes were much more calculating than he let on, trailing over my suspiciously, analyzing every aspect of my being.

"And I guess you two are back to being friends?" Danny noticed, offering me a cautious smile as he too looked me over.

I couldn't find it in myself to respond verbally, and only nodded my head as Kate went on to explain that it was just a rough patch, and that we were better than ever.

"Well isn't this warm and cozy?" Sebastian's mocking tone sent a wave of butterflies to be released into my stomach, making me twitch slightly in the chair I had sat in.

The tension was thick in the room, and I felt my stomach twist nervously when Sebastian cast a quick glance towards Nate, his jaw locking as he did so.

"Glad to see you're up and eating," Sebastian noted, his hand resting on my shoulder as he pushed a plate of eggs and toast my way, a pointed glare set in his eyes.

I could feel his touch searing my skin, making me shift once more. "Yeah, I'm feeling much better. It's really not that big of a deal."

Callum snorted at that, rolling his eyes at me. "You sure about that? Because I think it is, especially since you haven't been eating much at all lately, which is making you quite weak."

"Funny," I snapped back, "because I'm pretty sure I could still easily kick your ass."

Callum barked out a sarcastic laugh, "Oh really? I beg to differ. You really should watch your back, Evie. You don't want to be too weak that you make it easy when Nick comes round to snatch you up."

I froze in place as Danny sent a powerful blow to Callum's head, harshly scolding him for his choice of words. Sebastian, Mason, and Nate all watched me quietly, waiting to see how I'd react.

I had no doubt that my face had lost all color at this point, but I knew I would have to do more in order to really sell it to Nate.

This shouldn't be hard for you, I thought, you're already scared out of your mind.

"Are you fucking serious, Callum?" Emily's harsh tone sliced through the air like a knife, her eyes flashing dangerously. "The girl tried to fucking kill herself and you are trying to make jokes about her life? What is wrong with you, what is wrong with all of you?"

I barely held in my astonishment at her outburst before finding a proper response to Callum's jab.

"Don't joke about that," I finally choked out, surprising myself with the fear rooted in each word. "That wasn't funny."

My chest was tight and I felt my oxygen supply start to dwindle, causing the icy hand of anxiety to wrap around my body and clutch me painfully.

I opened my mouth to say more, but then decided otherwise and forced myself out of my chair. With only a glance Nate's way, I exited the room quickly, unable to stay there any longer.

I could hear Danny snapping angrily at Callum, a few more voices joining in while I hurried upstairs, struggling to catch my breath. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't scared shitless by the idea of Nick Harmon coming for me. I thought that with the progress I had made I would have felt better; I would have felt more powerful.

But I was wrong.

With each passing moment I did not become stronger, I only grew weaker. My fear acted like a poison, slowly inhibiting every cell in my body until I was consumed by it.

I flung open my bedroom door and rushed into the bathroom, choking as the bitter bile rose in my throat. I felt my stomach clench as my body collapsed over the toilet. With a great deal of effort, I heaved up the stomach acid that desperately wanted to escape.

"You disgust me."

I winced at his tone, my hands clasping over my ears in a pathetic attempt to shut him out.

My legs were shaky as I stood up, and I felt my body sway dangerously as I stumbled over to the sink, washing my face with cold water. My face looked almost hollow, and my eyes were dull and lifeless. It was a complete one-eighty from how I had looked before.

The fire was gone, it had been extinguished.

A notification sound echoed from the laptop, forcing me to tear my eyes away from my dejected reflection. At this point, I wasn't sure if it was the fear that made me sick, or if it was my own reflection.

I took a deep breath before entering in the password, my eyes quickly scanning all the new information as it entered the screen. An audible gasp left my lips when I saw the most recent message, my heart taking off as though it were a bullet that had been fired from a gun.

'She's weak now. She can barely eat and she is awfully paranoid. If you're going to act, I would do so soon.'

Nate's message to Nick left black spots invading my vision as I struggled to see straight.

I knew what to expect from him, I had known it was him all along. This shouldn't have surprised me in any way; yet seeing the message only further dug the knife into my heart.

I heard the sound of another notification, and felt my stomach drop nauseatingly. Biting my lip, I lowered my eyes down to it, not even attempting to mentally prepare myself to read the response.

'Tomorrow.'

Nick's one word response was enough to make me sick to my stomach again, if there was anything left for me to upheave.

He is coming for me tomorrow.

+++++

"What do you mean you can't let me see the laptop?" Kate asked, confusion and annoyance in her tone. Her voice was hushed, as to ensure that no one would be able to hear us. In her hand was a knife, making her look more dangerous than I had ever seen her.

I gritted my teeth as I removed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. This bickering had been going on for nearly an hour, and I was quickly losing my patience, as her nagging grew more and more persistent.

"It's not important, there hasn't been any new messages and if you keep constantly coming into my room, people are going to get suspicious. It's just not worth it right now." My voice was clipped, my tone final. I couldn't let Kate know Nick was coming for me tomorrow, not yet anyways. Especially from the way she was acting right now.

I wasn't even sure if I was going to tell Sebastian. Over the last few hours I had been mulling over my options and the possible consequences, and all I conclude was that the more people who were involved would increase the amount of danger present.

I couldn't risk putting anyone else in peril.

"Evie!" Kate snapped, her hand firmly wrapping around my arm to turn me around. The action was surprising, and caught me off guard, causing me to stumble slightly. "You're hiding something from me!" She had dropped the knife into the sink, by the rest of dishes she had been washing.

"Jesus, Kate, would you calm down?" I hissed out, glaring at her as I removed my arm from her grip.

"I helped you!" She shot back. "You wouldn't have any of this information if this wasn't for me, you can't just cut me out now! You need to tell me exactly what is happening."

I was silent for a few moments, unable to form a response as I stared at Kate in shock, the frenzied, panicked look in her eyes making her almost unrecognizable. Her breath was uneven, and she looked as though she had completely lost control of herself.

"What is going on with you?" I finally asked, placing the glass down cautiously on the counter. I watched as her lips formed a tight line and she forcefully took a few calming breaths before offering a small smile.

"Nothing," she said in a tight voice, "It's nothing, I'm sorry, and I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I just, I just care about you, okay? I want to make sure nothing bad happens and so I don't want you to cut me out."

I gave her a small smile back to mask the doubt I felt at her statement. With a small excuse, I exited the room and hurried up the stairs, making sure that no one was following me when I entered my room.

How the hell am I going to pull this off? I asked myself as I paced back and forth in my room, glancing over at my bed, where my laptop remained safely hidden under. As time ticked by my anxiety only grew worse, causing me to grow even more unsure of myself.

Should I tell Sebastian?

No. He would without a doubt not allow me to just single handedly hand myself over to the biggest threat not only me, but also the gang.

Should I tell Kate?

I wanted to, that is, back when I believed that she was a reliable, supportive friend. Her recent actions had caused me to rethink my decision to confide in her, and now I had no one to turn to.

Do I tell anyone?

Telling people would only risk more collateral damage, damage I wasn't willing to give up that easily.

"You are strong enough to handle this on your own."

For the smallest moment, I felt almost comforted by my father's words, however it took only seconds for the feeling of reassurance to be wiped away.

"You got yourself into this mess, don't drag other people in at your own expense."

There it was.

The harsh, cold truth had been laid out in front of me, and I knew exactly what had to be done. My father was right, it was up to me, and only me, to get myself out of this situation.

I was going to have to let Nick take me.

Whether or not he killed me fell under his control, but if he chose not to, it would be my decision if I lived or died.

Finally my many years of manipulation and deception would be put to the test. I couldn't ask for backup, I couldn't ask for help. I was going to have to do this all on my own. I couldn't afford to hurt others more than I had already.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd choose to be mature."

His jeer dug deep, causing me to shake my head in an attempt to physically push his voice from it.

But I couldn't deny the truth in his statement. I had always been instinctive, one to act on impulse rather than logic. My father had tried to ingrain in me the ability to weigh the consequences of my actions, so the mix of the two had created a noxious result.

I was acting on impulse, to confront Nick on my own without telling others, to be in control without having anyone else threatening that. But subconsciously I had chosen this option so that I could protect the people I cared about. I knew Nick wanted only me, but I also knew he was willing to take out whoever it took so that he could get me.

"Caring too much is going to only hurt you. Compassion in itself is merely only a masked form of weakness."

That couldn't be right.

"You know it is. Caring will kill you."

"Ev, what are you doing?" Sebastian questioned, watching me carefully from the doorway.

I turned quickly, my eyes flashing with surprise when I saw him. His dark eyes trailed over me before boring deeply into my eyes, as though he's find his answer there.

"Nothing," I murmured, shaking my head at him before running my hands nervously through my hair. I frowned as they struggled through the mass of tangles that they met, the dirty hair covered in grease and dirt.

"You may want to take a quick shower," Sebastian finally said, "We're going out tonight."

I jolted at his words, my hands removing themselves from my hair as a series of emotions washed over me.

"What?" I questioned, my voice pitched higher than usual.

Sebastian sighed. "Yes, Evie, we are going out tonight, tomorrow, and the day after that, every day really until Nick decides to come for you so I can blow his fucking brains out. May I remind you that this was your idea-to act normal so that we may not stir up any suspicion.'

Tomorrow.

He wanted to go out tomorrow.

I nodded my head weakly, realizing that he was right: I had said that. Needless to say, my words had a way of coming back to kick my ass, and right now I regretted ever pretending like I could handle this.

"Sebastian, I don't know if that's a-"

"We have to." He cut me off, not noticing the desperate look in my eyes. "Unless you've heard otherwise, we are going to need to keep going out and you are going to have to keep up this charade of yours until Nick acts."

Charade.

It had initially started out as one, but it was far from one now.

"Have you heard otherwise?" Sebastian suddenly asked, finally noticing my distressed expression. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

After my argument with Kate, I didn't have the energy to get into another fight, nor did I want to tell Sebastian anything about what was happening, or what was to happen.

"No, not at all," I quickly reassured him. "There haven't been any messages, other than the ones you've already seen. I guess Nick is busy with other things right now, I'm just not a priority for him."

"Well then that's all the more reason to have us go out," Sebastian urged. "Your little act at breakfast was a nice touch, and I really thought it would get Nate to say something to Nick-"

It did.

"But I guess it wasn't enough. Whatever you do tonight, it's going to have to be big."

My lips automatically dipped into a frown, but I quickly wiped it away when Sebastian's eyes narrowed at my actions.

"Listen," he said softly, approaching me slowly, "I know this is very exhausting for you, but I am here for you, okay? So if there is anything on your mind, you can talk to me."

He spoke earnestly, pressing his point across and his eyes stared into my own.

"I know," I responded, my voice barely above a whisper.

Now it was his turn to frown. "You know, Callum was right this morning. You haven't been eating much, and I know it has to do with all the stress, but you've become visibly weaker and-"

"You're worried I won't be able to hold my own when Nick comes?" I snapped, anger taking over.

Sebastian hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by my outburst. "No, actually Evie, I was in the middle of expressing my worry for your well-being. Contrary to what you may think, not everything revolves around Nick Harmon and his pathetic gang."

I casted my eyes downwards, inwardly cursing myself for opening my big mouth once again.

"And, even if you being weaker than Nick was a problem, which it isn't, I don't see how it would concern you in the slightest, since you won't be going up against him alone." His tone was now hard, as was his expression.

I fought to keep myself from wincing under his harsh stare, and only nodded slightly in response. I sucked in a breath of air as he advanced towards me quickly, his large body pushing me into the wall.

"Evie, I swear to fucking god, you better not have anything else planned that you're not telling me about." He muttered out, his face only inches away from my own.

"No, I'm not, I swear," I bit out, giving him a glare back as I attempted to push him off of myself. "This intimidation tactic is really unnecessary, could you please get off of me?"

Sebastian smirked, a look I had grown far too familiar with when it came to him.

"An intimidation tactic? Is that what you think I'm trying to do?" He questioned lightly, amusement dancing through his eyes.

"Just get off," I snapped back, my arms bending under the force I was using against Sebastian, unable to get him to take even the smallest step back. This only caused his smirk to deepen, and he brought up his own arms, placing his hands on the wall behind me and effectively trapping me in place.

"It seems as though it wasn't too long ago that you rather enjoyed my body against yours, isn't that right, my sweet Evie?"

My face flushed deeply, and my glare intensified in response.

"Get the bloody hell off," I snarled, slapping at his chest forcefully when he released a low chuckle, unbothered by my futile attempts to get him to back off. I couldn't help but smile softly at the glimmer of happiness that his eyes held, an action that did not go unnoticed by Sebastian.

"It's nice to see you smile." He whispered, moving his head closer to my own.

My breath caught in my throat when his lips stopped just before my own, as though he was asking for my permission. Before another second could pass, I moved forwards, kissing him almost hungrily. I felt him grin in response before kissing me back, his hands gently tracing over my body while I melted under his touch.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered after we had broken apart, his voice breathless. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Last time you said that, I got drugged at our own club and then you almost killed me." My words were light, meant to come off as a joke.

While Sebastian narrowed his eyes at me, he seemed to understand it as my weak attempt at a joke.

"Ha ha," he laughed dryly, before his expression turned serious. "I promise, Ev, I will protect you."

Don't make promises you can't keep.

+++++

"You're not eating."

Their voice was clipped, their tone frustrated.

I remained silent in response; my body still perched on the chair that I was bound to. The filth that caked my body no longer bothered me, and the pain that had once ached across my being had numbed, leaving me feeling desensitized to everything and anything.

"Why not?"

No response.

"Jesus Evie, the food isn't fucking poisoned! I'm trying to help you!"

A sarcastic snort left my lips and I lifted my head so that I could stare into their eyes. I watched as the annoyance was extinguished by guilt and regret, and a bitter smirk crossed my lips.

"It's been almost four days." The voice pleaded. "Starving yourself isn't going to help you, you're only weakening yourself."

My smirk fell, but my lips remained shut.

"Fine. Don't respond and don't eat. I guess you've already given up."

You fucking wish.

+++++

83 Hours Earlier

"You know the drill," Sebastian spoke. "If anyone sees anything suspicious, our first priority is getting Evie out of there, okay? The rest of us will handle whatever the threat may be."

I shifted at his words and glanced around the room, carefully taking in everyone's expressions. Danny and Will both had solemn expressions, while Mason and Callum both looked deadly, nodding their heads in synch. Nate, on the other hand, looked nervous, his leg jumping anxiously while his neck flushed a deep red.

Emily was staring at me from across the room, her eyes full of concern and worry while I refused to look back at her. Kate sat next to me, her eyes trained on Sebastian, not bothering to give me even a glance.

I assumed she was still upset with me over what had happened earlier, but that was something she was going to have to get over on her own time. Besides, her actions were completely unreasonable.

In fact, she had been more than unreasonable. She wasn't acting like herself, and as a person who hasn't had many friends before, I wasn't sure how to approach this.

"This is utterly pathetic. Look at you. There is a threat against the gang and all you can think about is some pitiful friendship you have? You make me sick. I didn't raise you to be this weak."

I flinched, my head growing fuzzy and my vision was darkening. I felt restless and on edge, my father, dead, still had the power to render me useless.

"I need to get something," I muttered, everyone now turning his or her attention to me.

"What is it?" Danny asked, concern laced into his tone.

"It'll just be a second," I reassured him, offering a small smile before hurriedly exiting the room.

I nearly sprinted into my room, struggling to breathe even before I had taken off. My chest moved rapidly as I paced throughout the room, my head swarmed with nonsense.

He isn't coming tonight.

But what if he does?

Tomorrow.

But what if he comes for me tonight?

Tomorrow.

The voices inside my head were arguing loudly, making me dizzy and nauseous. I continued to pace back and forth until I noticed something that made my blood run cold and my body to stiffen.

The laptop.

The silver, metallic edge of it could be seen peaking out from under the bed, something that I had been sure didn't happen when I had first placed it there. I wanted to scream in frustration, or even cry out in fear, but instead I stood there motionless.

Maybe I hadn't fully hidden it to begin with.

I had.

Maybe-

"Ev, have you gotten what you needed?"

I turned my head to face Mason, who looked at me suspiciously before surveying the room.

"Yes," I bit out, walking past him and out the door before I could spare the laptop another glance. There was probably some dumb, irrelevant explanation for how it had gotten moved, and besides, it was password protected so unless someone had gotten inside my head and stolen the password from me, there was no way it could have been accessed.

"It's going to be fine, you know," Mason said as we walked down the stairs together.

"Never said it wouldn't be." I couldn't find it in myself to muster up some fake enthusiasm, much less force another damned smile onto my lips.

Mason didn't bother responding, and only held open the front door for me before leading me over to the car. The wind was icy, and the darkening sky only worsened the growing trepidation in the pit of my stomach.

The car ride was filled with deafening silence. Mason didn't even try to crack a joke, and I made no attempt to start a conversation I knew I didn't want to have.

As we pulled up to the club, I could already tell it was much more crowded than usual. From the cars that had piled into the streets, to the amount of people walking on foot, I knew tonight was going to be far from quiet.

"Ready?"

My door was opened for me, but instead of Mason, Sebastian stood in front of me, his hand held out for me. I rolled my eyes at this, but unbuckled myself and placed my hand in his, groaning as he grinned down at me, his eyes flashing with possessiveness.

"Remember what I said earlier," he whispered into my ear as he drew me closer, so that our hips were touching and his arm was firmly wrapped around my waist.

"I know, I know, if we see anything out of the ordinary, I need to get home as soon as possible," I grumbled out, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my tone.

Sebastian shot me a warning look before shaking his head. "I told you I would protect you."

I faltered, and felt my face warm with embarrassment.

"Sorry," I muttered as we entered the club, although I wasn't sure if he had heard my half-hearted apology over the loud music that echoed throughout the club. I watched in distaste as the crowd of wasted people danced around, their half dressed bodies all pressed up against each other.

"Have you thought of what you want to do tonight?" Sebastian asked after successfully guiding me over to a less crowded area. My eyes trailed around the room as I thought over his question, unsure of how I was going to phrase my response.

"Well?"

I snapped my attention back to him. "I don't think I should do anything."

Sebastian looked confused for a moment, before frustration settled in.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, his voice tight. "Ev, there is nothing to be worried about. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"That's not-"

"What is it then? We need to find a way to bring him out of hiding, and this is our best option."

I bit my lip nervously, suddenly regretting ever telling Sebastian what my plan was. I even regretted thinking that it was a good idea to get Nick to come for me. I regretted everything.

"We're just asking for trouble now," I tried, but Sebastian's expression told me that my attempt changed nothing.

"I don't understand why you're backing down, but most importantly, I don't understand why you think you have the option to do so. Need I remind you that I am the one in charge, not you." His irritation was growing stronger by the minute, making me more and more uncomfortable.

"Sebastian, this isn't a good idea, okay?" I finally snapped, pulling away from him. Without so much as a glance back, I made my way over to the bar, ignoring the questioning stares I could feel burning into my skin from the VIP section, where the rest of the gang was,

"What would you like?" The bartender asked as soon as I neared.

"Something strong-"

"Nothing," Sebastian cut me off, giving the bartender a malicious glare before directing one to me. His hand wrapped around my upper arm as he began to drag me away from the bar, an action that I tried by very hardest to prevent.

"Let me go," I yelled at him, my voice barely heard over the speakers. Sebastian's grip only tightened in response, making me fight harder against the hold he had on me.

"Sebastian!" I nearly shrieked, digging my heels into the ground. "Let go of my fucking arm!"

He turned suddenly, his body moving at mine so quickly that I was caught off guard and stumbled backwards. His hand remained on my arm and steadied me, but judging from his expression, it would have been much better if I had fallen.

"That's enough from you," he hissed out, his eyes flashing dangerously at me. "I thought you didn't want to cause a scene."

"I don't!" I barked back, still yanking at my arm that remained in his firm grip. "So stop causing one and let me go."

He glowered at me, his upper lip curling in anger. "Come with me right now or so help me god, I will carry you out of here."

I snorted in response, "I'd like to see you try."

Whether Sebastian had actually planned on going through with his threat or not, I didn't have the chance to find out, because in that moment there was a single sound that rose above the roar of the crowds.

Suddenly the laughter and music was gone, replaced by breaking glass and screams of horror.

Others soon followed the single gunshot, and it took only seconds for people to start swarming the exits, screaming bloody murder as they did so. I felt my arm get torn from Sebastian's grip as we were trampled by the crowds, my body being flung backwards onto the ground as people shoved past me.

What is fucking happened?

A cry of pain left my lips when a foot connected with the side of my head. I felt warm liquid instantly begin to trickle down the side of my head as my vision darkened considerably.

Tomorrow. He said he was going tomorrow.

I barely had time to react when I felt my body being lifted up, forced into an upright position. But instead of seeing the dark brown eyes I had hoped to see, I was met with Mason's light blue eyes.

"We need to get you out of here," he said, his eyes moving towards the blood that was soaking through my hair and dripping down my face. He winced at the sight before firmly grasping my arm and turning on his heel to survey the scene before us.

The club was still relatively filled with people despite their desperate attempts to escape. It was absolute chaos, and the sounds of gunshots only worsened the growing fear that was paralyzing me.

"Sebastian," I gasped out, my head aching horribly. "What about him? What about everyone else?"

Mason didn't bother looking back at me; he only shook his head and began pulling me towards the back exit, his gun in his free hand.

I twisted my body as he pulled me through the exit, my eyes locking onto a figure in the midst of the crowd, a gun in his outstretched hand, his expression downright lethal.

Sebastian.

I felt myself instinctively stop moving, unable to fight the urge to go to Sebastian. I didn't want to leave him on his own, and I felt an internal tug holding me in place when I saw him.

"Evie, come on!" Mason snapped. I felt him forcefully pull at my arm before my body was lifted from the ground. A whimper left my lips at his actions, and I struggled in his arms as he carried me out the door.

"We can't just leave them!" I cried out, thrashing around. A gasp left my lips when he pushed me against the wall of the alleyway, his expression dark and stern.

"You knew this Evie, you knew that you were the first priority if anything went wrong."

I gritted my teeth and glared back at him, shoving him off of me after a few moments.

"This is fucking ridiculous," I snapped.

"Well too bad," Mason countered, his hand once again wrapping around my arm so that he could push me towards the end of the alleyway. I made sure to give him hell the entire way there, and even as I was rushed into the car.

"What about Kate? And Emily? You can't possibly leave them both in there!" I cried out as he buckled me in like a child. I watched as he momentarily hesitated, but within a second the seriousness returned, and he was in his place in the driver's seat.

"They'll be fine." He bit out, his tone hard.

"You don't know that." I spat back.

+++++

"So what are we supposed to do?" I asked as we discretely entered the house after Mason checked out the area. "Just wait here and hope that they are alive and come back?"

Mason threw me a heated glare. "This isn't easy for me either, okay? Would you just stop trying to make everything harder?"

I faltered before moving back a step, sitting down on a nearby chair while Mason stormed off towards the stairs. I watched as he started up them, before he stopped and turned to face me.

"You know what, you can pretend that this is some kind of act of injustice against you, but news flash Evie, the world does not revolve around you. You're not the only one with people you care about inside that club. Those people are my family too; don't act like I'm not just as worried about them as you are. You were the priority tonight, the one to protect, so I fucking did my job. Don't make me regret that."

I remained silent as he stared at me for a few moments before leaving, his door slamming shut as soon as he got upstairs.

"Shit," I whispered to myself, my hand running over my face as I shut my eyes tightly. I retracted my hand as soon as it came in contact with the fresh blood that coated the side of my face. Nausea swept through my stomach as I hurried to the bathroom, my eyes focused on my reflection.

Other than the deep red that stained my hair and face, there were only a few other scattered cuts and bruises that marred my body, nothing as extreme as the internal pain I was suffering through. I heard a thump from upstairs, knowing it was most likely Mason throwing his fist into the wall.

Rather than cleaning myself up, I knew I had to apologize to him. He had been right; I was putting myself before him, not considering how he was feeling about everything, only concerned with myself.

With a deep sigh, I exited the bathroom and headed over to the stairs, ignoring all the aches I felt radiating throughout my body. I jumped as I heard my phone go off, and desperately dug it out from my back pocket, my hands fumbling with the small device as I quickly answered it.

"Sebastian? Are you okay? Is everyone okay?" I asked breathlessly as soon as I saw the caller I.D.

"Evie," his voice cut me off, and his tone made my blood turn to ice in my veins. "It was a trap, it was all a trap."

I hesitated, my hand resting on the doorknob of Mason's room.

"What are you saying? Sebastian, what is going on?"

I heard a few more gunshots go off and I bit my lip in concern.

It wasn't over.

"Fuck," Sebastian spat out, his voice breathless. "Evie, you need to get Mason and you need to get out of there. I tried to fucking warn him first but that dumbass didn't pick up and-"

I frowned and pushed open the door, "He didn't answer? But he's right-"

I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence. A scream left my lips as I nearly slipped onto the floor, but it wasn't the fall that caused me to cry out. It was the dark liquid spilled out onto the wooden floor, staining the surface.

I dropped my phone on the ground as my body lunged forwards to Mason's, his chest rising and falling weakly as spluttered gasps of breath left his lips. My hands moved to the growing bloodstain on his stomach, pressing down on the wound as he choked in pain.

"What happened?" I cried out, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. "Who did this, Mason?"

"She," Mason retched out, "she tricked..."

I hadn't heard a gun go off, I'd only heard the thump.

My eyes scanned the room before they caught sight of the bloodied knife that lay on the ground only a few feet away.

I felt like vomiting when I recognized the knife as one from the kitchen, one that I had seen only hours ago.

Kate.

"You should have let me seen the messages earlier."

A shriek left me lips as I twisted from my place on the floor, my hands shifted slightly on the wound, making Mason gasp out in agony. I flinched when I found myself staring up at the barrel of a gun; a gun held in the hand of the girl who I had thought was my best friend.

"Maybe we could have avoided this then."

I let out a hellish scream as the gun went off, and the bullet penetrated my side, causing me to collapse next to Mason.

"Someone should have warned you," Kate hissed out, leaning over my body so that she could angle the needle above the vein in my arm, "to never trust anyone."

I felt my head grow heavy and my breathing slow dangerously as the serum was emptied out into my bloodstream.

"I told you caring would get you killed."

+++++

80 Hours Later

"Mason loved you."

I had finally broken my silence. My voice was raspy, barely audible as I forced the words out of my lips. My hair was matted onto my head, held together by the grime that had built up in it over the past few days. The blood remained caked on my skin, but the bullet wound had been cleaned and bandaged in the very least.

Kate refused to meet my eyes; her body slumped against the door in front of me, her eyes trained to the ground.

"No he didn't," she whispered quietly.

I scoffed. "You're right. He didn't."

Her eyes flickered up at this, her expression stiff, pained even.

"But he could have." I spat out bitterly. "He cared about you. We all did." I laughed in a cruel, heartless manner, an acidic taste in my mouth.

"We all fucking cared about you," I hissed out, my voice rising as I strained against the ropes that held me in place. "And for what? So you could try to fucking tear us apart? So you could fucking kidnap me and tie me up to a chair?"

She shifted in her spot, her eyes stuck on the floor. I could see that my words were slowly getting to her, from the way her expression changed and her body stiffened.

"Where is Nick, huh? Where is your big, bad boss? The one you were oh so willing to give your so called best friend to." I could feel my throat tense as my voice grew louder. "I lived with you for almost a fucking year! How dare you! How dare you fucking betray me like this! You were supposed to be my friend, I trusted you."

"You shouldn't have."

I became livid.

"Shut the fuck up, Kate." I growled out "Don't act like you are some kind of stone cold, heartless monster. You may have tricked me, but don't think I don't know you completely. There's no way you could have been faking who you are this whole time, so don't think for one second I'm buying into any of this bullshit."

She opened her mouth as to respond, but closed it instead. She only shifted once more, her eyes still unable to meet my own, which only served as kindling to the fire that raged within me.

"So what's next?" I taunted. "Where is Nick? It's been nearly four fucking days and I'm still here, bound to this god forsaken chair. Tell me, Kate, what's next? Are you going to kill me? Beat me up? Starve me?"

"I gave you food," was her simple, weak response.

"I considered you part of my family."

"Shut up!" She finally had broken. Her eyes held such ferocity as she stared at me, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "You can't just throw that term around like you know what it means! You don't know what a family is, Evie, you've never had one!"

It was now my term to stare at her silently, taking in all she had to say; all the things she had pent up over the last few hours.

"You don't know what it's like to have parents who love you, who support you, and who have been there for you since the day you were born. You don't what it's like to be loved like that. You've never had a proper family."

"So that's it?" I finally asked, "You having a loving family somehow led to this?"

"He threatened them." She burst out, tears now filling her eyes and falling down her cheeks. "The day you met him wasn't his first time in New York. He had been there for weeks, and he wasn't only going after you."

I stared her blankly, waiting for her to continue as sickening realization took hold of me.

"He found out about me, about my connection to you. For him, I wouldn't be just collateral damage, I would be a pawn in his game to get you." Her voice broke as tears streamed heavily down her face. "He told me he'd kill them all, and when I tried to refuse him, he had my dad hospitalized."

My hands turned to fists.

"You should have told me. Kings could have protected your family, they're the most powerful gang-"

"You sure about that?" It was now Kate's turn to scoff. "Because from my perspective, it seemed as though Nine Black Guns was the most powerful gang, and the Kings was barely able to keep up."

I sent her fatal glare, clenching my jaw tightly as I did so.

"Believe me," she whispered, her expression now softer, "I wanted to turn to you. I never intended on any of this happening. I tried to hold out, I swear, but after he hospitalized my dad, I wasn't sure how much I could risk. And then Nate got involved-"

"He wasn't involved from the start?" I whispered, my head swirling as thoughts filled it.

"No," she responded just as quietly. "Nick targeted him after I resisted his orders."

I stared at her blankly before I forced my expression to soften.

"I'm sorry," I finally admitted. "I get it, you had no choice."

Kate's eyes widened, and I watched as hope bloomed in them and a small smile formed on her lips.

"Evie, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." She said, taking a step towards me. "I promise, I'm going to find a way to get you out of here, okay? It's just going to take some time, but I will do it."

Don't make promises you can't keep.

"This is going to hurt, but you have to do it."

"Do you think you could loosen the ropes on my wrists a bit?" I asked, my voice still soft and vulnerable.

Worry momentarily flashed in her eyes before she nodded and moved closer to me, so that she was standing in front of me. I held my breath as she loosen the ropes, just enough to get the blood flowing properly again.

"Do you want me to do the same for your legs?" She asked, noticed how the ropes had tightly dug into my skin, leaving it raw and bloody.

"Yes, please," I murmured quietly, watched her closely as she worked on the knot.

"You want to live right?"

Hardly.

I gritted my teeth as I mentally braced myself for the onslaught of pain I was about to inflict upon myself.

As soon as she had loosened the ropes, I twisted my thumb in a sickeningly unnatural way, a technique my father had taught me to use in only desperate situations. An anguished scream left my lips as soon as the bone crunched, but I didn't have time to writhe in pain.

I quickly yanked my hands from the rope that had bound them behind my back, and sent my foot forwards with all the strength I could muster. It connected with her face, and another crunch sounded throughout the room as her nose began gushing blood.

My body collapsed onto the floor as I struggled to stand, my breathing labored and my body significantly weaker than it had ever been. I watched as Kate twisted about on the ground, her hands clutching her face as she wailed in torment.

With a great deal of difficulty, I managed to bring myself to my feet, my chest heaving as I struggled to breath without crying out from the pain that rippled throughout my entire body. I moved towards the door first, trying without success to fling open the door that seemed to be nailed shut. With a cry of frustration, I staggered over to her, leaning down so that my face hovered above hers.

"You always have a choice."

My expression twisted into one of revulsion, and I sent a powerful punch into her face, ignoring the voice in my head that attempted to remind me that she was once my best friend. Her screams were sickening, and she pleaded for help, for mercy.

"You fucking betrayed me," I screamed out at her, "You betrayed all of us! Did you leave him there to die? Mason, cared about you, and you left him there to fucking die."

She struggled underneath me and attempted to push me away, but her attempts were useless. I only continued my physical attack against her, uncaring that the stitches in my stomach had now split open, and blood was flowing freely from the wound. The painful ache in my head was growing unbearable, but my rage numbed to the hurt I felt.

Friendship in itself is a nothing but a fickle thing. Today the term 'best friend' is thrown around all too carelessly, and I had fallen victim to this popular fad.

"Help!" Kate shrieked out, terror flashing in her eyes. "Someone help me!"

I laughed at her, my tone cruel and merciless.

"Who's here to help you? It's just been you and me for these last four days, you have no one."

I sent another blow to her face, my hand connecting with her cheek.

A large bang sounded throughout the room as the metal door was flung open and slammed into concrete wall.

"Not so fast, Miss Evelyn Summers, I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep you from killing my dear friend."

My spine stiffened and my first froze midair, poised to send another punch into Kate's already bloody and bruised face. My heart had dropped into my stomach, and I turned my head slightly, so that my eyes could lock onto his.

He nodded to the two men behind him, and I watched in dread as they entered the room and approached me. They each grabbed one of my arms, hauling me to my feet forcefully, despite the hisses and whimpers of pain that escaped my lips.

I struggled in their arms as I was dragged carelessly over to where Nick stood with a smirk on his lips and amusement dancing through his eyes.

"Well Evie, I think it's about time you and I got properly acquainted."

+++++

Hi guys!

So sorry for the wait, but I'd like to think I have a pretty good reason for it! If you've been a fan of mine for a while, then you may have heard of my story, 'Being the Bad Boy's Victim', which actually has been published!

It was my second story I ever wrote here on Wattpad, and it was what really got me inspired to write more.

If you could, please consider purchasing a copy! It would mean the world to me and today it's on sale so it's the best time to get it!

Check out the link on my bio!

Thank you all so much for your support, it means the world to me! Love you all to the moon and back!