Something about the car smelled As though I had encountered this sent before. It was a mix between musky cologne andmint. It was almost pleasant.

I heard the driver mumble something, slamming on the breaks, which sent my head crashing against the window. I remained silent, every inch of my body on fire, all I could do was wait.

They had roped my arms and legs, leaving me in the back seat, as they sprung from the car, leaning the drivers door hanging open.

"Did you kidnap her, I demand you return her at once." I lept for joy at those words, releasing a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"She isn't with us," a Monotone voice hissed back, the men grew closer,my hero inches away from me. He spoke again, and my jaw fell open at the voice.

Conrad was my hero, he had come all this way to rescue me. My mind begged to pound on the window, to let him know that these men had indeed taken me.

"Fine, take her, but I was under Nathens  orders to have her killed." When he spoke those words, they held no meaning, a cluster of phrases, until one puts meaning to them.

Nathen wanted to have me killed?

Nathen was the bad guy?

I might have been kidnapped, and laying in the back of a car, but instead of attempting to escape, I just sat there, replaying all the things he had said to me.

I want to find a place away from here

I could feel the leather bound book, that cut against my skin, a reminder of him.

If I ever escaped, I would find a way to burn it

I was nothing to him, everything that he had done for me meant nothing to him.

I was sprung out of my thoughts as the door flung open, voices crowding my senses, the cloth was removed from my eyes, and I came into contact with Conrad, he stood there, his eyes studying my features, before he broke out of his daze.

"Drew, are you ok, let me get you out of here," I didn't have a chance to respond, before he whisked away, my skin delighting at his touch. I blinked rapidly, my mind spinning, but I didn't miss someone I never thought I would see.

He stood off to the side,as though he hoped nobody would see him, I barely made out his face, shadowed, I wouldn't have known it was him, until I latched onto those gray eyes.

I had been telling myself that it might be a lie, maybe he didn't want me gone, but now my worries had been confirmed. I never wanted to see Nathen again. I laid back, Conrad's rapped heartbeat blending in to the sounds of the night.

He placed me into the passenger seat of a silver car, his signature smell wafting my nose. "I didn't know you had a car," I remarked, my voice trembling. He revved up the engine, his ocean blue eyes  masked while he gazed at me longer then he ever had before.

"Are you okay," I pressed a minute later, after receiving no answer to my previous question. He darted his gaze up, chuckling awkwardly as he pulled away from the scene, strumming his fingers against the wheel.

"I'm just glad you are safe," he admitted turning to glance at me again. I nodded to myself, my heart shattering even harder, it should be dancing for joy after what he just said, but it wasn't. I would never be fine again, Nathen had changed his opinion of me, and I would never know why. He was standing there an hour ago, he had been saying something until Mason had ruined it.

Maybe he was going to try and push me off the side of the building, and Conrad had wanted me to come to the Lake right away so I wouldn't be hurt. I jerked my gaze to him, my mind shifting into a new set of thoughts.

Nathen had been lying this whole time, he had told me to stay away from Conrad, because Conrad was the bad one, but really he was, he ate with a red plate because he was not a good person, being different was a bad thing, and I had almost become a criminal like him, I needed to stop my thoughts, I needed to become the wife Conrad wanted me to be.

I yanked up his hand, tangling my fingers with his, he cared about me so much, it was time to focus  on him, and everything that would be happening in a few days time.

"I'm taking you to my parents estate, they want to see you." I blinked, stiffening up, he must have noticed my discomfort, as his thumb began to trace soothing circles on the side of my hand.

He locked eyes with me, trying to read my thoughts. "I'll be with you the whole time, do you trust me?" I leaned back, squeezing my eyes shut, uneven road rolled under us, a Matt black sky sat over us, we were two people, strangers in the night.

I barely knew him, but having that talk with myself made me think I did.

"Yes, I always have." His expression softened, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, he looked so concentrated when he drove, pulling smoothly into the neighborhoods of the elete.

I had never been in this part of the city, but it was much more amazing then I had ever dreamed of it to be. We sailed over the bridge that parted this half of the city, heavily guarded by law informant agents.

I couldn't even see the tips of these buildings through my window, the tallest structure in the main part of town was the council building, however, this building that stood in front of us was much larger.

"What building is this," I pressed, straining my vision to make out the wording in the dark. Conrad chuckled lightly, pulling his hand out of mine as we turned down a street sandwiched with trees, clumps with piles of brush.

"That building is the resource center." I nodded, brush sliding past my window. We turned up a crescent driveway, it curved around a massive fountain, assorted flowers surrounding it.

Conrad's house stood the height of a castle in front of us. It stretched the length of our front car window, his land sweeping on for miles. My jaw fell open, I had never  imagined he lived in a house as extravagant as this.

He clicked the car off, dashing out and running around to open my door. He sported a boyish grin as he took my hand, helping me onto the ground.

"Your house is so amazing, I never knew it was this nice." I glanced around astounded at all the details that had been put into the structure. Each window was accented with black shutters, giving the house a timeless feel. Bright green lawn stretched on rolling down a steep hill where horses roamed free, I had never seen such a beautiful lot before.

"He has arrived," I was caught off guard as a stout middle aged man dressed in a Tailered suit came barreling out the front door. His firey red hair and muddy brown eyes were a sight, I didn't know they had 24hour help.

"Come on in Master Conrad, and Drew Stetson, they are expecting you in his fathers study." Conrad nodded, not sparing the man another look before pulling me along with him into the oversized foyer.

I Stretched my neck around like a giraffe, to get every detail, enormous walls stood, painted in a calming cream shade, marble flooring sparkled under my feet, it was an oddly colorless room, Accented from the golden chandelier, and fresh plants that had been placed around.

"Cat got your tongue, now don't act like you've never seen something like this." I blinked rapidly, I hadn't, then why was he acting so surprised? I shrugged, continuing into the main hall, which lead into an oversized sitting room, equipped with a grand piano and  to sweeping spiral staircases that swirled up to the Second landing.

"I haven't," I shot back almost immediately, fresh roses coming into view. They sat peacefully on the coffee table, 12 of them, the deepest shade of red I had ever seen. "These, they are so exquisite, where could you have gotten them?" Conrad grinned, as though I had asked the question he was waiting for me to state.

"They are for you, if you agree to have dinner with my family tonight." I didn't take my eyes off of the flowers, I had never seen any before, it rained so often, I had only seen pictures and a few different wild flowers, how could he have possibly gotten these?

"Of course, whatever makes you happy makes me happy." I bent down and drew in a deep breath delighting in the fresh aroma that blossomed from the buds. Conrad chuckled under his breath, reaching over to take my hand.

"Now we must go, we can't keep my father waiting." I glanced up, following him.

"Then we shan't." One staircase, two hallways, and an awkward encounter with a maid later, we stood in front of a deep mahogany brown door. Conrad planted a comforting hand on my shoulder, trying to speak to me with his eyes. I squeezed my own shut, a nervous habit I realized I had after this night.

"Shall we?"