"Really?! Then, if you don't care..." An evil smirk spreads on Leo's lips.

My heart thumps loudly and painfully in my chest, resonating in my throat where the knife is edging closer and closer until it stops by the line of my jaw.

I close my eyes, feeling the tip of the knife piercing slowly my skin, and I helplessly accept my fate, preparing for I don't even know what. I don't even have the strength to fight. I don't move as it would surely worsen it all, yet I don't even feel the pain from the blade. My body is too numb and frozen with everything that has just happened.

"Okay, what do you want?!" Alex's tight voice makes me open my eyes, my heart skipping a beat like a breath of hope and relief.

His eyes, darker than I've ever seen them, are the first thing that catch my gaze, almost dazzling me with the blazing, unreadable emotion, resembling fury and anger, in them.

Though a stinging pain brings me back to reality, and I look down to see the drops of blood staining the denim of my jacket.

"Aww! I've found your little weakness?!" Leo asks with a satisfied smirk, gripping my hair again and grazing my cheek with the blade.

With my head pulled backward, I'm left with only the blade and Leo's black hole eyes in my field of vision, yet all my attention is focused on the corner of my eye, where I glimpse Alex stepping forward.

But Leo quickly stops him. "If you move, she's dead."

I don't doubt one second that his words are serious, yet the shivers running through my body are out of disgust even more than fear.

"What do you want?" Alex repeats, his jaw tenser than ever and his fists clenched; actually every muscle in his body seems tensed, ready to explode.

"I want your territory, all of your clients, and all the money you have with you," Leo replies calmly, clearly enjoying to see his little plan working.

Alex nods silently, his dark gaze not leaving us as he quickly goes to his motorbike to get what Leo has demanded. My heart is racing fast, yet it seems his movements are even faster while still keeping a composed gait.

He is back in front of us in a blink, but he stops before giving the 'ransom' to one of the minions. "Let her go first."

Leo laughs in reply, the sound echoing in the empty surroundings and wrapping in a chill around my bones. "I'm not that dumb! Give me half of it and I untie her. You're in no position to discuss."

Everything goes as said, Alex's dark piercing eyes following every move of Leo, like a wolf ready to attack, and me, waiting paralyzed like a helpless deer.

Alex is handing the last part of the ransom, and I'm about to breathe a puff of relief, feeling Leo's grip loosening. But he quickly grabs me again, the knife once again to my throat where my breath of relief gets stuck here.

"Oh, I forgot! I also want your bike!" Leo exclaims, his tone devilishly fake.

Alex's eyes shot open in a deadly glare, though if looks could kill, Leo would be stone dead on the ground for quite some time now.

"I'm waiting..." Leo sings out, grazing the knife on the line of my jaw where the wound has just started coagulating.

I bite hard on my lip as tears are pressuring behind my eyes, yet it isn't only because of the searing pain Leo is deepening on my jaw; there is also a burn expanding in my chest and swallowing everything.

While I'm ravaged inside, Alex is still unreadable, just nodding imperceptibly and he sticking his hand in his pocket in search of something, which we all know are his keys.

My heart is writhing painfully against my ribcage, knowing how much this motorcycle means to him. It's the only thing he has left from his Dad.

I try to wriggle around, but Leo tightens his hold, pointing the blade right where my heart is pounding loudly in my jugular.

"Alex, no! Don't–"

But Alex gives them the keys before I can even say anything, and the knife is taken away from my throat.

"And don't try to take back one single thing, or next time, your little weakness won't get out in one piece," Leo adds, an evil victorious glint in his black eyes before he shoves me away roughly.

I stumble to Alex's chest, holding on for dear life to him.

My head buried in the black leather of his jacket, I glimpse the gang leaving quickly and taking away everything with them: Alex's motorbike, his territory, his possessions, and the danger.

As the engines' roar gets quieter, I can hear Alex's heart thudding in his chest, echoing with mine, and everything sinks in with each deafening bang.

When the silence returns – at least around us – I start rambling breathlessly all the words rushing in my head and in my heart, "I'm so sorry! But we-we will find a way, we will get back everything, we'll find a way! We..." I pause, out of breath, and I'm suddenly aware of the cold invading me from the back. I realize Alex hasn't returned my embrace, his warm arms hanging by his sides.

"There's no 'we'. Didn't you hear what I said to this bastard?" he states coldly, and the look in his eyes finishes to freeze me completely.

"But... you-you were bluffing, you-you said that to get us out, you..." I shake my head, trying to convince myself more than him, as I feel my heart cracking more and more.

I try to look in his eyes, desperately searching for a little glimpse of hope, of anything, but all I see is a furious storm clouding his tenebrous eyes, a dark veil blocking me out.

"I spared you because I didn't want to have your death on my conscience." He shrugs. "It doesn't mean anything else. You're just another chick. I got what I wanted, and it cost me enough, so now leave me the fuck alone."

His tone is terrifyingly cold, leaving me frozen to the bone, and his words are worst than any knife, stabbing me deep, right in my heart.

"But... everything we've shared..." My cracking voice ends up in a faint whisper as I feel my eyes filling up with tears.

His dark chuckle echoing painfully in my heart is enough answer, but he still adds the final blow, "I'm a player, and sometimes you gotta sugarcoat to get in a chick's pants." He smirks wickedly.

Anger comes joining the agony and sorrow, burning in a wild, painful fire. It's crazy how, whether it is out of desire and love, or like I'm just finding out now, out of wrath and heartache, he is the only one who lights up this fire in me, who sets me alight. He is my fire... and my heart is burning to ashes right now.

"Here, your jacket. You might need it to get in another 'bitch's pants'," I spit, tearing the denim fabric off my shoulders, even though I'm cold to the bone, and throwing it on the ground.

I cast him one last glance, my heart aching as I'm only met by his unreadable mask, and then, I walk away, stomping on his jacket in the process.

I pray it's just a nightmare, that I will wake up in Alex's warm arms and everything will be normal, but the pain is too real.

My tears keep flowing along my cheeks, and that's when I realize it: even though he has just shattered my heart in a million pieces, all the little broken parts are still in love with Alex, desperately in love with Alex.

***

ALEX'S POV

"Fuck!" I scream, my fist hitting the hard concrete of the wall and immediately spreading a shooting pain all the way up my arm, yet it's nothing compared to what I feel in my whole body.

I've lost her. I love her, and I've lost her.

These words bring a new wave of ache as they sink in. I close my eyes, but everything keeps replaying like a nightmare. So I reopen them, yet her, our – no, my – jacket standing out in the gloomy parking lot reminds me how I've engulfed her in my dark world.

When I've seen her tied in Leo's evil grip, the knife to her throat, it has been like I've been hit by a heavy truck, and now every inch of my body is sore.

I should have known this motherfucker bastard has had some twisted plan when I've got his text telling me he's had something mine and to come alone. Yet I never would have thought in a million years he's had my most prized possession: Elena.

And I've never would have thought in a billion years, when I've woken up this morning from the most blissful sleep ever with her sweet naked body sleeping angelically in my arms, that I would watch her walk away with tears that I've filled her eyes with.

But I've had no choice. I would have given up everything for her, yet she can never be safe with me.

She deserves someone better, someone who won't put her in danger.

I love her too much. If anything happened to her, I don't know... Fuck, I can't even think about it.

Lying to her, hurting her is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. When she's been freed from Leo's nasty hands, all I've wanted has been to hold her tight in my arms, keep her there with me forever.

I've had to use all the willpower I have in me to keep myself from touching her, comforting her, when I've been the one hurting her.

All the lies I've invented, the bullshit coming out of my mouth, I feel like puking, and I don't know how she could have believed me. I haven't looked in her eyes because I've known if I had done, I would have spilled the truth, on my knees, begging her to stay with me forever.

I don't think I will ever be able to look in these soft hazel eyes ever again, or I'll break down at her feet. She has this power over me to make me weak, to put down my armor, and to see through me like an open book with just one look.

And to think that the last time I've ever seen these angelic eyes they've been clouded with shock, fear, and apologies, all because of me.

Now, these angelic eyes have left filled with tears and hurt, all because of me.

She probably hates me so much right now, though she will never hate me as much as I hate myself.

So... we've got a glimpse of Alex's mind, what do you think? Some of you asked it for a long time and it's finally here! What do you think? I hope you like it! It's hard to know and write what's in boys' little head! ;)

Anyway, everything is pretty messed up for Alex and Elena, do you think it's really over? ;)

Comment and vote if you liked this chapter, I LOVE hearing your feedbacks! :)