Scott takes a right-hand turn onto the road his GPS shows him, his brows furrowing as he pulls into an almost empty parking lot. There were a few older-looking cars scattered throughout the area, but not a single person outside.

Scott narrows his eyes and scans the area. Something deep down is warning him that something isn't right.

He leans forward in his seat and looks out the windshield at the building in front of him, the numbers 1876 stenciled onto the bricks. Scott just hopes his gut is still on edge from everything that's happened today and this was going to be a really cool bar that Mitch had found.

He shuts off the engine and steps out in the cool air. Spring may have arrived, but the nights still held a bite to them, especially standing next to the water, the wind whipping at his jacket.

He takes a deep breath and looks around the parking lot again, something really not feeling right. He bites at the corner of his lip for a moment before pulling out his phone and opening a text message to Alex.

May be paranoid, but meeting Mitch at some bar on 1876 n 10th st and got a weird feeling. Keep your ears on just in case.

As soon as the message sends, a texting box pops up, Alex already responding.

Are you sure that's a good idea?

Scott purses his lips but ignores his friend and pockets his phone. He knew Alex had known something had gone down between the two, and he sure as hell wouldn't have approved if he had found out exactly what had happened between them, but right now, he didn't need a lecture. He needed to find Mitch and figure out what the hell the two of them were going to do now.

Scott hurries across the parking lot while trying to keep his composure, not wanting to look like he had been rushing in to find Mitch, but Scott is a mixture of nerves and excitement. It's like he was fifteen again and taking Cathy Wilson to her senior prom. Bad memories for sure.

As he reaches the door, his phone vibrates in his pocket, but Scott ignores it as he steps inside.

His brow furrows as he walks pass the threshold, seeing crates rather than bar patrons. The lights are off and not a single sound echoes through the vast building.

Either he was in the wrong spot....or–
He reaches into his jacket for his gun when the click of a safety unlocking rings in his ears.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you."

Someone drawls behind him as the barrel of a gun presses against his neck.
Scott slowly raises his hands above his shoulders. He cocks his head slightly, just enough to make out the figure behind him.

"You haven't happened to seen a boy around here, have ya?" Scott smiles, his mind racing for a plan as he tries to stall. "I was suppose to meet someone here but I've got a feeling he's standing me up." Scott smirks, wondering if he spin quick enough to knock the gun from the man's hand before the guy can get a shot off.

But before Scott can make a move, the man responds by shoving him forward, putting too much space between him and Scott for Scott to make a move.

"Start walking." The man orders and Scott keeps his hands raised as he walks further into the warehouse.

As they walk, Scott's eyes scan the room, seeing two possible exits in addition to the door he came through.

But if for some reason Scott wasn't able to work his way out of this one, he had to hope Alex would somehow realize something's not right. And if that was his only option, Scott just had to survive until then.

The two men wander further until two people emerge into view, one dressed in a black peacoat, standing and holding a gun at the slumped figure in the chair next to him.

Scott's heart and feet stop all at once. He can't see his face, brown bangs obscuring his features, but he knows it's Mitch.

The man gives Scott another shove, forcing him to keep moving until Scott stands in front of the man he's been chasing since his mother's murder nineteen years ago.

"Ah, Scott, so nice of you to join us." Blake's voice is much lighter than Scott expected and he smiles with ease, like he's seeing an old friend.

At the mention of Scott's name, Mitch raises his head, his brown eyes meeting Scott's–his heart shattering when he takes in the purple swell of Mitch's nose and cheeks and the slight trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth.

Scott's jaw clenches and a fire explodes inside him. He takes a step towards Blake and Mitch, a deafening ring in his ears before something hard and sharp whips at the back of his head, sending him tumbling to his knees with a hiss as Mitch yells out, "Scott!"

Scott presses a hand to the back of his head where the pain radiates from, feeling the sticky warmth of his own blood against his fingers.

"Oh for Christ's sake," Blake huffs with a roll of his shoulders. "You didn't take his gun?" Blake points with his own weapon to where Scott's jacket hangs open, revealing the gun hanging below his shoulder.

"Sorry boss," the man behind Scott apologizes before Blake stares down at Scott.

"Toss it," Blake motions to Scott with his own gun.

Scott purses his lips, wondering if he has any feasible chance of getting a shot off on Blake and his guard before getting shot himself.

Blake sighes deep and frustrated before taking a step towards Mitch and placing the barrel of his gun against his head.

"Now, Scott." Blake instructs with a clenched jaw. Scott grounds his teeth at the sight of the weapon at Mitch's temple and with one hand, reaches into his jacket and slowly removes the gun from his holster before sliding it across the floor away from both Blake and his man.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Blake raises his eyebrows, a smile already back on his face as he steps away from Mitch and lowers his gun to his side.

Blake shifts from side to side, his demeanor relaxing as he looks down at Scott.

"I was wondering if we would ever have the pleasure to meet, Scott." Blake cocks his head. Scott's jaw clenches, the same thought having passed through his mind since he was seven years old, though he never imagined it like this.

"Glad we could finally make this happen." Blake smiles with open palms, as if he's finally gotten some friends together for a dinner party.

"Looks like you went through a lot of trouble to get me here," Scott glares at Blake, his eyes glancing to Mitch, his eyes wide and wet as he looks down at Scott.

Blake chuckles, snapping Scott's attention back to him.

"Actually, it was no trouble at all." Blake quirks. "All I had to do was kill Vine, and with him out of the way, I knew you would leave precious Mitchell over here with no protection," Blake waves his gun towards Mitch. "You 'special agents' are so predictable, do you know that?" Blake turns his head, glancing between Scott and Mitch. "Makes my job so much easier."

Blake takes a step forward to where Scott is still kneeling on the ground after the blow to his head, the pain still throbbing, but his attention on the Southern son-of-a-bitch prancing in front of him like he's putting on a performance.

Blake crouches down, his brown eyes matching Scott's level.

"Tell me, Scott," Blake takes a breath through his nose and glances behind Scott momentarily before finding Scott's gaze and holding it. "How did it feel, finding the man who killed your momma, dead—and when you were so close to putting him away?" Blake narrows his eyes and Scott refuses to look away. "When the one thing you've wanted most in this world, was once again, taken by me?" Blake's lips snarl into a smile, his head twisting to the side slightly.

"Did it hurt? Burn maybe?" Blake's voice begins to rise. "Remind you that no matter how hard you try that I will always own you?" Blake's voice rings out through the warehouse, spit flying in Scott's face, but he doesn't flinch.

Blake takes a deep breath, his body heaving.

"Because I do own you, Scott." Blake tips his head, his tone sharp and icy. "From the moment Vine killed dear 'ole mommy,"

"Scott," Mitch's warning voice cuts through Blake, but the two men ignore him, having not heard, or not cared. Scott's nostrils flare and his stomach twists as his hands ball into fists. Blake can even hear the grinding of his teeth, Scott's clenching his jaw so tight.

"Your entire life has been revolving around me." Blake regains his composure. "And it's going to end with me."

Scott snaps and his body lunges towards Blake, but before he can make any contact a sharp pain radiates through his body as he topples onto the floor, Mitch's voice emanating around the pain, but all he can focus on is the burn in his ribs.

Blake huffs and stands up, nodding to his guard before the man winds up and delivers another blow to Scott's chest with the toe of his boot. Scott's entire body lurches from the impact and his body rolls against the concrete.

"Scott!" Mitch screams as Scott clutches his side, coughing despite the fact that he can't find a morsel of air in his lungs. He pushes his hands under his chest, trying to find his strength, but a boot lands hard on his back, stomping him to the ground.

-/::\-

"Blake, please stop!" I scream. Blake peers over his shoulder at me with his eyebrows raised. He looks me over with a curious gaze before licking his lips and fully facing me.

"What did you expect to happen when you called Scott here, hm?" Blake clucks. "That the two of you would ride off into the sunset." I quickly turn away from Blake's gaze, knowing exactly what was going to happened the minute I dialed Scott's number. But that was when this was all theoretical. Now Scott was in front of me, blood trickling from his lips and an angry panic in his eyes.

Blake's body bounces with a laugh.
"But I suppose a deal's a deal. Your life for Scott's." Blake reaches into his pocket and steps behind my chair. I feel a tug on your wrists before that burning pain that had been plaguing my skin dissipates. I swing my arms around, instantly cupping my bleeding wrists, thankful to have an excuse not to look at Scott at the mention of my treachery.

Blake steps in front of me and I look up at him, my lips set in a hard line as Scott watches the two of us from the floor, hoping for any type of distraction that would give him even three seconds to turn this entire situation around.

When I don't move, Blake cocks an eyebrow.

"In case you didn't get the hint, darlin', you're free to go," Blake smirks down at me. "Unless, of course, you'd like to stay and watch me murder your boyfriend." Blake tilts his head, keeping my gaze.

Scott peers over his shoulder, the guard's gun still pointing down at him, but his attention on Blake and I.

If he was gonna take any shot at escaping, this had to be it.