I followed Declan up the metal steps. My hands becoming clammy the further I climbed from being able to see through the diamond pattern on the steps. I hate heights. There was a walkway that was railed off leading to some rooms. Between the doors were huge framed squares which I imagine used to be windows. Now they were all closed up with either cardboard or plywood. Walking past the doors I quickly glanced inside and saw scattered clothes and mattresses laying on the floor of each room. This must be where they sleep.

Declan's room was the last one at the end of the hall. He stopped at the door and held his arm out with his helmet still in his hand, to tell me to go inside. I hugged my arms around myself tighter and took in a deep breath to try and calm my mounting nerves.

Reluctantly, I walked inside. It was much different than the bedroom of his apartment. His clothes were scattered all over the floor, some hanging out of trunks that were pushed against a wall. The bed was only a mattress on the floor with blankets and pillows messily spread over it. The only real furniture in the room was a plastic foldable table that had files and more computer monitors on it, all with the same grainy, greenish grey security camera footage.

His black MacBook and papers were scattered all over his bed and the floor right next to it. Seeing the files sparked mental images of his signature to flash behind my lids making my stomach turn to knots. Declan closed the door behind him, the click of the striker echoing in the small space.

He worked to take off his body armor, tossing it to the floor where it landed with a loud thud from its weight. His black hoodie that was underneath was ripped and stained and his pants weren't much better. Taking the gloves from his hands he fidgeted with them for a moment before squeezing them.

"Is this nicer than the abandoned hospital?" He asked, his tone hopeful.

Bemused, I scrunched my brows. I still wasn't looking at him, I couldn't, but I moved my eyes so I could at least see him form my peripheral. "What?"

"That night at The Atlantic, you said the next time I kidnap you, you hope I take you somewhere nicer than an abandoned hospital." I could see his smile as he thought back to our dinner at The Atlantic... before he had my dad killed. Taking in a deep breath I tried so desperately to not relive that memory. It felt like that night was a lifetime ago yet the wound of losing my dad was still so fresh.

"Please look at me." He begged softly, taking a step towards me.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. If I looked at him I'd see all the blood.

Declan sighed. "Nick planted that file in my apartment. He broke in when I left to get us food. He heard you in the shower and made sure you'd see the file."

Again, I shook my head keeping my eyes glued to the cinder block wall in front of me.

"Goddamn it, Scarlett why do you have to be so stubborn." He sighed.

"How the hell do you expect me to just believe you!?" I shot back. My hands balled into fists, feeling the anger start building inside me. "You kidnapped me, you drugged me and kept me locked in a hospital room. You've done nothing but lie to my face about everything!"

"Lie to you?" I could hear the grip he was trying so hard to keep on his emotions starting to slip. He spiked the gloves on the ground, crossing his arms over his chest. His breathing was becoming louder from his rising anger. "Please, elucidate. Tell me exactly how I lied to you."

Finding my resolve, I turned to face him. "You told me that you had my dad protected. You said you put the word out that every one of your soldiers was supposed to protect him but it was you," I pointed my finger into his chest "who signed his death warrant. I remember being so confused, asking you why the hell they didn't take him to surgery right when he came to hospital." I scoffed, shaking my head. "It's because you wanted him dead. That's why. You lied to me."

He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. I was fuming. My anger had sparked a fuse in me and I was getting close to blowing up in his face. "You said you would never hurt me but that night in the alley, when you forced your gun in my hands and kept yelling. My mind has been fucked ever since... You didn't just hurt me, Declan, you destroyed me!"

"Jay deserved to die!" Declan seethed through clenched teeth. "He deserved so much worse for what he did to you. And I stand by what I said to you that night, think of all of the girls who weren't so lucky."

My eyes were burning with tears of rage and I fought so hard to hold them back but it was proving to be useless. I stepped towards him and slapped my hands against his chest, trying to push him back, to put some space between us but it was useless. He was immovable which only made me more indignant. My open hands turned to fists as I kept hitting his chest.

"You said you would protect me, keep me safe. Where the hell have you been the last five months, Declan? I was rotting in that hellhole!"

"Fighting for my fucking life!" Declan's voice thundered through the small space, his patience finally snapping.

I held my ground, not flinching at his outburst or when he straightened his spine so he was craned above me in an attempt to make me feel small. I narrowed my eyes up at him and let him speak.

"Desmond and Nick are working with the Bratva. They're trying to take over the deal with Wyndham to edge out the Russians so they can get Z and the profits. That night at Wyndham tower, they tried to kill me. Desmond handed me over to Anatoly, with me out of the way they could get to you and the fucking thumbdrive." His nostrils were flaring, his chest rising and falling with every ragged breath he took. His hands shot up to his still sweat soaked hair and grabbed fistfuls of it, tugging.

"FUCK!" He bellowed, letting go of his hair. "He was like a father to me! I handed my life over to him, I was his loyal fucking dog for years. I did everything he ever asked and he handed me over to our enemy so they could kill me.

"He has the whole goddamn syndicate against me and the boys. They've orders to kill us on sight. They burned my apartment building to the ground. They blew up the apartment building Paul, Ben and their families lived in- blamed that on a gas leak. Noah's landlord was tipped off about his brother being addicted to coke. Cops were on the way to arrest them both but I got wind of it and told Noah to stay the fuck away. His brother was in the apartment when they arrived and has been in jail since, being tortured by Desmond's guys in hopes of drawing out Noah. We've been hiding here for months, watching them do everything in their power to destroy everything we have, hurt everyone we love!" His jaw clenched while he held my burning gaze. His breathing was finally starting to calm and his voice lowered.

"I never lied to you. I didn't tell you right away because I was still trying to put the pieces together and I was trying to keep you safe. The less you knew the better. It might have been a hellhole, Scarlett, but it was the safest fucking place for you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, still buzzing with ire. "Isn't that ironic, keeping me safe with lies just like your mother."

Declan's lips turned down into a scowl. His eyes darkened and I could see the muscles of his jaw tick under his skin. "Excuse me? You want to say that again?"

"Your mother has been lying to you for years. Maybe you should ask her for the truth about your dad!" My hand shot to my mouth, my eyes widening when I processed my own words. I regretted it as soon as I said it. In a few words, I not only betrayed Shelly's trust but I just pushed Declan down a path I couldn't pull him back from.

"What the fuck are you talking about."

I sucked on my teeth, making the squelching sound as loud as possible. Shaking my head, I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from him. "Nothing."

"No," he said, taking a step closer to me. The expression on his face turned dark, like that night at the hospital when he learned Nick was trying to have his way with me. I could still hear the sounds of his fists pummeling Nick's face in my head. My stomach dropped seeing that rage now directed at me. I took a small step back to put some space between us but Declan matched it and stepped forward until he had backed me against the concrete wall. "Tell me what you think you know."

My hands fell to my sides, my fingers splayed against the wall. I looked past Declan at the door, gauging the best way to escape but he caged me in, placing both of his hands beside my shoulders.

"Declan, please-" His fingers latched onto my jaw, tilting my head up so I would look at him. My mouth turned dry and my heart hammered inside my chest. The tension was so thick between us I was struggling to breathe.

"Tell. Me." He seethed through clenched teeth.

"You're hurting me." I managed to say despite his fingers digging painfully into my jaw.

His nostrils flared as he held me for a moment longer then let go, pushing himself away from me. I grabbed at my face, opening and closing my mouth and massaging my skin to try and ease the discomfort. Jesus Christ, I need to leave. I can't be here with him.

"Please, I need to leave. I-I can't stay here..." I begged.

"Tell me!" He bellowed making me flinch and grab ahold of myself like that would somehow protect me.

"Desmond killed your father!" I screamed. My whole body was trembling so bad, I thought my legs were going to give out. "Your... your mom told me that he and Desmond used to be friends. That your dad was in line to be the next head of the family and th-that Desmond was jealous."

"No." Declan spoke, his voice so quiet I barely heard it.

"D-Desmond killed your dad."

"Shut up!" Declan yelled.

His anger had finally boiled over. He had lost control of himself and his emotions. He growled, kicking the steel tips of his boots repeatedly into his bullet proof vest that was on the ground. His kicks making loud thuds when his boot hit against the kevlar plates of the vest. He moved to the table, swiping off all of the files, sending papers flying into into the air and pens to bounce and then skid across the floor to my feet.

I stayed pressed against the wall, afraid to make a sound thinking that he would turn his rage on me. Sweat was starting to coat my body from my fear. I'd seen Declan angry before, his tight hold on his emotions had slipped in the past but nothing like this. He grabbed at his hair again, tugging on it while he paced back and forth a few times then stopped. I watched as his shoulders rose and fell while he heaved in breaths of air.

After a few moments, he straightened his spine and slowly turned to face me. I felt my stomach drop as his eyes met mine, pinning me in place. Running a hand down his own sweaty face, his features went back to the stoic expression I remember from when I had first met him.

"You will fucking listen to me, Scarlett. I have never once lied to you. I told you everything about your family. You chose not to believe me, so I showed you who they were. I did not have your father killed, those orders came from Nick. The doctor in the ER that night, as well as half to the staff, were working for the Russians. He was ordered to do everything in his power to let your dad die. Nick planted that file in my apartment that night and I have the fucking video evidence to prove it to you."

Tears welled in my eyes remembering that night. How everyone just seemed to be standing around while my dad needed to be saved. I remembered the blood spraying from his mouth, coating the inside of the oxygen mask as he gasped for air, drowning in his own blood.

Declan slowly closed the space between us as he continued.

"I have kept you safe through all of this. I saved you from Nick. I was at your side the moment Jay saw you at Club Se7en. I was there that night when your scumbag friends took you to that bar where Jay drugged you. I saved you from overdosing. I kept you safe when Alex was coming for you the day you found the thumbdrive. I had you protected at the gala. As I said, you might not have liked it but Portland Asylum was the safest fucking place for you. I have never let anything bad happen to you and I swear, I never will."

He was in front of me again, his breathing even, despite his exasperated tone. He reached out, placing his hands on my arms, gently moving them up and down. I flinched away, my eyes tightly closing but he kept his hands on me.

"Do you remember what I told you that night, before you broke my nose and left the apartment?" He asked, his voice so low I could barely hear him.

I tried to speak. I opened my mouth, forcing the words to come but my fear had coiled around my throat making it impossible. I shook my head no. Declan's mask faltered for a split second. His brows pulled together and his lips parted as if he was hurt that I answered no but he quickly shoved it away. His hands fell from my arms, falling back at his sides.

He breathed in a sharp breath through his nose, holding the air in his lungs before he let it go. His lids fluttered closed and I could see his eyes roll under his lids. Pinching the bridge of his nose he sighed, chuckling lowly. The moment his hand left his nose, his head dipped back so he was looking at the ceiling, laughing again.

"You're sleeping here." He said, not looking at me.

"I can't stay here," I repeated. I didn't mean in this room, I meant in this building, with him. I couldn't be around him.

"There is a shower down the hall," he continued, turning on his heal and walking to the door. "I have some of your clothes in the trunk over there in the corner."

"Declan,"

"I'll be down on the couch, far enough to give you space but close enough to keep you safe. As I always have."

"Goddamn it, Declan, listen to me!" I yelled.

He spoke with his back to me. "Don't try anything cute. This place is on lockdown and not just to keep people out."

The moment Declan slammed the door behind him, my knees finally buckled. I crashed to the ground, grabbing my face as I sobbed.

"Fuck," I groaned, trying to stop my tears. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

My head was spinning from everything that just transpired. A few hours ago I was trapped inside an asylum, being threatened with assault if I don't give up Declan's whereabouts to being kidnapped for a second time by Declan. I was freed from one prison just to be thrown into another.

How the fuck has my life come to this? Can't I go back to being blissfully unaware of all of the messed up things that went on around me. Hell, even if I do get away from Declan, there was no way I could ever go back to a normal life. I would forever be on the run from all of them.

My brain started picking apart every word that was just spoken between us, twisting and over analyzing everything he said. Then the self hatred rolled over me in waves.

I hate myself for throwing his mother's secret in his face like that, for having to tell him about his dad. I hate myself for not fighting harder to get out of here. I didn't even try, I just let him walk out and slam the door behind him. But most of all, I hate how despite everything that's happened, despite every conclusion I came to in the asylum while writing out and reliving what happened to me over the last year, I still love Declan Byrne.

---------------------------------

Thoughts?

How do you think Declan is going to handle knowing that Desmond killed his dad?

Please don't forget to vote! It really helps authors get our stories noticed :)