"Mack?" Levi hisses, still taken aback by the man's actions. "What the fuck was that?"

Mack's expression melts into one of confidence. "Don't act like you didn't see it coming. I mean, look at you." He uses his hand to gesture up and down Levi's slender body, as if this is an answer in and of itself. "You thought a man like me could resist a man like you?"

"I'm married, Mack," Levi reminds him, stepping back from him. "And I have no intentions of cheating. I'm not attracted to you. Not even slightly."

"Oh, come on." Mack moves closer to Levi, pressing his hands to Levi's waist. "No guy has ever said no to me. And Lord knows there's been plenty of them."

"That just suggests a high turnover, doesn't it?" Levi forces the fingers away from his torso, feeling uneasy from the physical contact. "On that note, I'm taking my daughter's cat and I'm leaving."

"Ah, don't do that," Mack pleads, with a subtle slyness in his tone. "Because, who knows what kind of trouble it could land you in?"

"What do you mean by that?" Levi challenges.

"How about we just say ... I know where you've been the last day or so," Mack explains. "Once I find someone I like, it's hard to lose track of them."

"You've been ... stalking us?" Levi questions; a pang of regret floods his chest, at the realisation that George's instinctual apprehension was entirely valid. "What kind of fucked-up bastard are you? You've known me less than twenty-four hours, and you're acting as though you've loved me since time began."

"What can I say? I liked what I saw." Mack laughs softly, shrugging as if his actions have not been incriminating in the slightest. "I didn't like the idea of losing that."

"I see." An idea suddenly forms in Levi's head, so he takes his phone from his pocket to text George. As he does this, he continues talking to create a diversion. "So, what exactly about me do you like so much?"

"Well, first of all, you're easy on the eyes." Mack paces around the room, foolishly feeling no threat from the sight of Levi using his phone. "And then, you seem like a good guy, and—"

Ask the receptionist to come to room 314 with the master keycard. Tell her you've lost yours. Quick. Need help xx

He locks his phone, placing it back into his pocket before continuing to listen to Mack's obsessive ranting. Levi stands a safe distance from the stranger, as not to come into harm's way, as the unsettling feeling of impending doom falls over him.

"—And you're a great dad to those little kids you have. And you have this weird thing your eyes do when you smile—"

"Are you done?" Levi dares to ask, once he's finally heard enough of Mack's voice.

"Why ask me a question, if you're only going to interrupt the answer?" Mack snaps back. "I guess I should take politeness off the list, should I?"

"Do whatever you'd like to," Levi retorts. "But just so that you know, I'm not interested in you — like I've already said. So unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave you to it, now."

"I don't think doing that is a good idea," Mack asserts, inserting his hand into his jacket pocket. "Because another thing I should tell you, is that every guy I've ever fallen for ... well, I suppose you could say, "If I can't have you, nobody can"."

"What's that meant to mean?" A sickening sensation builds up within Levi's stomach, as he starts to piece together what Mack is all about.

"I like to think it's self-explanatory, really. A guy as clever as you should be able to figure it out." Mack stands opposite him, cupping Levi's cheek in his hand in a nauseating display of what he deems as adoration. "The family life has never really appealed to me ... I tried kids with my ex-wife, like I told you before. But she had it in for me. She poisoned them against me."

"Or did they realise their father was a creep?" Levi argues, in a hushed tone. "And they left before they got themselves hurt."

"You don't know anything about my life," Mack accuses defensively. "I loved them more than life itself."

"You claim to have strong feelings for everything that breathes. But everyone seems to realise that you shouldn't be trusted."

"Keep talking, Levi — it's your own hole you're digging." A laugh accompanies Mack's words. "Or, should I say, it's your own grave you're digging?"

"You're unhinged," Levi spits. "Let me go, now."

"That's not happening," Mack assures him, bringing his hand from his pocket to reveal a modestly-sized blade; with one smooth action, he brings it up to Levi's neck, poised ready to strike at any given moment. "It's like I said: if I can't have you, nobody can."

"What the fuck!" Levi cries, as he becomes terrifyingly aware of what's going on right beneath his chin. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"One more word," Mack threatens, "and this knife will be in your throat."

The quiet sound of the door clicking interrupts the frightening exchange between the men; it opens wide, revealing a male staff member and George. Levi feels relief rush to his head, becoming dizzy from the overwhelming turn of events that has just occurred. Mack drops the blade, and lets Levi go, as he runs towards the door where the receptionist is stood with George. They both work to keep Mack in the room, to ensure he doesn't escape, by restraining him harshly.

"Levi, call the police," George demands, his voice straining from the struggle of keeping Mack in place.

Levi pulls his phone from his pocket, dialling 999 as speedily as he can. An operator answers, so he gives his details and explains the situation. All the while, he glances back over at the men at the opposite end of the room, anxious of the potential for Mack to flee. Truth be told, Levi cannot stop himself from shaking as a result of the shock that has taken over the core of his body; as much as he knew George was on his way to the room, he wasn't sure whether Mack would strike before they arrived. It's only by a matter of seconds, that Levi is safe. He continues talking to the police over the phone, but decides to leave the room in favour of standing in the corridor; he doesn't wish to remain in the small space he almost died in. Mack tries with all his might to free himself from the grasp of the hotel staff member and George; it reaches a point where he is able to weaken the pair of them momentarily, and so he takes advantage of their loosened grip as best as he can.

"Shit!" George cries, making a conscious effort to grab Mack again. He pushes Mack back into the room, with the anger from his grief and the situation unfolding before him spurring him on. Mack stumbles back into the room, which gives George chance to close the door to trap him in. He turns his attention to the receptionist. "Help me keep the door closed!"

With a nod, the man holds his hand firmly underneath the doorknob, rendering it impossible for Mack to open from the inside. "I must say, I didn't expect this to be on the cards for my shift today."

"I'm so sorry," George apologises. "I had a bad feeling about this guy, but I didn't know he was capable of being a killer."

"It's lucky we got to the room in time," the staff member states, his voice quivering slightly from the adrenaline. "Otherwise this gentleman could have been dead."

"Let me out! Fucking let me go, now!" Mack's voice can be heard demanding loudly from the other side of the door. He is unable to use the window as a means of escaping, due to the safety lock which keeps it firmly shut to prevent any incidents — accidental or purposeful. The commotion triggers numerous hotel guests to emerge from their own rooms, into the corridor. Some of those decide it's safer to remain in their rooms; while others approach room 314 to ask what's going on, or to help.

"Is everything okay?" one young lady asks.

"It may be an idea to keep back," George explains. "In this room, there's an armed murderer."

"You can't be serious," the woman gasps. "What happened?"

"My husband nearly got stabbed," George continues, shivering at the thought alone. "He somehow managed to text me to let me know, before things escalated. He was trapped in the room with the evil bastard. I don't know details, but ... he had a very lucky escape."

"Is your husband the man on the phone over there?" The young lady points to Levi.

"Yes. That's him." George's lips contort into a small smile; in a strange way, he is proud of Levi for the way he has handled the situation. The harsh tugging of the door brings his mind back to where he currently is. "But at the moment, we're trying to stop this guy from escaping. He's locked in the room still. We're waiting for the police."

"My husband is in our room if you need a little extra strength," the woman offers kindly. "After all, I don't think any of us want someone like that roaming the streets."

"That would be fantastic. Thank you." George watches as the lady rushes back to her own room, moments later returning with her partner; the man is tall and heavily-muscled. "Wow. You look like you'll be good enough for the job."

"Would you both be okay with keeping the door closed, while I go downstairs and wait for the police?" the receptionist asks. "They won't know what room to come to, otherwise."

"Of course," George answers. "Wait! Shit! I've left my kids on their own."

"Did you want me to grab another member of staff to go to your room for you?" the young lady suggests. "I would go there myself, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with a stranger being with them."

George nods. "Perfect. Room two-forty-seven. Thank you, sweet."

As the receptionist swaps places with the woman's husband, they both dart away to run their respective errands. The young man makes light small talk, despite how mortifying the ordeal is. "This is not how I expected my Saturday evening to go," he admits. "But regardless, I'm happy to help. I'm Samuel."

"George," George returns. "Thank you so much for helping. This is ... intense, to say the least."

"Fucking let me go, you bastards!" Mack shouts again.

"Shut the fuck up!" Samuel calls back. "You're going to prison, you lowlife scum."

Levi catches up with the men, with his phone still to his ear. "Where's the receptionist gone?"

"He went to wait for the police downstairs," Samuel informs him. "Katie, my missus, has gone to sort your kids out."

"Shit! I didn't even think of the kids," Levi cries. "Are they okay?"

"I think as long as Gem gets her cat back, all will be right with the world," George jokes, his way of coping with the situation at hand. "That is, as long as you still have it."

"Among all the commotion, I somehow remembered to put it in my jacket pocket," Levi assures him; purely from his demeanour and his stance, it's clear to see just how shaken he is. "So we'll have a happy girl, at least."

The young woman, Katie, arrives back a moment later. "There's a lass from reception heading to your room now so that your kids aren't by themselves."

"Thank you so much, sweetheart. You're a lifesaver," Levi gushes. "I-I mean, everyone here is a lifesaver. I could have been dead right now." The realisation of just how haunting this concept is suddenly dawns on him, causing his legs to give way beneath him.

"Oh god," Katie utters, rushing to catch him before he can fall to the floor. "I've got you. You're going to be okay."

Levi cannot keep himself stood up any longer, despite Katie trying to aid in keeping him on his feet; he carefully brings himself to the ground, pressing his hand to the carpeted surface to keep him upright at least. He shuffles himself backwards, until he hits the wall, using this as a leaning post for his body. Having settled himself, he buries his head into his arms, simultaneously drawing his legs in to his chest. Not even the deafening demands of Mack, inside the room, can bring him out of the terrifying bubble he finds himself stuck in. George's concentration flits between keeping the door closed with Samuel, and his traumatised partner; he can't help but feel anger at how unjust everything is — that so soon after a major loss, something else just as horrific should occur. Even when the police finally arrive, Levi is numbly unaware of it. It requires the efforts of two officers to get through to him.

"Mr Panayiotou-Jones?" one officer calls quietly. "Mr Panayiotou-Jones, we've been made aware of the situation. But we'll need to ask you a few questions."

When Levi glances up, his eyes are glazed over in fear. He notices the door to room 314 is now open; this triggers him to leap up from the floor, clumsily rushing backwards without looking where he's going as he protests to this non-verbally.

"It's alright, Levi," George reassures him, following his husband to catch up with him. He rests a loving hand against Levi's chest. "They've taken him away. They've arrested him. He's not here now. You're safe."

The insurmountable combination of terror, emotional disturbance and anguish overwhelms Levi all at once; the poor soul collapses into George's arms, as he cries out in loud shrieks over the events that have unfolded in the last hour. George holds his lover, heartbroken to witness such an out-of-character outburst brought on by something so unsettling. Once more, some hotel guests peer out from their room doors to get a shred of context about what's going on; and Katie and Samuel observe a few metres away as the police officers walk towards the men; but George and Levi are too immersed in their own hazed realities to pay attention to anything around them.

• • •

Just a little taste of drama? Hope you enjoyed. xx