~ Ellie

"E-Ellie...h-help me."

I blinked in shock and my breathing got caught in my throat as I felt something in my abdomen twisting. Hazel...no.

"What happened? Are you okay?!" I managed to mutter out in hoarse voice.

No answer. I could only hear her heavy breathing and some shuffling.

"Hazel? Talk to me! Are you still there?"
I urged her to speak. I hoped she's just messing with me.

"I-I don't know w-where I am. S-Some scary guys took me and locked me up in a room...Ellie I'm scared I-"
Sobbing followed before she could finish her sentence.

I tried not to panic and scare her even more, but I had a bad feeling.

She hasn't been so vulnerable since that day when we were children and that Dexter child threw her favourite doll in the mud back in kindergarten. I did kick his young spoiled ass after that.

"Hazel. Listen to me. Focus on your surroundings. Is there anything you could see through a window?"

A few more loud hiccups followed before she started crying again. "There aren't any windows, Ellie." I could hear the fear in her voice.

She's always been scared of the darkness. But that was the least of my worries when the line went silent.

"Hazel?"
There was no response and I couldn't hear her sobs too. I detached the phone from my ear and discovered that she either hung up or someone did it forcefully.

One of my worst nightmares was coming to life once again. I couldn't lose another important person.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped startled. "Hey, it's just me." Nico lifted his hands up and smiled apologetically, however it faded when he noticed the look on my face.

"What's wrong? Listen, if it's about Antonio and Manuel, they can be little.."

"It's not about them. At least not right now." I replied fast and leaned against the wall, squeezing the phone tightly in my hand.

While trying to connect the dots everything led to...Caputo.

"Oh..then what is it?" He continued like he was my friend.

I knew that was mean after what he did back there, but I was just mad. "Listen, Nico. You stood up for me back in that fiasco, but it doesn't mean that we are friends now."

Surprised by my approach, he decided to not say a word whilst I kept on talking.

"Something bad is happening to my friend."

"What kind of bad?" He interrupted me only now with one perfect brow raised up. That's when I realised his face was lacking of emotion as if he got offended.

"The kidnapping level bad. And guess what. Everything leads to Antonio's stupid gang."

"You realise I'm part of that stupid gang too, right?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in front of my chest. He sighed as I gave him a glare and urged me to continue. "She's been taken and she doesn't know where she is."

"Did you try tracking her phone?"

I shook my head and he took my phone, but I grabbed it back and gave him a look. He's not allowed to touch my private stuff when he could use any information against me.

I tried to find her location, but she wouldn't come up at first place.

"Are you sure she's been kidnapped?" He asked that casually while looking over my shoulder at my phone and I gasped in disbelief.

"Of course, I know when my friend is in real trouble." I snapped back and he took a step away enough to be in the safe zone of my fist.

When he didn't look convinced, I just walked past him and went outside the club. I couldn't believe he's doubting me. She's many things, but not a liar.

The tears were pricking my eyes daring to fall down, but I pulled them back in when I heard footsteps. When I looked up, I saw Antonio strolling towards me.

He was having a cigarette between his lips and when my eyes reached his, I realised he hasn't noticed me. Perks of being out in the dark and wear black clothes.

I collected all the courage I had and went to confront him. Maybe not the best idea judging by what his behaviour had been like back in the club.

When he finally spotted me, a sigh left his mouth and the smoke from his cigarette filled the air between us from which I scrunched my brows together.

"Tired of me already?" I sarcastically spatted and couldn't help the glare on my face when he made a small nod.

"Kinda. What? Are you here to plead for mercy?"
Now he was mocking me and my cheeks went hot from anger. He smirked in this disgustingly attractive way and almost made my head spin. Only if I wasn't out for his head.

"I'd rather stick up your filthy mercy in your a-"

"Whoah, calm here."
He was amused from this while I was at the verge to explode from tension.

"Do not dare to tell me what to do! You're the reason my life has been going wrong the past weeks." I combined the words with a look of hatred.

He didn't seem bothered even if he faked an offended look for the sake of annoying me.

"I think your douche of a boyfriend takes the credit for that."  He replied smoothly and I had to think of my response again. He just hit all the right spots and it beyond annoyed me.

"Ex boyfriend." I corrected him.

It made my mind cross. What if Antonio had nothing to do with Hazel's disappearance, but it's someone connected to Nathan? At the same time they're both entangled too so it always ended up with Antonio, no matter from what point you looked at it.

"Does it seem like I care about your fucked up relationship status? I simply want that guy dead."

"You're an asshole." I murmured at the edge of defeat and I felt that twisting pain in my stomach again.

"If I was a true asshole I would've killed you by now."

"Why would you do that when you can all play poker with my faith?" I narrowed my eyes at him and for once he was the one taken aback from the comeback.

He dropped the cigarette and smashed it with his heel as he took a step forward and towered over me.

"Listen, bella. You were the one to enter my world first so I won't be following anybody else's rules except mine. Capire?" He murmured in a husky voice while looking intensely into my eyes. My own became wide and I gulped just from how dangerous his gaze was.

His snappy attitude was back on scaring the shit out of me.

He turned around to leave and I did something impulsive. "Wait."

He stopped in his tracks with his back on me. I could only see that his shoulders tensed up as if he sensed my nervousness.

"I think I know where Nathan is."

******

The car ride back to my place had been just talking on my side. Plus Antonio asked questions here and there about the useful information I was giving him. At least I hope it would be useful or else he wouldn't be down to help me find Hazel.

"So, the only way to get to it is with an aircraft and then a boat?"  I nodded and looked over at him. He was thoughtful, his eyebrows were furrowed and he didn't look once at me.

I had told him about a winter vacation Nathan and I went to. One of the few. It was a beautiful villa next to a lake near Sitka. I have to admit it was freezing, but I survived without my nose breaking off like an icicle.

Nathan tried to deny that he or his family owned the place, but it was too cozy and had that vibe..so I got all detective mode and 'accidentally' found a picture of a woman with a man in Christmas sweaters while holding a baby in a deer costume. It was the cutest picture I have ever seen, I did not understand why it was hidden behind some old books though. But I still believe that those people were Nathan's grandparents.

"I hope you're right and he's there or this would've been a waste of time." He said, which luckily pulled me out of my thoughts before I could go in detail of our holiday there and all the cozier moments.

I just realised he had taken the turn for my street and I could see my house in the distance.

"Right here." I pointed the normal sized beige and brown house and unbuckled my seatbelt as the car came to a stop.

I didn't know what to say, because while I was talking about the villa I had pushed away all the anger for him and now when we were finished it was back. But it surprised me that when I opened the door, he was already out and walking over to my side.

I hurried up to get out and closed the door behind me and just as I did that I felt his intense blue eyes on me. "I don't understand. You could've kept it to yourself after everything I've said about you."

It didn't seem like he regretted what came out of his mouth back there, but he was neither bragging about it.

"There's no reason. You're just overthinking." I smiled faintly so he wouldn't read right through my face. I didn't know if it worked, because he seemed suspicious. But he didn't say anything so that's good enough for me.

Okay, this staring was starting to get a little weird.

"Well..um I should go inside."
I cursed myself for saying it in a way that it sounded like I didn't want to.

My inner high school girl was coming out at the sight of a bad boy that was also extremely attractive. Wake up. He's a whole new level of bad that you don't want to mess with.

I took a step forward, but his hand shot up and grabbed my arm. It startled me and I looked at him in surprise as he faced me.

"What?" I asked almost breathlessly when his eyes examined every part of my face. Did I have something on it?

"This information stays between us. Whatever happens you mustn't tell anyone apart from me or there will be consequences."
There he went with his warnings again. I was tired of it.

But also my body was aching for some rest too so I couldn't deal with his trust issues right now. "Okay." I whispered and slipped away from his grip.

I could feel his eyes on my back as I was walking to the porch and I had to struggle not to peek.

I finally breathed out when I heard the roar of an engine and the car taking off.

I turned around and leaned against the front door while looking at the empty street when the door abruptly opened. I managed to not stumble back and fall on my butt, but I wish I did so I could get out of the question that was coming next.

"Who was that handsome boy, El?"

"Hello to you too." I smiled too widely and walked past her.

She closed the door behind me and followed me into the kitchen.

"In fact, it was no one."
When I got a chocolate pudding out of the fridge and turned around, I was met by Fiona's wide excited eyes.

"He didn't look like no one." She said and leaned forward on the kitchen counter with her elbows.

"I promise you, it's nothing." I rolled my eyes in response and she chuckled.

"Now he's a thing? Poor boy."

I didn't let myself laugh even if only hearing her giggle was usually enough.

"Do you want me to get his number for you?" I joked and she let out humph.

"I wish, but I'm stuck with Samuel." She replied with fake disappointment and I couldn't hold it anymore so I laughed with her. I knew Sam was the love of her life and she wouldn't exchange him for no one.

"He looks like a decent guy. I'm happy you moved on from that other boy." She smiled sincerely and I didn't collect the courage to tell her the opposite, but my face probably gave it away that I was shocked.

Antonio? A decent guy? Where?

"Yeah...it's nothing like that though so don't get your hopes up." I said and cringed at it.

I don't know what we are. We're definitely not friends. Enemies? Nope or else I would've been dead by now.

"I'm going to my room. Good night, auntie."

She clapped with her hands and got all happy for inexistent relationship so I hurried upstairs with my pudding before she could ask anything more about this awkward subject and I would lose any appetite for that chocolate temptation.

Just when I was digging into the cup, my phone rang.

I groaned, but then remembered it could be someone important so I picked it up. It was hidden number. "Hello?"

"Why are you sticking your little curious nose in everything, princess?"

I got goosebumps from the familiar voice on the other side of the line. No...it couldn't be. "Nathan?"

"Took you long enough to guess."

"What are you doing, what is all this about? What did you do?" I threw all the questions that came first on my mind. But he only laughed and it sounded like a wicked one through the phone.

"I miss you too. Yes, I'm doing well despite my situation, how are you?"
I scrunched my nose up in disgust. What is he up to now? He doesn't make any sense.

"Don't trust anyone, sweetheart. They'll use you and then rip off your skin and hang it from the street pole." He said that and hung up on me.

I was left with my mouth gaping open, the pudding had spilled over the sheets and smudged all over the bed.

— — — —
{ Hello, we meet again.
First of all, I apologise for the late update. I had some issues with writing and I had to pick up where I left off soo yeah. Also I'm trying new style for the parts so I will be naming them instead of  putting numbers and I will change all if I like it. I will try to upload chapters at least twice a week from now on ~
If you want to give some feedback don't hesitate and if you like this story please vote <3 }