E.W.E.W - L.W.T.B.B Copyright © 2012-2017 xXMopelXx All Rights Reserved.

Current Chapter Posted - Thursday, July 13 2017

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{ Chapter 33 }: Lights Out, Party Girl

There was a stench wafting in the air – stale cigarettes, body odor, and something atrocious like gun powder. The wooden tables were chipped and faded, and the blue leather stools had obviously seen better days. Many lights looming above us were fused or constantly flickering, casting dim shadows over the regulars. Worn-out was taken to a whole new level in here. The inside of the dive bar was raunchy, and now I understood why Nico had given me a simple grey sweater to cover me up.

I had axsholes leering my way.

In fact, everyone in the cramped space of the bar stared at Nicholas and I like we were foreigners. And maybe, to a certain extent, we were in this part of town. It was crystal clear that we did not belong here.

My knees wobbled. If it weren't for Nico's hand enveloping mine, I would have collapsed. He was my lifeline right now, and I was clutching his hand with everything bit of strength I could muster up.

Nico didn't seem to mind; he held me even tighter.

Males dominated the place – older ones of the biker variety - with their patched vests, biking boots and roguish faces. Some had facial piercings and tattoos crawling the length of their arms. Doubts about this place being run by anyone besides an outlawed MC club was quickly crushed. They might as well have the words 'scary' and 'fucking illegal' stamped over their foreheads.

Nicholas steered us towards the bar side and shielded me from view, making sure no one rubbed against me the wrong way. I ducked my head and let my hair cascade around me like a protective barrier.

The barmaids were all dressed uniformly. Short leather skirts and skimpy bustiers adorned their thin bodies, with the same tattoos covering their flesh. Pledged their allegiances, I assumed.

Nicholas plopped me down on a stool and caged me protectively as he called for a barmaid – raising two fingers in a salute. A tall woman with spiky raven hair and a tough eyebrow piercing sauntered towards us as she shook a cocktail in her hands.

She noticed us mutely, observing us in a manner accustomed to wild animals. The irony of the situation wasn't lost to me.

Nicholas spoke low in that natural gravelly tone of his. "A bottled water – unopened – and a Jack and Coke."

I wasn't a Coke fan, and refrained from telling Nicholas that I only drank spiced rum with Pepsi. Tonight, I wouldn't object anything. My mouth was sealed shut with an invisible tape until we escaped this fucking hellhole.

He slapped a twenty on the counter. I noticed that beer was sloshed carelessly on the surface of the bar and cringed. I took no pain in hiding my disgust, holding my frame still and my breath trapped in my lungs.

The barmaid walked away wordlessly. Her coworkers kept a close eye on us, wearing similar weary facial expressions. Of course, people like Nicholas and I, who weren't regulars, were deemed targets because our presence was suspicious.

A strong hand ran down my back, and then Nicholas's lips were at my ear. "Relax, Anna."

My eyes frantically darted around the place, uselessly scoping it out again. Nothing had changed in the span of two seconds. Still the same people drinking and talking and keeping an eye on us. "I'm fvcking trying."

"Try harder, Anna."

I leaned closer so only he could hear what I had to say. "It's a good thing you were lying – I'd never fvcking let you work in a place like this."

I felt Nico's soft chuckle, before I heard it. "Okay, Mom."

Our drinks were served. Nicholas handed me mine with an arched brow. "Only take one sip and pretend to look indifferent as we talk," he ordered under his breath.

I was only planning to take one sip anyway. The whiskey was watered down and my concoction barely tasted of soda. "What are we looking for?"

Nico gave me his profile as he unscrewed his water bottle and took a swig. Before he could even swallow, his body, which was parked between my parted legs, froze to cold stone. His jaw worked as he swallowed. "That. Be sly when you look over."

Discreetly following his line of vision, I took another sip despite my better judgement.

In the corner of the bar, there was a hefty looking biker parked on a stool, holding a cue stick by the billiard tables. Anger twisted his craggy features and he used the blue bandana on his head to wipe down the sweat smeared on his face and bushy beard. The telltale signs of a hidden gun dented his side pocket, but I couldn't see as properly since three men blocked our view of him. He was arguing with them, spit flying out of his mouth.

There were two men on either side of a slightly shorter one, dressed in matching black suits with similarly built bodies. The shorter one, however, caught my attention.

He was talking fast, a baleful air surrounding him like a thick cloud. He pushed aside the flap of his expensive looking coat, revealing a well-tucked revolver in his waistband.

The biker seemed to pale, color instantly draining from his face. His anger dissipated and he looked desperate as replied – almost bargained - to whatever deal was going on. It was only when the shorter one smirked victoriously and faltered back a step, a quarter of his face finally illuminated from the one light not fused in that section of the bar, that my pulse quickened.

My glass almost slipped between my suddenly clammy palms.

Nate mentioned the possibility of a hit-man earlier, and Joey Donald definitely looked every bit in character.

My throat ran dry and I struggled to slow the fast pace of my thoughts.

When we were younger he had a typical bad boy aura, something mischievously bad but tenfold times more innocent than now, the one that screamed I'm-bad-for-you-but-you-can't-resist-my-charm-anyway. Now his aura had morphed into something deathly that yelled several shades of pay-up-or-get-three-bullets-lodged-in-your-fvcking-skull.

It's as though I was glimpsing him - barely ten meters away from me – for the first time.

All I could think was that this isn't a Joey I remembered. He had many sides, but this wasn't one I'd ever seen. This wasn't even remotely similar to the time I'd seen him in the alleyway with Sam when he'd confronted me, or the time he taunted me in the convenience store and put his fvcking hands on me. It must have been underlying – this side of his – swimming beneath the surface of his true nature.

Like a switch had turned on, his character had gotten worst after my father died, showing me that he could be a merciless bxstard who mentally abused me and tormented me relentlessly. But this was horrifying to witness. This ruthless killer side.

This. This was the guy I'd once loved and given away myself, too. This was the reason why my family fell apart. Why my dad was six feet beneath the ground.

Sickness gnawed a whole in my stomach and guilt pelted rocks at me until every muscle felt sore and weak, a type of defeat I didn't understand coursing through my veins.

"Anna."

My eyes detached from Joey and ran over Nicholas. He seemed more alarmed than I was, the broad muscles in his back rippling beneath the taut fabric of his shirt. "Yes?"

"This is where we come into the picture. You want to protect, Sam?"

That wasn't even a question. My resolve heightened at the mention of Samuel and I squared my shoulders, tipping my chin. "Like you wouldn't know."

"When Joey walks by to leave, he'll spot us. You and I are together, got it? Play along, even if he provokes us by mentioning your affiliation with Sam. Don't break. That's what he wants. We're not playing his game, remember. You and I have our own agenda. Let him think you and I are dating, and that Sam was nothing more than a rough patch in our lovable relationship."

Nate's conversation played in my mind and suddenly everything fell into place.

My mouth gaped a little. "You're going to make him think that you and I are dating so he stops harassing me?" This way he would think Sam and I aren't linked, therefore not being able to use me as bait. Which meant that Sam would have less of a reason to take the fight, less of a reason to worry about my safety. Did this shit even make sense? "How does this help Sam, Nico? It fvcking doesn't!"

"It fvcking doesn't," Nico mirrored sharply and slanted in so his warm breath was hulking down my face. "But it solves your problem. He'll leave you and your family alone if you have no ties with Sam. Think about it, he's only interested in you after all this time because you're linked to something he wants. Something that Baxton wants. Not only that, but when Sam finds out about the match – and he will, because that family is poisonous and always get what they want– whether he or Nate accepts it or not will have nothing to do with your safety if you aren't associated with them. It'll have everything to do with theirs; you'll just be one less thing to worry about in the equation. That's how this works. Got it, babe? And while you're at it, lower your voice so we don't blow our cover. You're attracting attention."

I ignored his last order. "I don't care about me. I care about Sam more than anything –"

"Anna, sweetheart. You're a smart girl. Don't let Joey kill two birds with one stone. He'll stop harassing you and, once Sam gets offered the fight, at least he'll know that it doesn't come at your expense. Then Nate deals with Joey however way possible to save your guy. So be smart and don't get yourself killed in the process."

I was fuming – not at him – because I knew he was right. Joey stops harassing you, Anna, and maybe, just maybe, Sam won't accept the fight because you're not being threatened. And Nate finds a way to end this shit-show without dying in the process. Listen to Nico. Fvcking be smart.

Nico and I had gotten lost in our exchange that we didn't even notice the three men leaving the biker, who now had a bloodied lip and a few of his glowering men surrounding him.

They strolled towards the exit, acting as though they owned this place and the ground beneath their expensive oxfords.

No one dared to say anything to the men.

Time rolled to a slow stop as Joey looked up, storming eyes connecting with ours. Recognition flashed in his gaze as fast as a coin flipping, transforming his entire demeanor.

He halted with a sinister curl of his mouth, drawn to the sight before him – Nicholas and I holding hands. "Well if it isn't my favorite Party Girl."

* * *

The men beside Joey tensed up and I realized they might be some kind of bodyguards. Joey appeared like a very important chess piece in the Donald Empire's operation.

He gestured his hand at them without turning around. "Leave me. I'll be a few minutes. Make the front."

The two conspicuous looking men cast us uninterested glances, but I knew what lay beyond those gazes. Suspicion. Exactly what everyone in this bar was already feeling for Nico and I.

"Nick," Joey said calmly, his voice causing goosebumps to rise along my arms. "What a pleasant surprise."

Nothing about this encounter could be described as pleasant, but I bit my tongue and let him have his fun. For now.

Joey hadn't taken his eyes off me and I hated it. He used to do that often, keep his curious gaze trained on me like he was analysing me, assessing my every movement to see if there was any leeway where he could insert himself and do what he did best: cause destruction.

I didn't cower under his perusal. Instead, I tipped my chin and gave him the haughty look he used to hate. I could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he tried to fight back the sneer forming on his face.

"Joey," Nicholas replied. "We didn't expect you here."

Joey finally looked away from me and shot Nico a burning look, dropping the cool and composed façade. "Of course, you didn't." He wasn't stupid. He knew we meant business.

I played along and leaned back, posting my elbows along the end of the bar top. I swirled the ice in my drink obnoxiously, the clinking against the edge of the glass driving Joey a little insane. Good. "Didn't know Daddy gave you new toys, Joey. Dogs now, huh? Super cute."

If Nicholas was surprised, he didn't show it. Even I was surprised by my spoken words. They were a little too bold given the delicate situation at hand, but he'd fvcked with me too many times.

Joey gave me a death stare and stepped forward as if to hurt me. Nicolas restricted him, wrapping an arm around my waist, the other one squeezing my thigh in a possessive gesture to make his intent clear.

"I wouldn't get too close to my girl, Joey," Nicholas said warningly. "That would really, really piss me off."

That took Joey by surprise. His eyes widened to bloody murder as his body jerked straight as a pole. "Your girl?"

I smirked bitterly. "Hearing problems, Handsome?" I called him by his old nickname, my voice sickeningly sweet and nerve-grating. I felt sick just thinking about the term of endearment – Joey was no longer handsome. Every bit of boyish charm had fled him. In its place was a hollowed-cheekbones and coldblooded guy. "Happens to the best of us."

Joey's body pivoted in my direction and he unleashed a thunderous snarl. "I dare you to repeat that, bxtch, and I'll show you how fast I can put a bullet through–"

Nicholas thumped Joey's chest once with a fist, in a move that left me apprehensive. A few stools scraped the linoleum flooring as bikers stood up. Joey was apparently untouchable here.

Just our fvcking luck.

Joey reached for his waistband and Nico held of his wrist in his freakishly strong grip, his knuckles whitening. Joey released a short, out-of-breath, muffled sound. "Get your hands off me, King."

"I wouldn't talk to her like that, Donald," Nico murmured apathetically and even I felt a frisson snake down my spine from fear. "And I certainly wouldn't pull out your shiny new toy in front of all these people. You may think no one cares about who you kill in this bar tonight, but you'll damn well remember in whose direction you're pointing that thing. I know people as well, Joey, and I guarantee they won't like knowing you raised an arm my way. Take two seconds to think about that, pendejo."

Joey managed to unlock himself from Nicholas's grip and even gave him a shove back, riled up. "I don't care whose feelings I hurt. Killing you will only bring me satisfaction, Nicholas. Both of your, for that matter."

He couldn't be serious. I was beginning to add lunatic to the side with ruthless for adjectives to describe Joey Donald.

A muscle in Nicholas's cheek ticked, but he barked out a callous laugh anyway. Goading him. "I'd like for you to try it."

Joey pulled out his gun, cocking it. The sound triggered a series of emotions inside of me and I felt the need to protect my best friend. I was up in an instant, trying to step in front of Nico.

I never thought straight when I was scared. Seeing his loaded gun in the flesh, well, it was a first. My heart staggered.

Joey could end this in a few seconds, yet I found some resolve to hold myself together. I was shit-scared, but doing a great job of not showing it.

A few bikers stepped behind Joey, grudgingly, as if to back him up. Some patrons screamed at the sight of a waving gun. Some ran out to save themselves. Many stayed put, frozen. There was chaos raging all around us.

Joey ate it up, if the malicious glint in his eyes was any indication.

One of the burly looking bikers cast me a grin and cracked his knuckles. The other rolled his shoulders back a couple of times, eyeing us like dead meat. A couple few drew out their guns as well.

My blood pressure escalated to dangerous levels.

We were outnumbered and didn't have any weapons on us. Now I was terrified and couldn't keep up the act. My heart was hammering so hard I could hear the blood rushing and pounding in my ears.

"I'm giving you a final chance, Nicholas, to tell me what you want. You came here for a reason. Talk. I have one bullet left in here and it's got your name on it."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my knees knocking together as I swayed sideways.

Nicholas pushed me away – always protecting me, despite everything he faced - and I scampered for purchase on the bar top. The fervent look on his face might have made men cower, but Joey was holding his own, an army backing him up.

The acid in my stomach burned my insides, climbing higher and higher. Suffocating me. The feeling cross-checked me and I felt like I was no longer in my body, watching this scene unfold from the outside. Numbness seeped, slowing down the heightened emotions, until I no longer felt shocked. Until I no longer felt anything.

Nothing besides the sense of foreboding spurted over me.

"I don't know why you're bothering my girl, but it needs to fvcking stop. That shit doesn't fly by me, Joey. That's what I want," Nicholas growled, getting in Joey's face despite the giant pink elephant in the room – the scumbag's loaded gun. "I heard you put bruises on her. You know what I do to axsholes who put bruises on my girls, don't you? Don't make me make an example out of you. Henry won't like what he finds remaining of his son."

Joey threw his head back and laughed so fake. If there was anyone who's attention he hadn't garnered in the bar, he had it now.

The jukebox stopped playing music long ago. The people who so obviously had nothing to do with the MC club looked weary of the confrontation between us. Yet no one moved for some damn reason. Even the bartenders watched us like blood was about to be spilled any second. Maybe it was.

"That's what this is about? Anna? You'd risk our friendship for some puta? She's not worth shxt. Believe me, I've fvcked her and it wasn't memorable. If you ask me, I did you a favor. She's been cheating on you're a$s for weeks with one of Richie's underground fighters. You know the one – Blond Italian bxstard who's always under the wing of that Russian gang member, Danny Ivanov."

I stumbled back. Apparently, I still felt. Coherent thoughts no longer meshing in my brain. But I couldn't think.

"Don't ever call me your friend, Donald." Nico folded his arms over his chest like this wasn't the calm before the storm. He could fool everyone, but not me. He was just as scared and affected, but he downplayed it. "I don't believe you for one second. I know my girl, and we talk out our issues. We had a rough patch and we fixed it. I'm her boyfriend. I don't need you to weasel in and fix my problems for me, Joey. Get that shxt? And I certainly don't need you putting your hands on her to prove a point to me. You're lucky we didn't press charges."

"I have picture proof of her with him," Joey egged on, laughing maniacally, and waving his gun like a red flag. God, I hated that thing. "Your angel isn't so innocent, in case you were wondering."

It was my cue to speak. I pushed aside the weight resting on me, along with Nico's body to get closer in the circle. I glared daggers at Joey, transmitting every ounce of burning hate I felt for this guy.

"He's nothing. I spent some time with him and you suddenly think he's so important that you can threaten me with him. You're looking in the wrong place, you piece of shxt. I'm with Nick and you can talk that talk all you want. Find someone else to use as bait for your dearest brother. Your plan would have worked, if we were something to each other. Your stupid for thinking he'll fight Baxton for me." I spat, even though my stomach recoiled from my words. Samuel was everything. "So you can stop your stalking tendencies before I report what you did to the police. I always have proof of the marks you left on me, too. You want to pull out receipts, Joey? I can do the fvcking same."

Joey's head snapped my way and his face burned red, his fists shaking. "You're threatening me, bitch?" He pointed the gun at him in disbelief. "I should have put your cheating a$s down last night when I had my chance." He waved his gun at Nico. "Should have done the same to you, too, King."

He was spying on me last night. He would have killed me. The turmoil storming inside of me was pulling me in different directions but I chose to ignore it and stand in the now, keeping my mask on.

"You touch Nico, Joey," I seethed. "And I'll kill you."

Nico swore next to me in his mother tongue, and raised a hand to wrap around my waist, dragging me back to him.

Joey wasn't having this. Couldn't tell if he was more surprised by the fact that I was "Nico's girl" or that Nico was okay with his girl – me – "cheating" on him with an "Italian bxstard"– Sam.

Oh, he wasn't done.

But it was beginning to look like he was believing our lies – I wasn't anything to Sam, and Nicholas and I were together.

Then, he opened his big soiled mouth and fueled the fire, giving me the exact words I needed to snap in half.

"Just like I killed your father?" Joey added, eyes dancing in mirth. "Oh, wait. No. You did that all on your own, Party Girl. Didn't even need my help."

A battle-like cry escaped my mouth and I lunged for him, forgetting all common sense. My fists swung, my body propelled forward with all my strength, but I only hit air. I cried out in anger, my neck heating up and adrenaline pouring through my veins. Strong arms bracketing my body held me off.

I was being irrational but I wanted to kill him. Lord help me, because I was going to kill him.

I was going to pull the final trigger on him.

"Always knew you were a whore," Joey shouted triumphantly, backing away from us, his people closing in on him like a protective curtain. "Now you're spreading your legs for just about everyone. Me. Nick. The fighter. Who's next, Party Girl? Perhaps Connor can have his go. He'll pay a great deal than what I was given."

I screeched, my arms flailing as I tried, tried, tried to reach for him.

"Calm, Anna," Nicholas rasped near my ear. "Don't let him win. Fight it. Anna, fight it for fvck's sake."

I drew in enough breaths to ease down, enough to let my dad and Connor's comments fly. I yelled back though, taunting him. "I learned it from the best! After all, you were always big on shoving your small d!ck in any available pvssy. I pitied you and gave you the fvck you wanted. So wipe that grin off your face and shove your gun high up your axshole. Fire away, bxstard!"

Nico hissed beside me and the already eerily quiet bar – filled now with only the MC members - went even more quieter. The silence a deafening sound.

It was Joey's turn to lose his shxt – his ego and pride knocked in a way never known to him before.

"That'll be the last time you ever run your mouth, Anna. Told you there would be consequences to your actions. You just never listen!" Joey roared, his body rocking with angry tremors. In a split second, we were all holding our breaths as Joey aimed the gun at me. The cold barrel hit my forehead. I stared into the soulless abyss of his eyes, finally speechless. "Since you don't care about that fighter anyway, I'll have the pleasure of letting you all know that I sent my men after him. They can be fvcking persistent and he'll be lucky if he makes it out alive."

Joey pulled the trigger.

The piercing sound of a gun shot echoed in the bar.

The noise bounced in the corner of the bar, shattering glass, igniting expletives shouts and cries, and finally fusing the last remaining light that was stopping full darkness from bathing our surroundings.

Smoke curled out of the barrel.

I wasn't dead. My mouth opened on a soundless scream, a contrast to the high-pitched sounds blaring around me.

I looked to my left. Nicholas wasn't there. No. My gaze, so shaken and afraid, flickered to the right.

Nicholas was pxnting, holding Joey's arm at a twisted angle behind his back, his other hand holding him down by the nape of his neck. Joey's upper body was laid out on the beer stained countertop as he cussed loudly and struggled. The gun was at his feet. I don't know how Nico managed that maneuver.

No one made a move to retrieve it the gun. Nicholas kicked it out of reach.

We got the fvck out there with the devil on our heels.

* * *

I'd had a hard time wrapping my head around a lot of things that happened to me after my dad's death. The torture and mental abuse on the top of the list, amongst many things. It was easy to dim them down with drugs.

But this was the hardest – I'd never had a gun aimed at me, ready to go.

Never seen one before this. My emotions were spread out before me and I couldn't pick one – Panic, Worry, Anger, Fear. I felt all at the same time, and it was so overwhelming that I almost felt anything.

Nicholas was speeding his car, 160 km an hour, the trees lining the backroad a passing blur like my racing thoughts.

Joey had wanted to kill me. My involvement with Sam or not.

I kept my fidgety hands clasped tightly.

"We're almost home. Fcvk, why aren't you panicked?" Nico implored, his harsh voice so much softer now. I don't know how he did that. Keep softness for me.

I turned my face to him. He was blurry. My eyes must be sweating. "I almost lost you. You almost died."

Nico swore under his breath. "I almost lost you. Shit, Anna. We've barely found our way together. I thought you were going to die tonight. I was fvcking on edge."

I sobbed and the sound stayed trapped in the confinements of his car. Nicholas was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear him over the white noise in my ears.

"Please, Hermosa. Don't cry. It fvcking breaks my heart to see you cry. Don't do it," Nicholas pleaded as he floored the gas. The veins on his arms rose to prominence as he steered. "When you stepped in front of me like that, I thought that was the end."

"I'm sorry," I said under my breath as another hiccup escaped me. "I don't want to sound whiny, but I feel like it's always my fault, Nico. I'm tired of feeling like this."

Nico's expression was anguished. "Anna, it's my fault. I should have been smarter when Nate proposed this. Should have said no. We gambled with both our lives when we went in. You didn't want to go and for good reason. I didn't fvcking know the sick fvck would have a gun on him. I've never seen him with one. I wasn't expecting it. I don't know how I'd explain that one to Sam and Nate, if anything happened to you."

"It's okay. It's okay," I hushed more to myself than him. "We're okay, Nico. You saved me. I'm sorry for always crying in front of you. I'm not normally such a mess. I mean, I am, but I – I don't always show it. I keep it in."

We neared an exit and Nicholas checked the rear-view mirror, before gritting his teeth. "Honestly, Anna? For the last two years I got indifference from you. You stopped talking to me. I'm fvcking glad – not that you're crying – but that you're finally showing some kind of feelings. I hated knowing you kept it all in."

We stare at each other for a moment, without mumbling anything. Nico was thefirst one to break eye contact so he could focus back on the road.

"Mission accomplished," I muttered, my head hitting the window. "He thinks Sam and I aren't together."

"Hot mocha or French Vanilla?"

My head whipped in his direction. My neck strained from the motion. "W-What?"

"I'm taking you to Tims. Need to get some sugar in your system. You still like those hot mochas they have?"

"Love them, actually." I wanted to laugh. We were almost killed and now we were talking coffee. "What about you?"

"I don't like coffee. I'm more or a tea guy. You know this. My abuela would have a fit if she saw me drinking coffee."

"I remember," I murmured.

"Anna?"

"Yeah?"

We were stopped at a red light. Nico looked at me again – really looked at me– scanning my face for any other signs of injury. This is the third time he'd done this.

When he spoke, his voice was raw. "Don't ever step in front of me like that ever again."

I didn't look away from his deep brown eyes. "Don't ever step in front of a bullet meant for me."

He got me my coffee and himself his tea. We sipped it in his car for a moment, before I burst into an ugly cry. Unable to contain myself anymore.

He hugged me through it all.

* * *     

Nate called Nicholas's cellphone as he was driving me back to my place.

I had to answer since Nico couldn't. I put him on speaker.

"Hello," I said.

Nate's deep voice, always so controlled, was running high and frantic as he shot instructions our way. Shxt's about to go down. Go to my place and wait for Sam and I. I'll explain later.

Nico grunted and steered the wheel around. The car skidded on the illegal U turn, as he sped towards Nate's neighbourhood.

"What's happening?" I all but yelled, clutching to my seat as Nicholas drove like a psycho.

"I – I can't talk now, Anna. Just hold on. I - Fuuuuuck –"

The line went dead. So did my heart. I was about to go into cardiac arrest. His phone slipped from my shaking fingers as I tried to dial back.

"Don't call back," Nicholas growled. "We're going to his house. I have spare keys. Fvck. Fvck. Fvck. I think that's Joey's men. Fvck."

Oh, my God.

I was breathing hard now, a type of heaviness overtaking me. I hadn't had a panic attack in months, and I wasn't going to start now. I grasped my head with my fingers and groaned.

"We're there. We're almost there."

I don't remember the ride to Nate's house. I don't even remember what Nico barked out for the last ten minutes. Must have been curse words and threats in Spanish. I was staring blankly out of the windshield, counting to one hundred like my therapist had taught me.

I registered Nico parking his car haphazardly in the cobblestone driveway. It seemed like a big house from what I understood. My door flung open and Nico crouched down until we were eye-level.

"Are you okay to walk on your own?" he whispered.

I shook my head and stepped out, unsteady.

He took my hand in his and closed the door, all but hauling us towards the front entrance.

We came to a stop upon seeing a beautiful, dark-haired girl sitting all ladylike on the high steps leading up to the front door of Nate's house.

She held in her lap a small tray with food. Her deep set blue eyes widened as they came across us. Her thick lashes blinked once. "Err, hi."

Nico stilled beside me.

I looked at her, portraying the same confusion she felt. "This is, uh, Nate's house, right?"

"Right," she murmured, her voice surprisingly low and soft. "Sorry, but who are you?"

I didn't miss as her eyes did a double-take down my frame. I wasn't wearing Nico's sweater anymore. Maybe it was my outfit. Maybe it was my face. I didn't know.

"I'm Anna," I replied, not sure why I even gave her my name. "You are...?"

"Oh." She half-smiled sheepishly. "I'm Kate."

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A/N: Kate?? Nico and Anna trying to solve shit? Leave me your thoughts!