Valerie's POV

David's grip tightened, his nails biting into my jaw as he tilted my head further, forcing my gaze to meet his.

His eyes roamed all over my face, "You're shaking," he said, his voice dropped lower, his tone filled with sick satisfaction. "Just like before. You really thought you could escape me? That you could fight back? You're pathetic, Valerie."

His face was so close, mere inches away—close enough for me to see every horrifying detail. The bruises Max had left a month ago were still visible, faint purples and greens beneath the surface of his jaw and forehead. His nose was slightly crooked. I took pleasure as I traced with my eyes the angry red scar lines along his cheekbone and brows, a reminder of the fury once unleashed on him.

But none of it mattered. If anything, the evidence of his defeat only seemed to fuel his twisted need to reclaim power over Max and me.

Max. My heart squeezed so tight at the mere thought of him. Max would want me to fight now.

I thrashed against David's hold, trying to push myself back and away. My arms pushed, my legs kicked, aiming blindly for anything that would hurt him enough to let me go. My knee came up, narrowly missing his thigh, and he groaned, his grip only tightening as he shoved me harder against the door. The solid wood dug into my spine, his weight pinning me in place, eliminating any chance of escape.

My chest heaved, feeling suffocated by his closeness, "You're going to regret this," I spat through clenched teeth, the muscles of my jaw tightening with fury. I refused to fall weak, refused to cry and beg, I couldn't let him smell my fear. He likes to feed on my terror; it was his own form of heroin. I couldn't give him that satisfaction.

He laughed, "Oh, and how exactly?" he sneered, his head tilting mockingly. "Are you going to send him after me again?" His words dripped with mockery, his tone practically daring me.

"Don't you get it, sweet Val?" He shifted closer, his gaze dropping lower. His thumb moved and brushed over my lower lip. My body recoiled instinctively, my head snapping to the side to escape his touch. "This isn't even about you anymore," he hissed, gripping my chin and yanking my face back toward his.

His eyes glinted with a twisted sort of glee, "This time, I'm doing this because of him." He leaned closer, his breath hot and nauseating against my face. "To be honest, I've had enough of you. One time was enough, you aren't that special anyway. But somehow you—" he said, resentment in his voice, "you managed to ruin my life."

I ruined his life?

"I wasn't going to do anything at first. I was content to let it go as long as you stayed put and silent. But then he had to come after me. He had to make this personal."

I heard nothing but one sentence, "You think that I ruined your life?" I grated out, glaring at him, my voice filled with disbelief and fury.

He nodded, "Yeah, my father hasn't been exactly nice to me after your so-called lawsuit," He said, his expression darkening, as if he was the one being mistreated, as if he was being misjudged, as if he was fucking innocent.

Delusional.

The absurdity of his words almost made me laugh—if I wasn't so damn angry.

I shook my head, all of my fear evaporating into thin air. At this moment, I couldn't care less for anything he'd do, "Do whatever you want, David. I don't care anymore, because I know that you won't get away with it. You're going to pay for all of this—with your life," I edged my face closer to his, reveling in the way each word of mine added to his fury, "You will die, so I know my pain won't go to waste, that belief alone is enough for me."

He scoffed, "Come on Valerie, you know who I am, you know who my family is," His brow arched, "Do you think you have an army behind you that can fight us?" He mocked, unaware of how true those words were.

I nodded my head, "I had my dad before, he had my back and you took him from me," I said, my chest constricting painfully, "But I'm not alone, David. Not anymore. I never was. I have a lot of people who have my back now," I shook my head, "And you won't be able to hurt them this time, I assure you that."

I believed in every word I spoke. I know...I am sure that I was not alone. I had Max. He and his family would have my back. I was so sure, it felt so surreal. I knew for a fact that even...even if David got what he wanted, even if I didn't survive this, I knew that it wouldn't go to waste. I knew that Reneé and my mother would be okay. I knew that Max would do that and more. I believed in him beyond measure.

"If you think your little boyfriend is going to kill me, then I hate to break it to you, Val,"  David said, refusing to believe that I was stronger now, not the same broken girl he demolished, "He can't, he won't, he doesn't have the guts for it," He taunted,  "He was so close, wasn't he? So close. And yet, he couldn't pull the trigger. He didn't have it in him."

I smiled, I actually smiled, knowing how it would unnerve him, "That's the thing, he doesn't have to," I said.

I saw the way his unsteady eyes flickered, saw the lines etched between his brows as he stared deeply at me, trying to decipher the meaning behind my words. I took pleasure in his clueless state.

He tightened his grip over my chin, "You seem to have grown a nerve or two, but I advise you to stay silent from now on," He grated out.

"You really can't fathom the fact that you'll be defeated, do you," I said back.

His groan was loud, his frustration palpable, unable to digest my mockery, so he did the only thing he knew how to do, "Well, I know exactly how to shut you up," He grated out before he slammed his lips into mine, painfully attempting to kiss me.

It was nothing but violent—full of anger and dominance, meant to silence me, to remind me of his control. It wasn't a kiss; it was a war. His teeth scraped, his lips crushed, and his hand gripped my face like a vice, trying to erase every shred of my defiance.

The fear that threatened to paralyze me only fueled the fire deep inside. Fight, Valerie. Fight.

I fought against the memories, I fought the nausea, and did the only thing I could think of. I bit into his lower lip, so harshly, my teeth tearing through the skin.

The taste of his blood hit my tongue, sharp and metallic, and the sound of his pained groan rang in my ears as he tore himself away from me, "You bitch!" he spat, his voice rising with fury as his hand flew to his mouth. Blood smeared across his fingers as he looked at me with rage and disbelief.

I didn't waste a damn second. My hand fumbled with the knob. I flung the door open and bolted into the hallway. My breaths came in shallow gasps, my chest heaving as panic propelled my legs forward. The sound of my heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out every other noise.

"Tanya!" I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation.

But before the word could even echo through the hallway, his hand shot out from behind, wrapping tightly around my arm. He yanked me back, his grip unrelenting as he spun me around.

"Where do you think you're going?" he snarled, and before I could react, he slammed me against the hallway railing. My body hit it with a jarring thud, the cold steel biting into my spine.

"Do you really think your friend will save you?" he sneered, "Don't you know that I made her help me? Delivered you to me on a silver fucking platter."

What?

The floor seemed to tilt beneath me as I absorbed his words, "I told you, I always had eyes on you," Blood dripped down his chin, only adding to the feral look in his eyes, "Had to make sure you weren't going to retaliate."

And his way to make sure of that was...Tanya?

My mind reeled, trying to piece it together, to grasp how she could help him or why...

For a moment, I blanked but David wasn't done. With his tight grip on my arm, he forcefully pulled me back into the room, literally dragging me and I fought back,  my heels digging into the carpet, my free hand clawing at his grip, my nails digging into his skin.

I groaned as he pulled me with a strength I couldn't fight. He dragged me like a rag doll, my feet barely skimming the floor as I twisted and turned. My frantic eyes darted around, searching for anything, something...

And then I saw it. The vase. Without thinking, I grabbed it with my free hand. I moved so quickly, so desperately. I swung it as hard as I could, the shattering impact reverberating through my arm as it collided with his head and crashed.

David stumbled, groaning in pain, his grip loosening just enough. I didn't wait to hear what he cursed. I turned on my heel and ran, my legs moving faster than they ever had before. My only thought was the door. Get to the door. Leo was outside. Leo would help me.

The stairs blurred beneath my feet as I sprinted, my pulse pounding louder than the echoes of my steps. But just as I reached the bottom, I collided with a wall of solid muscle. The impact sent me staggering backward, a low gasp pushing out of my throat, my vision swimming.

Two men stood before me, their frames imposing, their eyes cold and merciless, deadly. The realization hit like a gut punch—David wasn't alone.

I tried to dart around them, but one of them grabbed my arm, his grip harsher than David's as he pinned me in one place.

"No, no, leave me," I screamed, thrashing wildly, my nails digging into his skin as I fought for freedom. The anger and fury tightened my throat and burned in my eyes, "Let me go!" I snapped loudly, "Leo!" I shouted, my throat raw as I screamed his name again, with everything in me, "Leo!"

Fingers moved into the back of my head, over my scalp before they twisted in my hair. Pain erupted in waves and left me with a whimper as I was yanked so hard my head snapped back. A sharp ache radiated down my neck. My body slammed into David's chest, and his grip tightened, his other hand locking around my waist like a steel vice.

He used my hair to harshly tilt my head back, enough so I could see him.

The unsteady unhinged look in his eyes unraveled, he looked like a madman, "You're making this so much harder than it's supposed to be," He grated out, his jaw clenching, "I was going to go gentle but not anymore, you will regret this—"

His words were interrupted when the main door slammed open, My heart leaped into my throat, relief surging through me as Leo burst in. He heard me. His eyes found mine and they widened. Within a span of a second, he rushed forward, moved like a blur. He didn't hesitate as he pulled his gun and fired at one of the men, eliminating him in mere seconds.

The other man lunged at Leo, a snarl escaping his lips as he aimed for his weapon. They collided with a force that shook the room, their bodies slamming against the walls as they grappled for control. Leo's punches were quick, precise, and measured. A jab to the ribs. A hook to the jaw. The sound of bone against flesh filled the air as Leo took the upper hand, his opponent stumbling back.

Leo was winning the fight, forcing the man to his knees with a brutal blow, but before he could finish him, a loud commotion erupted. My heart sank, and my fleeting moment of relief evaporated as more men stormed through the door, surrounding Leo like a pack of wolves.

David's grip around my body tightened, he leaned in and hissed in my ear, "You think he's going to save you? He's just another fool who's going to get himself killed for you."

My eyes widened, dread pooling in my stomach at the odds, "No," I whispered, my voice trembling as the scene unfolded before me.

They closed in on him, but Leo didn't give up, he didn't falter, he didn't look the least threatened, he fought valiantly, his fists flying. He took down one, then another. But there were too many. I winced as a brutal punch landed on his side, and then another crashed into his face.

Blood trickled from his lip as he staggered back, the men circling him like predators, striking him down blow by blow. He fought back, he fought, but...

"No, no, stop," I said, finding my lost voice, the tears blurring my vision, "David, stop, he didn't do anything to you, stop this!"

Their fight became more brutal, bloodier. They will kill him...

"Stop!" I cried out, my voice breaking as I thrashed against David, my screams echoing through the hallway.  My vision blurred with tears. "STOP IT! LET HIM GO!"

David's lips brushed my ear with chilling calm, "This is what happens when you fight back, Valerie," he whispered, his words like icy knives carving into my soul. "This is your fault. Every punch, every drop of blood—he's suffering because of you."

My hands clawed at David's arms as I watched Leo fall to his knees, the weight of the men overpowering him. "Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "Please, David, stop. Take me and leave him alone. Please..."

David only shook his head, his eyes leaving me and falling into them, "Kill him," He issued his order.

Time slowed. The world spun.

Before I could catch my next breath, the sound of the gunshot echoed in the room, and my lungs collapsed. My eyes went wide as I watched it unfold in horrifying slow motion, watched the bullet leave the gun, watched it hit Leo in the chest, blood bloomed across his shirt, vivid, dark, and deadly against the white fabric. I watched as one of the men delivered a savage kick to his body, forcing him to collapse onto the carpet.

"Leo!" I screamed, my voice tearing through the air. My body convulsed in David's grip as I tried to break free.

I watched...watched as Leo's eyes fluttered, his head rolling to the side. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the fibers of the carpet...

The fight in me evaporated. My knees buckled, my body shuddering violently. My vision tunneled, the edges darkening as nausea churned in my stomach. I felt the blood rush all the way to my head, I felt lightheaded like I could collapse...

But David did it on my behalf, I couldn't react as he stuck something cold in my neck, and it didn't take long before the world disappeared into darkness, leaving me with the haunting image of Leo's lifeless body on the ground.

•────•°•❀•°•────•

Max's POV

Panic clawed at my chest and I was running before I could catch my next breath. Every second wasted was a second too long. Valerie was in danger, I was too sure of it, I could feel it in my bones, and every fiber of my being screamed for me to get to her before it was too late.

"Max, wait!" someone said from behind, attempting to stop me. I didn't listen.

I was already at the door, rushing outside at a speed I didn't know I had. The cold night air hit me like a slap as I sprinted towards my car, the keys already in my hand.

As I fumbled to unlock the car, my hands shaking violently, I dialed Leo's number. The phone rang once, twice, no answer. "Pick up, damn it, pick up!" I cursed under my breath, the fear constricting around my heart, squeezing and shattering it to pieces as I fell into my seat.

I slammed the car's door behind me, the engine roaring to life as I threw it into reverse. Headlights cut through the darkness as I sped. I managed to peel out of the parking spot, tires screeching against the pavement. My eyes widened and I pressed the brakes suddenly, halting it to a harsh stop when I saw Dad and Cole right behind me, I could've crashed into them for god's sake.

Before I could say a thing, Dad slid into the seat next to me, Cole in the back and I pulled the car forward before they could even shut their doors.

Every red light was a damn agony, every slow driver a fucking torment. I swerved around a slow-moving vehicle, barely registering the blare of a horn, and almost crashing into another. I couldn't think straight. Valerie needed me. She needed me now.

"Max, calm down!" Dad shot out, trying to drag me out of my head but he couldn't.

My mind conjured images I couldn't bear. The mere thought of it fueled a fresh wave of panic, lending speed to my already reckless drive.

I dialed her again and again. I dialed Leo, pressing the button for recall every time I got sent to voicemail. Neither of them answered. It wasn't right. Something was wrong, so wrong.

I should've known. God, I should've known, should've been there with her. David wasn't going to attack her in her place, he couldn't attack her in public, so he did it when we least expected it, he did it when we were unprepared. Fuck. I should've known.

The driveway came into view like a nightmare unfolding, every fear clawing its way to the surface. My foot slammed the brake harder than necessary, the car screeched to a reckless halt near the entrance, and I was out before the engine even fully shut down. My feet hit the pavement in a blur, pounding against the ground as I rushed toward the slightly ajar front door.

The moment I stepped inside, the air seemed to vanish from my lungs. I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart plummeting to the floor as my eyes locked onto Leo's body sprawled out across the floor. Blood—too much blood—pooled around him, soaking into the carpet's fabric. His chest seemed to be still, his face bruised and too pale.

I fell next to him, "Leo!" I shot out, my body failing to think logically, my hands aimlessly hovering, unable to try and help him. I couldn't even think to check for his pulse. I couldn't think at all. A cacophony of panic roared in my ears, drowning out reason.

Footsteps thundered behind me, voices breaking through the haze as Dad, Cole, Nikolas, and a few of his men stormed inside. I barely registered their presence. My focus was on the broken, lifeless form of a man who was supposed to protect her. If this was what happened to him...

"Valerie!" I shouted, my voice hoarse and cracking as I scrambled to my feet. Fear clawed at my chest, suffocating me. My frantic gaze aimlessly darted around the empty expanse of the house, searching, trying, praying.

I rushed up the stairs, hoping for anything, any clue that she was okay but I knew I wouldn't find any.

I reached a doorway and froze, my blood running cold at the sight before me. Shards of ceramic littered the floor. Blood droplets trailed across the edges, a deadly color against the pristine surface.

I almost collapsed, terrified of it being her...blood.

"Valerie," I whispered, my body trembled, imagining her hurt, in pain, scared. Oh god, how could I fail so badly?

I stepped inside, my legs shaking beneath me. My chest tightened as I recognized the scattered mess—the toppled books. Not just any books. Her books. My eyes zeroed in on them and my knees buckled as I spotted my notebook among them, the one I'd been using to write her lecture notes. Her purse lay abandoned nearby, her phone next to it, its screen cracked.

I bent down, my fingers curling around the fallen notebook, clutching it. My hands shook violently, the notebook slipping slightly in my grip as my vision blurred.

I looked up when I heard the nearing footsteps, and I saw Dad halt at the doorway. His gaze swept over the chaotic mess scattered across the floor—her things, torn, thrown, abandoned. His jaw tightened, the muscles working as he took it all in. He didn't have to say it; I could see the truth in his eyes. We were late. Too late.

He stepped inside, his heavy footsteps echoing in the suffocating silence. He crouched beside me, his hand brushing against my shoulder. Nikolas came from behind him, his eyes scanning the room, his usually unshakable expression faltering for just a moment as the realization settled over him.

I looked down and held her phone, "Her phone is here," I whispered, my voice barely scratching the surface. Without it, we couldn't track her.

I saw from my peripheral vision as Nikolas pulled out his phone, and pressed it to his ear. Seconds passed before he spoke, "Jeremy, please tell me you were able to locate him?" Desperation echoed through his tight voice.

The response on the other end must've been another dead end because his jaw clenched, his hand flying to his face, dragging it over his features in frustration. He didn't even finish the conversation, just shoved the phone back into his pocket and looked at Dad. They shared a look only they understood before he walked out, going back downstairs to take care of the mess.

Dad's arm came around my shoulders, helping me get up as I gathered her belongings, "Come on," he said softly, his voice low and steady, his fingers tightening just slightly. "We'll figure this out. Let's go."

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. I turned to him, desperate, searching his face for something—hope, reassurance, anything to keep me from falling apart.

His eyes softened as they locked onto mine. He saw it all—the despair, the anger, the guilt—and his hand moved to cup the side of my neck. "Max," he said, "Look at me. We're going to find her. Do you hear me? We'll find her, and she'll be okay."

His certainty didn't falter. There wasn't even a flicker of doubt, and I tried—god, I tried—to hold on to that tiny spark of hope he was giving me.

My jaw clenched, and my head fell forward. Dad stepped closer, pulling me into him, his arm wrapping securely around my back as his hand cradled the back of my head. I felt like a kid again, lost and scared, and he was the only thing keeping me from shattering.

"I promise you it's gonna be okay," He whispered to me, his grip tightening, "I just need you to get yourself together and not do one single thing without us," he stressed out, aware that if I snapped, I'd be reckless. He is right. I needed to be in control and I needed to do this responsibly.

I pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, and nodded my head. I needed to be so careful.

We left the house after and I handed the car keys to Dad. My hands were shaking too much to grip the wheel, let alone drive. The cold bite of adrenaline still pulsed in my veins, but it wasn't enough to steady me. I couldn't stop replaying the scene in my head—Valerie, gone, and I wasn't there to stop it.

Nikolas finished barking orders at his men and then came closer to us, his expression unreadable, "We're heading back to the bunker. We need to figure out a plan, quick," he said and I nodded.

My gaze flickered to Cole, standing next to me, his jaw clenched and his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, fidgeting. Nikolas's attention fell onto my friend as well, "One of my men will drop you at your place," he said, his order leaving no room for negotiation.

Cole's eyes widened in disbelief, "What, no, I want to help, I am not leaving Max alon—" The next of his words hitched when Nikolas took a dangerous step closer to him, "I already have too many lives hanging on me," Nikolas grated out, his voice low and sharp, "I'm not risking another one. You'll go home and stay there. Understood?"

Cole swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he nodded, overpowered by the weight in Nikolas's voice.

Nikolas didn't linger. He turned and walked toward his car, and I could see it in his gaze. The man was already building a plan, and for some reason, I had no doubt he'd see it through, no matter what it cost.

Cole let out a shaky breath once Nikolas was out of earshot, "God, he's scary," he mumbled in a low voice. He turned to me, his expression softening with uncertainty and concern. "Just...call me, okay? Let me know if anything happens. I'll do whatever I can to help. I will do my best to find Tanya, I promise. I have a feeling she knows where he took her," He added, the mere thought of her frying my nerves.

I nodded my head, appreciative of his support. Before I could say a word, he edged closer and wrapped his arms around me, taking me off guard with his gesture, "She's okay, I am sure," He mumbled lowly, "Valerie is a strong girl," He added, pulling back and tapping my shoulder reassuringly.

I nodded my head, my lips curling into a small somber smile. I had to believe that. I had to believe she was strong enough to endure this. God, she had to be okay.

Cole stepped away. He waved a quick goodbye and walked off toward the car waiting for him.

Dad placed a firm hand on my shoulder, his silent strength grounding me just enough to take a shaky breath. Together, we walked to the car. I sank into the passenger seat as Dad got behind the wheel, pulling us onto the street and back to the bunker.

•────•°•❀•°•────•

My gaze swept the room, heavy with tension so suffocating it felt like the air itself was being choked out. Jeremy was hunched over his laptop, his fingers moving across the keyboard, his normally calm and collected demeanor shattered.

For the first time since I'd met him, he looked visibly stressed—his jaw clenched, his brows furrowed, and his movements sharp with frustration. He was doing everything humanly possible to track David's location.

Nikolas on the other hand had arranged for his men to raid every property the Kingsleys owned, checking every corner, every nook and cranny for any clue that could get us closer to where David was hiding.

He stood on the far side of the room, speaking in low, calculated tones to my dad as they coordinated something. But whatever plan they were cooking up, they hadn't shared it with me. I caught bits and pieces—mentions of David's father, a setup, a trap—but they were keeping me out of it. I didn't care. All that mattered to me was finding her.

They carried on and I couldn't feel any more helpless in the face of this. She was out there—alone, terrified—and I was standing here, waiting for someone to pull a miracle out of thin air. My fists clenched at my sides, the frustration burning through me.

I tried to think but I couldn't figure it out. I tried to focus. I forced myself.

He is doing this as a payback to what I've done to him. He was retaliating. He couldn't accept to fall weak. So, what would he do? Where would he take her?

I tried to place myself in his shoes, trying to imagine how an unhinged man like him would think.

David isn't the type to act purely on impulse. He's too calculated for that.

If this is about payback, he'll want me to know. He'll want me to feel it.

A trap. It has to be. He's trying to draw me in.

I replayed every interaction we'd ever had, every word he'd spat at me, every threat in his smug smirk. One thing I noticed is that he thrived on theatrics, on games. He wouldn't just take her and hide. He'd leave breadcrumbs, bait, some way to lure me out.

And if he was taunting me, he wouldn't leave her far. No, he'd keep her close—within reach, just out of sight.

Think, Max. Think.

Where would he take her?

Cole was right in one thing; Tanya would definitely know where.

I closed my eyes, pulling back the scattered pieces of every interaction we'd had with her. Tanya had been his way in—feeding him information from the start. There had to be something, a clue, a slip.

I thought and thought, and one conversation stood out.

"Where do you and Max disappear every now and then?" I remember her asking that, and I remember being disturbed by her curiosity. I remember brushing it off since she's Valerie's friend and all.

"Oh, there is this overlook near the campus," Valerie openly told her about our spot, "I should take you there sometime. It's quiet, and the view...it's so beautiful," I remember glaring at Valerie for sharing my favorite spot with her friend. But she smiled at me, so sheepishly and cute and adorable and I couldn't be mad. God, I miss her so much already.

"How come I've been here for two years and never saw it," Tanya said, turning it playful, "you should show it to me," she insisted and on the next day, Valerie and she went there.

Of course, she'd pass it on to David. He would've latched onto it instantly, taking something so pure and making it vile. He'd pick the one place where Valerie and I found peace, just to destroy it for her forever.

It has got to be it.

I was about to speak, ready to tell them, to get out and go find her before I lost her forever.

I was silenced, the words dying on my tongue when I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. I pulled it out instantly, checking the new message I just received.

Unknown caller ID.

It was an image. No, not any image.

My heart dropped to my stomach, and the color left my face. It was a photo of Valerie, she was tied to the bench we'd sat on so many times,  right there on the overlook. Fuck, I knew it. Her wrists were bound tightly behind her, her ankles secured with ropes that bit into her skin. Her head was slumped to the side, her hair fell around her pale face, slightly touched with the blood from the cut on her temple, fresh crimson streaking down her temple.

Her lips were hidden behind tape, and her eyes were closed. She was unconscious.

The blood roared in my ears.

Right below the image, came the text.

You better come, alone and unarmed. We finish this tonight.

•────────•°•❀•°•────────•

What do you think Max will do? xD