"So good I have to repay you," he says as he kisses my neck again and I smile.

This time he pulls me on top of him. Time to get Junior Derek up again. This night is far from being over.

He lowers his kisses to my cleavage and then pulls off the top over my head and throws it in the floor.

His mouth grabs my nipples and sucks on them hard. I moan his name and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

I feel a sense of closeness and love I haven't felt in a long time. I really do love him and he should hear me say that every day.

His phone starts ringing. Derek keeps sucking on my breasts, ignoring the phone but I keep staring at it. Who is calling him at this time?

Did something bad happen?

"You s- should answer," I say between moans.

He doesn't stop at all, definitely eager to please me. We should have turned off our phones.

"Right now I'm all yours," he says and I smile. The phone stops ringing.

I cup his face and kiss him again, with much more passion and desire. I want him so bad. I could never leave this bed.

We smile as we kiss but the phone rings again which definitely pulls me out of the sexy mood. No one calls twice at midnight if it's not important.

"Answer it!" I order, stopping him from kissing me.

Derek sighs and he grabs the phone. He raises his eyebrows and I recognize this face.

He is hiding something from me.

I have probably never been turned off faster.

I get off of him. He tries to grab my wrist as he listens on the phone but I don't let him. I stand up and put on my top.

He furrows his eyebrows as he listens to something on phone.

I get in the bed and pull the blanket over me, far from him.

I feel his hand on my back, gently caressing it.

"You told me to answer it!"

I sit up annoyed. "You are hiding something from me!"

"Veronica. It was Dominic, he called to ask me if I can help him with his car..."

I shake my head. I don't believe him. I know him too well.

He shows me the phone and I see the name Dominic but that's not what I'm suspicious about. It's what he is doing with Dominic that scares me.

Irène, Derek and Dominic are up to something and it's no good.

I hate that he doesn't trust me and continues to blatantly lie to me.

"I have to go," he says as he stands up to get dressed.

I scoff, saddened and infuriated by his behavior.

"I'm sorry, Ronnie, I really am," he says as he tries to grab my hand but I move it.

He kneels near the bed and I squeeze my eyes shut. I don't want to talk to him.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He leaves.

I push back the tears once I hear the main door close.

I stand up hurriedly and I get dressed, I'm tired and cranky but I need to know what he is up to.

I wait for a few seconds to check the window and he is still in his car.

Fuck! I can't follow him without a car.

I call a cab hurriedly but I know they are slower at night.

I run to the elevator and I press on the first floor button. The cab agrees to come but it's going to take some time. Derek is going to leave!

I rush to the hallway and I see Derek is still here. He is talking on the phone and it seems like a pretty heated conversation.

My cab texts me that he is close. Derek finally leaves and I rush outside.

When I spot my cab, I immediately get inside and hope Derek didn't see me.

"Please follow the black car!"

The driver looks weirded out, especially because I'm in my pajamas but he listens.

What surprises me is that we follow Derek for a very long time. I tell him to not make it too obvious.

We then reach Dominic's apartment and I sigh frustrated. Of course he came here. Of fucking course. He did say Dominic called him... but why call Derek at this time to check his car? No car shop is opened, it's not like he can do much.

"Wait here for a few seconds," I say to the cab driver as Derek gets out of his car. He looks around for a few times and then I see Cyprian coming up to him.

That's why he is hiding from me? He is secretly hanging out with my "twin" that I hate?

They go inside and I know I have to follow them up Dominic's apartment to understand what they are doing.

"Please wait for a minute I'll be back," I say to the driver. As I'm about to get out of the car, I spot Irène's car parking.

I was fucking right. But what I didn't know was that Cyprian was also here. So what the hell are all of them doing together all the time?

What are they hiding?

I wait for Irène to go inside and I notice she has her gun in the back of the jeans.

What the fuck?

I walk towards the apartment once she is inside and wait for a few seconds for her to take the elevator. Then I walk up the stairs, even though it's seven floors.

I reach Dom's floor and I'm already exhausted. I just want to sleep, I'm sexually frustrated, terrified and sad.

They are all inside, so I go to the door and try to eavesdrop, but I can't hear shit.

So I open the door, hoping they are talking in another room, perhaps Dom's bedroom. I tip toe inside—yes, I'm crazy—and I notice I was right. They all went to his bedroom.

I know they will catch me but I hope I at least get some answers.

Their voices become more clear. Irène is yelling at them, then Derek orders them to shut up. I slowly step towards the bedroom's door and I put my ear on it, praying they won't catch me too soon and my cab doesn't leave.

"We are pretty sure it's him," Cyprian says and I frown my eyebrows. What are they talking about?

"I need to be one hundred percent sure. Not pretty sure!" Derek yells and I jump a little, growing more scared every time they talk. This is weird.

My phone rings and my heart drops to my stomach. My cab driver is calling me to make sure I haven't disappeared. I try to run away from the door but they already open it.

I swear under my breath as Derek stares at me shocked.

"Veronica... what are you doing here?" He really didn't expect me to follow him.

"Me? What are you all doing here?" I say as I look at Irène and then finally Cyprian. Their expressions are grim except for Irène.

"Might as well tell her," she says nonchalantly.

"What?"

"Nothing. You shouldn't be here!" Derek scolds me.

"Stop treating me like a kid. Why are you lying to me? I try my hardest to make this work!" I yell.

He comes to me and tries to pull me away so we can speak privately but I snatch my hold from his hand.

"I wish you could just trust me. Trust that I'm doing what I'm doing for you."

I frown my eyebrows.

"If you aren't gonna tell her, I will," Irène says. "I'm tired of hiding from everyone."

"It's not the right time," he says to Irène.

"Hello? I'm right here. Tell me or I swear to god I'm leaving you and not coming back." It's not fair to manipulate people like this but it's also not fair to lie and hide, especially after we shared such an important moment.

He looks down as Irène points to Dominic's bedroom. The door is wide open. Dominic and Cyprian don't want me to know the truth either.

I walk towards the bedroom and no one stops me, they know it's too late.

I was thinking of every possibility but not what lies ahead of me.

The wall is filled with newspapers, notes, posts it and pictures. My stomach twists when I see my rapist's face in one of the pictures. Other random men's pictures are near his.

I want to drop to my knees. I did not expect this but I should have. How stupid am I to believe they'd let this go? I feel so betrayed. It wasn't their place. Not their right to do this for me. I was going to report him.

I turn towards them. Mostly towards Derek. I'm hurt and my voice betrays me.

"You h- had no right," I say with trembling voice.

I don't want him to do his vendetta against something that is my problem. I don't want him to kill anyone for me and take away my choice to choose what to do with the monster who ruined my life. It's my choice. It's not his to make, neither theirs.

Derek steps forward, realizing how much I actually hate this. He seems genuine but I am done. "I'm sorry, I really am sorry. We are doing it for you."

"Not. Your. Right," I spit. "I was going to report him next week."

"They won't do shit. They've been trying to find him for two years!" he raises his tone.

I shake my head. "I don't want you in prison! What's so hard to understand?!"

"I'm not-"

"You are going to fucking avenge me. I didn't ask you. I don't want this."

Irène's look confirms this.

"Derek is planning to kill him... and you are all okay with it?" I look at the others. I hate that they all know this and look at me like I'm some broken victim.

"I won't kill him, Ronnie. I just want to give him a good beating and get him in prison myself," Derek defends himself and chuckle bitterly.

"Oh, come on. I know you. Stop fooling me."

He shakes his head.

I aggressively brush away my tears. "You took away my choice, again."

"What makes you so different from him?" I continue as I look at Derek, then the others. These words feel like poison on my tongue but I say them anyway. I regret it the moment I see Derek's horrified face.

But I walk away.

I take the elevator, knowing it will take  them longer to reach me if they pick the stairs. Once I'm on the first floor, I hurriedly run outside.

But my cab is gone. He already charged me on the credit card associated with my account, plus for the waiting time.

I grunt frustrated.

I turn around and I see Derek. Right now I wish I could be alone.

I know he is trying to do the best for me, or whatever he thinks it's best for my well-being. But it's not fair to hide the truth and decide in my place. It's not fair to go to prison again for me.

"Veronica," he says with red eyes and I do feel sorry for him but I keep my stern face.

"Don't worry, I won't stay at your apartment anymore," I say coldly.

He sighs. "I know you think I'm taking away your choice but I'm also doing this for the other victims."

"I was going to report him..." I reply annoyed.

"But they don't fucking know how to search!"

"I know you are trying to convince yourself you are doing it for other people but I know you're doing it for yourself," I say.

He furrows his eyebrows, even more hurt than before.

"I am doing it for you. So you can have peace. I'm not going to kill him, Ronnie, I told you. Just fucking trust me."

The wind moves my hair but I try to put it behind the ears.

"You should have asked me."

"I will stop the search if that's what you want. I will throw away everything, I promise," he says and I nod.

"Yes. Do that." I grab his hand, warming up a little and I can feel him ease up too.

"I'm sorry for comparing you to that... thing," I say but he doesn't reply, I know that was a low blow.

"But don't throw away everything. We will go to the police together to report him and maybe help the investigation with what you already know," I add and he smiles comfortingly.

"You have him. He is on the list, I saw his picture," I admit.

"Which one?"

"The second one."

His eyes glimmer with determination. I immediately regret telling him.

"You promised. Keep your promise, Derek."

He nods as he pulls me in for a hug, his body completely warming me up. It's already 2 am and so cold.

We walk towards his car, holding hands, and we go home.