I see the wheels turning in the lieutenants head. Steven, on the other hand, seems agitated.

"If you recently went and fetched her from a psychiatric ward as you claim and you're on your way to a so-called 'new facility', why is this the clothing she happens to be wearing?" My eyes dart down to my body, realizing that he is in fact correct.

No one wears shorts, tank tops, and sneakers in a mental asylum. But knowing Steven, he'll most likely web some tall tale of this outfit being my doing. The lengths he'll go through to play the victim never fails to amaze me.

"She begged to wear that and I thought of granting her one wish before we reach the facility," he says trying to keep his composure.

"And you claim that she's family. Shouldn't family at least know each other's names? Because not once did I hear you mention hers." The lieutenant states while observing Steven's reactions.

He's still on my side, thank God.

"Listen, you're really wasting my fucking time. Now let go of her so that we can leave," Steven grits through clenched teeth and without missing a beat the lieutenant's hold on me tightens.

"No you listen. I don't buy this whole PPD bullshit. Something is going on here and a psychiatric ward has nothing to do with it." The lieutenant says in a low threatening voice as he pushes me behind him.

Without thinking, my hands go up to clinch the back of his t-shirt as if to hold him in place, to make sure he doesn't leave me, he's my only shield against the monster standing before the both of us. For the first time in days, I truly feel safe and it's a feeling I don't want to lose.

"Hand over the fucking girl before you regret it," Steven grits dangerously as he nears us and I instantly shrink behind the lieutenant. He pushes out his chest and nears Steven to show a dominance of the situation, forcing me to let go of his t-shirt in the process, "The girl's not going anywhere. I don't trust you."

"Come. Now." Steven demands as he tilts his head and stares straight at me.

Those eyes are so wicked.

"I just said that she's not going anywhere with you. Or what.. Were you dropped as a baby?" The lieutenant questions as he steps dangerously even closer to Steven. "No he was thrown against a brick wall.." I murmur from behind the lieutenant.

The intention was not to say it so blankly. In fact, I never meant to say anything in the first place. Sometimes my thoughts get the better of me and my mouth blurts out words meant to stay unspoken. Sadly they both hear me.

"Are you sure about that, hell cat? You should check yourself first. Mirrors don't lie and luckily for you, they don't laugh either," Steven sarcastically replies with a mockingly raised brow.

"Out of 250 million sperm cells, you won?" I comment and his gaze immediately hardens. "Your sarcastic remarks won't last forever hell cat. So I suggest you shut up and get in the damn vehicle right now!" He says as he pushes the lieutenant out of his way and grabs at my arm. Since the bruises haven't faded the slightest bit, a pain shoots throughout my arm and I cannot prevent myself from letting out a scream.

As if on cue, the lieutenant turns and rips Steven's hand from my skin. The lack of contact giving a sense of relief. "You did kidnap her, didn't you?... Didn't you!?" he yells as his face nears Steven's. My head shakes frantically up and down answering his question. Which is downright pathetic, as neither of them is focused on my actions nor reactions.

"What's your name? Your full name?" The lieutenant asks as his head snaps towards me.

Oh, I guess I was wrong then.

"I'm Vivian Harper Maldo-" I begin, but Steven's not having it.

"If you have nothing better to do, I'd suggest you fuck off!" He says as he shoves the lieutenant back. A force strong enough that causes him to stumble, but he miraculously saves himself from hitting the ground. His face holds frustration and once again, he dangerously nears Steven.

"You won't be taking her anywhere!" The lieutenant yells as he latches his fingers onto Steven's shoulder. A look of determination flashes in the lieutenant's eyes, while in Steven's, a look of... no, it can't be.

Can it?

"For the last time..." Steven takes in a deep breath of air and bellows it out in exhaustion and annoyance. "You know what... fuck this." he murmurs.

And the next thing I know, in a blink of an eye, a split of a second, Steven reaches out his hand and pulls the lieutenant's gun out of its holster. He aims it directly towards the lieutenant while clicking it back.

"What the-" the lieutenant quickly removes his hand from Steven's shoulder as if being burnt by the shock of his delayed response. I stare equally in shock holding my breath, not knowing what to do. I actually become too dumbstruck to move.

"I warned you." With that said Steven pulls the trigger before the lieutenant gets a chance to react. The lieutenant stands frozen in place and in less than five seconds it becomes where he stood as he stumbles back and collapses to the ground.

He's dead.. Lying limply, his soul departed.

I find myself screeching out in horror. A pool of blood starts forming around the pale corpse and my eyes widen at the sight of crimson blood. Steven rushed towards me and threatens me to be silent before shoving the gun into my hands. Not wanting the unknown object to fall, my fingers unintentionally enclose around it, before my idiotic brain registers what he's doing. I look down into my hand and immediately open it to drop the gun, but he catches it.

"Why the-" I begin to question his sanity, but his reaction to a sentence I barely even got to ask, is what catches me by surprise.

"You stupid girl! Look at what you did!" Steven shouts as he throws the gun next to the lieutenant's lifeless body. His hand once again forcefully enveloping my arm. The feeling of pins and needles shoot throughout my body.

It's confirmed. He has psychological issues. There's something most certainly wrong with his brain functionality and his concept of reality. I open my mouth to voice these thoughts and to beg of him to seek professional help but get interrupted by an outcry.

"Lieutenant?... Lieutenant!... LIEUTENANT!!!" an officer shrills after exiting the Sheriff's station, turns down the road, walks towards Steven's vehicle and runs when seeing the body. The body of someone who just lost his life, trying to save another.

I snap my head towards the female officer I saw earlier. She kneels down to the ground next to his body not caring that her uniform is being soaked in his blood. "Daniel, please! Open your eyes!" she yells even louder and I realize that I had no idea of his name when he was alive. Daniel, such a sweet name for such a kind-hearted, protective, honest and witty man.

"Baby, please! You can't leave me like this! Daniel!"

She reaches for his hand and only then do I see the visible rings on both his and her ring fingers. They were married!?... I can feel myself tearing apart on the inside.

She snaps her head towards me with tears streaming down her face and I can't help myself for feeling guilty for his death. I stare at her wide crystal blue orbs that holds so much heart-shattering pain, I feel it shooting shards of glass right through me.

"What have you done!"

"It wasn't me! I swear! He was trying to protect me, then Steven shot him!" I yell out as tears now flood my face.

Guilt, the only emotion consuming me right now. If I could turn back the hands of time to prevent his death I would, I'd do it in a heartbeat. No one deserves their lives to be this short-lived, for it to be taken from them by the impulsive rage of a madman.

"The girl is deranged and delusional. You shouldn't listen to anything she has to say. You heard the Sheriff. Her paperwork checks out." His grip on me tightens as if warning me to shut my mouth.

Her gaze returns to her deceased husband, squeezing his hand with both of hers. It pains me knowing this is where their journey ends. "He wouldn't risk his life to protect just anyone," she murmurs. The salty tears continue to slide down her cheeks.

"Because he wasn't. He escorted her to my vehicle, which she refused to enter. That's when she grabbed his weapon and shot him. It happened too fast, there was no time for either of us to stop her," Steven says as steps closer to her while still holding onto me.

"I promise you! I didn't-" I try to explain, but she cuts me off.

"If you weren't being transported to an asylum, I would have arrested you by now! So just shut up... I don't even want to hear you breathing... he was my husband..." she whispers the last part, choking back on tears. She lifts his head and places it on her lap while holding his hands on hers. She's far too heartbroken to think logically. I would have called an ambulance by now.

"Please believe me! He tried to protect me fr-" I attempt at explaining once again. "My shift ends in an hour. Take her away before I do something I'll regret." She says blankly and I feel something inside me die.

She, an officer, is literally handing me back to my kidnapper. She, an officer, the person who is supposed to protect the citizens of this country, grandly giving me back to the people who destroy it. She, an officer, has failed me.

"I'll make sure she never escapes again."

It's felt deep down in my gut that his words have a deeper meaning than most would think, but I know better. With that said by Steven, he turns around, pulls me to the vehicle and shoves me into the backseat. He removes handcuffs from his hoodie pocket and cuffs my hands to the support handle inside the vehicle.

Of course I put up a fight once he shoves me inside, but being weak due to lack of food and water doesn't work in my favor. Nothing these days seems to work in my favor. Except for Frank's granola bar. Now that was a tasty treat for a lost and fragile girl. Every corner I turn, since my life was put on this path, is a dead end. And I don't want to turn up like those corners.

Dead.

"Looks like you're going back home hell cat... and try your shit. I dare you. Those bruises look like they could do with a touch-up or two," Steven says as he climbs into the driver's seat and drives off back to my personal hell, the warehouse.

"Three things you asshole. One, it's not my home. Two, stop calling me hell cat. My name is Vivian Harper Maldonado. And thirdly, I'm sick and tired of you abusing me. I've just about had enough!" I point out, wiping away remaining tears on my face using my shoulders.

"Don't take life so seriously. You won't get out alive in any case," he replies. Back at it again with that damn infuriating, irksome, nonchalant tone of his. I won't get out alive!? What!? My eyes widen thinking about what he had just said. As if sensing my shock he speaks up again.

"Natural, accidental or not, we all have to die at some point. So deal with it. Or don't. You're problem," his bothersome voice echoes through my ears and I want to tune him out.

"Your existence is an insult to mankind," I mumble, thinking about all the horrible things this man has done in only a few days of me knowing him. Heaven alone knows what he has done throughout the years.

"There we go with that wicked tongue of yours. Either control how you speak to me or I will rip your tongue from your very esophagus. Which, now that I think about it, will leave you choking on your own blood. Hmm, I like the sound of that actually. So nevermind, continue with your impertinence," he says while getting comfortable in his seat like some sadistic freak.

Such a pestilent being.

I can tell that he's mocking me and decide not to entertain him any further. I lean my head against the window, involuntarily allowing sleep to overtake my body.