I couldn't breathe, I think I was having a small panic attack. I put back AJ's phone and whimpered out of the room. I couldn't breathe. The hall ahead was dark as well. I scrambled to the kitchen for some water, and my panic attack came on full blast.
My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and disbelief. AJ? how could he do this? I trusted him, I allowed him into my life. I loved him. He couldn't-
I couldn't breathe.
The glass of water fell just as I did, I was grabbing onto the kitchen counter for support, but my hands were shaking. My head was pounding with pain, and-
I couldn't breathe.

I felt hands hold my waist and lift me. I could hear my name being called, I could see John wiping my tears, tears I didn't even know I'd shed.
He laid me down on the sofa and calmed me down.
I was crying frantically now, my head was still blasting with pain and I was still shaking, but I was finally breathing again.

"Delilah, darling look at me. Breathe, please I can't lose you. Stop crying," he whispered softly.

"J-John...I....c-can't...A-AJ..." And I broke down crying again. I was leaning into him, my head buried in his chest. I remembered the time, when he had calmed me from the lightning outside my window. A storm greater than any before had hit Miami. And I was so scared, crying in my room. John had come, in the middle of the night to calm me down. My brother must have sent him. But he'd told me that I'd always be safe. That I was a brave, strong girl. And I believed him, as I drifted off to sleep.

And I still did.

"John, can you help m-me...out to the balcony. I c-can't breathe in here," I asked him, and he lifted me without another word and brought me to the balcony.

He laid me down on one of the sun bathing chairs by the pool. And sat opposite me. My hands were in his.

"Delilah, will you tell me what happened?" He asked looking at me.

"I-I can't, I don't know whether I trust you anymore John. I don't know whether I trust anyone anymore." I said, wanting to break down again.

"AJ, it's AJ isn't it? What did he do? Delilah, you know me since before I even met G. I was a kid, when I met James. You know me, Delilah. Trust me," he pleaded.

"How do I know you'll not step all over me too?" I said.

"You don't, all you can do is have faith in me. And hope for the best. No matter how many times I tell you I won't hurt you. That's all you can do." He said.

"AJ.....his phone. I didn't mean to see it, but it was right there and-"

"And what?" he asked.

Then I told him the rest, I told him about Yelena and the text and Willow and Gordon. I told him everything. No secrets. I was too tired for secrets. I needed to vomit it all out.

"Do you think AJ is lying? Do you think he's with the others?" John asked after a long pause.

"Do you think G is involved, John?" I bit back.
"Because honestly, I don't know what the heck is going on right now."

"Okay-" he couldn't complete his sentence because, before he could, I rushed out of the balcony and into the nearest bathroom. I vomited my guts out in a green daze, I was miserable. I was in pain. What was happening to me?

"Oh God Delilah, we need to take you to the hospital. Now," John said.

I simply nodded. We cleaned up. And he half carried me down to his car. As we drove out of the parking to the road ahead, I caught a glimpse of AJ's black convertible, still parked in its usual spot.
The moon light shining on its black smooth cover. And I felt a tear escape my eye, a single moonlit tear, trail down my face. Before I fell back into the darkness.
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When I woke, I was in a hospital room, bright white lights were hurting my eyes and giving me the dizzies.
"John?" I called.

"I'm right here," he said and came into my line of sight.
"So you're finally up, thank goodness."

"What happened, I just remember, bile and pain. Ugh..." I said holding my head, which was surprisingly not hurting anymore.

He laughed. "Yes well, you were sort of poisoned. You had absinthe in that club, you and AJ went to. They must have given you a lethal dose."

"Lethal? But I only had like a sip or something of it." I said confused.

"Yes, that's why you're still alive," he said holding my hand.
"I can't believe AJ let you have it in the first place. Anyway you'll be fine, they'll discharge you in a bit, let's go grab a bite then. Okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

This was all so overwhelming, and embarrassing, I thought.
John and I stopped by a tiny coffee shop. My thoughts were still spiralling. I didn't know where to start.
Willow. That's what I need to do first, I thought. I need to save Willow.

"John, we need to hunt down Willow. I need to find her. She's kidnapped by those Russians! I know it. Please help me get her back."

"What about the whole AJ and G thing? What about the heist? And Ghost?" He asked.

"That can all wait, my first priority is Willow. Then I'll do whatever you want me too," I told him.

"Well, we'll need help. And you know it, just you and me bombarding the Russians won't help. We need someone who's been with them before," he said wincing a bit.

"No I'm not telling AJ shit. No John. No AJ, no G. I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

"Well then, I guess the kid is our last resort."

"The kid?" I asked baffled and confused.
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"Nah, nah forget about it. No way!" Screamed Jesse shaking his head from side to side. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Come on man, You've dated her. Haven't you? You know her! You know them all better than I do. Better than poor Delilah does!" John pleaded.

"Man, y'all don't know how many big ass guns they carry around 24/7! They treat life l-like bloody tissue paper man, use and throw. I ain't gonna die so young Johnny. Not me."

"You leave me no option here man. I tried to do this easy." Said John sighing slightly.

"W-What?" Asked Jesse scrunching up his face a bit.

"Oh there Delilah, your turn darling," John said chuckling.

I came into the room then fully prepared, I had my hands in fists and my motivation was a plenty.

"Now you listen up good, baby boy. My friend is in danger! Because of me and my stupid trust in strangers. I AM GOING TO GET HER BACK! And you're going to help!" I said.

I was very close to him, he was against the wall, Jesse was never too good at fights. And I well, I'd learned a thing or two.

"Also, you'll be free to flirt with her, she's single. I can set you up." I said looking into his terrified eyes.

"Nah Delilah, it's all good I'll help. I sure will. J-Just take your knee a little......like really far from my um y-you know." He said with a sheepish smile.
"I intend to have kids, sometime in the far future."

"Would you stop saying that Jess? You're like what? 12 right now?" John said muffling laughter.

"Nineteen," Jesse spat back.
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We were all set to go, John and Jesse had taken supplies, guns, phones, masks, everything. I was ready to get Willow home. Jesse was already down by the car when John and I were leaving the penthouse. Jake and Lily had a appointment at the bridal shop and G and Ghost were m.i.a. they kept leaving messages. Sometimes telling us to chill as the heist was delayed, sometimes to make tiny changes in the main plan. But AJ....he'd been in his room the whole day. Doing God knows what.

"Ready?" John asked.

"Yup, let's go," I answered grabbing my bag.

"Go where?" AJ asked from behind me.

I turned and he was standing in the darkness of the alleyway leaning against the wall in the most AJ way ever. He stepped forward and I saw his face, he must have just woken up. His shirt was off, and the dressing around his torso was off too. The wound was an angry blue-black, it looked like it must hurt. His hair was still messy bed hair. And I yearned to touch his face and kiss him. But I bit back.

"Oh we're just headed to the mall." Said John. "Jesse and Delilah want to see the new one that's opened down the block. Like a kiddies day out. If you know what I mean."

AJ looked confused and a bit dazed.
"Aaw yeah sure, wait I'll get dressed in a minute. And if you want, John you can go ahead with Jesse, Delilah and I will catch up." AJ said turning back to change.

"No!" I almost screamed. AJ turned back in suprise.
"I mean, AJ you should rest, look at that bruise. I know you've not broken anything, but it still must hurt right? We'll be fine. See you later, kay babe?"

"Are you sure? What about Willow? Weren't we supposed to do that first?" He asked.

"Willow will be fine. You were right, I think they were trying to get me. And when they find out they've done wrong they'll come for me. We'll deal with them then."

"And that's exactly why I should be there for you!" He protested.

"I can take care of myself AJ. And John and Jesse will be there too."

He looked hurt and angry. But he simply nodded. He came forward and kissed my cheek. One hand on my waist. His lips were soft and gentle on my skin.

"Okay, baby. Be safe." He looked at John once with a look I couldn't care to decipher.

I was too lost in a kiss, a kiss that made me break down all over again. But I didn't let it show. Didn't let anything show.
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"Are y'all okay?" Jesse asked me from the back seat. "You know you and AJ."

"It's complicated Jesse," I said, thanking the God he didn't see what happened upstairs.

He just leaned back in and started doing stuff on his phone again.

"So what's the plan John?" I asked.

"Jesse will text his Russian girl. She has footage she says might help us. It's of the night they planned to kidnap-well you." John finished while I winced.

"Okay, what's next?"

"That footage will help us with who kidnapped Willow and if she was taken by the Russians, at all. Then we can dig deeper from there. There's a whole bunch of Russians with a shit ton of hideouts. It would take months to figure out where Willow was otherwise," Jesse said matter-of-factly.

"Why is this girl helping you?" I asked.

"She wants out of the Russians. She wants to leave. I can give her the money to do so. Plus we've got- history." He said awkwardly.

John chuckled and I bleakly smiled.

"Thanks Jesse, I'm sorry about earlier. This means a lot."

"Oh well, I ain't doing it for free, I'm doing it for you know the hot chick."

I looked back at him with narrow eyes.

"I mean if you allow it of course." He said fast.

John laughed again.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Katina, as Jesse called her, was a tiny lady with strawberry pink hair and deep black eyes. She came up to where our car was parked. She had a backpack with her and a computer bag was hanging by her side.
"Jesse!" She called the instant she saw him. "Shit boy, I thought you weren't going to show up!" She didn't have a Russian accent, surprisingly.

He smiled and hauled her into the car. Then kissed her cheek.

"Nah babe, I told you I'd get you out of here. I'm surprised you made it out in the first place." He said.

"Oh yeah, not many people are paying attention to me. There's been a lot going on lately, Jesse. I knew this was the best time for me to get out. Anyway, I got what you needed." She said, and that's all I needed to hear.

"Okay, you have the clip then? Footage of the day, Willow was kidnapped?" I said turning back to face her.

"Willow? Who's Willow? We've got Delilah. She's one feisty ass," Katina said directly to me.

I looked at John and he just simply nodded.

"Can you show us the clip babe? Do that and you're done. Take the money and leave. Start a new life." Jesse said.

Katina nodded with excitement. She pulled out her computer, and placed in a chip. Then she turned it towards us to see. The video clip began to play.

It was grainy and black and white. Must be night time, I heard John whisper. To which Katina nodded.

"Yup she was taken by afternoon and brought home by nightfall." Katina confirmed.

Willow's flight was for early morning the next day of the one I left with AJ.

"Look, Lilah!" Jesse expressed, when a limp figure was being carried into the main entrance of a ghastly looking building, by two men.

"Where is this Kat?" Asked Jesse. Eyes glued to the screen.

"Near the old cinema. The 6th Street. It's the most deserted hideout. No one ever goes there anymore. I guess that's why they thought, it'd be the best place to keep this chick captive." Katina replied

It most certainly was Willow, I could make out that afro anywhere. I couldn't catch a good glimpse of the other two guys that got her in but then, after fast forwarding a lot, John asked Katina to stop the footage again.

There were three men, circled in a conversation, it was very grainy and hard to make out. But Katina informed us that the two men wearing all black were the Russian hunch men I'd ran into at that club, Devils Nest. Igor and Dima.

And the last man. He was considerably leaner, less buff. He was wearing white. But his face was still not entirely recognisable. Katina didn't know him either.

And we would have never figured out who he was, not until further into the clip, when he moved out of the shadows and something very distinct about him made everybody's breath hitch. Everyone except Katina.

The last man was wearing a painfully familiar, black, white rimmed fedora hat.

"Shit, t-that's..." Jesse began.

"AJ," I finished, in a voice with no emotion at all.
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Thanks for all the reads guys! Pls comment and vote if y'all can too! It reaaalllllyyyyyyyyy helps! Anyways love you guys! And I hope everyone's doing well! Let's get this to a 1000 reads maybe? Please?
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