Dedicated to @ZainabAnsari6 for supporting me since the start. Thank you for all your kind comments. xx

|Edited|

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WARNING: This chapter might be triggering for some.

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My screams were muffled by the hand pressed over my mouth. Tristan dragged me into the house behind Ryder. Panic surged through me. The door slammed shut behind us, I heard the lock click into place.

"Look man. This is the last time I'm doing this for you. After this, I'm out for good." Tristan's panicked voice mumbled. He finally let me go. The first thing I noticed was all the armed men crowding the place. I recognized two of them, they were the ones who'd attacked me that night in the street, that time Hunter had been there to save me. My hands balled into fists as I prepared to fight.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I demanded harshly, my anger directed at Tristan.

He swallowed. "I'm sorry. I had no other choice. It was either you or me."

"What do you mean?" I snapped.

"Allow me to explain." Ryder's cold voice suddenly cut in, a shudder racked my body. I slowly turned around to face him. His eyes glinted coldly in the dim light. I tried to hide the fear I was feeling. "You see Scarlett we run a business here. We supply narcotics and Tristan here is one of our oldest clients. The thing is, since the past year he stopped paying us for our supplies. So owes us money, a lot of money. The kind he can't repay. And when my clients can't pay me back . . . they somehow end up dying." He chuckled. ''Nothing anyone can prove of course."

"Y-you're trafficking drugs?" I asked in horror.

Ryder's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "Smart girl, you get an A plus for guessing correctly."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" I tried to keep my voice steady.

Ryder shook his head. "Patience Doll-face. I was getting there." He took a step towards me and my whole body tensed. "You see, I'm a reasonable man. When Tristan told me that he didn't have the cash I gave him an alternative." His cold eyes flashed "You."

I could feel the bile rising up in my throat but I pushed it down. "What do you want from me?"

Ryder's eyes raked over my body and I almost gagged. "There are quite a few things I want from you." He chuckled coldly. "But for the time being I'll only take one." His fingers grasped my chin roughly as he forced my head up to meet his gaze. "Hunter."

I could feel my heart plunge.

"Leave Hunter alone. He has nothing to do with this." I hissed, I was surprised by the intensity behind my words.

Ryder looked amused. He finally let go of me.

"So clueless." He mocked. "You still don't understand. Hunter has everything to do with this.
He was the one who bought this upon himself. He should never have messed with me. He needs to learn that I run this town. He needs to know that I own him."

My whole body was trembling now.

I have to protect Hunter.

"Look, you don't need to involve him. He's leaving town anyway. He won't be in your way anymore." I tried.

Ryder's eyes flashed.

"Leaving Town!?" He demanded. "He thinks he can leave town after taking my money?"

Shit!

This doesn't sound good.

"Call him." He bellowed suddenly.

My eyebrows drew together in confusion.

What is happening?

A few minutes passed. Finally, one of Ryder's men rushed over to him and handed him a phone. "He's on the line, Boss."

"Hunter." Ryder spoke into the phone. The cold calmness in his voice made me shiver. "I wouldn't be using that tone with me if I were you." His eyes flickered to me. "You see I have someone with me here, someone who means a lot to you." 

His face hardened. "It looks like you need a little more convincing."

Suddenly, I felt a strong pair of arms grab and restrain me. "What the- " I started but my sentence died as a scream broke out of me.

Pain.

So much pain.

I tilted my head and my eyes focused on the blade embedded in my shoulder blade. I could feel the blood trickling down my arms.

A huge wave of pain crashed over me and I groaned.

Faintly, I could hear the sounds of Hunter's frantic voice coming from the phone clutched in Ryder's hand.

This could not be happening.

I couldn't let Hunter endanger his life.

"Hunter please don't come here. Don't listen to him." I choked.

I felt the knife being yanked away from my flesh. I gritted my teeth forcing myself not to make a sound. I sunk to the floor.

"You have an hour before she bleeds out and dies. I suggest you get here fast." Ryder chuckled coldly. "You think I'm stupid enough to give you my location? I'll be sending my men to bring you here. If anyone follows you, if anything even slightly suspicious happens I will kill her, understood?" He ended the call and smashed the phone against the wall.

"Lock her up." Ryder sneered. I barely registered myself being lifted off the ground. I was shoved into a room, the door slammed shut behind me.

My shoulder throbbed painfully.

I knew that I needed to stop the bleeding.

But I was too tired.

Maybe if I just close my eyes all the tiredness and pain would go away...

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|4 Years ago| 

It was past midnight. My parents were out of town so I was spending the night at the Adams's.

I looked over at Megan who was peacefully sound asleep beside me. I kissed her cheek before quietly getting out of bed and tiptoeing outside.

I fidgeted nervously for a while before finally gathering up the courage to knock on Hunter's door.

I could hear the sound of footsteps on the other side. The door slid open after a few minutes. I was greeted by a sleepy Hunter.

His hair was tousled and he was wearing a white tank-top with black basketball shorts.

When he saw me his expression changed from sleepy to concerned.

"Everything okay?" His voice sounded husky, probably due to the fact that I'd  woken him.

My cheeks felt like they were on fire. "I can't sleep." I finally managed to murmur.

He squinted his eyes and studied me for a while. I fidgeted under his gaze.

He sighed. "I told Megan not to show you that horror movie."  

"It's not because of the horror movie!" I lied.

Hunter gave me a pointed look. I knew he saw right through me.

I crossed my arms over my chest defensively. "It was stupid of me for coming here. Bye." I started to walk away from him. My embarrassment getting the best of me.

Suddenly I  felt his hand clasp my bicep, halting me. 

"I'm sorry." He whispered."I shouldn't have made fun of you." His eyes were sincere.

I looked at him for a minute and then my lips broke into a small smile. There was no way I could stay mad at this boy.

"Come on." He led me inside his room.

I sat cross legged on his bed and he flopped down beside me.

"I wished I could be like you Hunter." I said wistfully.  "You aren't scared of anything. I can't even fall asleep after watching a stupid horror movie."

Hunter studied me for a moment. He slowly sat up to face me. The intensity in his eyes made my breath hitch. "I get scared too. A lot of things scare me." He murmured.

My eyes remained on his. "Like what?"

He closed his eyes briefly. "Like losing the people I care about." He opened his eyes and I could see the pain swimming in his gaze. 

"Promise me that you'll never leave me?" His voice sounded so vulnerable.

"I promise, Hunter." I whispered.

He smiled softly.

"I can't promise everything will be okay all the time because it can't. You'll get hurt, you'll have to fight, that's just how life is, but I'll promise you this, you'll never be alone Scarlett. I will always be here for you." His lips pressed over the top of my head for a brief second.

"Thank you Hunter, for everything." I whispered, my eyes were starting to feel heavy.

He shook his head, his lips lifting up ever so lightly.

"You are everything." I heard him murmur just before my eyes closed.

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|Present|

The sound of the door opening jolted me back into reality.

A strong calloused hand brushed against my cheek. My eyes opened slowly.

"Hunter?" I whimpered. "Am I dreaming?"

"No baby, I'm here. I'm so sorry." His voice broke.

Blood rushed to my head as I finally started making sense of the situation. "You shouldn't have come here." Tears burned my eyes. "Why did you come here Goddamnit!? You should have just left!" I shouted.

I panted. Talking suddenly seemed too much of a burden. The pain in my shoulder was now only a dull throb, I couldn't feel my arm anymore.

"How could I leave? I promised you that I'd always be here for you, remember?" He sighed as he touched his forehead to mine. "I'm getting you out of here."

I closed my eyes. I was too tired.

I just wanted to sleep.

"Stay with me baby." He murmured as he lifted me easily into his arms. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me, remember?"

He carried me out of the room but didn't get too far before two men blocked his way.

"Who said that you could leave? Ryder's voice made Hunter freeze.

"I need to get her to a hospital." Hunter gritted out.

Ryder chuckled coldly. "Not before I get my money."

I felt Hunter's arms around me tighten. "I told you that I don't have it right now."

"Stop lying! That much money can't just disappear, now can it?" Ryder sneered. "You think you can get away with this? You're forgetting that I run this town. I control the streets. I was the one who offered you a place in my races. Seventy percent of the money you get from winning is mine. That was the deal." Ryder's hands curled into fists. "You're not going anywhere until every single penny is transferred to my account. You greedy bastard."

"I'm telling you the truth. I don't have any of it!" Hunter gritted out. "I donated it all. Every last penny. Now it belongs to the people who actually need it."

"What did you say?" Ryder bellowed as he advanced towards us.

Hunter stiffened. "Look, I'll give you the money. You can keep me here if you want. Let me just get her to a hospital. Please."

A few tense moments of silence ensued then suddenly one of Ryder's men rushed inside the house.

"Boss we have a situation." He panted.

"This better be important." Ryder hissed.

"Cops. Here." He sputtered.

The sound of police-car sirens blaring suddenly pierced the air.

"They're everywhere! We have no place to run." Another one of Ryder's men shouted in panic.

I could practically see the color draining from Ryder's face. "That's impossible!" His eyes suddenly fixated on Hunter. "You!" He bellowed. "I know you're behind this!" His attention turned to his men. "I told you bastards to make sure no one followed you!"

The men quivered under Ryder's wrath. "No one followed us boss. We destroyed his phone and checked him for tracking devices. There is no way someone could have followed us or tracked him here to our safe-house."

"He's telling the truth." Hunter's calm voice broke in. "No one followed me here. But are you sure no one was following Tristan when he brought her here?"

Hunter's head snapped in Tristan's direction, who'd been standing quietly in a corner up till now. I could practically feel the waves of fury rolling off Hunter, Tristan must have felt them too because his whole body went rigid when Hunter addressed him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ryder demanded his furious gaze trained on Tristan now.

"I swear I have no idea what he's talking about." Tristan's voice was laced with panic.

As if on cue the door swung open.

All of a sudden there were police officers everywhere.

"Everyone! Hands where we can see them!" One of the cops ordered.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see someone else walk in.

Jace?

What the hell is going on here?

Is all the blood loss making me hallucinate?

Jace's frantic eyes finally found me and Hunter and he started to rush towards us but one of the police officers held him back.

The sound of gunshots and screams filled the room. Hunter crouched down, shielding my body with his. Ryder's men had started shooting at the cops. I tried to block out the sounds of bullets piercing flesh. I could feel my airways closing up in panic, my breaths came out in gasps. I was having a panic attack.

"Hey." Hunter's hand cupped my face. "Don't think about it." He whispered. "Just focus on me. Just me and you baby."

Just like that my breaths started to even out.

A sense of calmness overtook me.

Just you and me.

Just me and Hunter.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Arms around each other, eyes locked but the gunshots and screams finally started dying out.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." The cops had started telling Ryder's men their Miranda rights.

Footsteps approached us but my eyes remained on Hunter's.

"It's over guys." I heard Jace's voice. "You're safe now."

"Jace, take Scarlett. I have to take care of something." Hunter murmured.

I frowned. "Don't go Hunter." I tightened my arms around him.

"I'll be right back." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

My eyes followed Hunter and they widened in horror when I saw him walking towards Tristan, who was being hand-cuffed by the cops.

This doesn't look good.

Before I could stop him he was already storming away. I tried to go after him but the minute I tried to stand up my legs gave out, Jace's arms caught me just before I hit the ground.

I watched in panic as Hunter approached them, I could see the color draining from Tristan's face. He started to say something but before he could Hunter drew back his fist and hit him square in the face.

I screamed.

The cops were trying to restrain Hunter but he was completely out of control. He tackled Tristan, beating him to a pulp.

He's going to kill him.

"Hunter! Stop it please!" I shrieked. Sobs racked my body.

His fist stopped in mid-air. The cops finally managed to pull him away from Tristan, who gasped for breath. Hunter's wild eyes locked with mine and for a brief moment they softened.

I sighed in relief.

A cold chuckle suddenly caught everyone's attention.

Two cops were restraining Ryder but surprisingly, he wasn't putting up a fight.

"Looks like someone finally managed to tame you Adams." Ryder hissed.

Hunter slowly rose to his feet. The police officer restraining him let him go but remained tense.

"You know why you're here in this position Ryder?" Hunter sneered. "It's because you messed with my girl."

Ryder's face hardened. "You think you've won?"

Hunter smirked. "Well, in a while you're going to be behind bars, for good. I'd say it's safe to make that assumption."

Ryder chuckled again. "True." His voice was casual.

Dread started bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

Why is he so calm?

Something is really wrong.

"What are you playing at?" Hunter gritted out.

"You really are clueless." Ryder shook his head. "Do you think Scarlett is the first girl Tristan has brought to me?" He sneered. "I admit she's the first one you managed to save."

My breath hitched.

What is he saying?

"You know, she screamed for you Hunter." Ryder's eyes filled with mirth. "I would have killed her but keeping her alive was so much more fun. Especially the part when she killed her self and ruined your life."

I could feel my heart stop.

No.

NO!

Please no!

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hunter's whole body was trembling.

Ryder smirked. "Why don't you tell him Tristan? Tell him who you brought here a year ago?"

It was quiet now. No one dared to utter a word.

Tristan's whole body shook as he sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had no other choice." He pleaded.

"Tell me?!" Hunter's voice was so loud I could feel the whole room shake.

"You know who I'm talking about Hunter." Ryder jeered. "I'm talking about the girl you didn't save."

"I'm talking about your sister Megan."

That's when all hell broke loose.

"No." I whispered.

Everything went black.

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys.

I hope no one is disappointed. It literally took me two weeks to write this chapter.

Thank you so much for not giving up on me.