( gif by hazzawckd <3 )

⚠️ authors warnings ⚠️ ;; this chapter contains mention of slight blood and gun play.

I was surprised I even got a little bit of sleep, when I woke up the next morning I felt an uneasiness in my stomach. The daylight peaked through the blinds, bathing me in the warmth and encouraging me that everything would be okay. I was tangled in the perfect cotton sheets, sprawled out on my stomach with my arms tucked under my armpits.

I raised my head off the pillow, wiping the sleepy seeds out from the corner of my eyes. I glanced at the clock, it was just a little bit after nine in the morning, slightly disappointed I couldn't have slept in longer I decided to just get up to start the day. We were still in New York, just in a different city that I never been to or thought of looking up; this was the perfect opportunity to go out and explore.

The events from last night kept me tossing and turning. I had an awful sleep, nightmares lingering in the back of my head trying to take over my beauty sleep, the perfect dream I could have since this all started was getting drowned out by him. Hobie. Everytime I opened my eyes, I swore something was in the darkest part of the corner, watching me. But when I turned on the light, no one was there.

I could stay in bed all day, it isn't like I wouldn't have another day off, but this would help me get out of this stuffy room and not have me thinking about what happened over and over. Every time I opened my eyes last night I just got a voice of uncertainty wash over me, sleeping was the only way to forget about it.

But now it was nine and I needed to get up, I actually did want to go and explore this part of the city and possibly even message Moni, Eliana or Vanity seeing as it was only an hour away by train. Plus, I was starving.

I peeled the sheets off my body and placed both of the soles of my feet on the ground beneath me, stretching my arms above my head. I took my bonnet off and placed it on the nightstand next to me before carding my fingers through my hair, slowly cracking my neck.

My stomach coaxed with nausea for a split second, but went away quickly. I leaned over to grab my phone to respond to any messages that I received last night, checked my emails and looked over some designs that were also sent to me. The whole ordeal took me twenty minutes at most, giving me enough time to still have time to freshen up, eat and explore the day. I didn't have a set plan for the day, I searched for a few free attractions to do and we weren't that far from Times Square so all the shops were in close proximity if I wanted to stop over on that side of town. Maybe I'll sit in a famous book store with a cup of coffee from a local business, or maybe I'll grab a bite from a sandwich store; I didn't know, but at least it was up to my choosing.

After doing light makeup after my morning routine, I pulled my bag up to the top of the dresser to grab my small notebook that I use to write down any ideas or inspiration I get from passing by people. New York was known for its' incredible use of style and all I needed was to see one group of civilians to find my next big project. I didn't care if they didn't like it, I was going to make these next designs perfect and I of course had to come up with some ideas to send to Deja as well; but that wasn't due for a while so I had time.

Rummaging through my bag, I felt that small bit of panic set in but not the normal panic that I felt whenever I was around Hobie, no, this was the feeling of despair. Of losing something valuable, something that meant the world to you and if you lost it, your world was crumbling; in that moment that is how I felt. This notebook wasn't just any notebook, it was THE notebook. My bag wasn't super big so it was easy to see I was missing something that important and I definitely remember bringing it last night too, I just didn't touch it.

"Fuck." I mumbled to myself, knowing it must've fallen out somewhere in the venue near my room or outside of it. I wasn't in any other areas and during that fiasco to get away from Hobie had me even more on edge. There wasn't a second thought on what to do, I was going to have to go back and get it since that contained a lot of personal information in there that meant a lot to me. Letters, notes, words of encouragement, it was passed back and forth between my best friend and I. I couldn't just give up on the idea of never having it again.

Throwing on some sweats, a crop top that would only be covered by my Dashie game sweatshirt, I grabbed my little Avatar bag that was swung onto my back to head out the door. I had my phone, key cards and any other little items I would need to get back inside or if I wanted to explore after retrieving the item. I just hope they will let me back inside so I can grab it. I remembered it wasn't a huge drive, but I was mostly disappointed that the first half of my day would be looking for something that is misplaced.

Luckily no one was in the hallway when I left my room, in fact, no one was on my floor at this time of day. Usually by now I would've heard at least someone leave or come back, but the silence was eerie. I was just glad I didn't run into Hobie yet again, that was the last thing I needed this morning. I'm still on edge from yesterday, I didn't want to see his stupid, pretty face considering tomorrow everything got cramped together and I would be around him all day.

The complicated thing about Hobie was that to everyone he was a normal guy, but to me something was off about him. He has this power over me that makes me so intimidated by him. The way he talks, holds himself, stares and the small gestures he does with his lips; everything about him screams he wasn't your average lead singer in a band.

Maybe he was secretly a human trafficker?

I headed down to the lobby, asking the front desk if they could call me a cab after I lied and said my phone died. - I just didn't know how to get it from my phone. - In record time the cab arrived. It was a beautiful day out, the rays hitting me from up above were slowly getting me out of my rut little by little. When I got in the cab, I told them where the venue was and we were off, only a fifteen minute ride.

The city felt very alive today when I looked out the window, so rich in happiness. There was something about seeing a different group of individuals who all come from different walks of life look so beautiful doing the simplest of things.

When I arrived at the venue, I tipped and thanked the driver before rushing out. I had a plan that would consist of me begging to be let in and then find my notebook, they might not even let me in for all I know and think I'm a lunatic. But I had to try.

I stepped up to the back entrance and just walked in, the doors were slightly ajar. I did try the front door, but that was locked; so here I was in the back like a creep. I guess this place was never really under surveillance 24/7. I would've expected guards, workers or at least someone here to look after everything; but it was dead silent.

I walked down the empty entrance way, seeing not a body in sight. I took it upon myself to grant my own permission to continue walking further down the entrance and weave my way through the doors to get where I want to be. I was starting to get an eerie vibe out of nowhere, there's no way this place is completely empty right? There has to be someone here at least.

I kept walking through different areas, trying to find the level we were on last night in the arena itself so I could sneak backstage and into my old dressing room. Eventually I found my way, I didn't have time to take in the empty area without anyone here and bask in what it would be like to be performing for everyone; but out of the corner of my eye I could see how massive it was now that it was completely empty. I fully expected to see Ares here running around to make sure nothing was left behind, the band wasn't performing here tomorrow. So where was everyone?

I jogged through the length of the empty hallway which was a lot longer than I remembered. If I ran too fast I was scared that someone would jump out and scare me, but if I walked too slow I would be wasting daylight. It felt like ages, but I reached the back entrance of my dressing room and slipped in. There in the open laid my notebook on the floor where I was frantically trying to get away from Hobie. Swiping it off the ground, I pushed open the door backwards with my back before humming to myself quietly.

As my feet squeaked against the floor, I finally heard a noise.

"She won't talk." I heard clear as day, making me freeze in my tracks.

Everything went silent and I froze my breathing. I stood in the middle of the hallway. To the left was the exit of me, I should leave and mind my business. There was no reason I needed to go sticking my nose in whatever was happening to my right. Which was where the noise was coming from. I tried to convince myself that I was just hearing things, but when I took another step forward I heard it again.

"Fuck yo–!"
"Shut your fucking mouth."

I let out a soft gasp with my hand covering my mouth, my stomach dropping. I heard too much now to know I couldn't just walk away whenever I wanted, not when I knew a female was being assaulted and needed help.

I stepped forward very quietly, hearing more of what sounded like someone hitting the woman. My hands were shaking as I walked over to where the sound was coming from, my heart racing very fast as I held my breath. The door to the scene was slightly cracked, but I wasn't close enough to see into it just yet.

I slowly made my way up to the door, gripping my notebook in my hands tightly out of nervousness. I didn't know what I was going to see when I peeked through. A dead body? The mafia? Half a body that is somehow still alive from this trauma they are putting her through? I had no idea. I felt like I was under a spell, the closer I got the noises and muffled dialogue started to get louder and louder.

I couldn't hold my breath any longer than I already was, my chest was beginning to hurt and I couldn't afford to pass out at a time like. I eventually got right up to the door, peaking through the crack.

My eyes started to get wider and wider at what I was seeing, it was worse than what I expected. Surely I knew that whatever was behind the door was going to be graphic, I mean come on... I could hear her face getting beat. What I thought was going to be a small group of deligents fighting turned out to be the total opposite.

There was a stranger strapped to a chair with her hands tied to the arms of them, multiple wounds all over her face and blood dripping from anywhere that it could potentially come out from. My lips parted at the painful sight, my mind screamed to call 911 right away but I was paralyzed to the ground.

When I looked harder around the room the best I could without exposing my position, my breath hitched in my throat when I swore my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Hobie was there, right up against the small counter top that was placed neatly in the room, his guitar dripping with blood on the headstock and just slightly on the tuning pegs. He stood behind the anonymous woman, looking down at his guitar then giving her the time of day as he cleaned the liquid off with a napkin.

In the corner of the room was Crass laid back on the couch, conversing with someone whose face remained covered. I knew it was a girl since her body was slim like one and from what I could tell, she didn't have an Adam's apple. Her white suit covered her from head to toe, so even if I tried to figure out who it was I knew I couldn't without needing her to put her hood down and take off that spider mask.

Wait?

It seemed Crass and the female were completely unbothered by the gruesome situation, counting what seemed like stacks of money like it was no issue. The table was mostly covered in drugs, booze and the money, more than I had seen in my lifetime. It almost made me want to show my face and demand I get a cut or I would turn them all in.

Time went by slowly, suddenly Rico appeared from behind the door with her back facing me. She stood right in front of the woman with the outfit I picked out for her to wear at yesterday's concert. I couldn't even be mad because she looked hot doing this. Until she threw a hard punch into the woman's already beaten face. The woman's blonde hair fell into a mess in front of her face, Rico shaking her right hand so the blood flew off and landed on Hobie's guitar which caused him to groan.

"At this point," Crass finally said to the other two while directing his attention away from the figure on the couch to speak to Hobie and Rico. "Just kill her. It's best to keep Miguel out of the loop of us keeping her alive when we said Hobie took care of the problem."

"Nah, I'm not finished with her yet." She shakes her head, ripping the fabric from her shirt to shove into the female's mouth to shut her up.

I stepped to the other side of the wall so I could see through the crack from a different angle. My heart was thrashing against my chest as I saw Opium and Ozzy with their backs turned to the altercation looking over notebooks. Sitting in two chairs directly behind them were two other people dressed in a similar attire as the girl on the couch. One had on a black and red suit, no hood as the girl and the other was probably my favorite. It consisted of a tight blue top with red accents and black spider-emblem and baggy, blue pants accented with a red dash. I could make out his mask that stood out on its own with the pattern looking like a face of a spider, drawn in the Theyyam face-painting style, and of course it was adorned with his culture and heritage. If I could meet whoever was under that mask, I would love to sit down with him and just listen to his stories.

But I couldn't, not with Ozzy and Opium slapping on latex gloves and starting to organize what seemed like high valuable items. I remember seeing a few of those on articles that the president wore during his appearances in the area, but I couldn't be too sure.

My heart couldn't stop racing, my lungs burning from the small attempts to not breathe too loud. I thought I was dreaming, because there was no way I was actually seeing this in real time. I knew this band was weird, they were in their own little world and kept to themselves and barely talked to the press; but to stoop this low was an all time low. This was a dream, it had to be. This is the band that rose from the top out of nowhere, this is a band that broke charting numbers without going on tour or doing interviews, they were still in their concert attire–This is my karma for pissing Hobie off.

I continued to grip my notebook in my hand when I realized I always keep a perfect sharp pencil in my bag. Reaching behind slowly and quietly with my eyes still strained on the scene in front of me, I gripped the mechanical pencil and flipped open the back of my notebook where a few empty pages were at and started to draw what I was seeing. Each time I finished, I quietly flipped the pages over and started drawing again. My photographic memory was coming in at a good time right now, but who would believe me without actual proof? Not some scribbles on a paper, but with a detailed enough response and this? I knew I could get at least someone put behind bars.

I needed to get out of here, I needed to call the police.

Rico shot her fist into the nearly unconscious woman again, hitting her so hard that I felt it in my own face. It sounded like bone crushing, a nose breaking.

After the hit she turned around and paced back and forth for a second, breathing heavily as she caught a gun that was tossed by Crass. She lit a cigarette all at the same time and placed it between her lips, her knuckles heavily bruised and drenched in blood.

She tossed her head back to take a breath, switching spots with the girl next to Crass. Her wrist being lifted up to wipe across her forehead to rid the sweat collecting on her skin.

"You're wearing yourself out." Hobie finally says, chuckling in humor. The first time I actually saw him display another emotion other than sinister.

"You try beating someone twenty fucking times." Rico says back, taking her cigarette out of her mouth to speak before putting it back in mouth to take a long drag. Hobie tossed his head back to laugh, lifting his arms up in defense after leaning his guitar up against the counter he was previously sitting on.

I watched him hop off and move around to the woman, squatting down to her level before pushing her head back so it wasn't leaning forward, the fabric now out of her mouth to let the blood drip out of her mouth and onto her own lap. They were nice, they placed a towel beneath the chair so no one would have to clean up blood or know they were here; but still, they were fucking crazy.

"Do you think she really knows where the Inheritors are hiding out here?" Hobie questions, turning his head slightly to look over at Ozzy and Opium who just shrugged to his question without answering him.

"There is no doubt in my mind that they won't be coming to find her. That is Brix's twin sister." Opium finally says after taking a minute to ponder. "They probably had something to do with that item in your dressing room yesterday that freaked (Y/N) out." He adds out, causing me to snap my eyes in his direction.

"Whatever. Miles come check and make sure she isn't dead yet. Let's see how well you have been paying attention to your mom's nursing skills." Hobie grips the woman's hair so they are facing one another. Now that she isn't getting her face beaten in, I can finally get a good look at her and realize that was the woman on the news. The one Spider-Punk captured. But the question still remains.

Why did the Spider-Band have her?

The figure in the black and red suit, whose name I can finally put to him, rose and did as told while swatting Hobie away from the woman. He didn't need to put on any gloves, but he does so anyway whilst peeling the victims eyelids open. He examines them for a second, shaking his head.

"She isn't dead. Yet. Rico beat her pretty good and the fabric in her mouth almost caused her to choke on her own mouth, but it did prevent her from biting down on her tongue." He mumbles while examining her face. "She's barely conscious." Miles stands back up and walks over to a duffel bag of medical supplies, which I assumed belonged to his mother that was mentioned by Hobie.

I could see Rico clench her jaw and fist, standing up quickly while replacing whatever was in her mouth with the end of the pistol that the other female tossed to her. The woman seemed to regain whatever little consciousness she could with her wide eyes as Rico bent down to her level to look right into her eyes, Hobie holding the back of her neck.

"You got to the count of one barbie or these bullets are going to be tasting the back of your head." She muttered in rage, frustrated. "Where is your brother and the rest of your family? You freak of vampires are the reason my skin is going to break out."

Vampires?

I widened my eyes and couldn't comprehend what was causing all of them to be this hostile and aggressive towards them, what could this woman have done that made them act of character? Their lack of respect and care for her life had my eyes watering and reaching into my back pockets with both hands to grab my phone. In what felt like slow motion, turned into chaos when I realized reaching into the back pocket with both of my hands was the worst mistake ever. As my eyes dropped, I could only painfully watch my notebook slip out from my hands and drop to the floor in front of me.

My blood ran cold.

I turned my head to the exposed crack of the open, eyes widening when everyone was staring at me with either surprised expressions or anger, but nothing could top Hobie's expression who was seething in anger when we made eye contact.

I lost the oxygen in the room, my stomach exploding with sickness as I realized my biggest fuck up of the year. His eyes grew dark, body standing up straight as he realized what I witnessed, heard– what I now know.

I didn't know where to go, what to do. All I knew was when I heard the rustling sounds of the band trying to hold him back from busting through the door to give me a piece of mind, I needed to get out of there as fast as I could– pure panic started drowning me out. In one quick motion I bent down to grab my notebook and turned on my heels to run back the way I came from. I had no sense of direction in places I had never been and this venue was the biggest one I ever stepped foot in, I was hoping to find another person, anyone to run to for safety. He now knew what I saw him, the other band members and three other freaks in costumes do to that poor woman, and now I had no clue what he was going to do to me.

I was sure he was going to kill me next.

I could hear my heartbeat in my chest mix with the chiling echo of his heavy footsteps getting closer to me. He didn't yell my name or indicate any verbal signal to get me to stop fleeing–he was just silently stalking me.

It didn't sound like he was running, it sounded like he was walking–but even that was an understatement, it sounded like he was mostly floating. I was sprinting as fast as I could with no sense of direction yet his calm footsteps never left my eardrums, the fact he was taking his time made this all so much more scary. Like he knew I was going to hit a dead end soon. My terrors turned even worse when I turned my head while I was running and saw he was nowhere in sight, thus causing me to slow down my running to look around.

I knew he was close, I felt a strong presence of him nearby.

My foggy mind made me pick up the pace once more and run down a long hallway, the entrance was right there with the giant red exit glowing sign of safety. My unstable legs carried me as fast and as far as they could, I looked back once more before turning my head back to the doors before a piercing scream left my lips. My voice went silent, stopping at full force on my heels as I watched Hobie just casually lean against the locked doors like he was there the whole time.

"You–You were just behind me and now you are–are here, how is that possible?" I yelled out, turning my body to another door that was to the right of me and slammed my body into the steel door, harder than I expected but just enough so I knew I would get out anyway. But right as my hand reached the outside world, I was pulled back into the darkness with a large hand slamming the door in front of me.

The hand in front of me had just a little bit of blood covering his rings, his bracelets just barely covering what seemed to be a bite mark on his wrist. My body was shaking as I stared ahead of me and refused to look anywhere else, not when I could feel his calm breathing down my neck. He caught me and I was dead.

I tried to move out the door again but it didn't budge, I was terrified and if I didn't have a little bit of respect for myself I would've definitely pissed my pants by now.

He didn't say a word, just silence mixing with my stammering torrid breath. I was out of options at this point, the only thing I could do was turn myself around and flush against the wall next to the door. The thoughts that were running through my head were enough to cause terror in anyone who dared listen. My notebook and bag surprisingly seemed to stay intact, but my stomach on the other hand wasn't blessed enough for that.

For once, I wish he would say something.

His hand was still pressed to the door next to my head, I could sense it even with my eyes shut. His body wasn't touching mine, but that almost made me more on edge. I knew he was in close proximity, just staring down at my pathetic stance and scared body language. I was clueless of what he was going to do, I just wish if he was going to kill me he would do it already.

But if I listened closely, I could hear me mumbling something to himself under his breath.

"We have a problem now, Snips."

I shook my head, body shaking erratically with my mind fogged in fear. His words came out in a deep husky tone, grim like. I could feel his body heat radiating against my chest, his anger masking onto me as well. "N–No." I stammered out silently, gulping after the last syllable.

I heard him inhale sharply and then exhale a deep hum, a terrible noise. My chest rose and fell against my notebook that I brought up to my chest for comfortable.

"You just don't know how to stay out of my way, do you?" He whispers this time, his voice right by my ear.

I couldn't answer, I was in so much shock from this whole situation. Vampires, a woman almost dying, more costume freaked people, money, drugs and booze? My mind was trying very hard to understand this all, it was.

His hand found my chin like deja vu all over again and the tears were now beginning to fall down my cheeks that were puffed out from how roughly he was gripping them. Eyes wide like a deer in headlights staring up at him.

"I hate when I ask a question and I don't get an answer, I'm a very impatient man." I could hear the threat in his voice. "Do you really want to make this worse than it already is for you?"

I shook my head, trying hard to breathe in this new position I was in.

"Then answer."

I blinked back my teary eyed emotion, trying to see him through it all. I met his dark eyes that burned into mine, the dried blood from the woman laid almost perfectly on his dark skin.

"Oh, baby girl. Why are you crying for me?" He says in a fake pout that was fueled with nothing but animosity, his fist reached up and tucked my sweaty hair behind my ear.

I flinched at his touch, shaking my head and keeping my mouth shut.

"You are scared of me." He stated more than asking.

I pinched my eyes shut and tried my hardest to shake my head no, parting my lips to breath the best I could. Even after he release my chin I still couldn't get over that feeling of being suffocated by him. I was holding onto that day at the party, that night at his ma's restaurant, the night we hailed all sorts of cabs to get there; it was all a waste.

"I promise I–I didn't see anything." I squeaked out a lie from my erratic mind, trying to do anything to get myself out of this.

"Oh, but I know you did Snips." He started to shift his weight on the left side of his body, his body now standing up and away from my ear. "Or you wouldn't be crying and shaking."

"Please.." I pleaded. "I promise I won't t–tell anyone about the vampires or the money, the drugs or Rico beating that poor woman." I barely made a noise, but I did say almost too much.

Hobie suddenly slammed his fist right above my head, watching as he moved away from me and paced. I knew he wouldn't hit a woman, Hobie just couldn't but it looked like it took everything in him to not hurt me.

"You don't know what you saw, Snips." He said very calmly but I wasn't anywhere near done being scared. "Right?"

I nodded, trying to get out of there as quickly as I could. I just hoped he didn't take that gun Rico was using for this interrogation.

He looks down at the notebook that is clenched tightly in my hands before yanking it out of my hands, flipping through the pages before I have time to even process he gets to the last pages with a chuckle. "You have some talent baby, didn't think you could sketch this out so fast in that little bit of time." He compliments me. He pulls out the pencil I used from his back pocket, flipping it over before he starts erasing certain parts of the drawing until he decides to rip it out. "I wouldn't have known you drew anything if you would've just kept your stuff in your bag, you just almost got away with it."

I actually wish he was screaming at me rather than trying to have a normal conversation with me like everything was fine, only because everything wasn't okay.

He slams the notebook shut, turns me around to zip my bag down and places the two items in my bag, zips it up and turns me back around.

His hands slam to the wall next to me again, making me yelp in startle while he traps me in between his arms. My back was pressed against the wall again, his jaw was trying very hard to not clench but I knew he was failing miserably as his eyes were nothing short of darkness. I breathed heavily, his caramel eyes examining my face.

"I don't like sneaky people." He mumbles, looking at my lips before dragging them up to my irises. "And do you know what I do when I catch them?"

I shook my head once, fists clenching by my side.

"I let Rico kill them."

The gun that I was afraid to be here or not suddenly made an appearance, I could feel the cold barrel drag across my temple and slowly down my cheeks. Tip toeing over my lips.

"Open." He whispers.

I knew better than to test his patience or go against his words. So I inhaled and exhaled sharply through my nose, slowly feeling the barrel rest on the roof of my tongue.

"Close."  He whispers once more, his grip still on the handle and his other glued to the wall.

I did as told and shut my mouth.

"Open your eyes."

I did that as well.

He leans in, making me turn my head to the side so our noses don't touch. His forehead rests on my temple before he presses a chaste kiss where the gun originally was at first before it ended up in my mouth. A husky exhale sent a shiver down my back, it took everything in me to not shut my eyes and cry.

"Snips.."

My body clenched even more, that nickname hung over my head like a dark and gloomy cloud that was haunting me for eternity now. He kept a distance between the two of us, his foot kicking open the door as he pulled over my jaw and took the gun out.

"Run."