“I said drop the knife Faith!” Holly ordered once again, pressing the blade a little harder on Jace’s throat. I could see the pain in his face, which he tried to hide by clenching his jaw.

“I’ll drop mine if you drop yours.” I countered, gripping the knife in my hand a little tighter. I could feel my stomach flipping as I saw just how easy it would be for her to slide the knife across his neck, and that would be it for him. The idea of that happening made me almost sick.

“No can do, and if I were you I’d just follow the order. I’m the one holding the power right now honey.” She gestured towards the knife in her hand, again putting pressure on it to make Jace noticeably wince from the pain.

I hesitated for a minute, the silence around the club echoing around us. I looked around to find any type of next move I could make, and once I realised I was all out of idea’s I glared back at Holly, throwing the knife on the floor causing it to make a loud clang.

“Wasn’t so hard was it?” She asks, humour lining her voice slightly.

My death glares pierced into her “Let him go Holly.”

She furred her brows looking at me like I was stupid “Seriously? After all these years and your still pining after this asshole?” she almost screamed at me, pulling the knife away from his throat to point at him by pressing the tip in his cheek. I flinched.

“Just let him go Holly.” I repeat, not wanting to answer that question. I was not ‘pining’ after Jace, but I still could not quite figure out why my stomach was lurching as the image of Holly plunging the knife into his face flashed through my mind. I mean, he was just a civilian who I had a little history with, that’s all. I had been ordered to protect him, that’s all.

Keep telling yourself that.

She shook her head in disbelief “You should be cheering me on as I slit his throat Faith! After everything he has put you through and your now trying to save his life?!”

“Shut the fuck up Holly, you have no idea what you’re talking about!” Jace snaps at her, his eyes glazed over in fury at her words. He didn’t look scared that she could quite easily end him there and then; he just looked pissed that she was bringing up the past. She pressed her lips together and yanks his hair back slightly, exposing his neck further and pressing the blade onto it again.

She lowered her mouth next to his ear “So you didn’t treat her like shit Jace?” Holly asks, her voice low and patronising. Jace doesn’t reply but his jaw muscles are flexing noticeably “You didn’t cheat on her and break her heart, and then go on to make her your ‘bit on the side’ while you dated the girl you cheated on her with?” She asks rhetorically, because everyone here knew the answer to this question.

I swallow hard, ignoring the stinging her words caused “I’m a big believer of forgiving and forgetting.”

Holly laughs without any humour in her tone “I know you too well Faith, you haven’t forgiven or forgotten. You’re just blinded by this idiot, you always were. He was your weak spot back then, and clearly things have not changed now.”

I remain calm even though her words have once again hit the spot. She wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true, Jace was a weakness. Back at the hospital I got jumped from behind because I was too busy worrying and making sure he was okay, even tonight I was too busy making out with him to spot my estranged dealer best friend sat in the corner of the bar.

Jace and I were talking about vulnerability less than half an hour ago, and as it turns out he’s mine.

Judging by the look on Jace’s face, I could see she was pressing his buttons too. His fists were clenched by his side and if it wasn’t for the knife at his throat he would have clearly swung for her by now. I also spotted the unmistakable flash of regret through his eyes.

I cocked my head and stared at Holly, not believing that the carefree, laughing lovely best friend of mine was now holding a knife up to the boy we have known for years. Her eyes were cold, and she was exactly like every single dealer I have taken out so far. I couldn’t believe this was the girl who I thought of as family, as my sister.

“What happened to you?” the words stumble out of my mouth before I could stop them.

She was clearly taken back by my words, and for a split second I saw the vulnerability in her eyes before she expertly covers it again “I could say the same about you honey.”

I shook my head “No, the difference between us is that I kill the criminals whereas you are the criminal...how did you become one of them?”

Memories of how she came into this life clearly flashed through her mind and I could see the pain in them “As I said, unfortunate circumstances.”

“People have shit happen to them all the time Holly, not everyone turns to selling drugs and killing innocent people.”

“They do when they have no other choice.” The words were a murmur, the pain clear in her eyes “When you disappeared Faith I was on my own. Dylan and Chelsea had each other...” she pointed at Jace with the tip of the knife “...he resorted to fucking anything that moved and hanging out with delinquents who drank their life away in order to forget, and I had no one.”

I flinch as I hear her words, realising that I had a big part to play in the downfall of her life.

“Whenever I needed someone I always turned to you Faith, but when I needed someone then you weren’t there. I had no one. My best friend was gone, and I had to forget.” She clenched her teeth as she continues “I resorted to shooting up in crappy dens with mould on the walls older than I was just to forget. And it worked for a while; my life spiralled downhill just so I could forget that I had no one, that the girl I considered my sister was dead!” Her voice was almost frantic as she explained, she took a few deep breaths before speaking slower “Then about a year ago the boss found me, offered me a solution to get out of the hellhole life I was leading. I didn’t want to waste my life anymore, so I agreed and now I get to do a job that I love while making some serious cash by selling gear on the side. The boss saved my life. He gave me a second chance.”

I grimaced at how highly she spoke of the drug lord, how much respect she used when she said the word boss. So that’s how she got out of her old life? He offered her a get out card that involved being an upstanding citizen as well as making some serious money on the side. I could see the appeal of it, but the killing innocent people which the dealers have clearly been trained in still made me want to throw up. Fair enough I was not exactly warm hearted and I would kill someone just to get the job done, but that was to get the job done.

Then it hit me. I was no different to Holly; apart from I killed the criminal, while she was the criminal. From the sound of her voice and the look on her face, I could see the regret as well. She clearly did not want to be in this life, just as I didn’t want to be in mine, but she had no choice.

“Get out Holly...” My voice came out almost a whisper as my thoughts flashed through my mind. The look of disbelief flashed across her face, as well as Jace and Chris’s. “...put the knife down and get out of this life. I’m giving you a second chance.”

She opened and closed her mouth in shock, the fact that I was giving her a second chance instead of killing her not registering properly in her head. I could see she was considering it, I could see how much she longed to follow up on my offer and turn her back on it. She didn’t want to do this.

She closed her mouth and I could see she had made her decision.

“I can’t.” She almost choked out “I have no choice. He saved me.”

I scrunched my eyes shut and ran a hand through my hair “He did not fucking save you, he is using you in order to make money! You’re nothing but a mule to him!”

Hurt flashed through her eyes, before anger replaced it. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I let out a scream of frustration “Yes I do! I am an expert in bosses who use you for their own personal gain, I would introduce you to my boss one day then we can exchange stories!” I almost scream at her, and Chris lets out a snort of laughter which tells me he agrees as I talk about Ed “He doesn’t give a shit if you live or die!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” she screams, her eyes watering slightly as she pressed the knife as a warning on Jace’s throat again. “Shut your mouth before I shut it for you!”

I glared at her, the realisation that she was not going to walk away from her precious boss hitting me and realising I had no choice. She was so strung up on the idea that this man cared about her, she refused to see the truth. 3 years of being an agent and I have never offered anyone a second chance. She wasn’t taking it, which left me one more option.

“I’ve had enough of talking. Let him go and let’s finish this.” The words hurt to get out, knowing I was just about to kill my best friend, or possibly be killed by my best friend.

She was a little taken back by the bluntness, before she too realised there was no other choice. She went to move her arm and slide the knife across Jace’s throat, but I stopped her quickly.

“Let him go, this is between me and you!” I almost screamed out before she slit his throat. She froze and debated on it for a while. After a few minutes, she pushes Jace forcefully out of her way and towards Chris. Jace steps towards her again, obviously the urge to punch her in the face was getting the better of him, but Chris quickly grabs his arm and pulls him back.

I turn my head to both of them, my eyes cold as I stare between them “Stay out of this. It’s between us two.” I warn both of them, realising I did not want either of them to interfere. This was something we had to do.

I didn’t even wait for a response as I turned back to Holly who had stepped closer to me, the tears still at her eyes but the iciness of her expression stinging into me.

“Sorry it had to end this way honey.” She attempted to make her words sarcastic, but I could hear the sincerity in them.

I give her a tight smile as we share an understanding look “Not as sorry as I am.”

I lunge forward instantly hitting my arm across her face. I go to hit her again but she quickly ducks and swings her arm around with the knife still in her hand. I jump back and narrowly miss the blade touching my stomach, then duck a few more of her attempts to swing the knife at me. As she rocks her arm around once more, I grab her wrist and twist it, elbowing her in the upper arm causing her to drop the knife in her hand as she screams out in pain.

She escapes my grasp and grabs the halter neck in my dress, swinging me around with surprising force and almost throwing me across the dance floor and I hit my back hard on the edges of one of the podiums. She steps up to me as I have my back pinned, sending a punch to my stomach that knocks the air out of me. I knee her in the stomach as I rest my arms on the podium behind me and lift myself up, kicking her in the face as I raise my legs over my head and roll backwards onto the podium behind me, getting to my feet instantly.

Holly quickly recovers and glares up at me, holding her nose which was pouring out with blood. She lunges forward, pulling herself onto the podium as well.

“I know you’ve gotten confident in the last few years Faith, but pole dancing is still a little extreme don’t you think?” She smirked sarcastically, gesturing towards the pole that was next to me.

I smirked back, ignoring that this was Holly and just concentrating on the fact she was the target “Well what can I say, I’m feeling a little reckless tonight.”

Her smirk widens, but I can see the pain flash in her eyes as she swings her fist out again which I dodge. We swing at each other a few more times, both getting a few hits in. I grip the metal pole next to me and using it I lift myself up on it, sending my heeled foot into Holly’s face sending a loud crack echoing across the room from the bone in her nose breaking.

As she nurses her nose, I land back on my feet with ease as I glance around the room and see the 20 something clubbers staring at us like we were some show, a few of them looking shocked while a few actually look entertained. I then drift my eyes to Jace and Chris, who were both stood there staring on at the girl fight and I could see both of them twitching to get in on the action and help out. From the warning glare I shoot them, I knew neither of them would. This was something I had to do.

Holly moved so fast I didn’t even see her coming, as she grips hold of my hair and pulls my face down connecting it with her knee. The pain shoots through my face in an instant, but I grit my teeth to stop the scream of agony as I can taste the blood that is now trickling from my own nose. She lifts my head up forcefully by my hair and head butts me, twisting me and throwing me off the podium. I land on the dance floor hard, the air completely knocked out of me from the fall.

I heard her jump off the podium, my eyesight blurry from the tears of pain in my eyes. I look up slightly to see her walk towards me, the knife that was knocked out of her hand back in her possession. I quickly scramble to get up, but she is straddling my hips before I could get to my feet.

Chris and Jace move forward to come to my rescue, but before they get too close Holly presses the knife to my cheek.

“No, no boys. Step any closer and I’ll carve my name in her face.” She warns them, her tone toxic.

They both stop in their tracks, the look of panic in both their eyes.

“Holly don’t do this, she’s you best friend!” Jace pleads, the alarm clear in his voice.

From my blurry vision, I can still see the flash of pain through her eyes at his words. “I have no choice!” she replies through gritted teeth.

I take this as my opportunity and send my hand up to connect with her chin, using her distraction to flip her over and take the knife from her hand so it was me now pressing the blade to her face.

“Neither do I.” The words are strained as I look down at my best friend. I can feel the stinging in my eyes as I prepare to take her life.

I don’t know if it was irritation I felt or relief when someone’s voice stopped me.

“Now that was one hell of a show.” The voice of a man comes from behind the bar, and everyone’s heads snap to him.

The drug lord. The unfamiliar man who I had seen talking to Holly was now stood behind the bar, a sly smirk on his face as he looked over at the scene in front of him. His eyes connected with mine, and I grip the knife in my hand a little tighter as the urge to carve his eyes out with it overwhelms me.

“Nice of you to finally show up.” I almost hiss at him.

“I figured it was time to intervene. But don’t worry, I caught the whole show.” He grinned “You can really throw some punches.”

“Come out from behind the bar and I’ll show you first hand just how good I can throw punches.” My voice was venomous as I looked at the bastard.

He looked amused “You agents are all so angry.”

I kept my grip on Holly tight, not making the mistake she did of letting my guard down. The knife was still pressed to her face but my eyes were glued to the man behind the bar. This was Holly’s ‘saviour’?

“Now...Faith is it?” he asks, his tone patronisingly polite “I think you should let Holly go now.”

I wanted to, boy how I wanted to let her go and not have to do this.

“Not going to happen.”

He grinned as he reached down and picked up something from the floor of the bar. My stomach dropped as I saw the bottle of vodka in his hand, the cloth Chris had stuffed in there earlier to use as a backup if things went bad still stuck out. I glance at Chris, whose expression was mirroring mine.

The guy we recognised as the drug lord took out a small lighter from his trouser pocket, flicking it until the flame dances centimetres away from the cloth. He looks back up at me smiling mockingly “Oh, I think it is going to happen.”

I grit my teeth together, before I forcefully push myself to my feet and step back from Holly realising I had no choice but to follow his requests, or we were all going to burn. Holly quickly got to her feet, her eyes burning into me as she walked backwards until she was by her precious boss.

He orders Holly pick up the other 3 bottles Chris had set up when we were behind the bar, and she places them on the bar in front of her. The drug dick looks back at us with a polite but evil smile on his lips.

“Was lovely meeting you all, but I think it’s time we went our separate ways.” He says, before he lights the cloth of the vodka bottle in his hand and throws it across the room. I dive out of the way and in an instant the podium Holly and I were fighting on goes up in flames. He lights the rest of the bottles, throwing them across the club and in front of the bar so there was no chance of us following them due to the barrier of flames.

The anger boiling inside me didn’t make me see sense however, and I walked towards the bar before I was hastily grabbed by the waist and yanked back “Let me go!”

“Don’t be stupid Faith.” Jace’s voice is in my ear, and using impressive force he drags me back.

“Their getting away, let me go so I can end this!”

“Not a chance in hell am I letting you die.” His tone was firm, and I knew it all too well. He had made his mind up.

“Faith, we will get them next time. We gotta get these people out of here!” Chris yells over to me, before rushing to the crowds of clubbers and ordering for them to follow him through the maze of flames, guiding them to the exit.

My eyes burn into the fire that is standing in the way of me and my best friend. The drug lord grabs her arm and drags her towards a back door, but before she is completely out of sight her eyes connect with mine through the fire.

The regret blazing in her eyes is almost as strong as the flames.

After a few seconds, she turns and her and her boss are out of sight.

I scream in anger, pulling myself out of Jace’s grasp.

They had gotten away.

“Faith, we need to get out of here this place is about to blow.” Jace yells frantically, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards where Chris has led the party goers. I knew Chris and the clubbers were out of the club now, and the flames were dancing dangerously close to the bar where the alcohol was. Once the flames touched the alcohol, this place would blow up like the 4th of July. With us in it.

Unfortunately, the anger pulsating through my body didn’t take this into account and I turn to Jace with fury glazing my eyes. The flames and smoke around me didn’t even register as I pushed him hard.

“Why the hell did you hold me back!” I scream at him, the sounds of the building collapsing surrounding us “I could have ended this!”

“Faith this is not the time, yell at me when we get out of here.” He replies impatiently, one of the ceiling lights collapsing onto the ground a few feet from where we were. I didn’t even flinch.

“You could have just let me go!”

His furious eyes snap to me “I was not going to let you walk into an open flame to die!”

I grit my teeth and push him forcefully again “Why do you even give a shit Jace, you didn’t care about me then why the hell should you start now!”

The anger in his face almost matches mine at my outburst “You think I didn’t care about you?”

Both of us were oblivious to the building burning around us and were too entranced with our argument.

“I know you didn’t care about me!”

His jaw muscles flex, and the fire by one of the podiums next to us roars as another ceiling light falls to the ground. Neither of us flinches and his eyes are boring into me with determination.

He steps forward in a second and his lips connect with mine, his hand cupping the side of my face as his lips move possessively over mine. The shock of his action runs through my body, but pretty soon my mouth was moving against his. I could vaguely hear a few glasses shattering as the flames spread over the bar, but neither of us cared enough to break apart.

I could feel my skin burning, and it definitely had nothing to do with the blazing fire around us. His lips were eager, aggressive and passionate and they seemed to be doing all the talking that he couldn’t.

He pulled away after a while, his eyes looking into mine while his face was emotionless “I was never good with words Faith.” He states, his eyes were passionate as he leaned his face in closer and he murmurs against my lips “I have always cared about you. This is the only way I know how to show it.”

I gulp as the emotions for him fill my body, all the anger from a few minutes ago wash away as I stare at his sincere face, and in that moment all I could see was him.

I lean my face in and kiss him again, responding to his words the only way I felt I could right now.

The sound of half of the ceiling collapsing brought us out of the trance.

Oh yeah, the buildings on fire.

Our heads snap apart as we look at our surroundings, and we were both back to the real world by now. His hand grips my wrist as he pulls me towards the exit.

“We need to go now.” He almost orders as we both run to the door, ducking the flames and bits of building that were collapsing around us.

We reach the doors and run through them, and that is when the flames must have reached the bar because the sound of the explosion behind us almost deafened me.

The force of the explosion pushes us forward as we run out and both of us are forced to the pavement of the streets by the blast. My knees grazed across the concrete as I land on my stomach, and I could feel Jace place his body over mine to shelter me from the blast, as well as attempting to shield himself by covering his arms over his head.

After the explosion, he moves his body weight off me and I roll onto my back, sitting up as I stare at the building burning down in front of me, my body aching from the pain of my fight with Holly, as well as the landing onto the concrete. It was nothing bad that it would put me out of action; the bruising was going to sting like a bitch though.

I look over to see the clubbers Chris had led to safety all stood staring at the burning building in awe. Chris was stood a few feet away from them, looking relieved when he spotted me and Jace safe on the ground. He pulls out his phone and I’m guessing he rings Drake to let him know we are alive, and probably asking for him to come and pick us up. I knew Drake too well, he would have taken the car and driven a few blocks away instead of following my order and taking Connor home.

Drake may be cold hearted, but he was loyal to his friends. After all, we were all he had.

Jace groans in pain next to me as he sits up holding his head. His face was covered in black from the smoke and I could see a few cuts on his face from the bad landing. I could also see how frazzled and burnt his top was from where he shielded me from the blast. My heart warmed at his action, and I felt a little guilty that he took the worst of it.

He looks up at me, still groaning but a sly smile appears on his lips as he looks at me, flashes of the kiss back in the club obviously playing in his mind. His eyes then drift down as he stares at me, and humour lines his face before he meets my eyes.

“Your dress is fucked.” He informs me, a smile tugging at his lips.

I look down and see the pure white dress I wore earlier was covered in ash and blood. There were rips all over it which exposed a little too much skin on my stomach at the tops of my legs. I curse as I look over the damage. I actually liked this dress.

I turn back to Jace, who was still finding my dress being destroyed pretty amusing.

“Look on the bright side...” I begin, lifting my legs up and pointing my toe out, a proud smile on my face “...I managed to do all of that in heels.”



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