The temperature inside the court room was freezing.

The A/C felt like it was on thirty. It was so cold in here I was sitting here shivering.

Or maybe it wasn't the cold that had me shaking in my seat on the wooden bench.

It could very well be the fact that the man who had caused me so much pain, so much grief, and so much heartache in such a short amount of time was finally being sentenced today.

A day I never thought I'd see.

Not that long ago I wasn't even sure if I was going to live and now, well now I was going to see the man who was the cause of it all locked away.

And after everything, he most definitely had it coming.

2 Weeks Ago

Waking up in a hospital was not my favorite pastime and yet this was already the second time it had happened and the reason behind it all was the same.

Glancing down I wasn't surprised to see the various tubes connected to my arms that led to IVs, nor the bandages I could both see and feel covering various parts of my body.

Reaching up slowly, I brought the tips of my fingers to my cheek and instantly winced.

There was no doubt I looked as bad as I felt.

"Honey you're awake."

I turned my head to the side where my mom, who had obviously been sleeping, was now getting up from her spot in what had to be the world's most uncomfortable looking chair.

How did she get any sleep in that?

My mother rushed over to me and lifted her hands like she wanted to touch me but instantly thought better of it as she looked me over and silently dropped her hands to her side.

I must've really looked bad.

I reached out and grabbed one of her hands.

"It's okay. I'm not going to fall apart if you touch me." I attempted a weak smile, but even that small movement brought on almost unbearable amounts of pain.

Seeing my wince, my mom's eyes instantly filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry baby." She whispered as silent tears began to fall.

My heart clenched at the sight.

"Mom, none of this is your fault."

She shook her head, bringing her hand to her mouth to muffle her sob.

"It is. I let you go on that trip against my better judgement. I knew something bad was going to happen. I felt it the moment you got on the plane."

I shook my head.

"There's no way you could've known what was going to happen."

"Maybe not exactly, but you're my baby girl. I know when there's something wrong when it concerns you."

"Mom." My own voice was wavering and I could feel the tell tale sting behind my eyes.

"And I ignored it." She continued, even more tears leaving a trail down her cheeks now.

"I ignored it and look what happened to you."

"I let my daughter be put in a situation where she had to fight for her life and have had to watch you be brought to a hospital beaten and broken twice." She couldn't control the sob that escaped this time as she covered her face with her hands.

"And this time it was so much worse." She pulled her hands away to look me straight in the eyes.

"Gemma, we didn't know if you were going to wake up. You were unconscious for three days."

Three days?!

That couldn't be right.

The last thing I remembered was being put on the stretcher once the police had reached me and Archer-

Archer!

"Mom where's Archer? Is he okay?"

The look on her face made my heart drop.

"Mom?"

She shook her head silently, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Sweetie I'm sorry. He... he hasn't woken up."

My increased heart beat could be heard on the heart rate monitor in the room.

I shook my head.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Only family has been allowed in the room with him, but your father spoke to his parents and they said the doctors told them they did all they could."

No.

That couldn't be true. Archer had to be alright. He had to be.

"Honey he lost a lot of blood. They said it's a miracle that he's even still breathing."

"I have to see him." I began pulling the tubes from my arms and swung my legs over the side of the bed ignoring the pain that raced up my rib cage. "I have to-"

My mom placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Gemma you can't. You're in no condition to be walking around and even if you were, remember I said they're only letting family in to see him."

"I am his family."

Those doctors had another thing coming if they thought they could keep me from seeing him.

I pulled the last tube from my arm and shakily got to my feet.

As it turns out, I didn't have to worry about the doctors trying to stop me from seeing Archer because my legs did the job for them.

The moment I was on my feet my legs instantly gave out and I collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Gemma!"

My mom was by my side in an instant.

"Are you okay?" She asked trying to help me back in the bed, but I wasn't having it.

I wasn't getting back in any bed until I saw Archer.

"Mom I have-"

Just then the door to my hospital room opened and I looked up to see my dad standing in the doorway, a shocked look quickly masking the grim one that had been on his face once he saw that I was awake.

"What is it?" My mom asked, clearly having seen the look on his face as well but I knew before my dad even opened his mouth that it was about Archer.

My dad looked at me, a sad look now in his eyes.

"It's Archer. I just spoke to Janet and Michael. He's slipped into a coma."

Present

Maybe I lied before. Maybe it wasn't the cold or the fact that the man I despised was finally being brought to justice that was making me shiver.

It was the fact that Archer was still in a coma and not sitting here next to me to watch it all happen.

Where he should've been.

Instead, I was accompanied by my parents who really hadn't left my side since I woke up in the hospital.

And if for whatever reason my parents couldn't be right by side, which wasn't often, Megan was there, as always being my rock.

Once I was allowed to leave the hospital, I outright refused to actually do so. I didn't want to leave Archer.

Not if, but when Archer woke up, I wanted to be there.

It was going on day number three and not even my parents could convince me to leave the spot right outside his room when Megan came marching down the hallway and came to a stop right in front of me with her hands on her hips.

"You look like shit and you stink. We're going home. Do you want to give him a heart attack when he wakes up?"

And just like that, Megan took me from the hospital.

It was during those brief moments when I was with Megan, because I did end up going back to the hospital after showering and being forced to eat and sleep for a few hours, that she explained to me what had happened with her and the others.

Once she woke up, she found that she and the others had all been left in another of the storage rooms that held a bunch of bedding in the basement.

Immediately after the others woke up and realized that both Archer and I were missing Megan was the first to suggest they go looking for us, and that's what they would've done but Avery kindly reminded everyone of two things. One, they had no clue where to even begin looking and two, they could barely even save themselves.

This led to a big argument between Megan and Avery where Megan claimed she was two seconds away from "Punching her in her stupid boob implants."

Her words, not mine.

Eventually Cade stepped in and convinced Megan and the others that while they all did want to go looking for us, Avery did have a point. The chances of finding us would be better if they actually got out and found some help instead of mindlessly wandering around down there, especially given the fact that they didn't know exactly who they were up against.

It was this decision that saved all of their lives.

So, in a way I guess I had Avery to thank for saving my best friend's and everyone else's life. A fact that I was sure Avery was never going to let me forget.

After getting everyone to agree, they all went out in search of a way out.

It was only by sheer luck, that Dawn tripped over the edge of a rolled up shag carpet that upon further inspection was apart of a set of many, as well as a few housekeeping carts, that were strategically placed in a way that you wouldn't notice the door that led to the stairs that lay behind it.

The only way you would've noticed it is if you knew where to look to begin with or in Dawn's case, by being clumsy.

After discovering the stairs, they made quick work of clearing the rugs and carts before they all made their way up and outside.

According to Megan they had only taken a few steps when the basement and bottom floor exploded.

Luckily for them, the group only suffered minor cuts and bruises from the impact of the explosion but others weren't so lucky. Most of those in the lobby and the first floor of the hotel during the explosion lost their lives. Those on the floors above were able to be safely rescued by the police and fire department.

It was hard to believe that all that death and destruction was caused by a single person, that same person who was now sitting a mere few feet ahead of me ready to be sentenced.

It had taken weeks but all the evidence had been presented and witness and victim statements, mainly my own since Archer couldn't be here, had been given. Going up in front of the entire court room and having to relive every grueling detail of what Dox had done to me was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

And the sick part?

The entire time I was recounting what had happened he sat there, smiling at me, as if he too were reliving it and cherishing it.

I'd never hated and completely loathed another human being the way I did him.

All that was really left now was to see Dox punished for everything he'd done and if he never saw the light of day again I'd be content.

The closing remarks had been made and now it was the jury and judge's turn to determine his fate.

An older man who looked to be in his mid to late fifties, with thinning hair stood to his feet to address the judge.

The judge, who was an older woman with a sharp haircut, looked down at the man from her bench.

"On the count of kidnapping how does the jury find the defendant?"

The man wasted no time.

"On the count of kidnapping we the jury find the defendant guilty."

It went on like this for a while, the judge listing all of his crimes each one worse than the last and the jury finding him guilty for each and every one of them.

It wasn't until they got to his very last crime that my stomach turned to knots.

Above all else, this is what I wanted him to pay for the most.

From my right, I felt my mother squeeze my hand.

"On the count of first degree murder how does the jury find the defendant?"

"On seven counts of first degree murder, we the jury find the defendant guilty on all counts."

The sick bastard had killed more people than I realized, but as those words left the juror's mouth it felt like a giant weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Somewhere behind me I heard a cry of relief and turned my head to see an elderly woman crying into a younger man's shoulder.

She was one of the victim's family members, and just like me she was here to see the man who had obviously taken someone dear to her brought to justice.

At the sound of the judge's voice I turned back around as she addressed the court room.

"Found guilty on all accounts that he has been accused of and as the defendant has shown no hint of remorse for his heinous crimes and the lives he's both stolen and destroyed, I hereby sentence the defendant, John Murphy O'Brian to life with no parole."

The sound of the gavel hitting the wooden block echoed around the court room.

Everything was a blur after that.

The only thing I really paid attention to was the fact that as Dox (I was never going to be able to think of him a John O'Brian) was being led away by two police officers and right before he disappeared behind the door towards the back of the court room, he looked over his shoulder, his eyes making direct contact with mine, and winked.

***

The constant beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound that punctured the otherwise overbearing silence in the hospital room.

It was also the only sound that let me know that Archer was still alive.

As I glanced down at his still face, I could almost pretend that he was only sleeping and any minute now he'd wake up and bless me with that ever present smirk and some corny joke.

Almost.

I could almost pretend that, but the reality was that I knew he wasn't just sleeping.

His face was too still.

After the sentencing, I immediately made my way back to hospital to check on Archer's progress, or lack there of.

I sighed heavily before I glanced around the hospital room that had become as familiar to me as my own bedroom by now.

Archer's parents who diligently visited the hospital everyday after work to sit by their son's bedside, had stepped out and kindly given me some time alone with Archer even after I had assured them several times they didn't have to.

I looked down at Archer's hand that I gently clasped in my own, trying to ignore how still it felt, before speaking.

"It's finally over." I began quietly.

"He's going to be locked away for life with no chance of getting out. He's going to pay for everything he's done until the day he dies in there. We can finally live our lives without looking over our shoulders now. So-"

The unexpected sting behind my eyes and the lump in my throat kept me from continuing.

I let out a small sob and leaned my head against our clasped hands.

"So, please just wake up now." I pleaded in a broken whisper.

I'd pleaded for him to wake up every time I visited and just like every other time, this time too my pleas were met with silence.

After sitting there for a while longer I decided to let his parents know they could come back in the room and sit with him as long as they could before work called them both back in.

In the meantime I decided I'd go and get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria because while I was exhausted, there was only so much sleep one could get in those uncomfortable chairs they provided in the hospital room, so I'd rather just stay awake as long as my body allowed.

Three hours had passed and I had just bid Archer's parents goodbye before I took up my spot by his bed side again.

Despite the coffee I found the exhaustion winning out and before I knew it my body was slumped over with my head laying on the edge of Archer's bed, his hand once again clasped in my own before my eyes shut and exhaustion took over completely.

By the time I woke again it was completely dark outside letting me know just how much time had passed.

I had been asleep long enough that my throat was dry and my tongue felt like I had just spent a week in the Sahara.

I slowly stood stretching my limbs and letting out a small groan as my body protested from the awkward position I had slept in, before making my way out of the room and traveling the short distance down the hall to the small water cooler.

After inhaling the water for the third time from those ridiculously small cups they provided, I filled it for a fourth and final time before heading back to the room, tiny cup in hand.

I had just pushed the door open and taken a few steps into the room when the cup fell from my now limp hand and hit the ground, the small amount of water it held spreading across the floor.

I could hear my heartbeat that thumped rapidly against my rib cage and blood rushing through my veins in my ears as if it was hooked up to a speaker.

Despite the three cups of water I had just downed, my mouth was suddenly dry again.

Green eyes stared back at my own and the faintest hint of a smirk was barely gracing those lips I had come to know like the back of my hand, but it was there.

He was there.

And then he spoke, his voice hoarse from not being used for so long, his voice that I had been dying to hear for so long and was afraid I may never hear again, filled the room.

"Guess we're back to you not blinking at me again huh?"

***

Aaaand there we have it!!! It's been a LONG time coming but we're finally at the end of A Deadly Trip.

Bring out the tissues!

I just wanted to thank every single one of you who stuck with me through this journey. I know it took a lot longer than you expected so thank you for being patient and seeing it through to the end with me. It means so so much. With so much going on there were so many times where I honestly just wanted to give up on the story but you guys sent me so many encouraging messages that there was no way I'd leave you all hanging like that :)

Even though I've since updated the cover again, I still also wanted to thank all of you that sent me those awesome covers for this story a while back. You guys are honestly so talented, and my pathetic excuse for a cover should have never seen the light of day lol!

So without further ado, a special thanks to:

@Abecanieyo (the original winner of the contest and whose cover I used for the longest time because it was simply AMAZING ❤️) @HannahRoseJ16 @phoenix111warrior @xxmaryamxxo @Blessy_Stark @lonely_cheesecake @emmachristineguild @BOOK54L1F3 @mia_sirinsky @MerlinMichelleDsouza @xamethystvixen_x @Jooniefics @xnaz15 @crj72107 @Lord_Montgomery @Summer_Shinnn @NIBlack9

I tried to keep track of everyone that sent me a cover but if I happened to miss anyone by mistake please let me know and I'll gladly add you to the list.

Alright guys and girls, that's it for ADT but please stay tuned if you haven't already heard, for my new story THEM another horror/thriller story that I hope you all will enjoy. As I mentioned before, several chapters are already up (although it's been put on a TEMPORARY PAUSE) and I will continue to post updates for it soon.

I have also started another story, Fading To Embers, a dark romance and the reason that THEM is on pause right now lol. If you're interested please head on over to my profile and check it out.

And a special thanks to @System48 for going out of their way to share with me some music that they made for the first couple of chapters of my book THEM.

The next time we "meet" I hope it'll be in the comments section of my other books ;)

Until then Love you guys, ~JaeJae