We were laughing at the twin's antics in the living room when Jasmine and Erik barged into the room.

"We need to leave," Erik barked. "Get to the panic room. The FBI just came through the gate. Jasmine, help get the girls to safety. I need to make sure everything is fried." Erik ran to another part of the house as Jasmine ushered us out, calling for John.

The twins' happy demeanor vanished, showing a manic glow I hadn't seen before. Julian took out one of his knives and Josh picked Maria up bridal-style so we could move quickly.

Fear gripped my heart as we heard a loud boom. The hallway shook from the impact. I barely muffled my scream.

"They blew their way in. Out the door!" Julian shouted.

"Wait! John's in the other room. Take Maria and Rosie, they're priority. Go!" Jasmine ordered and ran down the hall.

Julian cursed as he looked at us.

"I'll hold them off long enough so you have a head start."

Josh didn't hesitate as he took Maria and me away.

"Wait! We can't leave him!" Maria argued over the chaos.

"I trust my twin to know what he's doing. We need all the time we can get. We are a mile away. Less arguing, more moving, ma'am!" Josh encouraged me as we made it outside.

Suddenly the electrical wires shorted out everywhere, causing a fire. The staff flooded out of the emergency exits.

"What the hell?" I cried out as we made it to the trees on the side of the property.

"Erik– he's destroying any evidence. Protocol is that Erik runs with the information until it's safe or gets a signal to come back."

I panted as Josh smoothly wove through trees. I kept talking to hold back my anxiety.

"How is the FBI able to raid the place?"

"Benson. The bastard is probably dancing, but the question is how he was able to get away with it. Almost there."

Maria was silent, trying to stay calm as she had her arms protectively around her stomach.

We finally made it to a collection of trees, going to one with a large stone next to it. Josh gently placed Maria down as he pressed a hidden button on the trunk of the tree. The stone moved aside, creating an opening big enough for us to go down some stairs.

"Follow me. I need to put the code in." Josh instructed seriously. He went down the steps as Maria whirled toward me, eyes wide. I squeezed her hand in comfort, knowing she needed a sense of safety.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the guys are on their way now. How about we get inside and I'll make you some tea?" I said soothingly.

Maria nodded mutely, which was completely unlike her. I was sure she would've had a different reaction if she didn't have an unborn child to consider in this dire situation. This was all completely out of her control, something that Maria absolutely despised. Maria went down the steps, straightening her back to feel a sense of confidence.

I was about to follow when I heard footsteps. I quickly looked around and saw two figures coming in our direction that I could make out as Jasmine and John.

I smiled in relief. I was about to wave them down when a too-familiar sound rang out and John fell.

My chest constricted as Jasmine stopped to outmaneuver the shooter on their tail and knock them unconscious. She dropped to John's side. I heard shouts as more people came in our direction.

I knew they wouldn't make it in time. I glanced at the steps that led to the safe room before back at the chaos in front of me. I was so close to safety, but I didn't move an inch.

They need my help.

Maybe it was irrational, but I couldn't run again. Their best chance was if I helped.

With that in mind, I pressed the button on the tree trunk again, making the rock entrance close behind Josh and Maria.

I ran toward Jasmine and John, dropping to John's other side.

"What the hell are you doing? Get inside!" Jasmine hissed as she tried to support John.

I looked at John's wounds and winced as I saw a bullet wound on his right leg and one on his other side.

"I've had worse injuries than this, Rosaline. But I'm deadweight. You two need to go, now!" John barked.

The shouts grew louder, heading in our direction.

"You need a medic." Jasmine said, ignoring John's plea. "Maria can look you over. We need to get rid of these guys. Something's off about them."

"Not FBI," John agreed with a wince. "We'd need a diversion."

"I got it," Jasmine got up. "I'll lead them away. Rosaline, get to the bunker with John– and no more fucking stops on the way." Jasmine ran, purposefully making noises to lead the people away from us.

"I should help her," I mumbled as I used a part of John's shirt to make a wrap on his leg. I was relieved when I saw it wasn't bleeding heavily. "It's me they want and I don't want her to get hurt."

"Rosaline, don't you fucking dare. You need to get to safety."

I tried to sound reasonable, but I knew it was complete nonsense. Panic and fear were getting to me and John was giving me a wake-up call, his military training taking over.

"Rosaline, you're not being rational! That's going to get you killed. Jasmine knows what she's doing. Don't underestimate her talents. Now let's go, and stop wasting vital time."

I obediently went to help him stand up. Before we could get him to rest against my body for support, John crumbled over.

"John!" I cried out and stopped when I saw a red dart in his arm.

I stumbled back and let out a scream as an arm wrapped around my waist. I struggled to escape, but a pricking sensation against my neck caused me to freeze and everything went black.

~*~

Oh, my head...

My eyelids were closed but it felt like everything was spinning around me. I distantly heard my name being called as I tried to get my bearings.

"Rosaline! I need you to open your eyes," the voice said urgently.

I groaned, trying to stretch my arms only to find them stuck between my back and a hard surface.

"Wha...?" I forced my eyes to open, blinking heavily, and lifted my head. My neck ached from the position I'd been in, and made myself take deep breaths.

Has my head always been this heavy?

"There you go. Rosie, look at me." The familiar feminine voice spoke again.

Jasmine? I turned my head to the side and my eyes widened as I saw her tied in a chair next to me, wearing a relieved smile.

Any drowsiness I had vanished with the shot of adrenaline that rushed through my body. I sat up straight on the chair I was sitting on. I tugged my arms to get them free, only to find them restrained. I winced at the burning sensation from my wrists as I pulled.

"Oh, my God– Jasmine, why are we tied up?" I registered the room we were trapped in.

We were in any empty space, with no furniture and only a few lights to illuminate the room. It was clean and had a chemical or bleach aroma. My fear skyrocketed at what that could mean as we sat in the center, sitting in chairs with our hands bound behind us.

Jasmine's dress was torn at the bottom, specks of dirt covering it. While her makeup was a bit smudged, she looked fine.

I looked down at my clothes and saw I wasn't in any better shape, but I was thankful that I was wearing my sneakers and not the heels like Jasmine.

"Rosaline, I need you to remain calm. If you lose your shit, it won't help us. We can both do that once we get out of this situation. I know this is hard, but stay calm and follow my instructions, all right? This isn't the first time I've been kidnapped and certainly will not be my last," Jasmine said with a smile, though I saw a bit of worry in her eyes.

She also spoke very low, making it hard for me to hear her unless I concentrated. "Take five deep breaths for me, then you can ask some questions."

I followed her directions, taking long, deep breaths. I forced my body to relax and to put all my anxiety and panic into the back of my mind. Survival was the priority– I could break down later.

"How long have we been out?" I asked and Jasmine shook her head.

"No clue, I can't use my watch. Thankfully, I was able to put it on before everything went to shit. Unfortunately, I can't use it to give you the answer to your question. Has to have been at least a few hours for the drugs to wear off, meaning it should be around nine." Jasmine sighed.

I sighed as well.

"Just tell me the truth, Jasmine– how much trouble are we in?"

Jasmine hesitated before she answered.

"We were kidnapped during an FBI raid and taken to an unknown location. There are only a few people with that kind of power who would be interested in taking you. I would go with one of the worst-case scenarios, I'm afraid."

I gulped as the room closed in around me. I knew Jasmine was being logical, but I hoped that she was wrong and that we weren't stuck with the Diablos.

"If it is L-Lorenzo and the Diablos, how come they haven't killed us yet?"

"They probably want information, possibly torture us." Jasmine answered and I couldn't help but glare at her.

"What the hell, Jasmine!?" I said, my voice high-pitched. Jasmine winced before looking at me apologetically.

"Sorry, that wasn't an elegant way to say it. I've been around Julian and his unhinged ways for too long.

"Look, before everything happened, I heard Erik send a message to the guys. There were people ready to move in somewhere before our connection was cut off. The raid was too convenient to be anything but the Diablos. But they don't know the intel and resources we have. If they come in here, we need to stall or not answer any questions," Jasmine began to move the back of her hands, sighing in relief as she did it. "I sent a distress signal. We need to wait for the beep unless I feel like we're in danger, or they don't respond in the next thirty minutes."

"Oh my God." I repeated, closing my eyes tightly.

"Rosaline, I will not let anything happen to you. Those men may have gotten the upper hand when they knocked me out, but they don't know who they messed with," As Jasmine spoke, the click of locks echoed through the room. I let out a gasp as my heart began pounding again in fear.

"Remember that I'm here. Stall, but don't reveal anything, they will want to hear more from you than from me."

I kept my eyes closed as the door opened, and I heard footsteps entering the room. It sounded like a few people were moving into different places. One set of footsteps slowly came in my direction and I felt the vibrations as they stopped in front of me.

Suddenly, a large hand grasped my jaw tightly and pulled me forward. My eyes snapped open and I barely held back my scream as I stared into the dark eyes that had haunted my dreams for months.

"I finally found you, pequeña temblor," Lorenzo Diablo said with a smile, sending a chill down my spine. "I must say, Rosaline Sinclair, your profile doesn't do you justice."

The compliment sounded empty, meaningless and just a way to make conversation. My jaw began to ache from the pressure his hand was giving me.

"I've never had my prey escape me before. I searched for months, wondering how a stupid lonely girl could hide for so long. It was exciting and frustrating– all the possibilities of what I'd do when I found you. And then I saw this on the Monroe property– your downfall and the reason you're finally caught." Lorenzo brought up a tiny rose charm in front of my face. My eyes fell on it as a tear escaped. Lorenzo's smile grew more sinister, real emotion entering his eyes as he reveled in my fear.

He finally released me and dropped the charm by my feet.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you. I'm thinking of one wound for each day you've been missing. But not after I bring the bodies of the people that hid you from me."

My temper flared at the threat towards Damon and the others. I paid no attention to anyone else in the room, keeping my focus on the predator in front of me. Lorenzo tilted his head robotically as he studied me.

"Anger? It's euphoric with the mixture of fear rolling off you. Makes it more fun to break the person."

With my heart in my throat, I finally spoke.

"I'm not scared. They are going to find you and you are going to pay."

Lorenzo blinked, like the words were foreign to him.

It was terrifying watching him, seeing his reactions and mechanical movements. I wasn't able to fully experience his personality through the cameras when he came to dinner that night.

But now seeing it with my own eyes...It was hard to believe Lorenzo was human.

Sociopathic.

"But you are scared. Terrified, even...And I can't wait to hear your screams as payment for the trouble you caused. Your little boyfriend won't be here to save you. He's preoccupied at the moment. You are alone now, little flower."

At his words, a sense of determination went through me. I made my body tense up to prevent myself from shaking. Remembering everything had I learned after months of staying with the Organization, I forced my face to relax.

Some shuffling on my right reminded me that I had someone in my corner, giving me silent support. Remembering she had my back, I was able to face the man who ruined my old life.

"You aren't going to get shit out of me. You've hurt and killed innocent people. You forced me to flee across the country. You've hurt and attacked my friends. You don't deserve any type of enjoyment and it won't come from me."

I leaned in closer to Lorenzo, keeping my face even.

"I can't wait for the day you finally rot in hell. Basically, what I'm trying to say is– Fuck. You."

The corner of Lorenzo's mouth formed into a snarl, pulling out a switchblade. He made a step toward me when another voice stopped him.

"Lorenzo, don't be so hasty. She's still useful, and she'll eventually cooperate. But it would be easier if she kept her tongue." My head whipped to face the new person and let out a silent gasp.

Senator Anthony Wiseman walked to stand next to Lorenzo, patting him on the back.

"Let me talk to her first, Lorenzo. You know how I feel about a warmer welcome. I believe we have unfinished business that needs to be dealt with."

Lorenzo's eyes never strayed from me until Wiseman gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Now." Wiseman said and Lorenzo moved immediately, leaving the room without protest. Once he left, I took a quick scan of the room. There were two other men in suits, also known as the Men in Black. One of them was behind Jasmine, making sure she didn't try anything.

"You'll have to excuse Lorenzo. He was very eager to see you again. He's a bit rough and unhinged, but also a great second in command. He knows how to stalk his prey and manipulate things to my liking." Wiseman explained to me. He put his hands in his pocket, casual and trying to warm me over.

I didn't fall for it, recognizing another predator in front of me. Wiseman showed more human characteristics than Lorenzo, a better mask. But if he could make Lorenzo obey a command without hesitation...there was no telling what kind of monster hid underneath that surface.

"You're the man in charge, I'm assuming?" Jasmine questioned, snapping me out of my thoughts. "So we have the pleasure of meeting a US Senator and the mastermind of this operation?"

Wiseman looked at Jasmine with a smile.

"Ms. Amari, a pleasure. It was unfortunate that you couldn't make it to my event this evening. But no matter. We can have our own private one."

Jasmine let out a sharp smile.

"That wasn't an answer to my question."

Wiseman studied us before replying.

"You can say that I am the man in charge; I deal with the more business end while Lorenzo deals with the more...violent aspects. He is vital and follows my orders. But I'm only here to chat."

He began to pace back and forth.

"Around six months ago, I had everything planned out. All my assets were in place, and I was high in the polls for the presidential campaign. Now imagine my surprise when I get reports from my men saying that a woman witnessed the execution of a traitor and could identify Lorenzo...and was still on the run.

"That made me angry. I used a lot of my resources and tracked you to New York only for you to vanish into thin air. No trace of you until I found a connection between the traitor and Monroe Protective Services. I then tried to create a business relationship between MPS and Howard Campbell, only to find evidence you have been using their services. Things began to pile up, and now we are dealing with evidence that not only threatens to uncoil all my intel and assets, but would ruin me," Wiseman stopped in front of me and leaned closer, staring directly into my eyes.

"Now that is something I will not tolerate. Everything that is happening has to be connected to you."

I held back a gulp, forcing myself to keep his gaze. Wiseman eventually pulled back and continued pacing.

"I'm telling you this because we all know this information. However, that's where it stops on my end, and I'd appreciate it if you would fill in the gaps for me. Mr. Cohen and Mr. Monroe were no help, but I now have the main source. It's all on you, Ms. Sinclair, to give me answers. How did you get this information, who is helping you, and how much is Xavier Monroe helping you?"

I looked at Jasmine before facing Wiseman again. He talked to Damon? Are they okay? I tried to come up with a response.

"I don't know–"

I let out a sharp cry as Wiseman slapped me across the face, placing his hand on the back of my chair as he towered over me. Pain stung the side of my cheek.

"I do not appreciate lying, Ms. Sinclair. It makes me testy." Wiseman stated calmly.

"Touch her again or you'll regret it, Diablo." Jasmine warned.

Wiseman faced her, not giving me any space.

"I am more than just a Diablo, Ms. Amari. I helped form this organization into the way it is now after it was passed down to me, meaning I am more than capable of getting away with a small slap. I am just warning your friend that I could do this the easy way or the hard way."

I looked to Jasmine for help, but the only message I received from her was stall. We needed to give the guys time and if it was making Wiseman talk without anyone getting seriously hurt, I could do that.

I let the tremor come back to my voice, which wasn't hard to accomplish.

"B-But if I t-tell you, y-you will keep hurting people."

Wiseman stepped back to look at me fully. "Hurt people? Now why on Earth do you think such a thing?" Wiseman asked like he was speaking to a child.

"You are the head of the D-Diablos– you hurt people to get what you want. To be wealthy and have p-power over others." I stuttered.

Wiseman tsked and shook his head in disappointment at my words.

"Yes, I am a Diablo. But it's unfortunate that my work is somehow tainted by a simple name. I'm helping the economy, Ms. Sinclair– I just happen to do it by controlling the politicians and silencing those who are too vocal against my plans and policies. I'm taking on the burden of making tough decisions by leading. The people want to vote for me and my policies. What's the difference?"

"That you don't tell people the whole truth about how corrupt you are?" Jasmine asked in a snarky tone, her accent thick.

"Ms. Amari, you know as well as I do that every decision leads to a negative consequence. People don't want to hear it. Ignorance is bliss in this world. The people seem quite content putting their heads in the sand, no? If you throw them a bone occasionally, they block out everything negative. But the plans to expose everyone– that would be worse than anything I could do.

"What about the rights and voices you're taking away when you get rid of the leader the American people voted for?" Wiseman spoke passionately.

"Or the people you intimidated or silenced during the election? Do those people count?" Jasmine snapped. "Speaking like a true politician."

"A business is a business. There's always an ugly side to it. And you forget, Lorenzo does the bloodshed. I just let him have his fun and help him choose targets. I don't personally hurt people."

It hurt to know that Wiseman believed every word he said.

I shook my head at him, staring at the senator in disbelief and anger.

"But you hurt them, nevertheless, including those people who were killed in the shooting in Los Angeles. You may not have been there, but Lorenzo was under your orders. Go to hell." I spat out.

It was his turn to look at me with fury, all political composure vanishing. I grunted as Wiseman kicked my seat backward, skidding me across the floor but luckily not knocking me over.

"I guess everyone wants to learn the hard way," Wiseman backed up and made his way toward the exit, giving instructions to the Men in Black. "Beat them up a little. Make them a little more cooperative– but no blood. You know Lorenzo hates when the first blood is drawn without him. Start with Ms. Amari. I want Ms. Sinclair to see the consequences of her actions."

The door closed with a thud, the noise echoing against my chest. I called out to Jasmine as the two men stepped toward her. Jasmine mouthed something quickly to me before the men let out the first strike.

I just prayed that Jasmine could follow through with her promise or Damon would come and save us from this hell.