I was woken up by continuous knocking on the door. When I looked at my phone, I saw that it was six am, so I had only slept for two hours. Great

I quickly got out of bed and threw on a t-shirt. I walked over to the door, still slightly unawakened, and opened it.

My gaze fell on Lucy holding Kai's hand. That is, for the finger. And Odin, who stood beside her as her bodyguard.

"I found her walking all over the villa looking for Lyssa. Is she there with you?" He nodded his head behind me.

"No." I frowned and leaned towards Lucy. "Did she tell you she was going somewhere?"

"She was gone when I woke up." She wiped her eyes with hand.

I looked up at Kai. "Go ask Mattias if she left."

"Sure thing." Lucy let go of his finger and he ran a hand through her hair and gave her a smile before walking away.

Yesterday I introduced Lucy to everyone and to my surprise no one seemed to mind that a small child would be living with them. But I didn't tell Val about her yet. I have to make time for it. I know she would like Lucy. She likes children.

"Will she come back?" She looked at me with sad eyes.

"Of course she'll be back. Why don't we go looking for her around the house again? Maybe she's hiding." I tried to calm her down, but I wasn't the most calm myself. It doesn't have to be anything. Maybe she just ran off somewhere and will come back. But right now we are in a situation where something could happen to her. But I'd rather not think about that. "But first let's go to the room and see if she left a message." I straightened up, and before we left for their room, I took my cell phone from the table and stuffed it in my pocket.

Lucy grabbed my finger, as she has small hands, and Odin and I walked to the room.

I looked around, but there was nothing unusual. An unpleasant feeling went through my whole body.

I took my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed her number. After a few beeps, I heard a ringing sound next to the bed.

This doesn't look good.

"Is Lyssa okay?" Lucy looked up at me.

"Of course she is." I don't know if I'm trying to convince her or me right now.

"Killian." Kai appeared in the doorway with a tablet. "You should see this." He handed me the tablet and I played the recording from the camera.

It was a few minutes after she left my study. The footage showed the back door opening, but then the footage was cut off.

"Mattias thought it was just some glitch, but if Lyssa is gone..."

"Lucy, stay with Kai." I cut him off and slipped out of the room.

This cannot be happening. Please Lyssa be okay.



Someone has a death wish.

As I was walking out of Killian's office, someone grabbed me and stuck a needle in my throat. Within a few seconds, I could not perceive my surroundings.

Lucy must be scared. I left her alone in the room without explanation. I don't know what time it is, but she must have woken up already.

I swear if I find out she's been crying, I'll skin down these people alive.

I woke up in the car and later a pair of hands pulled me out of the trunk. Whoever it was, he didn't say anything. He just pushed me in some direction and I walked. It was still cold, so I guess I wasn't out long. Maybe an hour or two.

I almost fell three times because I have a black sack over my head and my hands are tied behind my back. First it was the stairs, then the door threshold and finally the air. Yes, air. I tripped on air.

We will not comment further on this.

I was pushed into the chair once more and that's when my nerves snapped. "Touch me one more time and I swear I will cut your hands off in the most painful way possible."

"Shut your mouth." He said in a rough male voice that seems familiar but I can't place it anywhere.

"What the hell is that?" I heard another voice.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

"Why is she tied up?" He spoke again and started walking towards me. He tore the bag off my head and I wanted to spit right in his face. "I'm sorry, Eris." He walked behind me and untied my hands.

"Screw you, Charles." I pulled my hands together and traced the red stripes on my wrists. I stood up and measured him. "You kidnapped me." I scolded at him. "For what stupid reason? You know what, you better not even answer." I shook my head. "This is....fucked up." I moved my gaze anywhere he wasn't, and that was another mistake. "You son of a bitch." I ran to Simon, but Charles caught me before I could reach him.

"Eris, calm down. Please." He held me tighter.

"Let go of me, Charles! That son of a bitch kidnapped me!" I shouted at Simon.

What is he even doing here? And with Charles. Is this some kind of joke I don't know about? Because if it is, it's not funny.

"I asked him to."

"Don't worry, I'll get to you later. Now let me go." I struggled in his arms.

"If you calm down and let me explain."

"Let you explain? You don't deserve to be in my presence, let alone talk to me." I tried to step on his leg with my heel, but he dodged it before I reached the ground.

"Eris, please..."

"Fine!" I interrupted him and stopped resisting. I breathed deeply and tried to calm down. "I'm calm. Now let me go."

He hesitated, but finally let me go. I pushed him away from me. I don't want him this close. I looked at him with disgust. What was he thinking?

"I understand that you have some reason why you want to talk to me, but what the hell is he doing here?" I nodded my head at Simon. "And since when have you two been friends?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"It's been a few years now." Charles said.

"So that's how you got his number back then." I looked at Simon. "When I was dying. How could it not occur to me." I laughed.

"Eris, I need you to listen to me." Charles took a step towards me and I took one back.

"Don't come any closer." I said between my teeth. "You can be glad I'm in the same room with you after you kidnapped me in the middle of the night."

"I'm sorry." He put his hands in a defensive gesture and took a step back. "You turned the entire management against you, it's safer with me."

"With you?" I snorted. "You're the reason we're where we are. It's all your fault."

"I know." He exhaled heavily.

If I didn't know him, I would think that he was actually sorry. But he doesn't have the balls to feel anything. And regret something at all.

"You killed a lot of white snakes in Atlanta. They know it was you."

"That was the plan."

"What?"

"I don't need to be here for this." Simon said, walking past Charles to the door. "Good luck with that one." He laughed.

"The two of us will talk again." I shouted after him. He can't get away with kidnapping me.

"Why did you want them to know you were after them? Why not use the moment of surprise?"

"I don't have to explain anything, especially to you." I snorted.

"Fine, don't explain anything to me, but listen to what I have to say. Frederik wants you dead, and he doesn't care who he has to sacrifice. You're playing with fire here. And if you're not careful, you'll get burned."

"Or I'll use that fire and burn the entire management to ashes."

"Eris, you're one of the best white snakes I have ever seen, but you have limits as well. I know you're capable of many things, but you can't do it alone."

"And who says I'm alone?" I have Nyx and Killian and Luna's support on my side.

"They have an army."

"Army?" I snorted. "Army won't get to the management before it's dead. They'll have no one to lead them and they'll be free."

"You think it's going to be that easy?"

"Why are you even here?" I changed the subject.

"I want to help you."

"Then jump off of a cliff. I don't care what you want."

"I can help you. You know that. Just let me..."

"Don't you understand? I don't want your help!" I raised my voice. "I never asked for your help. Look where that got me. All this, because of you." I pointed around me. "My life ended the day I met you."

"You're confused, that's why you say that..."

"Oh my God." I let out a frustrated breath. "Don't you get it? You ruined my life and I didn't even know. You did that to me and to other girls. Hundreds of thousands of girls and maybe millions over the years. You deserve to rot in hell."

"You think I don't know that? Until I met you, I had no regrets. I did what I had to do. But then you show up and everything goes to shit. You made me care about you."

"So it's my fault?" I looked at him in disbelief. "I can't believe it." I feel like a complete idiot. Talking to him was a mistake.

"What are we doing, Eris?" He exhaled heavily. "This is wrong. We should be helping each other, not fighting."

"You kidnapped me. Was that supposed to be help?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Here." He took out a small card from his jacket and handed it to me. "Call when you need something. You know I can help you. So use it. Don't be stupid."

I was looking at the number card in his hand and finally took it. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It's the first step."

"Out of a trillion." I snorted and slipped past him to the door. "And just so you know." I stopped in the doorway. "It doesn't matter how much you help me. I will never forgive you."

*****

It took me an hour and a half to get back to the villa. I hated every second of it. I stopped a cab to take me, but he didn't have a cell phone that I could use to call Killian and tell him I was okay. That is, if he even noticed that I disappeared. It's just after seven, so maybe he's still sleeping.

"Pay him." I nodded to the security guard outside the gate as I got out of the taxi and headed straight for the main entrance.

I'm tired, I feel dirty and I'm cranky. I need a shower and a bed. And especially food.

As I opened the front door, I immediately heard voices from the office, so I headed there.

I stopped in the doorway and noticed Killian standing behind his desk while Luna, Theo, Finn and some other security guy had their backs to me.

"Did I miss a meeting?" I spoke up.

All heads turned in my direction and I could see a lot of relief.

"Oh my God." Luna clutched her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to me and hugged me. "Killian almost lost his mind." She whispered. "The two of us will talk later." She pulled away and motioned for the others to go away with her.

"I am glad you're fine." Finn said as he walked past me, to which I just smiled.

After everyone left and closed the door behind them, I shifted my gaze to Killian, who had slumped into a chair as if his knees had failed and his head was buried in his hands. "Are you okay?" He almost whispered and there was pain in his voice.

"I'm in one piece."

Killian removed his hands from his face and moved his chair away from the table and stood up. He walked around the table to me quickly and the impact of his body against mine almost took my breath away.

He wrapped his arms tightly around my body and buried his head in my hair.

You know what? Screw shower, bed or food. I need him to hug me until the end of the world.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my head against his chest to his pounding heart.

I don't think I've ever felt safer than in his arms.

"I was scared that something happened to you." He whispered. "I was ready to burn all of New York to ashes just to find you." He hugged me even tighter.

At his words, I melted into his embrace and for some reason wanted to cry. I don't even know why.

He never hugged me like that. As if he was holding his whole world.

"Don't ever do that again. Please." He sounded desperate. "Don't make me go through this again." He spoke again and something in his voice made me stop for a second.

I slowly pulled away from him and looked up at his face. "Killian..." I ran my hand over his cheek, which had a tear running down it. He is crying.

"I was scared to death." Another tear slid down his cheek and stopped on my hand.

"I'm fine. I promise. Nothing happened to me." I took his head in my hands and he closed his eyes. "Nothing happened to me." I said again, pulling his head down until our foreheads were touching. "I'm here." I whispered.

We stood there in silence until the door swung open and Lucy appeared. "Lyssa!" She screamed and ran towards me.

I bent down to her and picked her up in my arms. I buried my head in her hair and hugged her tightly. "Hello sweetie."

I turned back to Killian, who was looking at us with eyes still full of tears.

Lucy pulled her head away from me slightly and looked at Killian. "Why is he crying?" She turned to me with sad eyes.

"Allergy." Killian spoke and walked over to us. He put one hand on her back and the other on mine. He kissed Lucy's hair and gave me a short kiss on the lips.

"Funny." I laughed. "I thought you weren't allergic to anything."

"Maybe I'm allergic to you" He smiled.

*****

These types of hugs>>>>>

Well, it will definitely be an interesting conversation between Killian and Simon.

Hope you enjoyed. <3