"I never thought I'd live to see the day hell freezes over." A smile appeared on his face.

"I can leave as quickly as I came here Simon."

"I take it this is not a friend's visit." He stood up from the table and walked in front of it before leaning against it.

"We would have to be friends for that."

"Still pissed as I can see." He laughed.

"Are you going to help me or not? Because I don't plan on wasting my time here."

"That depends on what kind of help you need." He shrugged.

"Jocelyne is in town." I simply said.

"And?"

"She took Lucy." I said with a heavy heart.

"The little girl?" He frowned.

"My daughter, yes. Can you help me find her?"

"I could."

"For something, right?" I snorted. "I thought so. What do you want?"

"See, you'd do anything. You'd give me as much money as I asked, even if it was millions. You'd probably even kill someone if I asked you to."

"But?"

"But, I can find those things in others too. I have people for that."

"So what do you want?"

"Another chance."

I stopped for a moment. So I didn't expect that.

"It's been almost a year since you spoke to me. I've missed it. I can help you find Lucy if you give me a chance to build the relationship we had before. I'm not asking for anything more."

"Fine." Anything to find Lucy. "Now help me find my daughter."

*****

"You should be careful. I can't tell you how many people are inside." Simon's voice came from the other side of the cell phone.

"I'll be careful, don't worry." I canceled the call and got out of the car.

I stopped in front of a low-rise building in the center of town. Simon got me the address where Lucy should be, but also Jocelyne.

With my hand on my gun, I walked over to the door and opened it. The interior was empty. Abandoned. As if no one had been here for a few months.

I slowly stepped inside and started looking around. They must be here.

I heard a faint sound from the only floor above me. I walked over to the stairs that creaked under my weight and came across a large room that wasn't divided by walls.

The pillars that held up the roof were the only thing on this floor.

But my heart almost stopped when I saw Lucy.

"Daddy!" She screamed and tried to run to me, but Jocelyne, the tall woman with black hair, held her tight.

"Let her go." I said between my teeth as I pointed the gun at her head.

"Or what?" She snorted and pointed a gun at Lucy who had tears in her eyes.

I will kill her. I will kill Jocelyne in the worst possible way.

"You were right, he came." Smiling, she looked to her right where a person came out from behind the pillar.

This cannot be happening.

"Lyssa." Her name slipped out of my mouth.

"Not exactly." Jocelyne said for her. "A new batch of serum and she's like replaced." Lucy tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but to no avail. "Go get his gun and bring him here." She nodded at me and Lyssa obeyed.

She walked towards me. "If you're going to shoot me, you should do it now." She said with a smile on her lips.

I couldn't shoot. She snatched the gun from my hand and went behind my back. She started looking for a second weapon on me.

"What did she do to you?" I said with a shaky voice.

"Nothing." She pushed me towards Jocelyne. "He's clean."

"Okay, bring him to me."

"You don't have to do this, please."

"Shut up." We stopped in front of Jocelyne and Lucy, and I could see how much she wanted to reach out and hug me.

What I would give to hold her.

"On your knees." She kicked them and I fell to the ground.

Jocelyne threw Lucy to me and I quickly hugged her. "It will be fine." I tried to calm her down. "I promise."

"You shouldn't promise something you can't keep, don't you think?"

"What do you want from us, Jocelyne?" I said between my teeth.

"I want revenge. For what you did to Frederik. I saw his dead body and I knew then, that someone would pay for it."

"So you kidnapped a child?"

"She was the bait, but that's changed." The weapon she was aiming at us was handed to Lyssa. "Right now she's so docile that if I told her to shoot herself, she'd do it without hesitation. But that's not what I want." She smiled. "She won't feel the pain or the guilt, but maybe one day she will. Shoot one." She pointed at us.

"What?" It slipped out of my mouth. "No, Lyssa." She didn't listen to me. She aimed at us.

"Whoever you want. I don't really care." Jocelyne shrugged.

"Lyssa please don't." The gun tilted towards Lucy.

"Daddy?"

"Lyssa, please." Tears welled up in my eyes. "Please don't do it!"

"Shoot one." Jocelyne was waiting impatiently next to her.

"Shoot me. Shoot me goddamnit!" I stood in front of Lucy and looked directly into Lyssa's eyes. "Come on. You want to shoot someone, shoot me!" I screamed.

"If you insist." Jocelyne laughed. "Shoot him."

I felt Lucy behind me as she wrapped herself around my legs.

I looked at Lyssa, waiting for the bullet.

I've been dreaming about those eyes for the past year. I wanted to see her again, to feel her next me. But she was gone.

And even though she's here, it's not really her.

I lost her.

And now I'm going to lose Lucy too.

How could I let this happen?

"What are you doing? Shoot him! Didn't you hear me?"

"Shoot him?" She smiled at me. "Over my dead body you bitch."

"What?" Jocelyne frowned.

Lyssa pointed her gun at her. "Go. Now." She ordered us, but I didn't even move.

"Lyssa, what's going on?"

"I gave you the serum, how can you..." She looked at her in disbelief.

"Take Lucy and leave, now!"

I picked Lucy up in my arms and with one last look at Lyssa and Jocelyne I turned and started to run away.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Shh, Lucy." I ran my hand through her hair.

We stopped by my car and still with Lucy in my arms I waited for Lyssa to come out the door. But that didn't happen.

It was here again.

A wave of heat enveloped us before we heard the explosion.

The roof of the building flew off and the walls burst into flames. A burst of pressure blew out the windows.

"No." I took a shaky breath.

I looked at the burning building again. She's gone, again.

I looked away and placed Lucy on the ground. "Are you okay?" I ran my hand over her face and she just nodded. "Did they hurt you?" She shook her head.

We should go before the police gets here.

"Mommy."

"No, Lucy." I stroked her cheek. "Your mom is..." I swallowed hard. "She's gone."

"But..."

"Lucy please." I interrupted her. "We have to go."

"Would you guys mind giving me a ride?" A voice came from behind me and I didn't need to see a face to know who it was.

Lucy slipped past me and ran somewhere behind me.

I stood still for a moment before turning to see Lyssa with Lucy in her arms.

Her face was a bit dirty and her clothes slightly torn.

"I didn't get as far as I'd hoped. My favorite leather jacket took it." She laughed nervously.



I think Killian was slightly shocked. He didn't say anything the whole way, but I'm not surprised.

I aimed my gun at Lucy, even though I had no plans to shoot. This is not something that can be easily forgiven.

Lucy thinks it must have been some kind of game. It's probably better that way.

When we got back to the villa, everyone was already waiting there. Killian just slipped past them with Lucy in his arms and it was up to me to tell them what happened.

It wasn't easy and I got a few nasty looks, but I think they understand. I had to do what I did. Otherwise it would turn out really bad.

*****

I let Killian cool down. I gave him space. As much as he wanted.

Lucy was already in bed a long time ago. I put her to bed a few hours ago after Killian talked to her. She didn't want to tell me what they were talking about.

After that, Killian locked himself in his room. I didn't dare to go after him.

But this waiting is killing me.

I'm waiting for him to come and throw me out. I probably deserved it. After everything I've done.

"Why didn't you shoot her?" I heard a rough male voice behind me as I sat on the garden steps.

"Who?" I frowned and turned to see Killian in the doorway.

"Jocelyne. Why didn't you shoot her as soon as you found her?" There was disagreement in his tone.

"I couldn't." I took a deep breath and looked at the garden in front of me. "She was holding a gun to Lucy's head when I found them. She promised to let her go if I took the new serum. So I took it. What she didn't know was that Charles had given me something before that. He had been working on it for months. After just as she thought I was taking her word for it, you came. I sent you away because I knew there were bombs all over the building. They went off the moment she died.

There's nothing that can erase everything I've done." Tears welled up in my eyes. "I put Lucy in danger and I won't blame you if you never forgive me." My voice broke. "Because I will never forgive myself." I heard his footsteps behind me as he approached. "Even if it doesn't change anything, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

He slowly sat down on the stairs next to me and looked ahead.

"Please say something. Scream, curse, just say something." A tear ran down my cheek.

"When I couldn't see you anywhere, I thought I'd lost you again. The first time it happened, I was lost. Lucy was the only thing that kept me together."

I don't know who is ripping my heart out from my chest right now, but they better stop because it hurts.

"I don't blame you, Lyssa." He looked at me. "Lucy is only safe because of you. And so am I."

"I don't..." I stopped and swallowed hard.

"I lose my mind when the people I love are in danger. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there. I really don't blame you for anything. I don't have to forgive you because there's nothing I can forgive."

"I really expected you to scream." I laughed through my tears. "You surprised me."

"I've ruined your plans over and over again, haven't I?" He laughed too and only now did I realize how much I missed it. How much I missed him.

"Either way, I won't blame you if you don't want me here. Maybe it's better if I'm not here."

"Do you want to leave?" He looked at me in surprise.

"I expected you to throw me out."

"Lucy is your daughter and I can't take her mother away from her life. I would never throw you out. But I won't keep you here by force. If you want to leave...you can." He breathed heavily. "But I really don't want you to."

"How can you want me to stay here after everything that happened?"

He smiled. "I love you Lyssa, that hasn't changed."

I took a deep breath and let more tears slide down my face. "And I love you, Killian."

"Lucy will be fine." He ran his hand over my cheek and I melted into his arms at his touch. "Us too. We just need time. The time we have now."

"There are still many things here..."

"I know." He cut me off. "But that was more than enough for today." He pulled me close and hugged me tightly. "Just so you know, I'm never letting you go."

"I hope so." I smiled.

*****

Just so you know, there's only one more chapter left.

Which is crazy, because it feels like I started writing this book yesterday.

I will say goodbye to this book more in the last chapter, but I just wanted to say that.

Hope you enjoyed. <3