The first thing I felt was an excruciating pain in my shoulder. I couldn't move it.

But the worse thing is that I couldn't even move my hands because they were tied behind my back.

I tried to open my eyes and then I felt the headache. And also the dried blood on my forehead.

I slowly looked up from the ground and noticed where I was.

How the hell did I get into a building? And for what reason am I tied to a chair?

I groaned in pain as I tried to move. Really big mistake, won't do it again.

I tried to keep my eyes open, but it's harder than it looks. It's possible I have a concussion.

It's not the most pleasant thing I've ever experienced.

"Hello!" I tried to scream. "Help!" But loud noises were not the best for my head.

I looked around. It is some old building. Obviously abandoned. Broken glass is lying on the ground and only the frames of the windows remain. That explains the fucking winter.

"You're awake." I heard behind me and regretted trying to turn around. Fuck this dislocated shoulder. "You've been out for a really long time." His voice was a bit closer and it didn't take long for him to cross into my view.

"Mason." I almost whispered.

"You know, Eddie fired me. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?" For some reason, his look was insane.

"Mason, please, my arm..."

“You hurt me Maya." He cut me off.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it clear? Maya, I love you." He came closer to me and if I could, I would step back. But I could only turn my face away from him. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Scare me? Mason, you broke into my apartment, threatened me, and currently kidnapped me." Maybe I shouldn't scream at him, but I'll blame it on a concussion.

"You have to understand me, Maya. I tried so hard to get you to notice me, but you never saw me."

"So you started stalking me?" I shook my head. He's crazy.

"I wanted to be close to you."

"No. You need help. You're not okay."

"Exactly." He smiled. "I'm not, and that's because of you. You're making me go crazy." He knelt before me.

“Please let me go, Mason."

"I can't, can't you see?" He said in an all too calm voice. "I love you. No one else deserves you. I'm the one for you."

“Mason, you need help." I saw the sudden change in his look. He is getting irritated with me.

"It's about your apartment, isn't it. I'm sorry for what I did. I was so angry that you were living with that guy. But I suffered for it." He nodded. “I hit my face against the wall when I realized what I had done."

"Your face was ruined." I started to remember when he came to the bar with a purple face. “And you said you hit a wall."

“Yes, you remember." He smiled. "I had to punish myself. I crossed the line and I'm really sorry. But you have to understand that it's your fault. It's because of you that I act like this. You make me do these things."

He's absolutely fucked in the head.

He put his hand on my knee and I wanted to take off my skin, put it in a box, burn it and then throw it in the ocean.

"You say you love me, yes?" He quickly nodded. "Then get me something to wear, I'm freezing. I'm soaked, please. Or get me home and..."

"I can't do that." He straightened up and took off his jacket. "The police wants to ask me some questions, I can't go home now." He threw the jacket around my shoulders, which hurt again. "Sorry."

I wasn't much warmer, but it probably won't get any better.

"But I'm already working on it with the police. I have a new passport. How about a trip to Europe? Paris? The city of love. Or maybe Italy."

It's scary how he looks at me. How did I never notice before that this guy is a psychopath!

"You look at me like I'm crazy Maya. I promise I'm not."

Really? That's what he can say to his invisible friends, whom he certainly has. Because he's a psychopath!

"Look Mason why don't you untie me and we can talk about this."

"I can't." He backed away from me. "You will run away."

"No. No. I promise." Oh how I just hope he believes me.

"Sorry." I breathed heavily at his words. "But I promise everything will be fine. We'll go see the world together. It'll be wonderful. I'll just get you your passport."

"Mason." I said in a warning tone as he started walking somewhere. "Mason, don't leave me here!" I shouted after him.

I'm going to die here.



No one is helping.

There are some cops out there who are doing absolute shit. I don't know what they're looking for in this apartment, but they won't find anything here.

They should look for her somewhere outside. God knows if she hasn't already frozen somewhere.

Oh god, I can't think about it.

"Sebastian." Theo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him and noticed that he was holding a cell phone in a plastic bag. Maya's cell phone. "Are you sure it's that Mason guy? That he got to her somehow."

"I have no idea, but that's all I can think of." I sounded desperate. And I am too. Maya is gone and I don't know what to do. I'm lost.

“It can't hurt." He sat down next to me while the useless cops were still hanging around us. “I can get to the number he texted her through before you changed her number." He was explaining, but I was just wondering if it would work. "This is it." He handed me a cell phone and an unknown number was written on the top.

I took the mobile from his hands and thought about what Maya told me.

If he texts back, we would be able to determine his location. I can't write something he won't respond to.

My fingers flew across the keyboard and I clicked the send button.

“If you've just ruined any chance of us finding my sister, I'll kill you.

"Get in line."



"So your passport will take a little longer, but don't worry, I'll take care of it." I wish he would just shut up, but if I keep smiling and nodding, maybe he'll let me go.

Are you really that naive?

"And..." Before he could say anything, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He looked confused and slightly surprised, but finally took it out of his pocket.

All the red rose in his face. It wasn't the blush you get when someone flatters you. This was the shade when someone is really pissed off.

"Everything all right?" Why am I even asking?

"No." He said between his teeth. “I got a message." He looked up at me. "From you."

Okay, he's officially gone crazy. Yes, I know he's crazy, but this is on another level.

"Listen to this." He snorted. "I know you have her asshole. You hurt her and I swear your whole family is going to pay for it." He laughed. "It's so pathetic it's laughable."

Sebastian.

Oh my God.

That's definitely Sebastian.

But why would something like that...oh. OH!

Sebastian, you genius!

He's trying to figure out my location based on what Nyx has installed there. If Mason answers, they'll find me.

"You won't answer him?" I tried to sound normal.

"Why should I?" He snorted. "It was a lame attempt to piss me off."

"So then…could you send him a message from me?" He looked at me strangely.

"What message?"

Think Maya, think.

This is Mason who is obsessed with you. If you said to him to text Sebastian that you love him, it's quite possible that you'll die.

“You know, we had a fight." Come on, Maya, you're good at pretending. “And he said some things that hurt." I let my voice break on purpose. Yes, play on his feelings. "And that's not something I'll just forgive him for. So if you could write him to leave me alone, I'd be very grateful."

Do you want a translation? I love you Acker and if you don't save me I will castrate you.

"Did he really hurt you?" He looked like he was really sorry.

"He said something he shouldn't have." I shook my head. "He promised he'd never do it, but he lied. I hate liars."

So yourself at the moment?

"All right." He nodded and took his cell phone out of his pocket again. He started writing something in it, and when he finished writing the message, he showed it to me. "Like this?" He looked at me with the hope of praise.

"Perfect." I faked a smile. "Also, you can put a smiley face there. Middle finger will be good enough." I laughed and he was amused too.

"Of course." He smiled while looking for the finger emoji. "And send."

I really hope it worked. Because if not, I'm screwed. I have no other plan.

*****

I should be an actress.

I laugh at Mason's jokes like a pro. It looks like he thinks I really like him.

Maybe I would even like him if he was right in his head and I wasn't with Acker.

Oh Acker. Where the hell are you?

"And remember that old guy who got up on stage and started singing Baby by Justin Bieber? It was funny as shit." I laughed at his story.

“He should have danced to Shakira." I faked a smile.

"That would be unforgettable." He laughed and clutched his chest like it was the best joke in the world.

I'm in some parallel world right now.

"Oh, oh, oh and you remember…" I know Mason was saying something else, but all my attention was behind him on the person who is on the other side of the building.

Acker.

He was crouched by the wooden table so Mason wouldn't see him if he happened to turn around. And when he noticed that I knew about him, he put his finger to his lips.

I have never felt such relief as I do right now. I can't even describe it.

He came.

He came for me.

“You know, Mason." I interrupted him. "I don't think I've thanked you yet for the flowers you sent. They were beautiful." I smiled.

"Really?" His face was full of hope. "I was hoping you'd like them. I didn't know if you liked roses, but you can never go wrong with roses, right?" He smiled.

"They pleased me." I nodded while trying not to look in Acker's direction. If Mason notices where I'm looking, it could end badly.

"I'm glad." He looked relieved.

"Mason, could you…could you please untie me? I promise I won't run away. It's just my shoulder, it really hurts." That was probably the only truth I told in all this time.

"Promise you won't run away?"

"I swear." I tried to smile and that must have convinced him because he walked past me and I felt his hands on my wrist.

I quickly looked behind the table where Acker was, but he was gone.

Oh god, tell me I didn't just imagine him before, because I'm probably going to die.

"Better?" He asked, while I carefully grabbed my shoulder and hissed in pain. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It's been worse." I closed my face sourly and put my hand in my lap.

"A doctor will take a look at you when we get out of here. You'll be fine."

"Thank you." That word left a bad taste in my mouth.

"Of cour..." Before he could finish his sentence, a thud echoed through the building.

"What was that?" I tried to look scared.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Stay here." He pointed to the chair and I nodded. He ran away somewhere and I immediately thought about what I should do.

By the view from the window, I'm on the second floor, so if I jump out, I'll break something.

Think Maya, think.

I stood up from the chair, careful not to make any sound that would make Mason turn back.

But I almost screamed at the top of my lungs when a hand appeared around my mouth.

"Shh, Maya." Someone whispered in my ear and I immediately let out a breath when I recognized the voice.

He slowly let go of me and I turned around. "Where the hell have you been, Acker?" I whispered and hit his chest with my left hand.

"Really? Now?" He raised an eyebrow. “We have to go, you can yell at me when you're safe." He grabbed my arm and was about to run, but we both stopped when we heard a gun load.

I looked horrified at Acker, who was looking somewhere behind me.

I slowly turned around only to see Mason in the doorway he had left a moment ago. He was holding a gun in his hand, which was pointed at us.

Without hesitation, Acker pulled me behind him and covered me with his whole body.

"You lied." He said with a broken voice. "You…you…" He looked like he was on the verge of collapse, his hand was shaking and so was his gun.

"Let's talk about it." Acker spoke before his hand wandered to mine and I didn't understand why he placed mine on his back until I felt a bump.

I went under his leather jacket and touched the cold metal. Gun.

I carefully took it. What am I doing? No, what do I think I'm doing? How did I get here?

"How did you know where we were? How did you find us?" Mason shouted. "How!"

I slowly placed the gun in Acker's hand, wishing he had a plan and this wasn't some suicide mission.

"I love you Maya. Why can't you see?"

I saw Acker tighten the gun in his hand at his words.

“Mason, put that gun down." I tried. "You don't want to hurt anyone."

"You don't know what I want!" I shuddered at his words.

"How about Maya leaves and we work it out between us?"

"What are you doing?" I whispered horrified to Acker.

"No. She's not going anywhere." He walked towards us. "She'll stay with me. She's safe with me."

"Is that why you're aiming at her now?"

"I'm aiming at you!" He was throwing the gun around.

I tried to get in front of Acker. Mason doesn't want to kill me and there's less chance of him shooting me than him.

But he obviously didn't like it, as he held me firmly in place.

Shit, what is he doing?

If he tried to shoot, it's possible that Mason would shoot first, I know that. He is waiting for him to be more inattentive. It doesn't look like Mason has that planned.

"You hurt me Maya. You got him here somehow." Tears welled up in his eyes and he seemed to be getting more and more out of control.

"Listen to me. You're outnumbered." The moment he said that, the sound of a door rang through the building.

Who the hell is with him?

"If you run now, you can still get out of town. You have a chance, Mason. Take it and run."

"What good will it do?" He laughed through his tears. "I will have nothing." He shook his head. "I won't have her." He raised his gun towards me and Acker pulled me closer.

"Sebastian!" It echoed throughout the building.

I know that voice.

Theo.

What the hell is Theo doing here? How did he even get here?

Mason was obviously taken aback by this and became distracted for a small moment.

Acker took advantage of this and pulled the gun that was behind his back in front of him, aimed and fired within seconds.

I winced at the sound as the bullet flew out of the warhead and I swallowed the scream that rose in my throat.

My eyes were wide open and I saw Mason's body fall to the ground.

"Oh my God." I put my hand over my mouth and looked in horror at the pool of blood that slowly started to form under it.

“Maya, it's okay." Acker turned to me and took my face in his hands. "It's all right." He pulled me close and buried my head in his chest.

Shakily, I relaxed into his embrace.

"Shh." He ran his hand through my hair. "It's over."

"Sebastian, watch out!" I broke away from him when I heard Theo, followed by a gunshot.

Acker pushed me away and I landed on my butt. I immediately came to my senses and looked up at him, searching for open wounds.

Acker just looked at me in confusion and then back at his chest, which was untouched.

He slowly turned and my gaze fell on the body that had fallen into Acker's hands.

"No!" I screamed as Theo's legs buckled.

Acker pointed the gun that was still in his hand at Mason, who was aiming at them, and fired directly at his head. Mason's hand fell to the ground and his eyes were wide open. He's dead.

I stood up and ran to Theo. "Oh my God." I looked at the blood in horror. "No." Acker slowly laid him on the ground and tried to stop the bleeding.

"Phone. Maya! My phone! Call an ambulance!" He yelled at me and I tried to take his cell phone from his pocket and into my shaking hands.

No. No. No. This is not happening.