"We've arrived," the guard driving finally said. I had managed to calm myself down in the couple of minutes we had to get to our destination. My Ava was here somewhere, and I had to go get her before something bad happened.

I told one of the guards outside to call the cops whenever deemed necessary and he nodded saying that they had people on the lookout.

It made me realize that I could have easily just told Damian everything 3 years ago and it probably wouldn't have ended so badly.

But, I didn't want to forget the amount of connections that Kieran had. He was a dangerous man that had managed to escape the police in more than one occasion, and he still managed to kidnap my mother who I had made sure was protected.

I walked in by myself with the guards and Damian a couple of meters behind me. They made sure to be well hidden since we didn't know how many cameras Kieran had probably set up to watch us.

I had no idea where to go. I almost reached for my phone when I felt something strong hit my head and everything turned black.

***

"Valerie," I woke up to the worst voice imaginable. I grunted in annoyance before I looked at the source of all my problems. He laughed manically.

"I thought you promised not to bring anyone with you," he said sardonically.

My heart dropped. "I didn't," I denied, hoping that this was just a test. He couldn't have found them already.. could he?

"Oh really?" He switched on the lights and I could see some of the guards wounded and bound to chairs like me. I gasped.

"How-"

"Did you forget that I also have some really big men with me?" he chuckled. "Stupid little Valerie. Always forgetting her darn place." I could see just how much more and more irritated he was getting with me. I let my eyes roam around the room, looking for Damian's familiar face but I couldn't find him. I almost let out a sigh of relief.

"Where's Ava?" I asked. Kieran laughed gleefully. "Goodness, I thought you'd never ask! Bring her in!" He demanded at who I'm assuming is one of his men. His men were all dressed in all black and hiding their faces, as though to conceal their identity from me. The only person who didn't bother to do that is Kieran.

The door suddenly opened and she was pushed in. "Ava!" I tried moving to get her but I was tied very tightly to the chair.

Her eyes and mouth were covered but I could tell that it was her. She reacted to my voice so I knew she recognized me.

I gulped, "why?" I asked as I saw the bruises covering her body. She was clearly beaten up and wounded. I could feel so much more anger start to build up inside me. I despise him. I've always despised him. But the way he always gets to those I love makes the rage grow more and more. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to end his life completely. I wanted him to disappear forever. I really, really wanted to see him suffer.

He raised a brow in question. "Why what?"

"Why are you back in my life again? Wasn't last time enough?"

Mother. Damian. And now Ava was hurt because of me too.

He scoffed. "Are you seriously asking me that? You were supposed to stay away from here. You were supposed to suffer knowing the love of your life would never be yours again. I should've killed him when I had the chance but I thought it would be funnier to have the one you love hate you wholeheartedly."

I almost shivered at the tone of his voice. This man was evil. He was a devil in disguise. He was capable of killing, and it was only natural to fear someone like him.

"But I saw in the headlines that you were rekindling your lost love," he laughed. "How? Why would anyone forgive you? You're certainly not pretty and you're so.. so stupid," he laughed again. That's all he ever did. Laugh at my misery. Laugh at how in shambles my life was.

"The headlines were false. He still..he hates me." I found myself explaining, which is true. This man was back in my life and hurting my loved ones and for what? I wasn't even back with Damian.

He scoffed. "Do you think I'm stupid?" He pointed at the guards bound to the chairs. It was then that I noticed that he was holding a gun in his hand. "He sent them, didn't he? But I guess he's too much of a coward to come himself."

I couldn't express how happy and relieved his last comment made me. He doesn't know he's here. That's good.

"But I'll get him. I sent my men to look for him. I'll make sure you watch me kill him this time," he threatened. His eyes were lighting up in a way I'd never seen before so I knew he meant each and every word he said. He then looked down at Ava lying beside him. "Oh," he muttered as though he just remembered she was there. "And her. She's dying too." He kicked her in the stomach before facing me to look at my reaction which I forced to remain neutral. I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of that.

"You'll watch everything," he sang happily before he finally left the room.

"Ava.." I whispered. "I'm so sorry." I tried to move to her but the chair moving was making so much screeching noise that I couldn't move without Kieran noticing what I was trying to do.

"Wait Val.. don't move, " she said before she started crawling over to where she thought I was. "Can you talk so I know where to head?"

"Yes. Ava. How are you. I'm so so so sorry. I should've never ignored your calls. No, I should've never befriended you. All I do is cause problems for everyone."

"Shut up," she grumbled. I could tell that she was in pain as she tried to get over to me. "I might have gone through hell but I still regret nothing. I'd go through all of it again just to stay friends with you. You're like," I could tell that she was starting to get emotional, "you're like the sister I never had."

I felt myself tear up at that. Ava, my best friend whom I love very much. How could I ever be mad at this girl?

"You saved me by becoming my friend when I was at my lowest," I admitted to her. "Thank you."

She sniffled as she finally managed to get to where I was. She stayed at my legs and I felt her keep tugging at the ropes holding them together. "Val. Valerie. Can you lead me to your hands."

I was confused, but I nodded. "Pull my necklace. Break it. Just take it off my neck." I nodded and did as told. Then, I noticed just how sharp the necklace is. It was practically a razor.

"How didn't he notice this?" I whispered. She shrugged. "I don't know, but we're using it to get you out of here. It's like he doesn't believe I can do anything. He didn't even notice that I'm not properly tied up," she scoffed. "Whatever. I'll go back to where I was. Tear the rope tying your wrists apart," she practically demanded to which I nodded as she crawled back to her place. I kept fidgeting with the sharp piece of metal and the rope until the rope was just draped over there. I knew that I could easily remove it from my hands if I wanted to but I kept it for show.

It seemed like forever before Kieran walked back in with one of his men beside him.

"Take her to the other room. She's not properly tied up," he pointed at Ava. I felt my breath hitch. Did he see her crawl over and practically free me?

He didn't wait and just walked over to me. "This Damian of yours. I can't wait to see his remains splattered on these very grounds," he tried taunting me for a reaction. The gun in his hand was still there, and he kept moving it around.

"You, little one," he started as he approached me. He placed the gun below my chain and forced my head up. "you'll watch it all. Just like last time," he grinned. "Should I bring you popcorn this time and force you to eat it after their blood splatters all over it?"

I almost threw up at the image. Crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy. I can't believe my sister almost married... this.

"I-" he started to say but was suddenly grabbed from his neck. I was in shock seeing one of his men try to suffocate him like that. He dropped his gun from the surprise, and I wasted no chance in grabbing it and freeing myself from the rope. In no time, he managed to push away the man suffocating him. They kept throwing punches at each other and I quickly walked around and tried to free the tied up guards even though they weren't conscious. I don't know what this man wants but if one of Kieran's other men suddenly walks in then we're in trouble.

"What the- who are you?" Kieran gritted out in anger. He managed to grab a hold of his man's face after tackling him and removed the mask. All of a sudden, he let out the most evil laugh.

"Isn't this your pretty lover boy?" he pointed at him. Clearly, Damian somehow managed to overpower one of Kieran's men and steal his clothes. Kieran's face was all bloody from the punches he had received from Damian and it made him look even more insane. Damian was still on the ground, trying to pry Kieran off of him.

"That's even better. I'll kill him. I'll kill him now," he muttered before he looked around for his gun and realized that it was with me.

"No you won't," I said shakily as I pointed the gun towards Kieran. He smirked before he whistled, probably in an attempt to call for his other men.

"You won't kill me. You're Valerie. You'd never kill an ant, let alone a human. You won't do anything," he gritted out. In mere seconds, we were surrounded by his crazy men. All of which were holding their guns towards me.

"No," he said before he got up and forced Damian up with him. "You shoot him," he instructed, pointing at Damian.

"3-" I couldn't handle it. I wasn't about to watch them kill the love of my life right before my eyes. I wasted no time in running towards Kieran and shooting him right in the head. As soon as I did that, the police sirens started sounding around the room, making his men go crazy.

"We have to go."

"What about our leader? She killed him!"

"We can't do anything!" they scattered outside in no time, probably in hopes of escaping the police.

"Damian!"

"Valerie!" he jumped towards me and took me to his chest. "My Valerie. You're okay," he let his eyes run over my entire body making sure that I wasn't hurt.

"I'm okay," I smiled. I looked at Ava who gave me a thumbs up from her place. Her blindfold had slid down and she could finally see properly.

"Oh God," I grabbed Damian's face and tried to memorize his every feature. I didn't want to waste a minute more and pulled his face towards me, taking him in the most hungry kiss he'd ever have. I missed the taste of his sweet lips. I missed his smell. I missed all of him. But right now, nothing could pull me apart from the man I thought I'd lose forever.

Gasping for air a few minutes later, we finally separated, knowing that this probably wasn't the right place to do this, and I couldn't help but feel giddy at the fact that he didn't push me away.

He was okay. And Ava.. she's okay. I couldn't believe my eyes. I looked at Kieran's unresponsive body.

I was free. For the first time ever, I felt free. Through my glee at the sight of his dead body, I didn't notice the man that turned back. I didn't notice the vengeful gaze he gave me. I didn't notice the gun pointed towards me. I didn't notice the trigger getting pulled and the bullet flying towards me until I collapsed in my own pool of blood.

"Valerie!" I heard my two favorite voices scream towards me.

I knew it. I had a feeling I wouldn't make it out alive.

"Valerie! Don't close your eyes," I could feel Damian pleading, trying to get me to stay awake. I could do nothing but shake my head. The last thing I did was pull out the letter I had hidden inside my jacket and force it in his hands.

Some of us, those that are messed up like me, don't deserve a happy ending.