{Mikhail}

"Hey!" I heard a familiar voice call out for my attention, "Mikhail! Are you okay?" I opened my eyes slowly but the bright lights made me shut them right away. I was delirious. I felt like I had lost all sense of direction as the room was spinning in all directions. I realized that the person who was calling out for me had been Max all along when he rudely said, "Hey, dipshit. It's not exactly the time to be napping. Open your eyes and focus."

"Oh, god!" I immediately recognized who that voice belonged to as well. It was Dan crying out. Her sobbing filled the room we were in.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed we were actually inside a warehouse. I couldn't hear much outside the building so I could t make out where we were. Though, I was sure it wasn't near the beach anymore seeing as I couldn't hear waves or the fireworks. I lifted my head and immediately felt somethings wet drip down my neck. I tried moving my hand to wipe it off but chains rattled behind me. No matter how much strength I put into my arm, it was useless. I was chained on what felt like metal bars on the wall. I was still confused as I tried to remember what had happened.

Then it all came back to me.

We were just waiting at the beach for Nico and Dylan to arrive when, all of a sudden, Sera stood behind me with a gun pointed at my head. There was a bit of back and forth conversation and then I witnessed Max and Dan being tased. They both fell to the ground and picked up by two larger men. I called out to them in a panic but was hit in the back of my head with Sera's gun.

Now that I thought about it, it must be blood that was dropping down. Immediately one worry flashed through my mind. Ah, man. My dads going to be worried. He already warned me previously about getting hurt just by being around someone like Nico. However, I couldn't blame what was happening to me now on Nico. It wouldn't feel right to push all the blame on Nico when I went along with his pace all on my own.

"-ey! Hey! Please don't tell me you're brain dead. I really don't know how I'll be able to explain that one to Nico." Max shouted at me to get my attention. I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my head to look at Max and immediately flinched when I saw his shirt ripped and soaked in blood.

"Fuck! Dan shouted on the other side of Max. "Why- why did this happen?"

"Seraphina is a psychotic bitch. That's why." Max informed Dan in a angry sounding tone. "Ah, shit. My shirt is ruined."

"Are you hurt?" I asked trying to keep my voice from sounding frightened but there was no use. Any person would see how scared I was by how much I was shaking in my spot.

"No." Max said and took a moment to look at me carefully. He then shook his head softly and sighed, "It's not my blood."

"Then who does it belong-"

"One of Elisha's bodyguards. I snapped my head back when he was dragging me in and broke his nose. He couched down in pain holding his bleeding nose so I brought my knee up to his face. Blood splatter everywhere. I pulled out his gun and shot his stomach. I was sure I could have gotten us all out safely but I didn't take into consideration that you two were still out cold. Dan's guy dropped her on the floor and tackled me. I landed right in the bodyguard's blood." Max said and scrunched up his nose.

"That's good." I said sighing in relief. "I mean, not the part that you got tackled or killed someone down but that it's not your blood and you're alright."

Max looked at my sincerity for a second but then he scowled and looked away. "I really don't need you to to worry about me, of all people. Worry more about Nico." I frowned at him not understanding what he was trying to say. He let out his breath impatiently and clarified, "Elisha is using you and I to get to Nico. I'm sure Nico has told you about their brother hatred, rivalry, whatever you want to call it. Elisha knows that Nico won't ever do as Elisha commands so he has to get to Nico by playing dirty. He broke his spirit down when Nico was a little kid and now Elisha is back for more."

I tried to wrap my head around everything Max was trying to tell me but I couldn't comprehend, most likely due to the fact that Sera had hit the back of my head with a handgun. I really, really hoped I didn't have any brain damage or a concussion. Dad was going to be worried. I hoped he was safe and out of harm's way. "So." I said suddenly with another slight frown, "Eli is behind this? I thought Sera-"

Dan who had been so quiet in the background finally spoke up, "Sera didn't-" her voice came out confident at first and then turned less confident, "she couldn't have done it on her own free will. Elisha must have-"

"Wake up." Max said in irritation, "She held a goddamn gun to Mikhail's head and made us throw our cell phones into the fire so that Nico couldn't track us. She tased us both and locked us up in some strange warehouse. Unless Sera suddenly has some kind of evil twin no one knew about, it was definitely her doing."

"Max.." I said quietly. He really didn't have any tact when it came down to other people's emotions. "Maybe try talking a little kinder?" I offered.

"She needs to hear it like it is." Max responded unapologetically.

"I get it, but getting worked up and getting mad at each other isn't going to help anyone. Take a deep breath and relax." I tried calming the situation before it got out of hand.

"Great idea, Mikhail." He responded sarcastically. "Meditating and breathing like a goldfish out of water will definitely get us out of here. Why didn't I think of that before?" He feigned and then answered himself, "Oh, yeah! Maybe because I don't have my head floating in the clouds like an airhead!" He shouted at me.

I flinched at his loud voice echoing off the walls and vibrating in my ears. "I was just-"

"It's fine, Mikhail." Dan said sounding defeated on my far right. "I know... I know what I saw and what I experienced but-"

"I know." I interrupted Dan so she wouldn't have to say anything out loud.

I knew Dan and Sera had gotten closer. Dan fell in love quickly. That's just how things always were between her and the people she met. She fell hard and quick for anyone willing to extend a small amount of 'danger' into her life. She liked people who had a mysterious air to them and people that kept her on her feet. Dan had fallen in love with Sera. That was the brutal reality. She couldn't believe that the person who she loved would do this kind of thing.

"You know what to be exact?" The clueless Max said looking between us since he was in the middle and then rolled his eyes, "Whatever. We just need a way to get out and stop Nico from coming here." It was obvious Max was only concerned about Nico's safety. That in itself was a little concerning. Not because I was worried Max would take Nico away from me but because I had a horrible feeling that Max would do anything to keep Nico safe, even if that meant getting himself harmed.

"There's something that been bugging me." I said out loud.

"Maybe it's the handcuffs wrapped tightly on your wrists or is it perhaps the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach that we're going to all die here?" Max said with an irritated voice like he didn't want to hear what was bugging me.

"No! Max, you told me that Elisha is using both you and I to get to Nico but why Dan. She doesn't really have a connection with Nico like we do."

Max looked startled by my revelation. It seemed like he hadn't taken Dan into consideration or really thought about her much since we've been here. "Now that you bring it up-" Max started to say.

The door opened to reveal Sera walking in. She wore different clothes form earlier. she was wearing a black latex pants, boots, and a leather jacket. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail and wore a grim expression. Upon closer inspection as she made her way to us, I saw that her neck was starting to get a bruise that looked like a person's fingers. "I panicked and accidentally brought her." Sera said stopping in front of Max and Dan. Sera looked at Dan with a soft expression and said, "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to bring you here."

I couldn't really look at what kind of face Dan was making because I was the farthest away from her, with Max in between us. I heard her voice come out without much strength, "Nico's brother is making you do this, isn't he? You wouldn't- we had something good between us." Dans voice cracked towards the end.

"I'm sorry." Sera said again and looked away from Dan and focused on the floor instead.

Max laughed out harshly, "You're sorry? Like that's going to suddenly make everything okay. Answer me this: Why the hell did you back stab Nico!? He gave you a second shot at this life. He cared for you like his own blood!"

"You don't know anything, Max. Nico might have treated me kindly but Elisha was my savior. After I lost my everything-" Sera stopped and calmed her voice before talking again, "Elisha was the one who promised me a better life. He promised we would create our own family. Together."

"If you stayed by Nico's side you-"

"If I stayed by Nico's side I would have been thrown away the second he had his eyes on someone new. Don't you get that?" Sera asked, interrupting Max. "The reason for Victor allowing me into the family home in the first place was to have Nico's children. My family name holds a small amount of power in the underground. Nico knew this. He was fine with Victor's decision, as was I, until Mikhail came into the picture. Nico fell in love with a low class citizen. I knew I wasn't needed anymore. My purpose in life was taken away at the drop of a cigarette."

"Your propose in life?" Max asked sounding disgusted, "If Nico agreed to ever having children with a women who was his childhood friend in the first place then it was for you! Can't you get that?! Nico is the type of guy who will risk his own happiness for his friends. He must have known that you were satisfied with living just to bear his children. He wanted to give you that but he fell in love with someone and had to stay true to Mikhail."

My breath caught in my throat as I listened to their conversation. My mind was spinning with the new information I was given. I never knew that Nico had ever made such a promise with Sera. What an idiotic thing of him to do. If his heart was never there in the first place then he shouldn't have promised to have children with Sera. Though I was glad he broke the promise once he met me, it also made me feel absolutely horrible. I couldn't exactly understand why having children was something Sera wanted specifically but I could understand why she held onto her only purpose in life dearly.

In a simple way, it was like the way I held onto my mom's flower shop even though it was well about time to let go. I knew that yet I still kept the place running and my dad a captive there. I should have seen the sign earlier but Sera helped me see things clearer. The realism for my dad never being at the shop was because of all the memories that place held for him. It was painful for him to be there and to be around me all the time. I didn't want to admit it but I probably brought my own dad more suffering than any healing.

Hearing Dan speak broke me out of my thoughts, "No!" She shouted. "I don't believe you! The Sera I know... She was kind. She always put me before herself. She wasn't selfish. She- we fell in love. This isn't you, Sera. Let us go and come with us. You don't have to do whatever Elisha orders you to do!"

Sera hesitated to speak but then found her words, looking Dan straight in the eyes, "I fell in love with you, too. However, I've involved you in too many unnecessary events."

"Stop speaking so distantly like this!" Dan said, "He put his hands on you. You don't need to follow someone so disgusting!"

Sera's hand flew to grab her neck protectively. "I deserved this. I brought you, an unknown variable to this place. I tried to get you to leave but you wouldn't listen. I panicked. I didn't know how long Nico and Dylan were going to be gone so I didn't want to leave you on the freezing ground alone."

"It would have been better if you left her." Max said clicking his tongue.

"Sera." I spoke up seeing as she had left Dan speechless and Max was only going to aggravate Sera. Sera looked over at me with empty eyes, "What is Elisha planning?"

"He's going to take down The Delacroix family. Starting with Victor and ending with Nico."

"Naomi is in on this?" Max asked not sounding surprised at all.

"Of course." Sera confirmed, "She should be taking care of everything back at the estate. We have more people on the inside."

"Does Victor being sick have to do with you guys?"

"Isn't that much already obvious? The chef spiked his foods with slow working poisons and a few maids took turns sneaking the poison in without alarming anyone. Naomi was able to inject Victor with the poison simply by telling him it was medication." As Sera spoke she almost didn't even look like herself.

"Fuck." Max said in horror as he rattled the handcuffs against the metal bars. He launched himself forward causing the metal to clatter against itself as Max came to an abrupt stop, "I swear that you won't get away with this. I'll definitely stop you!"

Sera sighed softly, "You? You can't even move. Those aren't your regular handcuffs. You can't just pick them and hope to escape. We've modified those."

"Then Nico will-"

"Nico has other things to worry about. Troubles are arising left and right. It will take some time before he arrives to your rescue. By then we'll have everything ready for his arrival."

"Are you guys really planning to kill Nico?" I asked cautiously.

Sera made her way over to me and then stopped in front of me. "I don't know what Elisha plans to do with Nico but it's none of my concern anymore."

"How can you say that?" Max asked with a deep frown on his face. "You're speaking as if Nico is just a stranger to you."

Sera turned to look at Max and cocked her head to the side, "He might as well be if you think about it."

"Sera. Please." Dan said through soft sobs, "Snap out of it. Let's get out of here together. We still have time. You can apologize to Nico. He has to understand if you ask for forgiveness-"

"My dear little Dandelion, don't be so naive." Sera scoffed lightly. "The only thing awaiting for me is death if I show my face in front of Nico. There's no going back."

"You're wrong." I said with what started with a brave voice that later fell through, "I just... Nico isn't that kind of person. He'd be mad but you two have obviously been through so much together. I don't think he would just kill you. He wouldn't have that in him."

Sera considered my words for what seemed like an eternity. She then smiled softly, "I guess we'll see later on."

"Sera, please. Please." Dan tried again to get through to Sera. Max and I both knew it wasn't going to work. There was no use to try to reason with Sera anymore. Her mind was corrupted by Elisha. "The time we spent together, that was the real Sera. I want- no, I need her back. She was my rock. I fell in love so quickly for you. If I could go back in time and make it so I never met you, I wouldn't. Not in a million years. You were- you are the best thing that's happen to me. You understand me like no one ever has. Just like I understand when you are suffering inside. You should have talked to me about the things that were troubling you. I could have helped you!"

The door to the warehouse opened a second time and inside came Elisha. He was clapping his hands slowly and in a steady beat. "How very touching, Ms. Danielle. Wouldn't you think so, Seraphina?" Elisha asked with a wicked smile.

"Yes." Sera responded as she tore her eyes away from Dan and took steps backwards away from us.

"Ah, the man of the hour finally shows his face." Max said glaring at Elisha. "It's a shame that the very sight of you makes me want to puke in a corner."

"I see you're still as lively as ever, Maxwell. Though, I would advise you to keep your mouth shut unless spoken to. Otherwise I'll have to find a permanent way to silence you."

I saw Max gulp down roughly, "I hear you're trying to take down The Delacroix family." Max said ignoring Elisha's threat. "Did your pride take a hit when your Bastard of a younger brother was chosen by Victor instead of you? Must have right? Otherwise you wouldn't be doing all this just to hurt Nico. Plotting to kill Victor by using staff and your mother. Despicable."

Elisha smirked and it turned my stomach upside down. He walked over to Sera and without warning slapped her across the face. "I told you to come check on them. I did not order you to tell them our plans and rat me out. Can you not even do that correctly!?"

"Sera!" Dan shouted, "Don't touch her!"

Sera's face was covered by her bangs as she held her cheek softly, I wasn't thinking.." She said without much effort. It was like she had completely given up.

"You're worse than scum." Max told Elisha. "To go as low as to hit a girl. No wonder even the Mafia wouldn't accept you as their new leader."

"Max. Stop." I whispered quietly. Max was only going to anger Elisha. If Elisha was willing to hit Sera like it was nothing, then I was scared to what he would do to Max if he continued. 

Elisha looked at me when I spoke and grinned, "Mikhail. It's so nice to meet you again."

"Y-yeah. Wish I could say the same." I said softly, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, well, I'm sure you understand what it feels like to have the Gods throw misfortune at you. Your mother died and your father acts like he doesn't want you or the only thing left of your mother in his life. You had to work hard to support yourself and still got mocked by the heavens. You rolled bad numbers on the die, just as I did, and came up on the losing end. You and I, we're the same." Elisha said. I heard his footsteps coming closer. He grabbed my chin and yanked it up roughly. "You hate your friends who laughed by your side because they had what you didn't, a loving family. Funny, isn't it? How many similarities people who've never met can share. The hatred we both hold inside our hearts is one and the same."

My eyes brows knotted slightly as I shook my head but couldn't find my words. I couldn't exactly say he was wrong. Dan who always went against her two parents who gave her the world wrapped in money. Dylan who lost his parents but still had his reliable grandparents to lean back on. I always thought it wasn't fair. Why did I have to suffer and live a life where I felt unwanted by my own dad.

"Stop spewing bullshit." Max said getting Elisha's attention. "Quit trying to get into Mikhail's head."

"He's nothing like you." Dan added. I felt a little guilty hearing Dan stand up for me.

"Must be nice to be so young and stupid." Elisha laughed out.

"You should be an expert on that." Max said.

Elisha laughed humorlessly and walked over to Max and grabbed a fistful of his hair. "You're really getting on my last nerves, Maxwell. How about I take you into another building and let my guys take care of you. You're used to giving out services, aren't you? Word on the street is that Nico's right hand man whores himself. For a little cash you'll get on your hands and knees and blow some stranger in an alleyway. Is it abandonment issues? Your parents walked out and left you to die for a little extra drugs.