10. A Slap-In-the-Face Reality

10. A Slap-In-the-Face Reality

All thoughts flew from my mind as Jace's lips pressed tightly to mine. I froze, my lips numb against his. Suddenly, the only thing I could think about were the tingles in my fingertips and the butterflies growing quickly in my gut. Jace's lips had the ability to make one stop thinking, which is what I found happening to me as his lips roughly massaged into mine.

"Open," He commanded, his hand sliding up to grip the back of my neck as he trapped me against his muscled body. "Open, or else your punishment will be something more." With his lips still moving hungrily against my mouth, I had no choice but to obey.

I melted at his command, my lips instantly responding to the kiss that was creating havoc in my body. I couldn't remember the last time I had been kissed in such a way. His soft, warm lips working against mine in a sensual way were enough to spoil any kiss that had ever happened, or would ever happen. I let out a breathy sigh and I felt his slight smile.

The lips active against my own were making my knees weak, though the arms still wrapped tightly around my body supported my weight. My hands ran up his back over his cotton t-shirt, tangling into his dark hair. Another sigh left my mouth as his hand pressed against my upper-back, his other moving down to grip my hip.

Obviously I wasn't thinking straight. Why would I let this dominant, protective, caveman kiss me in such a way? But, as his tongue worked its way into my mouth I knew exactly why I was letting him keep doing what he was doing. Every girl wanted a kiss as sensational as this one.

All I could smell was his musky scent, which seemed to swallow me with how close I was to this man. His masculine hands were lightly squeezing my waist and my eyes nearly rolled back into my head at the feelings he was putting in me. He played with the hem of my t-shirt, one hand brushing against my stomach. His palm pressed against the skin on my back, the heat from his warm grasp causing me to shiver in pleasure.

Was it even legal for a man to make one feel this way?

Running my hands down the back of his neck and over his chest, gleeful at the muscles that contracted under my fingers, I let out a quiet moan. The smirk I felt Jace's mouth twist into and the quick chuckle that left his lips, still pressed tightly against mine, had my world crashing down.

I threw myself away from him, one hand gripping onto the bed-cover and another pressing against my mouth. "W-what were you doing?" I stuttered, shaking my head frantically in hopes that it would clear my foggy brain. "That was - don't do that again!" I commanded, the blush that spread through my cheeks instantaneous.

Jace's eyebrow arched, the corners of his lips lifting in an aggravating way. "Kitten, with the way you responding to my kiss, it was obvious you were enjoying yourself." He smirked, running a hand through his now-tousled hair. I flushed, my eyes moving away from the evidence of our kiss.

My fingers brushed against my swollen lips and I had no-doubt that he was had succeeded in making it obvious what exactly had occurred up here.

"I was just doing that to get you off me." I lied, dropping my hand to press it behind me. "Anyways, I've had plenty of much-greater kisses."

His eyes darkened, instantly narrowing into a glare as he stalked towards me. "Is that right?" His voice was low, husky, and had a tinge of anger in it. He stalked towards me and I pressed myself further against the bed, wishing there was an escape route that was accessible.

"Of course." I pressed, firmly meeting his gaze. "You were just another okay-kiss. It's not happening again."

"Is that right?" He repeated his words, stopping directly in front of my body. His hand lifted to brush away the strands of hair that had fallen into my eyes during our heated session.

I didn't speak, knowing I most likely wouldn't be able to. His bedroom-eyes had me twisting away from him desperately, trying to find an escape, knowing that if he did press his lips against mine again, there were no promises of what would occur.

"That wasn't much of a punishment." He dragged on, his finger sliding down my cheek to run softly against my collarbone. I stiffened at his growing touch, wanting to dislike the growing pressure of his fingers. "In fact, I think it was more of a reward - and it wasn't supposed to be."

My eyes narrowed at his. "It was a punishment, trust me; might want to invest in some very-strong breath mints." I breathlessly added, as his hand moved even lower.

His eyebrows cocked, an amused look entering his eyes. "I don't believe you." His palm pressed against my waist, moving gently over my ribs. "I don't." He whispered, his mouth hovering over my ear. My eyes automatically shut, my stomach tightening. I clenched my hands, resisting the urge to run them over his perfect abs.

"Well, you're wrong." I replied weakly, wishing that I wanted to leave his warm embrace.

"Really?" As he leaned away from me, a smirk spread across his gorgeous face. "Is that right?"

I pressed my lips together, not liking the cold air filling the space where he once was. Straightening my spine, I ran a hand over my tangled hair; to say I was flustered was an understatement. "I need to shower." I finally muttered, ignoring the entertained look spreading rapidly across his face.

"Should I let you?" He mused, his eyebrows cocking. "Maybe, I won't."

I narrowed my eyes at him, forcing my feet to walk towards where I assumed the shower was. "You don't get to make that decision." I snapped back, avoiding looking in his direction.

"I wouldn't say that." Jace stepped in front of me, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You don't know the danger you're involved in now." He snarled out, his features dark as he stared directly into my eyes, seeming to search for something in their depths.

I stared back into his icy ones, before dropping my gaze as I moved around him. "I know enough."

"You'll see eventually." He called after me, as I increased my speed to the sanctuary of the background. "And when you do, it won't be pleasant."

I raised my middle finger in his direction, releasing a sigh when I finally made it into the room, slamming the door and twisting the lock.

"And, Savannah? You still have your punishment." He eerily spoke, before silence enveloped.

I tried not to think too much about what that punishment could contain.

______________________________________________________________________

"You're all set." Ash finished, slapping the final bandage over the cut that spread a large majority of my forehead. My hands carefully fingered the bandage, my eyes making contact with the ones wrapped around my knees. After disinfecting all my injuries, he had used surgical glue to close the cut, before wrapping me up with bandages.

"Thank you," I murmured, avoiding his gaze, as I shifted on the counter-top in the kitchen.

He let out a grunt, letting me know that he had heard my apology.

The tension had been there throughout the time he had been fixing me up. It was obvious in the stiff way he held his body and to the way I avoided his eyes. The conversation had been nothing, our mouths not moving as if we both refused to speak. It seemed he was tense about the actions I had taken yesterday evening and I was tense from his disapproving gaze I felt on me.

I resisted a tired yawn, as I watched him neatly stack up his bandages and place them neatly into a bag.

Last night, after my shower, I had come out to a sandwich sitting on a plate on the bed. Thankful for who had delivered such a wonderful thing, I ate it ravenously before checking the door, which I had found locked tightly. I had promptly fallen asleep moments after, avoiding thinking about the kiss, which had taken place practically where I was laying. Jace wasn't there in the morning so I could only assume that he hadn't returned from wherever he had gone.

I gripped the edge of the counter-top, leaning towards Ash who was packing the last of his supplies. I felt my stomach tighten sickeningly when I realized that he was going to walk away, still as angry as he was.

I could see it in everyone's faces that they were frustrated with what had happened. Everyone seemed to be avoiding my gaze, skirting around me as if I was some kind of disease. Heck, a few faces I had yet to meet weren't even looking at me, which didn't seem to be the best of signs. I was only thankful that I hadn't run into Cash yet.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, my eyes glued to floor. I clasped my palms together, wishing that he would look my way. But, he remained the same, his back stiff and his head bent. "I know I broke your trust."

"It's not even that." Ash spoke up, his voice holding large amounts of frustration. "We all trusted you to some extent, more than others. But, you chose to break that trust at a moment where we were weak. We had a man down and more hunting us. You didn't think about that before you tossed yourself out your window."

I played with my fingers, my face flushing at his words. I knew he was right. They had to have trusted me to some extent to leave me home at a time like that. "I'm sorry," I repeated, "I know I can't make this right, but I'll try."

"A lot of the guys are angry." Ash sighed, finally turning to face me. "Jace filled us in on everything that happened last night and you made a lot of stupid moves. If you were captured, we would have had to gone and rescue you, because Jace would have felt like he involved you in this. So, the guys are mad about that. Did you even think about what could have happened?"

I traced my finger up and down my leg softly, not knowing what I should say. "To an extent," I finally choked out.

Ash let out a bitter laugh. "And Cash - he isn't someone you would want on your bad side. He's a good man, but once you lose his trust, it's gone forever. That's the same for most of the guys. You're lucky you aren't locked in the basement." He pressed, zipping up his bag as he finished packing the last items.

"I know," I murmured, "Though Jace didn't exactly have to lock me into his room either." I pointed out and my hands automatically reaching up to press against my lips, my face coloring at the memory of our kiss. Suddenly, the kitchen felt too warm.

"It was that or the basement." He shrugged, leaning against the counter. Ash crossed his arms, looking troubled. "You should be thankful for his kindness."  He pressed, shaking his head at me. "Any other person and Jace would have locked them down there - and it isn't exactly pleasant."

"Is that where Brooke is?" I squeaked out, my eyes widening in horror at the thought.

Ash rolled his eyes, "Jace wouldn't do that. Your friend is innocent in all this. You're the one that's not." He pointed out.

I frowned at his words, not liking the way he was making me feel like a criminal. "All of you don't understand the reasons why I tried to escape. Technically, I didn't even do anything wrong!" I exclaimed, pressing my lips tightly together, before continuing. "Of course I attempted to, you guys are practically holding me hostage here. I am thankful for all you guys have done for me, but it isn't right for me to be trapped here."

"Is it?" He laughed sarcastically, a frustrated glint entering his dark eyes. "If you get killed, that will be placed on his shoulders. And Jace can't handle anymore guilt."

"What do you mean?" Curious by his words, I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes shut off at mine.

"Nothing," He replied, shaking his head. "Forget it."

"That's not fair." I muttered, crossing my arms. "Where is Brooke, anyways? Is she alright?" Anxiousness twisted my gut and I tightened my arms around me.

"She's fine," He let out a heavy breath, waving his hand around as he stared at me. "I can't tell you where she is - direct orders from Jace - but, she's fine. She's just angry because no one's telling her anything and she wants to see you."

"Of course she does." I muttered, rolling my eyes at hi,. "We were kidnapped and you think she would just be fine with it?"

Ash gave me a dark look. "Of course not - don't be stupid." Rolling his eyes, he straightened. "Don't anger any of the guys. I don't want you pissing anyone off because then they might try to get rid of you. Then, that would put you in danger."

Giving me an obvious look, he picked up his bag off the floor. "I forgive you, Savannah. I know that you didn't mean to break anyone's trust, just try to think more." He stressed and I finally noticed the tired expression on his face. "There's a lot of shit that happens in our world and you don't seem to realize that."

"Thanks, Ash." I whispered, giving him a small smile. "I'll try to be better."

"No, you won't." He rolled his eyes, reaching over to flick my forehead. "Trouble seems to follow you wherever you go; just be careful. You're just lucky the guys are still looking for the guy who shot Chase."

I nodded, letting my shoulders rise and fall. "I can't help the trouble thing."

Letting out a laugh, he started for the door through the door out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Ash?" I called after him nervously, jumping down from my perch.

"Yes?" He turned to face me and I was thankful for the tiny smile on his face.

"Where's Chase? I want to see him."

Rolling his eyes, Ash shrugged his head towards the stairs. "Follow me."

Quickly stepping in his direction, I followed after him, trying to keep up with his long strides. "He's a little drowsy because of the medication I put him on." He explained. Leading me into the foyer and up the stairs, he paused at the top. "His room is to the right of your old one." He explained, nodding down the hallway. "Just knock before you enter."

Nodding at his commands and mumbling a 'thanks', I started down the hall, following his directions. Stopping in front of the door he had instructed, I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath to attempt to calm the nerves causing a ruckus in my stomach. I raised my fist to softly connect it to the door. The noise caused me to hold my breath, though it whooshed out of me when I heard a faint 'come in'.

Gripping the door handle, I pressed on it, opening the door.

"What are you doing here?" An angry voice sneered and my eyes widened at a furious-looking Cash.

"Cash," A low voice warned him, "Hey, Savannah. Come on in."

Casting a hesitant look towards the man who was still furiously glaring at me, I stepped into Chase's room. Shutting the door gently behind me, I attempted to gain the confidence to step over to his bedside. My eyes flickered over the man. The paleness to his skin shocked me.

"Hi, Chase." I forced a smile, my eyes moving forward to take a seat on the opposite side of where Cash was sitting. I ignored the dirty look he shot me. "How are you doing?"

"Good," He nodded, grinning back at me. "The pain medication Ash had put me on is amazing. I can't feel a fucking thing, Savannah. How heavenly is that?"

"Oh, just dandy." I laughed, rolling my eyes that the boy.

"Seriously, punch me right near where the bullet went in. I won't feel it." He said, furiously shaking his head. "It's like magic."

I shot him an alarmed glance, my eyes drifting to the bandage that was covering his skin. "I don't think that's a good idea, Chase." I coughed out, shaking my head.

"Why not-"

His words were cut off my Cash shooting out of his chair, his eyes narrowed into a glare at me, before he stomped towards the door. "I'll see you later, man, hopefully when the witch is gone."

I stuck my tongue at his back as he forcefully pulled open the door, before loudly letting it shut behind him.

"Well, he has a nice, big, stick up his ass." Chase mumbled, running a hand through his messy hair. "I don't know why he's so sensitive about this whole situation." He rolled his eyes.

"I can understand." I mumbled, looking away. "I wanted to apologize for distracting everyone from their search. They could've found the guy and-"

"Savannah, stop," His eyes rolled again. "None of this was your fault and honestly? We were all expecting you to try to escape anyway. We just were hoping it wasn't at a time like the one you chose." He winced. "I guess we all expected it to be when we could invest the most time into finding you. I think Cash is the most upset because he had hoped you wouldn't escape. I think he thought you were a cool-friend and then by you escaping, it showed to him you weren't."

"I was friends with everyone." I mumbled, clasping a hand to my knee. "I was."

"Or maybe I would be mad at you too if I wasn't on these drugs." He chuckled, a loopy smile twisting the corners of his mouth. "You have to try these. In fact, I think this whole damn house should. Everyone is in such bad moods, maybe if we all swallow a whole bottle of this, we could all be happy and friends again!"

Rolling my eyes, I patted his shoulder. "I think you should sleep."

"I'm not tired." He pouted, shifting in bed, before grabbing the TV remote.

"I can see that." I murmured, shaking head. "How long do you think everyone will be angry at me?" I questioned, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my jean-covered knees.

Chase shrugged, his eyes distant as he flicked through the channels. "It depends; if you want to get on Cameron's good side you just have to make him a cake or something. While Jace isn't that easy."

"I can just bake cake?" I sat up straight, an eager look on my face. "It's that easy?"

"For some of the guys," He stressed, chuckling at my expression. "Jace won't let it go that quickly though. He'll watch for a long time to see if you mess up again. He doesn't forgive easily and he never forgets.

I ignored the shivers skirting up my spine, slouching over. "Oh,"

"Yeah," He laughed, getting distracted by some show that had come on.

I leaned back in my chair, inwardly snorting at the expression on his face. Though, my relaxed position quickly changed when the door slammed open, banging against the wall.

I jumped, immediately turning to the intruder to find Jace standing there, a pissed-off expression on his face.

"Uh oh." Chase muttered, his eyes flickering between Jace and I.

A blush spread rapidly throughout my cheeks at the memory of the last time I had seen him. He didn't seem to care, as he started towards me, gripping my arm and pulling me from the chair.

"Come on," He growled out, starting for the door.

"What the heck?" I pulled against his grip. "I was visiting with Chase! You can't do that."

"Too late," He slammed the door shut once he had pulled us through, starting down the hallway. "You're coming with me."

______________________________________________

Jace led me down the staircase, his grip on my arm uncomfortable. I could feel the anger in the way his grip was painfully to tight, though I didn't say anything. For some reason I knew it was better not to.

He turned down a hallway after we had stepped off the last step, his pace quickening. I squinted into the darkness around me, not liking the chills that sprang up on my skin. But, it wasn't from the cold either. "Jace," I whispered, lightly tugging my arm, attempting to get him to release his grip. "Jace, where are we going?"

"You need to see." He replied distantly, only stepping quicker towards the doorway at the end of the hall as he dragged me along.

Not resisting now, I let my curiosity expand as I warily followed him. I could feel that something wasn't right, that perhaps I didn't want to see what was behind that door at the end of the hall. But, there was nothing I could do at this point. I knew that Jace would force me to see whatever it was, whether it was what I wanted or not.

I did let out a squeak of protest, when he shoved me towards the door. My hands landed on the cold metal-surface with a bang.

"Open it," He commanded, his arms crossing as he stood away from me. "Go-ahead, it's time you get to see."

"See what?" I warily stepped away from the doorway, not wanting to face whatever was beyond it. "Stop it," I whispered, disgusted at the way he was acting.

But, he didn't. His expression only darkened. "Open the damn door, Savannah."

My throat thickened, but I listened to his command, wrapping my hand around the cold handle and shoving the door open.

I was blinded by bright lights and I instantly shut my eyes, not liking the obtrusion. Jace pushed me into the large space, slamming the door behind him. I blinked through watery eyes as my sight adjusted to the space around me. My eyes flickered to the men, almost all familiar faces I had grown to recognize. They all stared numbly back, blank expressions on their faces.

"Step aside," Jace commanded, stepping away from me as he moved towards the group of men that was blocking whatever he wanted to show me. "It's time she knows."

I bit my lip, knowing very well that I didn't want to. I stepped backwards, stumbling back until my palms were pressed against the brick wall behind my body. I barely noticed Riley move directly towards my side, as I watched the scene in front of me. As the men moved, I finally understood what he wanted me to see.

My stomach turned sickeningly.

The bruised and bloody man sitting in the wooden chair with his hands tied behind him, had me swallowing thickly. His ankles were strapped to the legs and a strangely terrifying smile was planted on his face as he stared straight back at me.

I wanted to take a step back, but I knew I had no-where to go. There was no escape.

The panic twisted within me. Something wasn't right, they weren't just showing me the man that they had tortured. No, this was something much deeper.

"What-" I croaked out, stopping when Jace's glare landed on me.

"Do you know who this is, Savannah?" Jace questioned, picking up the knife on the table near him and stepping forward towards the man. He let the tip of the blade trace along the man's neck and I shuddered, feeling my stomach twist sickeningly. He must've taken my silence as a 'no' because he continued, his voice hard. "The fucker, right here, shot Chase. And he would shoot us all if he had the chance."

Jace trapped me under his gaze. "We caught him this morning, most likely while you were still asleep - completely oblivious to what was happening." He traced the knife over the man's cheek and up to his temple.

"I don't-" I started, feeling the urge to say anything, though the look Jace shot me had me freezing.

"We most likely would have caught him last night, if you hadn't decided to play that little game of yours and run off." Jace pinched the bridge of his nose, dropping the knife onto the table. He straightened, shifting his body towards mine. "And then, perhaps, Ash wouldn't have had to stitch Riley up with a knife wound."

I stiffened, my head moving to meet Riley's stony gaze. I couldn't help but feel the guilt beginning to swirl into my stomach. My head began to throb and I clasped a hand to it.

"The bitch is just like I remember." The man spoke up, his gaze running over my body sickeningly. "That tight little ass and those perky-"

"Did I ask you to speak?" Jace snarled threateningly, his hand reaching for the weapon again. "Shut the fuck up."

"I didn't put that one on her." The man sneered towards the bandage on my forehead. "I would have liked to, but we ran out of time. At least I carved that pretty little marking onto your skin." He smiled sadistically towards the carving on my arm.

My hand ran over it, glad that my shirt was covering the fresh scar. I didn't like having it shown.

"She still seems oblivious to it all." He laughed loudly, the sound making me jump. "I can see the innocence in her eyes. She doesn't know."

"Know what?" I spoke daringly, wanting to shrink back at all the hard gazes that shot to me. "Jace-"

"He didn't tell you everything, Honey." The man smirked at Jace, whose jaw had tightened. "Of course he didn't. He wouldn't when you weren't really a close confident to his family. You could have easily run off and spilled whatever he told you to people like me. He even may have thought you could be a spy." He chuckled, shaking his head.

I bit my lip, my teeth digging into my flesh enough to draw blood, my hands forming into two tight fists.

"Shut the fuck up." Jace finally spat out, seeming shaken. He gripped the knife tighter, ripping the knife through the man's thigh. Blood instantly spilled out, washing over his leg. I stared, horrified, as it dripped onto the concrete beneath our feet at a steady flow. I clasped a hand to my mouth, feeling the urge to vomit from fear.

"I know I'm dead." The man smirked at Jace. "Either from the cut or the wounds you will inflict on me later. Might as well listen," He winked, "You might get some information since you haven't been able to make me spill anything I know."

Jace's hand fisted around the knife and he took a deep breath. My wide eyes flickered to the men around the room. Suddenly, they didn't seem like the sometimes-nice, funny guys I had interacted with the last few-days. Cameron had a serious expression on his face as he polished a gun in the corner of the room. Xavier was leaning on the wall, a menacing glare spread across the length of his face. I could see two men I had been introduced to muttering against the back wall and another watching the scene playing in front of him with an angry expression. Cash was staring at me with a narrowed gaze.

"I have to say, Jace. I'm amused." He shook his head, before his sadistic eyes met my again. "You probably don't know this, but all the men in this room are illegal arms dealers." He smirked at my shocked look. "That's right. The boys you have been staying with for the past days all are part of a global business which traffics illegal weapons all over the globe."

Riley maneuvered his big body slightly in front of mine, slightly blocking the man from eyeing me. His hand brushed slightly against mine, before returning to his side. My breathing quickened at the man's words, unable to comprehend what he had just spat out.

"Of course not many know this. You may know Jace is a Kingston and the Kingston family own a business called Kingston Enterprises, which produces practically anything you can think of. Of course, this is what the public thinks - that the Kingston's just make fancy products. If you want a blender, you'd pick up one with the Kingston name slapped onto it. Though, behind all that, they really manufacture illegal weapons." He shook his head, a chuckle escaping his mouth. "They're smart, the way they set it up, they're literally invincible. They are globally known for their products and their status, they're literally untouchable."

His eyes narrowed slightly, flickering to the people around the room who were all staring now. "Of course, Ricardo's father owned a business, as well, also manufacturing weapons behind it all. The Kingstons and him  never got along after things got difficult with trade in another country, years back. Though, he didn't have as much power as the Kingston's. Knowing that he could easily be wiped out by them, he decided that he would set up a treaty - a way to insure his saftery and his money; only that's what the Kingston's thought. Instead, he set them up and kidnapped Jace's mother and Jared's little sister." He nodded to the man standing in the corner, a furious glare on his face. "It showed that the Kingston's weren't untouchable and put more power into our court."

Smirking a little, the man shifted in his chair. "Basically, we tortured the woman and let her go. We wanted them to get angry and see what we could do. When emotions get in the way, suddenly people slip up - only they didn't." He let out a curse. "We were tempted to kill the woman, after the affair she had with one of our men, but we held off. We should have killed her."

Jace stiffened, the look on his face twisting my stomach fearfully. I had never seen him so angry. The man continued, "So, we thought they would get our warning. After-all, we had the girl. We had leverage. Only their business was growing bigger and more powerful. We offered a ransom for the girl, demanding a large amount of money and designs for weapons that the Kingston's were manufacturing, though the police had been unleashed onto our tail and were getting closer. Jace, here, set on revenge, gave an anonymous tip about what we were manufacturing and Ricardo's father was arrested for the trafficking of illegal arms."

The man shook his head. "Ricardo attempted to let the police in on what the Kingston's were manufacturing as well, though it was believed to be a ruse. The Kingston's had such a reputation and large business it was believed to be not true."

"Only it was. We were tempted to kill the little girl and flee, though Ricardo insisted that we watch. So, we did. for two years. They had all believed that the girl was killed by now. Jace and men from his father's company left New York, to begin manufacturing his father's factories here in Seattle, so we followed. Only Jace, whose face wasn't well known to the public, also joined the police force as a way to further their invincibility. They are literally untouchable. Nobody can even go to the police." The man shook his head regretfully. "Ricardo only followed to get revenge, though it's difficult with so many guards and men surrounding such important people. Not only that, but Ricardo's father had set out orders that Jace Kingston will be killed, in revenge to the affair his mother had years ago that was too personal to one of our men."

I was shaking. I hid my hands behind my back in order for the tremors to be well-hidden. I didn't want to anyone to see the fear in me that had grown immensely. Yes, Jace had been right all along. I wasn't cut out for this.

Riley shifted again, blocking me more from the man's view. His eyes met with mine briefly and they narrowed slightly before turning away.

The tension was rising slowly in the room. "And then you started mingling with them. So, we took the chance to give them a little warning." The man laughed, shaking his head.

"I expected him to get rid of you." He snorted, shaking his head. "You were a loose end, a weakness on the inside who knew too much. You were too close to finding out too much. Only he didn't and it's so satisfying to tell you all this now. Think of the money you could get if you publicized this story, it would be too much to pass up." He grinned, his yellow teeth flashing under the fluorescent lights.

"There could only be one reason he's keeping you around, though." The man snickered, his lips turning up into an ugly grin. "And that's-"

"Shut the fuck up." Jace boomed, slamming his fist in the man's face hard enough for the chair to go toppling over. The man's head slapped against the floor with a sickening thump, though he continued to laugh. "You've said far too much." Jace snarled, slamming him fist onto the table-top.

"Turn around, Savannah." Jace barked at me, his head turning around so our eyes could meet. "Turn the fuck around!"

Scared straight by the harshness of his voice, I turned my body away from the scene playing out in front of me. I pressed my forehead against the cool brick, suddenly unable to get enough air into my lungs. Pressing my hands against the rough surface, I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing that I was anywhere but here. The tears that had been welling in my eyes spilled over. A comforting, unfamiliar hand landed on my shoulder.

"Xavier," Jace commanded, his voice distant and strangely quiet. "Now."

The answering gun-shot had my cries muffled from the sound. I clasped my hands to my mouth, my shoulders shaking as I refused to turn to the scene behind me. The man's laughter stopped.

With the only sound in the room being my soft cries and the sound of dripping blood, I had a realization.

I had received my punishment.