The drive flew by, and I was running on autopilot. I didn’t speed, not when the last thing I wanted to risk was getting pulled over. Before I knew it, I was back in the hospital parking lot, then rushing down the quiet hallway towards Lucy’s room. I had no idea what this feeling was that was pushing me forwards but I just needed to make sure she was okay. She was the one person I loved more than anything in this world.

Miraculously, no one stopped me and I pushed through the door to her room seconds later. She was exactly as I had left her. Unconscious and hooked up to a million beeping machines. I heaved a sigh of relief, prematurely, as two huge shadows stepped into my line of sight from where they had been hidden.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” one of them warned as I stepped back into a defensive stance, “not if you want your friend to live.” The other figure took one step closer to Lucy’s comatose body and cocked his gun, pointing it at her.

“Please,” I whispered, staring wide eyed at the gun pointed at my best friend’s head, “don’t hurt her. It’s me Dupree is after.”

“We know.” The man speaking was just slightly behind me so I couldn’t get a clear look at him, but the cold press of metal against my spine said he had a gun on me too. “The boss is going to be real pleased with this turn of events.”

His friend chuckled and the sound scratched across my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. The speaker prodded me with his gun.

“You and me, we’re going to walk out of here real casual like and get into a car. My buddy here, he’s going to stay and keep an eye on your friend. Just to make sure you cooperate. Understood?” I nodded frantically. Anything to get them away from Lucy.

“How do I know you won’t kill her after I’m gone?” I asked in a shaking voice.

“You don’t,” he gloated, “but if you don’t come with me, we will kill her. Right here, in front of you. Is that what you want?”

I shook my head and he prodded me again with his gun. “Well then, let’s move.”

Doing as I was told, I walked with him out to the parking lot. I didn’t dare try and raise an alarm or fight him. My safety wasn’t worth Lucy’s life. Surely I could find a way to free myself later once I knew she was okay.

Once we reached a nondescript looking van I felt the familiar jab of pain in the side of my neck as the man behind me plunged a syringe into my flesh.

I woke alone in a tiny concrete room and lying on the single piece of furniture—a cot. The door was a steel mesh, with holes probably barely big enough for a small hand to fit through. The cell opposite mine appeared identical.

Clearly, Dupree’s wish had come true. She had me at her mercy. I could only hope that now she would leave Lucy and the guys alone. I would never forgive myself if any of the guys had to suffer the same heartbreak if Dupree made good on her threat.

I tucked my knees up and leaned my back against the concrete wall, waiting for the drug induced headache to subside. It wouldn’t surprise me if it were hours before Dupree showed her face. If she showed it at all. In the movies, the bad guys left their captives to sweat it out in solitude before confronting them.

I passed the time counting the squares in the mesh door, and sure enough, it was hours before I heard any kind of movement. When I did, I sat up at attention, as it sounded like something heavy was being dragged down the steep staircase and along the narrow corridor.

Several guards came into sight, but they ignored my cage in favor of the one opposite. They tossed a body inside, locked the door, then clomped away down the corridor without a word to me. That worked; I didn’t want their attention.

Once they were gone, I rose and peered through the door to study the man in the other cell. My stomach lurched when I recognized the tattoos on one of the limp arms.

“Fuck. Austin, you fucking dickhead, what the fuck are you doing here?”

When he twitched suddenly, rolling over and spitting out a mouthful of blood, I jerked back a step.

“Nice to see you too, Princess.” He groaned, dragging himself up to his hands and knees with agonizing slowness.

“What are you doing here? I left to keep you all safe, you goddamn fucking moron!” I wanted to bang my fists against the cell until the door shattered.

“No shit.” He glared at me, one eye blooming a beautiful shade of purple. “I think it’s fairly obvious I followed your stupid ass when I saw you sneaking out. Figured you were likely to pull an idiotic move like this and, oh look, I was right. Always nice to be predictable, sweetheart.”

At a loss for the right retort, I screamed in frustration and slammed my hand against the cage door.

“Good comeback.” The infuriating man laughed, then winced.

At the top of the stairs, the door opened again. Austin collapsed back against the floor, and I waited to see what fresh hell approached.