My year’s been busy, silent but busy. I was officially diagnosed with depression. The pills I was first given made me numb, and I guess that was a good thing at the beginning because I may have broken a good man’s heart. Stiles didn’t believe my words when I said them months ago, and has asked me to come back many times over the months. And even if I fell back once or twice into his bed, I never wanted to return to his heart. Stiles’ heart is reserved for someone who deserves it. And let’s be honest here, clearly I do not.

Yesterday I got an email, to meet with her, or him, which I’m not sure. But I couldn’t say no to seeing either of them. Because believe it or not I’ve missed Livia. I love her just as much as I loved him. So here I am, in a place I don’t know. Expecting to see someone who left me. Both of them broke my heart. Livia may have not realized it but she did too.

My hands run the length of the cold cement wall at the back of the alley. I’m in a place I don’t recognize but I was requested to meet here. Straightening my posture, I brush my fingers through my blonde hair and take another step, one foot in front of the other in my high heels. These things cost me more than a pretty penny with their signature red soles. So here I am because I received an email telling me the location.

It has to be her.

Or so I thought.

It’s been one year since I’ve seen her. Or him for that matter. They ran off together. I loved him as much as I loved her. It wasn’t fair. They broke my heart.

Checking my phone, I pause with one hand on the cement wall and notice I have no reception. Great. Just what I need. Rummaging through my bag, I check for my wallet, and find my pills and bottle of water as well. Hey, at least I have water. If I die today, I’ll be hydrated.

It’s late. My last client was finalized before I left to come here. So, after this, I plan to go and sit in my bath and drink all the fucking wine.

If I make it out alive, that is. Looking up, there’s a white door a short distance away from me. It has a sign hanging from a rusty nail that states ‘Knock Three Times.’ I want to laugh and purposely knock only once, or twice, to be a smart ass. I restrain myself. Instead, I go against my better judgment and knock three times like the sign says.

Standing there, I wait for the door to magically open. It doesn’t. Instead, nothing happens. So I knock again. This time, four times for good measure. I chuckle. Nothing.

Turning around, I notice the door I entered through is now shut.

Fuck! I swear I left it open. How did that happen?

A scream rips from my mouth.

Quinn is standing in front of me.

That same deadly stare he had all those years ago still in place.

He’s dangerous.

He’s a collector. And not of things. Of people.

“Saskia,” he says my name then steps back, pushing the door open to a dark room.

I don’t want to walk in there. Who the fuck knows what’s in that room, and I sure as shit don’t want to find out. I’m more than happy keeping all my body parts today, thank you very much.

Turning, a voice stops me.

It isn’t Quinn’s.

No, it’s him.

Emotions slam into me.

Hate.

Love.

Lust.

Anger.

He holds them all. He’s the reason I’m the person I am today.

“Barbie...” A shiver runs over my skin, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up like little soldiers.

Ryken Lord is back.

But what for?

“Ryken,” I say, spinning around and staring into the darkened room. He lights a small candle, the flicker lets me make out his shape as I step into the room. Quinn shuts the door behind me and effectively locks us in.

“You shouldn’t have come back.” He steps forward, and my heart slams into my chest.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Three pumps, one for each of the times he broke the fucking thing.

His lip twitches. My heart stutters. Our eyes meet.

Ridiculous manic girl meets stupid criminal boy.

“How could I stay away, Barbie? Surely you knew I’d be back, for you.”

I shake my head at his words. “Where is she?”

He shakes his head. “I’m here to discuss us.”

My head shakes slowly, and I step back to the door, reaching out for the handle. I pull it open, looking back to the man that I want to stab in the eye, but fuck at the same time.

“You sir, can go fuck yourself in the ass. Don’t fucking contact me again!”

Quinn smirks as I walk past him.

“You owe me, Barbie.”

Turning back, I see him standing at the door, and it’s now I notice that he’s dressed in all black. The way he should be. He smirks, knowing he has me now.

“And I’ve come to collect what’s mine.”

Shaking my head, I run. Away from him, and away from my shattered heart that I left with him.

Because Ryken is not a man to be trusted. He’s proven that on many occasions.

Every time he’s managed to break my heart.

Then he gave his to her.

***

OPENING THE DOOR, MY hands are clammy as I slam it shut and lean back on it.

Ryken came back, one year exactly after he left. I hate him, despise him. Yet, seeing him makes me want to run to him. I didn’t though, thank God. That would have been a disastrous mistake.

They left after that night, both of them, and I haven’t seen either since.

After heading over to my cousin’s house, my auntie and uncle were reluctant to tell me anything. They acted like Livia was off vacationing. Maybe she was. I have no damn idea.

I look up when my cell starts to ring. It’s the work phone, but it’s after hours now. So I let it go to message. When the message bank answers, nothing happens. Then my private cell starts ringing, it’s a blocked number displayed on the screen. Placing it next to me on the floor, I watch it like it will magically tell me who it is, because I honestly don’t want to find out.

A knock on the door I’m leaning on frightens me and makes me scream as I jump up and turn around. Quinn’s standing there with his cell to his ear, looking in at me. Managing to take a deep breath, I get the courage to open the door, and with shaky hands I pull it open. Quinn pockets his cell and is standing tall and dark.

He still scares me.

“You don’t like to answer your cell?”

My head wants to shake no to him, but yet again nothing happens. I stand there like a damn statue looking at him.

“Can I come in?”

I think about it, I really do. Part of me wants to say no. But I don’t. Instead, I pull the door open, letting him step through. His eyes search the shop as I close the door. He takes up the front space, his whole body blocking the entryway. Quinn is a large man, well, I guess compared to me most people are large. My hands wrap around my arms as I look up to him.

“Why are you here?”

“The Boss asked me to get you.”

My head shakes slowly at his words. “He’s not my boss, I don’t have to go anywhere with you.”

They’re fighting words. I should go wherever he asks. I do owe him that much. He did kill someone before they had time to kill me.

“You do, Saskia. Don’t make this hard for both of us.”

Shaking my head, I step back to the door. The cell rings again, and I pick it up in hopes to avoid speaking to Quinn any longer. Then the voice on the other end makes me wish I didn’t answer it.

“Oh, how I have missed that voice. A year really didn’t diminish my hate for you.”

“Tell your man to leave, I’m not coming to you.”

He laughs into the phone. “You are. You and I have some things to discuss, Barbie. If Quinn doesn’t bring you, I will, and that won’t make it any easier. No. Because then, I’ll be even more fucking angry that I had to leave to get your sweet ass.”

“Fuck you,” I say, slamming my cell down and then slamming it down again for good measure. Probably breaking my phone in the meantime.

Someone coughs. I almost forgot Quinn was here. Almost. He’s smirking, though, at me breaking my cell phone.

“Did he really need to send you?” I ask, pulling my bag up on my shoulder and trying to pick up my cell. It’s broken, I’ll need a new one.

“He did. You wouldn’t have come.”

“Where has he been?” I ask, hoping he’ll tell me.

“Paying your debt.” He opens the front door, turning away from me.

“Is it paid?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “They still require payment. You are to be payment.”

My feet stop in place.

What does that mean?

“I don’t understand.”

Quinn opens the front door, gestures with his hand to my car. Following him out, I lock the shop and climb in with my bag clinging to my side handing him the keys.

“What do you mean?”

He sighs heavily. “You can ask Ryken.”

My head shakes fast.

“Tell me.”

“Half the debt was paid, his loyalty will never come into question again. He well and truly proved his loyalty to the cause. But payment is still due. The one that interfered should be dead. You should be dead, Saskia. The only reason you’re breathing is because of him. Think about that when you speak to him.”

“Fuck him. I wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for him.” My hands slam down on my lap as I turn to look out the window. “Why did he come back?”

“Because he owns you.”

My mouth drops open. “Say what?”

“He owns you. And in the game of buying, he was outbid.”

“Outbid?” My head is spinning, and my forehead furrows with lines.

What the hell is he talking about?

“Basically it works like this. He had to show his loyalty because that was broken when he shot the Spikes MC kid. Ryken did that by starting from the bottom by fighting, cleaning, doing the worst of the worst jobs. Then he climbed his way back up. He’s good. Took him only a year to get back to where he was. But the problem is, the President of Spikes MC Melbourne Chapter is, well, he’s a cunt. He doesn’t play games. Even if Ryken is the King of the underworld here in Darwin, he isn’t the king of them. He collects girls, and the MC exports them. Basically they’re needed by both parties. The Darwin Chapter gets paid well. Then the President of the Spikes MC Melbourne Chapter sell to existing buyers within the country, or they go to resources around the world offering to the highest bidder. With the buyers resourced previously by Ryken’s father, and now Ryken. This world is made up of a few kings, and the Spikes MC is pretty fucking high up there. Ryken’s father may have struck the agreement with them, but Ryken must follow through and become his father, and also gain the respect and trust that his father had.”

MC.

King.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

And who the fuck deals with so many people in a line like that?

“So what does that mean for me?”

Quinn looks down. “You were Ryken’s property. Now you aren’t...” He coughs. “The man Ryken killed for you... unfortunately, that was the President’s nephew.”

My head drops to my knees. “What does that mean?” I reiterate.

“They wanted something else in exchange for his death. A life for a life. They weren’t happy with the year Ryken served, it wasn’t enough. All that did was restore their trust. They wanted more and they wanted Livia, but she’s pregnant.”

My eyes go wide. I didn’t expect that. “What?”

“So you were the next best thing. They knew of you and how important you are to Ryken, so you were their next choice. You are what they want, and there is no way out. Ryken tried and failed to appease them.”

“When?”

Quinn doesn’t answer me, he just gets out of the car. Sitting up, I see him standing on the steps talking fast to Ryken who’s looking my way. He turns once to Quinn, scrunching his eyebrows, then looks back to me. He’s waiting for me to get out of the car. I don’t want to. Everything that was just said makes no damn sense.

Who the fuck deals with all that shit?

Maybe I should have stayed away at the beginning.

But my stupid idiotic heart wouldn’t allow that to happen.

My hand clutches my handbag as I reach for the door, pulling it open. He’s waiting and watching me. The minute my heels touch the gravel, my heart does this weird jump. Last time I was here, he told me he was engaged. Now I’m here to discuss my reasons for being sold and learning that Livia is having his baby.

My heart shatters.

How did this become my life?

Turning to face him, he watches me, waits for me to come to him. I do the most idiotic thing I think I’ve ever done in my life, I flip him the bird.

Then I start walking down his driveway away from him, and I can hear his laugh as he follows me.