My palms are sweating as I stand and stare at the boarded-up warehouse in front of me. Knowing that Corey is in there, only a few hundred metres away makes me want to rush in all guns blazing, but I follow the plan and stay where I am. If I go off script, then there’s a chance that someone one will get hurt and I can’t risk having that on my conscience, especially when this whole thing is on me already.

When the need to recheck my mobile becomes too much, I pace back and forth. We have a timeline all planned out and continually checking the time will only drive me insane. Finally, the silent vibration in my pocket tells me it’s time, but instead of surging forward to get my man, I freeze as fear consumes me. The longer I stay out here, the longer I won’t know what’s happening to Corey, and I'm not sure I want to know what’s waiting for me inside. If I just stay out here, then I can pretend he's safe and alive. The minute I go in there, then I can’t hide from the truth.

With that in mind, I take the first tentative steps towards the warehouse. The feeling of déjà vu isn’t lost on me, and all these years later I can still feel the same dread as I walk forward. I picture my sister lying just inside the coal mine, her body broken beyond repair while that fucker stood above her and smiled at me. It took me months to get rid of that image, the evil smile that would wake me most nights. Those nightmares were the reason I became numb. I blocked all my emotions until I became cold and uncaring. David started taking my life from me back then, and I'm scared that his brother is about to finish the job now.

The large front door creaks as I push it open, taking away any chance I had of making a quiet entrance. It’s not like Daniel doesn’t know I'm here. He told me what time to be here, and there was no way I was going be late. Nothing about this is a surprise, and I need to remember that, so a creaky door isn’t going to make much difference. I need to keep my wits about me and check out my surroundings so no one can jump out on me and do me harm. The entrance hall is long and wide, but the lack of doors is a benefit since it gives people fewer places to hide. I make my way down the hall and approach a large bay door. The lock is broken and since this is the only access point I know it’s where I need to go. I lift the bar that’s holding the massive door closed, cringing when a loud bang sounds.

Pushing it open adds a groan to the near silence, and I'm suddenly glad I'm not trying to make a silent entrance. I walk in slowly, my eyes taking in every inch of the room. The large windows at the top of the metal walls flood the area with light, so the shadows are limited. Finally something in my favour. The room is filled with large wooden palettes stacked along the wall and some in the centre of the open space. It blocks my view of the whole area, and my fingers twitch to go around the gun that I don’t fucking have. Going in weaponless hadn’t been high on my lists of going to happen, but Clay had insisted since it would probably be safer if Daniel thought I’d come unarmed. I listened to him, kind of, but I can feel the pressure of the hidden gun against my ankle and the knife against my back. There was no way I was walking in here completely defenceless, but I will go into the meeting with no visible weapons.

A noise on the other side of a stack of boxes has me slowing my steps. I approach with caution, fully expecting to have a gun pointed at my head at any moment. Stepping around the edge of the crate I look around and what I see in the centre of the room has my blood freezing in my veins. Anger and fear fight for dominance but it’s fear that wins out. Maybe it’s for the best because if anger had won there is a chance I would be dead already.

There are two people in front of me, but I can’t take my eyes off the person in the chair. He's tied down and gagged. His arms are pulled tight behind his back, and his face is a bruised mess. It might take a lot for most people to recognise him but I do. There’s no mistaking the man in the chair. His left eye is swollen closed, and there’s a cut on his cheek, but he’s alive. Corey. My heart shatters as he looks at me, a small smile on his lips as he struggles to breathe. Even after everything, he's been through because of me he's happy to see me.

“I didn’t know if you’d actually turn up.” The hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end when I hear his voice. It’s the same one that’s haunted my life all these years, and if I didn’t know for sure that David was gone, I would be convinced I was looking at him. It’s like looking at a ghost.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“Fuck off.” Antagonising him probably isn’t my best idea, but I don’t want to talk to him. I just want to kill him so I can get Corey out of here.

“Tut tut. That’s not the best way to speak to the man who holds your whore’s life in his hands. I think you should at least attempt to play nice.”

I feel my teeth grind when he calls Corey a whore and I want to rush over to him and rip his fucking face off, but the gun in his hand is keeping me in the same spot. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I have what I want. I have the whore in my control, and you’re here to watch me when I kill him.”

My throat closes, and I'm struggling to think clearly. Nothing can happen to Corey. Even if I don’t leave this warehouse with him, he will leave here alive. I cough, trying to clear the lump that has taken up residence in my throat. “This has nothing to do with Corey. Let him go, and you can do whatever you want to me.”

Corey starts making noises behind the gag, and I look at him. He's shaking his head, his eyes as wide as saucers, and he seems genuinely fucking scared. I want to cry, to throw myself at his feet and beg for forgiveness for putting him in this situation, but I turn away, not wanting to give Daniel the satisfaction of getting a reaction from me.

“Aw, I don’t think the whore would like that.”

“Stop fucking calling him that!” I can’t keep the anger out of my voice, and I regret it instantly when Daniel lashes out with his gun, catching Corey across the jaw. I can hear the contact from where I stand and before I know it I'm moving.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.”

My steps falter as he raises the gun and points it straight at the back of Corey’s head.

“Good boy. Now, let's have a chat.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself calling him a fucking lunatic and telling him that I'm going to rip him to pieces like I did his twin, but I keep quiet. I’ll give him his moment before my team moves in to take him out. That’s my job in this plan, keep him talking and don’t piss him off. Clay knows me well, so he emphasised the part where I’ve not to lose my temper, so I will bite the inside of my cheek until it bleeds if I have to. I will keep my word.

Daniel moves behind Corey and wraps the fingers of his gun free hand in Corey’s hair. He looks down at Corey, and my hands twitch to run at him while he's distracted, but I wait, letting him think he’s in control before I destroy him.

“You will want to listen to this, whore. You might learn something about the man you’re in love with.” He laughs before pushing Corey’s head forward. “I wonder if he ever told you about who he was before he met you. I'm sure he didn’t because who could fall in love with a murderer?”

Little does he know that I've already told Corey everything and it was the truth, not the messed-up version he's about to hear. I made peace with what I did a long time ago, and Corey never once held it against me. He understood that I did what needed to be done, and not once has he thought less of me for it. He might be about to give Corey a jaded retelling of what happened, but I know that Corey won’t believe him.

He leans down, so his face is close to Corey’s. “And that’s what he is. He killed my brother, my twin actually. He took him away from me and now I'm going to take away someone he loves.”

“Your brother was a fucking killer.”

Daniel snarls in my direction with a look of pure hate on his face. “He wasn’t. Your sister led him on, and when he tried to take what she offered, she fought him.”

It’s all lies. The injuries found on Lexi’s bodies showed that she had suffered for days before she died. David got pleasure out of what he did, and no one in the world will ever convince me that he didn’t.

“Someone lied to you. He was a sick pervert who got his kicks from punishing an innocent girl.”

Daniel steps closer to me, pointing the gun at me instead of Corey and I feel a ripple of satisfaction that all his attention is on me. “Take that back. The only killer was you. I know you did it. The police might not have cared that he was missing, but I did. He was my blood, and you took him from me.”

There’s a sound to the side of us, but I refuse to take my eyes off Daniel. If the person entering is making noise then I know they aren’t trying to sneak up on me. No, my attention stays where it needs to be. That is until I hear the other person speaking.

“Caught this one outside, Boss. Thought you might find him useful.”

I turn around expecting to see one of my team standing next to Daniel’s goon, but it’s a whole lot worse than that. My eyes connect with Grant’s, and I feel the entire world crashing down around me. This can’t be happening, he can’t be here. As I stare at him, I feel everything becoming clear. It rushes at me, threatening to knock me on my arse.

I love Grant.

It seems so simple now that I say it in my head, but I’ve spent so long not wanting to admit it. I think I’ve loved him from the first moment he spoke back to me but it’s taken me this long to realise what those feelings were. Now he's standing in front of me, and I'm at risk of losing both the men I love.

“I'm sorry, I was trying to help.” Grant’s voice is quiet, muted by the blood that’s running down his chin. The fucker who brought him in obviously hurt Grant, and I add him to my kill list.

“Don’t.” I need him to understand that none of this is his fault and that I will never feel he’s made a mistake by coming here. It proves that even after he left he was thinking about us and that’s worth more than anything.

Daniel tilts his head as he looks at me. It’s in that moment I know that I just made a mistake. “Isn’t this a beautiful turn of events. Not only do I have your whore but I seem to have stumbled upon the side fuck. I didn’t think he meant anything to you, but I have a feeling that I was wrong.”

I stay quiet, determined not to give him any more ammunition. The click comes from behind me a fraction of a second before the muzzle of a gun is pressed against the back of my head. I keep my face neutral, trying to mask my fear. If anyone was to look closely though they would see the drop of sweat running down the side of my face.

Daniel walks casually away from me, and that’s the first time I realise that he isn’t the one with the gun. He grabs Grant by the front of his shirt and drags him to stand near Corey. He kicks Grant on the back of the knees making him collapse to the ground. My eyes flicker between Corey and Grant, and the feeling of helplessness threatens to overtake me.

Where the fuck is my team? Why aren’t they here to help us?

“This wasn’t part of the plan, but hasn’t it added to the fun of it?” He pats Grant on the head, a sickening smile on his face. “Well done, boy. You’ve done me a great service today, and I wish I could say I would go easy on you as a reward, but then I would be lying.” Daniel looks at me. The evil inside him shines out of him, and I'm scared what he's about to do because the look on his face is frightening.

Daniel walks behind Corey and Grant, summoning one of his men over before whispering in his ear. I use his distraction to look at Grant and Corey. I need them to look at me, to try and work out what I'm trying to tell them. I need them to keep calm so I can get them out of here. They need to know to run as soon as my team arrive. I need them to get out safely. They look at me briefly, and I feel relief go through me until they look away to stare at each other. I nearly cry out in frustration, but I don’t want Daniel to think something is happening.

“So.” Daniel turns back to us, taking away my chance to talk to the guys. “I think I would like to play a game. I'm going to ask a few questions, and if you tell the truth, Niko, you have nothing to worry about.”

Something tells me I have a lot to worry about with this guy.

“Let’s start. How did you kill my brother?”

“I beat him until he was nearly choking on his blood and then I stabbed him in the heart.” Daniel’s face reddens with anger, and I can’t help but feel a little satisfaction that I made it happen. That satisfaction only lasts for a few seconds as the butt of Daniel’s goon’s gun crashes into the back of Grant’s head. Grant stumbles forward, and I want desperately to rush forward to catch him, but I stay still. Grant shakes his head like he's trying to clear it before he gets back to his knees. I can see blood dripping onto his shoulder, but he just kneels there, looking braver than I feel.

“Next one. What did you do with David’s body?”

“I left it in the coal mine where he killed my sister.” I keep my voice level to try and avoid the same response as last time, but it doesn’t work. He lashes out at Corey this time, splitting open a cut that was already present on his lip. The muzzle of the gun presses even further into my scalp, and I realise I've moved forward slightly. I breathe in deeply through my nose hoping to calm my nerves. Daniel’s next words don’t help me calm down any, and I feel my heart race in my chest.

“I'm done with this. I think we should move to the main event.”

This is the moment when I need my team to storm into the room. I will them to charge in through the door, but I'm still on my own, unable to do anything to get out of here.

“I think it’s time for you to make a decision, Niko, but you can only do that once you have all the information. In the spirit of full disclosure, let me tell you that you won’t be walking out of this warehouse today, but then again, neither are these two.” Daniel points to Corey and Grant, and my stomach churns. “I need to punish you though, make sure you suffer a little before you die. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I'm going to torture the fuck out of you, and I was tempted to make them watch it happen, but then I had such an amazing idea. Here’s what is going to happen.” Daniel stands between Corey and Grant and swings the gun between them. He spends a few seconds with the gun pointed at Corey’s head before moving it to Grant’s head. “You are going to choose who dies first. I personally think it should be the guy you love the most so he doesn’t have to watch anyone die, but it’s totally up to you. See, I'm being nice and trying to help.”

I can’t keep up the pretense any longer. There’s no way that I can make a decision like this but refusing to chose will make Daniel torture Corey and Grant more before we die. Holy shit. I double over, my hands grabbing my knees while I hyperventilate.

Where the fuck is Clay?

“Tick tock, Niko. If you don’t choose soon I will put a bullet in both of their heads at the same time, and I really don’t want to do that. It will be so much more fun if I can do them one at a time.”

I hear a buzzing in my ears as I struggle to fill my lungs. I don’t understand how any of this is happening. Where is my backup? They should be here by now, unless something happened to them. That thought adds to my struggle. Have I got all these men killed?

“Niko?” Grant’s voice filters through the white noise, and I look up to meet his gaze. He smiles at me and my heart shatters because I know what he's going to do. I shake my head, but he carries on. “Choose me. I need you to choose me.”