Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are those from the Fifty Shades Trilogy. They remain the rightful property of E L James. Recognisable brands, places, music or films remain the property of their owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

DoloresDeeHowe – Thank you! Glad it came as a surprise to you! I hope you like this chapter! Much Love x

Jeangb – Thank you! Sorry about your nails, I hope you still have some left! :) Help is coming! Much Love x

Reds77 – Thank you, my lovely! I think everyone underestimated Elena and her evil tactics. Help is coming, don't worry. I hope you like this chapter! Much Love x

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Hello Lovelies,

Thank you for the support and comments on the last chapter! I'm glad a number of you didn't expect that twist... The signs were there!

I'm sorry if I haven't replied to your review - I have tried to reply to as many as possible but I think my PMs have been playing up the past few days. If I haven't replied, please know that I love and thank you for your support. :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter. There have been several cliffhangers lately (I'm sorry for that but it is necessary!) but I have tried to update as soon as possible. More is coming soon, I promise. I'm writing quicker than I ever have before!

Much Love,

Chelsea x

(PS - Trust me. In the end, all will be well. x)


Elena left me and stalked over to Detective Wright. His sly eyes fixed on her as she made her way to him, something fleeting through his gaze. I couldn't tell if it was fear or lust. The idea of either made my stomach churn.

She lifted her hand to his cheek and curled her fingers under his jaw. He rolled his cheek into her palm, daring to kiss it.

"There, there," she purred. He closed his eyes. "My boy. You have served me well."

She smirked and then leaned into him, pressing a light kiss on the corner of his lips. Her gesture was brief and cold, lacking any real emotion. She quickly left him and turned her attention to José.

Her hands smoothed over his chest.

"Don't!" I screamed. I rocked on my seat, my veins pulsing with rage. "Don't you fucking touch him! Leave him alone!"

"So now you care about him?" She arched her brow at me, looking confused. "You didn't seem to care about him when you and Christian were running around London… Is that how you treat your friends, Anastasia? Drop them as soon as a man comes into your life? You haven't spent much time with that girl you live with either, have you? Kate, isn't it?"

"Fuck you!"

"I know everything about you," she whispered, taunting me. "I. Know. Everything… What a pathetic life you lead. Tut, tut, tut."

She continued to stroke his chest, but José didn't murmur or flinch. He was comatose, dead to the world and his torturous surroundings.

"Have you seen him naked?" Elena asked, glancing up at me. Her hand scaled down his torso and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt. "Have you ever wondered what he tastes like?"

"Get your hands off him!"

"But I want you to admire my handiwork," she pouted. She pulled his t-shirt all the way up his body, my heart sinking as his pectorals came into view. "It's rather impressive, don't you agree?"

I was going to be sick.

In the space above his heart, a bloodied mess had been scratched into his skin. My name was etched in black ink, cutting across his caramel hue, uneven and frenzied.

"I did it myself," she mused, fingering the tattoo. "I thought it was a nice touch, seeing as he couldn't stop talking about you… If the police find his body intact, this will give them more evidence. Another clue as to how obsessive he was."

I didn't like the way 'was' sat on her tongue.

Humming to herself, Elena began unfastening the bonds around José's chest, arms and feet. She was freeing him but there was no chance he could stand and walk away from this.

"Why are you doing this to us?" I broke down, unable to hide the hiccup in my voice. "Why?"

"You stole Christian from me," she answered nonchalantly. "He wasn't yours to take."

"He's not an object!" I shot back. "You have no claim over him."

"I was his first and I will be his last," she warned, stretching her finger out to me. "You brought this on yourself. When he finds out what happened here, I will be there to support him."

"He'll know the truth."

"No, he won't," she shook her head. "Will he, Issac?"

"I'll make sure this is covered up," Wright confirmed, flanking his torturer. "Quinn will stick to our deal. I can get anyone, anywhere to do exactly as I say. I will make sure there are witnesses who can verify they saw José force his way into the club this morning. There won't be any question as to what happened here."

"You're as crazy as her," I shook my head. "You're fucking insane, both of you."

Elena sighed and lingered over José. She was taking her time with him, admiring his frozen state.

"How did you get out?" I asked her, demanding her attention. Anything to get her away from José. "Your house is being watched. How did you get out? How did you get them out?"

"Easy," she shrugged. "You don't think I've been watching those assholes sitting outside my house? While they were watching me, I was keeping track of them. I knew exactly when one asshole left and another would arrive. You see, they didn't coordinate their efforts. Christian has let his guard down since you wormed your way in. All I had to do was wait for one of them to leave, then we were out of there. Thirty four seconds. That's all the time I had to get out. I even amazed myself at how quick we were."

She turned to look back at Wright and gave him a curt nod.

"Issac, get the car ready," she ordered. "On the parking lot. We'll need to leave quickly once Leila has started the fire. I don't want anyone to see us."

"The rear of the building is clear," Wright nodded. "I turned off all of the cameras too."

"Good. Now go, I will be out in a minute."

"Yes, mistress."

He nodded and began to walk away, but the dregs of my sanity escaped in a rush. An ear-splitting scream pierced through the air, stunning him and Elena. I could taste blood in the back of my throat.

"Don't you dare move," I growled at him. He rocked back on his heels, slamming his feet into the floor and carefully raising his eyes to meet my contorting expression. "You spineless bastard. You don't get to walk away from here."

"I'm not the one who is tied up," he replied. But there was no strength in his voice. "You shouldn't have crossed Ms Lincoln."

"What are you, her puppet?" I shook my head, disgusted by him. "Her plaything? Her toy? You piece of shit –"

Elena bolted next to me and yanked my head back with a snarl.

"You will not talk to my submissive like that," she ordered, tightening her grip on my hair. "You are Christian's whore. Issac is a good boy."

"Do you have a type?" I scowled up at her.

Her eyes twitched as I challenged her. I should have spotted it sooner. Wright's light brown, unruly hair. His tall and lean body…

"Do you get off on picking guys who look like Christian?" I continued. "Is it just adults you go for now? Or are you still preying on kids?"

"Shut your mouth!"

I pulled my head down as hard as I could, shooting a glance at Wright.

"She is a paedophile," I told him. "She abused a fifteen year old boy. She tried to seduce his brother too. Why would you ruin your life – your career – for a bastard like her?"

"Do not answer her, Issac." Elena warned him. He immediately dragged his eyes up to hers. "Do not give her the satisfaction of a reply. She is worthless. She means nothing to us."

He gulped slowly and then nodded. He bowed his head.

"Don't push me, little girl," she breathed into my ear. "I can make your death more painful than it needs to be… I can be brutal."

"Go to hell," I huffed. "How did your puppet end up on the investigation?"

"He was allocated your case by chance," she muttered. "It was fate. When he came here that night, I almost burst out laughing. I always knew fucking a police officer would serve me well."

"Your partner?" I shouted at Wright. Against better judgment, he looked up at me. "Tomovic. Is he in on this too?"

He shook his head.

"Issac had to get rid of the other detective," Elena purred, sinking her nails into my scalp. "It was the only way he could ensure my success. The other detective knew what he was doing. He would have outed me long before now."

"You screwed over your partner for her," I fixed my stare on Wright. "You make me sick."

I spat at him, the bloodied glob landing on his leg.

"You're going to pay for this, you piece of shit. I will destroy you."

"Have you listened to a word I've said?" Elena huffed. She circled me, bringing her face too close to mine. "You are not getting out of here. You came here to die, Anastasia. You walked straight into your death without a care in the world because you are a stupid little girl."

I didn't think about my next move. It was instinct.

I reared my head back and fired it into hers, smashing my forehead into the middle of her nose. I felt the bridge of her nose crunch.

"You bitch!"

She retreated, stumbling back a few steps, her hands flying up to her face. Blood oozed through her fingers.

"Issac, deal with her. Now!"

It took him a moment to react, but then he shuffled out of her shadow and moved in front of her.

He reached behind his back and pulled out his handgun. He pointed it at my chest, his shaky finger resting on the trigger.

I sucked in a hard breath.

"Do it," Elena ordered, grunting through her palms. "Do it now!"

His hand began to tremble. He tried to mask it by widening his stance, bringing both hands to the gun.

He was scared.

"Do it," I muttered, securing my eyes on his. His weakness was pouring out of him, his eyes beginning to water. He looked like a defenceless child. "Do. It."

His jaw clenched –

"ARGH!"

His hand flew into the air, the gun firing at the ceiling. The bang thumped through the room, making me jump.

He fell to the ground, his body crumbling under a wash of brown hair and pale skin.

He surrendered to the assault beating down on him, fists catching him in the face, throat and body.

Leila pummelled him with everything she had, crawling over his limp body, terrorising him with her manic screams.

Her hands grabbed the back of his head before she smacked it against the floor, crushing his skull.

"Get off him!" Elena yelled.

She reached out to grab Leila's flailing arms but it was no use. Leila's response was the definition of brutal.

Snatching the metal can from my feet, Leila emptied the remainder of the gasoline over Wright's body.

"Leila, don't!"

The lighter appeared from between Leila's fingers, an amber flame flickering as she held it above the detective. He was mumbling incoherently, slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Don't you dare," Elena breathed, fear making her voice crack. "You do as I say. Now put the lighter down."

Leila cocked her head.

"Master was a boy when you had him?" She frowned. "He was a child?"

"Don't listen to her," Elena shook her head.

"You hurt him… You want to hurt him now…"

"Put it down –"

"You don't want him to be happy," Leila shook her head. "You want to destroy him… you want to destroy Master."

"Leila –"

"You said I could have him after this was done. You said he would be mine if I came here… You lied to me." She waved the lighter towards Elena. "You lied to all of us. You want to hurt my Master by killing her –"

"You're confused," Elena reached out for Leila's hands. "You're not well and you need help. I can help you."

"I needed my Master," she replied. "You lied… LIAR! You won't let me have him because you want him!"

"I –"

"He wants her!" Leila screamed, yanking her eyes towards me. Her chest heaved as she sucked in a breath. "She lives with him… He wants her…"

Without deterring her stare from me, she pulled her arm out to the side and let the lighter slip out of her fingers.

The metal box fell on top of the detective, a ball of light exploding and spreading over him.

His screams made my blood curdle.

"Noooooooo!"

The flames spread in an instant, licking across the floor, consuming everything in sight. I slammed my eyes shut as the heat rose, my heart fighting to break out of my chest.

"I'm sorry."

I opened my eyes and she was standing in front of me. Her nose inches from mine, her long hair hanging between us, her empty eyes full of water.

"She lied to me," Leila muttered, blinking fast. "She lied."

"Help me," I begged, rattling my hands and trying to snap my legs from the chair. "Please, help me!"

"I'm sorry." She mumbled again. "Forgive me, Master."

She stepped back and sank into the flames.

She didn't scream or howl as the fire engulfed her. She embraced the heat, arching her head up and then collapsing to the ground.

"Someone help me!"

I screamed, the air thickening with smoke, thick plumes rising.

I could no longer see José or Cal through the black.

Using the remaining scraps of energy, I rocked my chair, back and forth, until I fell to the floor. I heard the wood crack… I needed to slip my hands, get free…

"Ana?"

Christian?

Is this how it ends?

Alone with just a voice in my head?

Just a memory of the man I love?

"Find her! We need to find her!"

I eased back onto the ground, unable to lift my head properly. The pain was throbbing, worsening as smoke began to fill my lungs.

"I've got her!"

It wasn't a voice.

It wasn't Christian either.

I opened my eyes as Taylor hovered above me. His hands grabbed me under my arms, yanking me upright.

"Christian, over here!" He yelled. "You need to get her out!"

Hands tugged at my wrists and feet, my limbs falling to my sides.

My eyelids flickered open as Christian came into view, his beautiful face staring down at me.

I wanted to reach up and touch his cheek…

He didn't say anything. He scooped me into his chest and pinned me against him, his hands pressing hard into my thigh and waist.

He raced along the walls before bursting out of the exit. He slammed his shoulder into the door, groaning as he rushed outside.

The cold air hit my cheeks, sucking the life out of me. Once I started coughing, I couldn't stop.

"C-Christian?" I spluttered.

"Shh…"

He was still running. His heart pounded against my ear.

I didn't know where we were going but after a few seconds he set me on the ground, concrete hitting the back of head as my neck crumbled.

"Ana!" Christian screamed. His hands grabbed my face, pinching my cheeks. "Ana, baby, open your eyes. Look at me!"

"It was my fault…" I breathed, shaking my head. "I'm sorry…"

"Look at me!" He ordered. "Look at me, baby."

I could only open my eyes a fraction but that was all he needed.

"Just keep looking at me," he shushed, bringing his nose to mine. "Help is coming. I just need you to stay with me until they arrive."

"My head…"

"I know, baby," he whispered. His gaze scanned over my face. His eyes watered. "What has she done to you?"

"Need to get help…" I grumbled. I lifted my hand to his chest. "The others…"

"Help is coming," he nodded. "There's an ambulance coming, I promise."

"They're still inside," I protested, fighting against the fire still ravaging my brain. I tried to push myself up. "I have to help… get them out!"

"Ana, no –"

His words were silenced by the explosion.

I was forced back down, his body collapsing on top of mine as shards of glass flew into the air. I snapped my head to the side and looked on in horror as the club disintegrated, the mirrors exploding under the heat, smoke billowing out of the roof.

Christian wriggled on top of me, trying to shield me from the blast, his breaths hard in my ear.

"It's okay," he promised me. "You're okay."

"C-Christian…"

I pushed against his chest, needing him to get up. He lifted an inch, bringing his face back into view.

"Help is coming," he said again, fixing his grey eyes on me.

"No…" I cried, shaking my head. "No!"

I fell apart, my chest rupturing under the force of my screams.

Help

Cal.

José.

Sawyer.

Taylor.

They're in there because of me.

I leaned my head to the side and looked over his shoulder, watching as the fire spiralled out of control and the building started to crumble.