We love your reviews; they give us life. So keep em up. I think I am going to post a few more chapters this week because this is getting so good, lol. Stay safe.

After dinner, Mercedes grabbed her papers and files and sat in the living room with everything around her, eating the cookies she made.

Joey sat comfortably, actually feeling content at the moment; even if it didn't last, he was happy to have this moment.

"Okay, guys, so my plan is a bit out there, but I promise it can work." She sat back. "This week, I am having dinner with my dad. He is going to give me full access to my Trust fund/Inheritance. Once done, I am going to take it out of the bank for cash. That way, it can't be traced for what we need it for." She sighed, running her hands through her hair. "The plan is going to start on Friday. I am going to request you two come here again."

Sam shifted a bit. He was still a bit uncomfortable around Braxton. Something about him rubbed him the wrong way. He listened to Mercedes. "I don't understand..."

"I am going to call in a few favors. I have a friend in the DEA, I was going FBI, but I need stealth. My friend is going to raid The Elite. Now I will have it like I said, like I am renting you both for the weekend. In the raid, you and Joey will be picked up and brought here. Once everything is calmed down, you guys where be long gone before they find you."

Joey frowned. "So we are going to jail?"

Mercedes shook her head. "Not really. You will just get picked up but not booked."

Sam looked utterly terrified. "What about Stevie... they'll take him!"

Mercedes shook her head. "They won't. Stevie isn't here, and he won't be. But, we will keep them safe, Sam, I promise."

Sam was shaking slightly. "That doesn't matter. they're gonna get him."

Mercedes sighed. "Sam, they are going to be fine, and your family will do what is best for you."

"That's not fair to them... what if they find us again..." he was brainwashed and scared.

Joey started to shrink back; if Sam was scared, then he was right...

Mercedes took his hand. "This is the only way it will work."

Sam didn't even notice Joey at that moment. Instead, he looked down at her hand. "I'm still confused."

Mercedes nodded. "Okay, why are you confused?"

"I don't understand how... how this is supposed t-to work."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It doesn't make sense to me."

"Okay, let's take it step by step. The DEA is going to do a raid, do you get that?"

Sam nodded.

Brax stood in the corner, just watching them as Mercedes continued.

"Once the raid happens, they will grab you and Joey but bring you to me. Do you get that?"

Sam shifted. "Are you sure they'll bring us to you?"

She nodded. "As long as nothing goes wrong and there are no records of you guys, then, one thousand percent. I trust him; he will bring you right here."

Sam shifted and nodded. "Okay."

She gave a small smile. "After you are brought here, Brax will take Joey to the designated meet-up spot a few hours away, and I will take you. I will buy the car under my fake identity so it can be traced back to me. My dad offered me a vacation; people will think I took it."

Sam looked over at Joey, then back to Mercedes. "I don't know..."

Joey glanced down at his hands, and Mercedes nodded. "He can trust him."

Brax felt so odd.

"Merc..." Sam whispered.

She looked at Sam. "I trust him." She turned to Brax. "I trust you, Brax; I really truly do."

Brax offered her a smile.

"If you trust him..." Sam whispered.

She looked at Joey, "Do you?"

Joey nodded slowly. "I-i do."

Sam couldn't believe Joey said that. He took a deep breath. "Okay."

Brax couldn't help but smile.

Mercedes sighed. "Sam, this can work. We tell your parents where to meet us, and they will."

"Okay" was all he could manage to say.

Mercedes moved close to Sam and took his hands in hers. "I know this is scary. This has been your life for years. But this is a way out. Your dad told me that they would do anything to stay with you. They have money saved and with my money. This can work. You and Joey can stay together, and you get your family. Mom and Dad, Stacey and Stevie."

Sam was trembling slightly as she held his hands. He was scared and brainwashed. "I hope you're right."

She frowned. "If this is too much if you don't want to do this, I won't make you. But I am risking my life for your freedom Sam, you have to take. It."

"I d-d-don't want you t-to d-die..."

She nodded. "And I don't want you to be a slave to those people the rest of your life."

He started to cry. "Why is my life more...more imp-important than yours?"

Joey finally moved. "Because you would do it to save me." He shook his head. "They are going to kill us anyway; I am not stupid, my freedom was never..." He looked at Brax and then Mercedes. "She wants to protect us the way you protected me. If you could free me, but you had to risk your life, would you?"

And that helped to make things click for Sam. He stared at Joey for a few moments. "Yes..." he admitted softly. "You're right. You're so right."

Mercedes nodded. "So let me do this for you. Let me save your life."

Sam continued to cry as he nodded. "Okay."

She looked at Brax. "And you are okay being a part of this?"

Brax nodded. "Yes."

Mercedes nodded and grabbed the papers. "Once you guys are safe, everything will be okay. You will have your family and never have to hear from the Elite again."

Sam leaned against Mercedes for a few moments. This was a lot for him to take in.

Mercedes checked the time. "Sam, you should get ready to talk to your family. I am sure you will want them to meet Joey. " She grabbed the computer set up and gave a weak smile. "I will be back. I need to do something." She quickly left the room and headed outside, the reality of the situation weighing on her.

Joey looked after her then looked at Sam; he was hopeful they could get out.

Sam rubbed at his eyes then looked at Joey when he spoke. "This is gonna work."

Joey nodded the looked at the screen. "Your computer is ringing."

Sam managed a smile and went over to answer the computer. "Hi."

Brax followed her outside. "You okay? That was... intense."

Mercedes didn't answer him; she just shook her head. How could she tell anyone what her dad said?

Brax leaned against the doorway. He'd be there if she needed him.

She turned to him. "They are gonna come for me, once Sam and Joey are free..." she finally said.

Brax felt sick. "You can't do this," he replied, his voice soft. "I know you love him, but you have to watch out for yourself.*

"He and Joey are dying in there. I can't walk away from that." She defended.

"And you're going to die instead?"

She turned to him. "What's my life, Brax? I live alone, work for my dad, who basically hates me. I would leave and make a difference. I would save two lives."

"Your life is worth more than you think. So what would Sam say, hm? That guy loves you like you deserve to be loved. So you're going to send him away without you?"

"He doesn't need me. He doesn't even want me. He loves me because out of all the people who have used him; I didn't." She had felt that for a while, and finally saying it killed her more.

Brax frowned. "What about me?"

"You've never needed me, Brax; I the one who has always needed you."

He shook his head. "You have no idea," he whispered.

She looked at him. "Idea about what?"

"Remember, sophomore year when I ended up in the hospital?"

She nodded. "God, I was terrified. Stayed by your side cause I didn't want you to die."

"You're why I didn't try again..." He told everyone he slipped while walking with a knife.

"Try again?" She moved closer to him. "You tried to kill yourself?"

He nodded, unable to verbalize a response.

She felt like she wanted to cry. "Why?"

"Because we got into that fight," he whispered. "I was failing classes; I almost lost my scholarship; Jessie has broken up with me..."

"It was because of me?" She remembered the fight; she told him he was acting like a loser, Jessie wasn't worth his tears. "I'm..." she shook her head, moving away from him. "I'm worse than I thought."

"No. It wasn't you. It was everything."

"But I kept pushing and pushing...when I found you." She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

He approached her slowly. "Mercy, that was all me, not you."

She shook her head. "I wanted to hurt you. I was in love with you, and you didn't see me, ever, and I had enough." She shook her head, crying.

He moved and wrapped his arms around her. "Seems we were two ships passing in the night on that," he mused to himself. "I fell for you too late."

She froze, looking at me. "You fell for me?"

"Hard," he replied softly.

"When?"

"A few years ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered.

He hesitated for a few long moments. "Because I was scared to."

She shook her head with tears. "This is just..." she moved away from him. However, she did still love Brax; he was her best friend.

Brax looked at her. "You have Sam now. But you can't sacrifice yourself."

She shook her head. "But I don't have Sam. Brax, you saw him, you saw Joey; they can't go back there."

"There has to be another way to get them out."

"Like what? The moment Sam and Joey go missing, they will know it's me."

Brax frowned. "I'll help you pay."

"I have the money to pay for them, Brax. But they are not going to let them go. River has a hard-on for them. So it doesn't matter how much I offer."

"We have to figure something out. I'm not losing you."

"It's them or me, Brax."

"Call me selfish, but I choose you."

"Call me stupid, but I choose them."

"Mercy..."

She turned to him. "Brax, we can't abandon them."

"We won't. But there has to be another way."

"Like what?" She said quietly.

"I don't know."

She moved closer to him. "Brax, I love you; you are my best friend. So I know you don't want me to do this. But I don't have a choice. And if you could not tell Sam, I would appreciate it."

"He doesn't know... and you think this won't kill him inside?"

"Not if he doesn't know. He will just think I went on with my life."

"You really think so? have you seen the way he looks at you?"

She looked at Sam and Joey through the window. "He doesn't look at me anyway."

"Then you're blind."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Once he has his family, he will forget about me."

"I really don't believe that."

She wiped a stray tear. "It's for the best. I love him enough to let him go."

He hugged her again. "What if he never forgives you?"

She laid her head on his shoulder. "At least he will be free and alive."

He rubbed her arm. "I wish I could convince you to change your mind."

She lifted her face to his. "This isn't your fault either."

"I know that. But I worry."

She sighed. "I am gonna go to my room for a bit. I just need to clear my head, prepare for what's to come. You guys can enjoy the brownies I made. They should be coming out now." She laughed bitterly. "Some birthday weekend, huh. "

"I'm here if you need me," she whispered. "I'm sorry it's happening like this."

She nodded. "Me too." She stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek. "You are amazing. Thank you." She made her way into the house and to her room, shutting the door as her emotions took over.

Joey smiled happily, seeing Sam's family; seeing him happy made Joey very happy. Then, waving goodbye, he had a good feeling that maybe this would all work out.

Sam was in a very good mood. Seeing his family always made him feel better. He even introduced them to Joey.

Joey sighed. "You have a really great family, Sam. And great friends too."

Sam smiled. "I'm fortunate now."

Joey glanced around the room and looked at Brax. The man didn't scare Joey like most people did. Instead, like Mercedes, Brax seemed genuine. "Wheres Mercedes?" he asked the man staring at them.

"She went up to her room for a bit."

Sam immediately got worried. "I'm gonna go... go talk to her."

Joey nodded. "Do you think she will mind if we ate some brownies?" He was still unsure about all this, but when in Rome.

"Eat as many brownies as you'd like... just don't get sick." Brax laughed.

Sam looked from Brax to Joey, torn on what to do.

Joey patted Sam's hand, letting him know he was okay, and walked into the kitchen to grab a brownie or four; those things smelled perfect.

Sam nodded and went up to Mercedes.

Brax followed Joey into the kitchen. "You don't get sweets much, do you?"

Joey looked to Brax with his mouth half full and shook his head. He chewed and swallowed. "When Mercedes brought brownies that other day it was the first time in years since I had sweets. First time ever homemade ones."

He frowned and oversaw him. "I'm sorry to hear that." Pause. "They don't feed you much in general, do they?"

He shook his head. "I am not that important, so they give me enough to survive, but that's it."

He frowned. "Well, this weekend, you're gonna eat well..."

Joey closed his eyes, chewing slowly. "And what about after? Do you think we will be free?"

"I certainly hope so."

Joey nodded, taking another bite. "Me too."

Brax smiled sadly. This poor kid.