Thank you again for being patient with me concerning this story. I said I was gonna finish this and I will. You all have been so wonderful to me.

Enjoy and happy reading!

Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!

Author's note: nothing new to add at this time! I have another story in the works. Believe it or not, my Melina muses is rising. And, yes, she's being paired up with my man, Nathan Morris!

X

Flashback...

Three days ago...

Las Vegas, Nevada...

The casino Hunter and Amy went to was so full of life. People just wanted to hit the jackpot and win big money. Most of them were sitting in front of the slot machines, hoping to win big money while the others were playing blackjacks, poker and lucky 7s.

Upon the news that someone or something was after them, especially after the club incident in San Juan where she was poisoned, Hunter and Amy took the first flight all the way back to the states, making their first stop in Las Vegas and hoping to steer clear of whomever wanted them; dead or alive. Amy was especially afraid she could get hurt again, due to the constant nightmares she's been having as of late and the fact that she now has to take medication for her sickness.

Hunter, so far, has done a wonderful job taking care and nursing her back to health. He became protective; always wanting to make sure she took her pills, always making sure she eat and always making sure she got enough rest. Sure, she appreciated him for taking care of her but sometimes, he can overdue it. She just needed to breathe for a while.

Now, here they were. With her problems temporarily abated, she was sitting in front of some of the slot machines, she was winning big, big money. She could definitely use it, too, because she dreamed and wanted to look for a house for her and Hunter to live in... together.

"Here's a wacky thought: let's get married right now," he said out of the blue. He, too, was winning big money on the slot machine.

"What?" she shouted. She didn't hear him right.

"You heard me. Let's get married. Right now," he said again.

"Are you serious, Hunter?" she asked. She was shocked he made such a bold suggestion to her.

He turned around in his seat so he could look at her. "Why not? I love you so much, baby. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. And, whoever that's after us, he or she can't legally claim you. And, I know you wanna have a formal wedding, but with so much going on, do you really think having a formal ceremony is a good idea right now?"

Amy thought about it for a moment. He was right. Planning a romantic wedding right now, especially when they're on the run was not a good idea. Plus, she knew they could always go that route in the near future.

"You're right about planning the wedding and all that, but, what made you decide to get married right away?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"I don't know. I guess...after what happened at the club, I just didn't wanna lose you. I love you, Ames and I just wanna make you my wife. I just don't wanna lose you," he said as he took her hands into his.

"You won't lose me, honey. I love you, too, Hunter," she replied, smiling. "Okay. Let's get married!"

"Really?" he was surprised.

"Yes. Let's get married right now!"

He picked her up in his arms and twirled her around, laughing and crying at the same time.

And so that's what happened. They went to one of those little wedding chapels down the street and got married. Luckily for them, there was a jewelry shop right next door so they could exchange their vows with the golden bands they had bought. Even though it wasn't the wedding she imagined in her dreams, at least she and her husband will have a formal wedding somewhere down the line. Right now, she was happy being married to Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

After the impromptu wedding, they went to a all night steakhouse and had dinner there. But, even that didn't compare of what they did when they got back to their hotel room; when they started ripping each other's clothes off...

"How could you do this to me, Ames? How could you? You're supposed to marry me, not this asshole!" Matt ranted while he was pacing around the room. He was pissed!

Amy just sat on the bed, feeling terrified. She started shaking. She couldn't believe this was happening. This was not supposed to happen. All she wanted was to go away and spend some time with her husband, but her ex-boyfriend had to ruin it for them!

Suddenly, with tears falling from her eyes, she looked down and saw her husband struggling to break free from his bonds. By the time she looked back up again, Matt was coming towards her.

"Get away from me! You're sick and twisted, man! Leave me the fuck alone!" she screamed, scooting closer to the headboard of the bed, trying to get away from him.

He didn't budge. Instead, he grabbed her arms roughly and yanked her up on her feet. He leaned over and tried to kiss her, but she raised her knee up and kicked him in the groin. Hard. He screamed out in pain as he released her and fell on the floor, clutching his balls in his hands. Without a second to lose, she went over and untied her husband from the bonds he's been tied to.

"Are you okay, baby?" Amy asked as she helped him up on his feet.

Hunter removed the duct tape from his mouth. "I-I'll be fine. Are you okay, baby girl?"

She smiled. "I'm fine, baby. He didn't hurt me. I kicked him in his balls before he could do anything. We just need to get the hell out of here."

"I hear that, baby girl. Come on, I already booked a flight for us to go down to South America," he said before he grabbed her hand and ran towards the door, not noticing Matt was still on the floor, crying out in pain. But, before they could leave, however, Amy raised her foot and kicked Matt in the balls again. Then she and Hunter took off running.

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" he screamed. Then, with all of his strength, he got up from the floor, limped over to the bed and plopped down on it. Then, he picked up the phone and dialed a number, waiting for someone to pick up.

After only two rings, someone picked up.

"Hello?" a deep male voice asked.

"It's me. Listen, I need you to do me a favor..."

X

A few minutes later...

"Are you serious, Ames? Are you sure he said that?" Hunter asked while he was driving.

Amy nodded her head. "I'm dead serious, baby. He confessed he killed Stephanie. I couldn't believe it, either. He said she was in the way so he had to take care of her. He wanted me all along. He still loved me."

"Let me ask you this: do you still love him?"

She sighed deeply. "I did love him. But, not anymore. I love you. You're my husband. I can't be with a man who's only gonna hurt me. And Matt did hurt me. He hurt Stephanie. He hurt his friends. He hurt you and he hurt himself. He needs help."

He huffed. "He don't need help. He needs to go to fucking jail. But, that's just me."

"I know." she leaned back against the car seat and closed her eyes. But, someone started bumping into them, causing her to open her eyes again.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, panicking.

"I don't know. Someone's trying to run us off the road," Hunter said as the same car kept bumping into them. Amy held on for dear life as he tried to turn the other direction. But, when the driver crashed into them again, they went off the road and crashed into a ditch.

Amy managed to get out of the car a short time later, holding her head in her blood soaked hands. She crawled over and watched her husband doing the same thing.

"Are you okay, honey?" she asked when she approached him.

He just nodded his head.

"Man, who was that? Why did he wanna hurt us?" she asked as she got up.

He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know, baby girl. I just don't know."

And the suspense deepens! Stay tuned in the next chapter!

Please review!