Apologies aren't good enough but it's all I have, that and another chapter with another barking at it's heels. 2013 was a tough year and 2014 has been no picnic so far but I made a promise to myself and that promise was to commit to my readers and never leave a story untold so here I present another chapter as we come close to the end of this story and I ask that you bear with me as I enter another transitional phase of my life and keep reading my work if you like what I do xx

*possible trigger of abuse please do not read the end of this chapter if you are highly sensitive to this kind of theme*

Jane jumped into her car and yanked open the glove compartment. As she wrenched the car into gear she scowled at the bundle of money leering back at her. She slammed the glove compartment shut as she put pedal to the metal and sped off to the address Tommy had provided her with. An internal battle raged inside her mind; something she was becoming accustomed to when it came to Maura or her sleaze bag fiancé. Guilt was the overwhelming emotion she felt, guilt for what could have happened to Maura and yet there was still that selfish impish voice that piped up reassuring her that she would be fine, it was just a lovers spat and she was back where she belonged, take the money and run, Maura was a grown woman she didn't need protecting. Jane sighed as she slowed for a red light, it was no good, as heartless as everyone thought she was, as heartless as she wished she was there was something about Maura that she cared about and this was her fault, no two ways about it. She had to fix it. She didn't know if giving Garrett his dirty money back would help, but it couldn't hurt.

As Jane drove into the affluent area of Boston known as Beacon Hill she could immediately feel disapproving and judging eyes scan her beat up old car and gaze upon her in disgust. She felt nauseous and wanted to turn around but she looked at the money now lying on her passenger seat and it spurred her on. The brunette pulled up to the gigantic gates that prevented her from getting closer to what she could only describe as a mansion. Doubt began to creep into her mind If he lives in a place like this then giving this money back won't mean shit to him. Nevertheless she found herself climbing out of the car and going up to the intercom attached to the wall surrounding the flowering gardens. She buzzed several times but no one picked up. She peered in through the gates but could see no sign of activity; no lights on, no cars on the drive. It was a long shot but Jane didn't know what else to do, so she climbed back into her car, put it into park and made herself as comfortable as she could in her piece of junk car and let her eyes flutter closed.

Jane was awoken at an ungodly hour by a loud blare of a horn behind her. She woke with a start and frowned at her unfamiliar surroundings before memory of the night before filtered in through the morning fogginess. The horn beeped again and she craned her neck round to see a pick up truck and a less than happy driver waving his hands at her. She climbed out of her car, refusing to give away the advantageous spot she had preventing any vehicles in and out of the residence, and approached the truck.

"Hey lady! What you do hey? I gotta go to work! You move huh?"

The guy had a distinct Mexican accent and had skin that looked like ancient leather. The logo on his truck gave the information that he was a gardener. "You work here?"

"Si. For señor Fairfield and his lady. I do the garden, now please you move?"

Jane looked up at the house but saw no movement still, as she looked at her phone for the time she winced; not only should it have been illegal for her to be woken so early, but she also had several missed calls and voicemails from Cavanaugh. "You know Maura?"

"Si, of course, I have to go inside now please I must finish before they return."

Jane suddenly felt her senses come alive instantly "Return?"

"Si, from the country club." The gardener was growing ever more impatient.

"Country club..?" Jane couldn't figure out why in god's name anyone would be up at this time, and then she frowned, she had been blocking the entrance all night, was there another way out?

"Si señora, everybody been up there for days, cakes, flowers, mothers, fathers, even journalists! This wedding is bigger than this house!" He chuckled at his own joke but seeing Jane's stunned face he grew serious again "Listen I must get to work or the señor he will not be happy, I give you directions?"

Jane barely managed a nod at the man and was surprised just how much of the information she had remembered by the time he had finished and they had swapped places on the drive. She sat behind the wheel of her car stunned. Wedding? Perhaps this was a ridiculous idea, clearly they didn't need the money, and if the wedding is still on Maura must be fine. Yet even as she reasoned with herself Jane felt this nagging feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. It wouldn't hurt to go and have a look...make sure she is ok, make sure Cav's flunky doesn't cause a scene at least, last thing I need is for the club to be shut down. Jane ignored the voice inside her that was telling her that wasn't the only reason she was going, instead she took a deep breath and started her car. Here goes.

Maura held her throbbing cheek in shock as she stared at the animal that once was her fiancé. She recognised the beast in front of her, she had seen it that fateful night at the club. The last few seconds had been in slow motion and it took a couple of moments for the pieces to fall together, the sight of his clenched fist made her cheek scream in pain once more as realisation came crashing down around her. She wanted to cry but found the tears weren't there, instead in their place there was a strength she didn't expect to find. "Do you think that's going to change my mind? You think that assaulting me the day of our wedding will make me stay with you? You're insane!" The last statement was half hissed, half choked out as emotion made her throat thick. What emotion she didn't get chance to analyse as she turned her back on him only to gasp out in pain as her hair was yanked back preventing her from leaving.

"You will marry me Maura. Not just because your family want it. Not just because of the shame you will bring to them if you don't. Not because of the humiliation I will put you through if you don't. But because I say so. Because I will have you. Because you are mine. And if you think for one second that I'm wrong sweetheart you had better think again unless you want to be taught right from wrong."

The pet name was sneered at her and the fist wound even tighter in her hair and she felt the cold chill of despair seize her and trickle down her spine. Being apart from Garrett had changed her immensely, for the better, never before had she felt the confidence she did in that club on that stage, but she could feel it all slide down her and leak out of her shoes as she felt his rage trembling in his grasp. She wasn't strong enough to fight him, physically or mentally, she had never seen this abusive side of him before and it terrified her. Fear seized her heart and every part of her body went cold as she realised she had no choice. He would have her.

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