Riley's POV

I woke up to warm sunshine hitting my face.

I smiled and rolled over feeling for Jason beside me.

My hand reached out and hit a furry pillow.

I frowned. Since when did Jason have furry pillows?

I opened my eyes and my heart lurched.

I wasn't in the ware house. I was in my room.

What had he done.

I heard the ding of an alarm clock downstairs and I sprung to my feet.

Mom.

I ran down the stairs and into my mom's room.

"mommy!"

Her eyes flew open and she looked at me in disbelief

"riley!"

I launched myself at her hugging her furiously

"I'm home mom I'm home"

She hugged me and sobbed into my shoulder

"oh honey are you alright I missed you so much"

I smiled

"I missed you too mom and yes I'm fine"

We sat like that for what seemed like forever. Sobbing happily into each others shoulder.

She insisted on taking me to the doctor.

That was not a good time.

Seeing all my scars and bruises put her in hysterics.

Later, after we had eaten and I had gone to bed, I lay awake in bed.

I couldn't sleep.

Why would he leave me? Did he really not love me back?

No he did love me I could feel it.

But had I made it up to satisfy myself.

I turned on my side and snuggled into my pillow to cry.

My pillow made a papery crunch when I turned my head into it.

That was odd.

I reached up and pulled a square of paper out form under my head.

I turned on my bedside light and looked at it.

It was the picture of me and Jason I had taken when we were together.

I smiled as tears streamed down my cheek.

I noticed I looked happy in the picture. Happy and in love.

I looked over at Jason and my breath caught in my throat.

He looked the same.

I noticed a small back arrow drawn at the bottom corner. It looked like it was a sign to turn the picture over.

I flipped it over and saw the writing on the back.

I knew instantly it was Jason's

Please don't forget me. I love you Riley.

I knew it I knew he loved me to.

I also knew why he left.

He thought being with him put me in danger.

I don't care.

I have to find him have to make him understand.

I hugged the picture to my chest and stared out my window at the night sky

"I'm going to find you Jason. You can run to the ends of the earth but im going to find you. And when I do you'll be the one taken captive."

Jason's POV

I removed my fingers from the pressure point in riley's neck and caught her as she fainted.

I opened the car door and laid her down in the seat.

Leaning down I placed a kiss at her lips

"I'm so sorry riley. I love you too but I cant put your life in danger any longer. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

A tear dropped from my cheek to hers.

I knew I had to do this no matter how much it killed me. I had to do it for her.

I closed the door and walked around the car, climbing in the drivers side. I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and dialed Johnson

"Jason? Oh thank god you're alive what the hell is wrong with you man how could…"

"john just shut up and listen okay I need you to do me a favor"

He sighed "yeah man whatever you want just don't ever try that again"

I looked over at riley passed out beside me. Your doing this for her remember that

"I need you to get all of riley's things together and meet me at her house at midnight. Then get all of your things out of the warehouse and disappear"

"Jason man what are you up to"

"just trust me Johnson please"

I hung up and looked down at riley. I brushed a tendril of her corn silk hair out of her beautiful face and looked over at the clock.

11:45

Only fifteen minutes left with her.

I leaned over and kissed her again.

I sighed and began to drive.

I met Johnson at her house and snuck into her room through the balcony.

Her mom was sleeping downstairs.

I laid her carefully on the bed and then reached into my back pocket and pulled out a square of paper.

I unfolded it and smiled.

It was a picture of me and riley that she had taken a while ago.

She smiled up at me happily.

But she wasn't truly happy.

She couldn't be truly happy with me.

I sighed and placed the picture beside her on the pillow before bending down to kiss her one last time.

"I love you riley and I always will. You showed me im not a monster. Thank you for loving me."

I kissed her soft lips one final time and then turned to Johnson.

With a nod we were both out and back on the street.

He hugged me

"I'm gonna miss you bro you were like a brother to me you know that right?"

I smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I know. I feel the same."

He looked back up at riley's window

"you're only causing yourself more trouble you know. One thing I learned about that girl is she doesn't give up without a hard fight. She'll come after you. She wont tire easily Jason not with the force that's driving her."

I looked down forcing myself not to look up at her room

"I know but I'm hoping ill be long gone by then"

He looked at me confused

"Jason why are you doing this, to her and yourself"

I couldn't take it anymore and my eyes wandered up to her window.

I knew she was sleeping safely inside

"because I love her and I cant make her happy or safe."

He shook his head and then left with a final salute as he climbed into his car.

I headed back to the warehouse and took all the money I had out.

I left my clothes for the cops to find.

They would think I was dead.

Maybe riley would to.

But for some reason I knew she would look for me anyway.

I opened the closet where we kept the C4 and set the tiny pen bomb inside.

It was just a miniature bomb. Not even enough to kill a cat.

But the tiny explosion would be enough to set fire to the hundreds of pounds of C4"

I walked out of the ware house and got far enough out of the way so as not to be harmed.

3...2...1

The building exploded into a ball of flames lighting the dark sky and sending shards of shrapnel slicing through the night air. The heat hit in a gust of wind making my hair blow crazily.

I watched the building burn until I hear sirens.

I took one final look at the smoldering ruins then turned to walk down the dark ally to the street.

I walked down the deserted street into my new life.

Without my life…