Sam's POV:

Panic was setting in as we danced in circles to the music. I could feel it in David and it was running through me. All of the masks, jewels and frills in the world wouldn't keep him from finding me. This was my fate.

Clinging to David for dear life wasn't going to save me. If anything, it would make it all so much worse. Colin would kill him to get to me, I was sure of it. I couldn't let it happen. I would have to break his heart again.

I had made up my mind. The minute I could escape, I was going to find Colin. This was going to end. I would give him what he wanted to save the love of my life. The sacrificial lamb.

A Secret Service agent is approaching us now, his nerves showing in the ringing of his hands. He takes us both by the elbow and we're being rushed away. My mind is barely registering anything as the lights begin to go dark and voices become louder and more frantic. I was lost in my own thoughts, wrestling with my own mortality. I would have thought I would have been much more concerned about dying. After all it was permanent. But there wasn't a trace of doubt in my mind. When you love someone, you do what you can to protect them. That was what I was going to do.

I was going to die for him.

David's POV:

It didn't take a mind reader for me to see what she was going to do. Her face made it clear she had a plan. A very stupid plan without a happy ending. But despite what she had come to deduct would be her fate, she smiled at me lovingly. She reached up and stroked my cheek, as if nothing in the world was wrong.

She was scaring the hell out of me.

The lights went out. The Secret Service agent tightened the grip on our elbows and ushered us along even faster. I tried to reach out for Sam's hand but I couldn't see her in the pitch black of the hallway we were being led down.

A loud bang echoed through the hallway and the agent let go of us to grab for his gun. It was all the time she needed. I heard heels and then silence.

I began to panic. "Sam?"

Her voice responded but it sounded further away. "David, I love you. I'm so sorry."

The agent stopped in his tracks. "What the fu-Samantha!" he called. But it was no use. The heavy metal door slammed shut at the end of the hallway.

She was gone.

Sam's POV:

I ran out to the lobby of the hotel. "Colin? Colin, where are you?"

I turned in a circle, trying to catch a glimpse of my predator. He was circling, I could sense it. It was his sick, twisted fantasy to play this out like some sort of horror movie.

"Hello? Colin? I'm waiting. Come and claim your prize." I felt sick to my stomach as I laid myself out to be his bait. If I hadn't liked it in the woods, with guaranteed back up, I sure as hell wasn't liking it now.

An arm slid around my waist and I shuddered involuntarily. I could smell his cologne and felt his hot breath against my neck as he breathed against me. Everything about him made my senses scream, telling me to run like hell.

"Looking for me gorgeous?"

I took a shaky breath. "Of course. This is what you wanted, yes?"

He laughed coldly. "Absolutely. Come with me."

He led me up the staircase and to the hotel stairwell. "I rented the best suite in the entire hotel. You're going to love it. It's the perfect place for us." He leaned down and placed his mouth next to my ear. "I can't wait to have you all to myself. It's what I've wanted for a long time."

We reached the top floor of the stairwell and he opened the door. We walked slowly, ominously, to the end of the hallway. The lights came back on in an instant and he slid the card key into the door. He gave me a wicked smile and shoved me into the room.

I ran in and moved to be as far away from him as possible. He let the door click shut and slid the lock into place. "No escape now Samantha." he cooed at me.

I shivered and drew myself up straight. I looked around the room and realized it was more like a small house. There were was a staircase that led to another level and huge pillars throughout the entryway. If I could play hide-and-seek long enough, I might just have a chance of getting out of this alive. Without hesitation I sprinted up the staircase. I could hear him running behind me.

"Are we really going to play this little game Samantha?" he called up to me. I reached the top of the stairs and almost slammed into a bookcase. I moved to the other side and shoved against it with all my might, making it fall over and make a temporary barricade until I could the right room to hide in.

I heard Colin grunt in displeasure, but I didn't dare hazard a look back. I ran to the left, where he couldn't see my movements and ran straight into a large master bedroom. There were several closets, a large bed and a huge master bathroom. I took my chances with the bathroom. There was a room just for the toilet separated from the rest of the bathroom. I ran into it and locked the door.

I heard a loud bang echo through the suite and I knew that Colin had gotten around the bookshelf. I didn't have long. Please for the love of God let someone come up here. I listened for a few minutes but didn't hear anything. But then a loud filtered into the bathroom and I could tell he was checking the closets. Any second he would find me. There was no sign of any kind of help. I really was on my own.

The door handle turned but didn't open. "Oh very nice Samantha, a door that locks. You might have bought yourself a minute at the most." he sneered through the door.

I heard a loud thud and I knew he was trying to kick it in. I took a step back and another thud echoed through the small toilet room, followed by the unmistakable sound of wood beginning to splinter. A third kick and he was in, glaring at me angrily.

"Are we done with our temper tantrum, love?" he asked.

He reached out and grabbed me by the arm. My life began to flash before my eyes as he hauled me back into the master bedroom and threw me roughly on the bed. I shoved myself up quickly and kicked out at him, the stiletto connecting with his jaw. He cursed at me and I shoved myself as far away as possible as he began to climb onto the bed.

I closed my eyes as his hand reached out to grab me. Suddenly, a deafening noise echoed through the room, making my ears ring. When no hand grabbed me, I opened my eyes to see David pointing a gun directly at where Colin had fallen.

David's POV:

I was momentarily stunned. I had pulled the trigger and Colin was gone, his blood beginning to pour out onto the bed and towards Sam. She jumped off the bed and was running at me. She stopped when she noticed the gun. I laid it on the table and enveloped her in a hug.

"Don't you ever, ever do anything like that ever again." I yelled at her through the tears of relief that I felt rapidly filling my eyes.

She was crying into my jacket. "I won't. I'm so sorry." She clung to my collar for dear life.

Everything after that shot and Samantha falling into my arms was a blur. The noise had been enough to alert the other Secret Service agents on the floor who had been searching for Sam and Colin and soon they were covering the place. They asked us what felt like a million questions and then pointed us over to the EMTs that had been called to evaluate and treat the victims.

Finally, after what felt like forever we were allowed to be alone. I just took her in my arms and held her there, determined to never let her go again. After all this time, the never ending torment was over.

We were free.