Heart of Stone

by:

A.K. Hunter

Chapter Six

"There's no escape, so keep me safe." - Kate Havnevik, "Grace"

Alexis didn't want to talk about it. Unfortunately, everyone else couldn't stop talking about it. Liam was furious with her. He thought she'd gone off the deep end and her obsession with Kevin had gotten his precious fiancee hurt. "Lily" wasn't going to press charges, probably because she didn't want the scrutiny of law enforcement or the legal system. Liam refused to believe a word of Alexis' side of the story, and neither did anyone else.

Her dad wanted her to go back to therapy. Alexis hadn't been since she'd moved to LA, and she had no intention of going back. She didn't have the time or the energy to complain to a stranger about her sad, pathetic life. Kate managed to step out of her role as an overworked homicide captain for three minutes to tell Alexis that they could investigate her claims, but if Lily ended up being a real, normal person, then it could potentially make things worse. Kate was ever the voice of reason.

The only person who didn't seem to have any interest in the latest Castle family gossip was Javi. He didn't want to talk about it, and Alexis could have kissed him for his pragmatism. When Javi had showed up to the late-night scene they were working, he immediately got to business and didn't mention the event or the fact that everyone else seemed to view it as some sort of psychotic break.

"This is a change of pace," Javi said, looking down at the dead woman on the carpet. The whole scene looked like a domestic dispute gone wrong. The large, finger-shaped bruises on the victim's neck made the case a pretty straightforward one.

"I would say it's a nice change," Alexis responded, "but–"

"There's still a dead person on the floor."

"Yeah."

"Just call it job security," he said with a small smile. "As long as people keep doing terrible things, you and I get to pay the rent on time."

"That's a cheerful thought."

"You know me, Cheerful Charlie."

They worked efficiently through the scene, and as Alexis packed up her supplies, she asked, "How's Aaron?"

A genuine smile tugged at the man's mouth. "He's great. Lanie's already looking at preschools."

"Find any good ones?"

"Tons. But Lanie only wants the best for our little man, so all of her favorite picks are booked a few years in advance. Apparently you're supposed to shop for cribs and preschools at the same time."

Alexis laughed, then carefully asked. "So things are going better?"

He hesitated. "For the most part. With any luck the wedding won't get called off again."

" You two are already raising a child, juggling work and personal lives. It seems like you're already doing all the hard stuff. A wedding is just a big party."

He glanced down at the ground. "I think she still doesn't trust me."

"She'll get there."

"We'll see," he cleared his throat, obviously tired of the subject. "I hear you're digging up Ryan's case."

"Trying to," she said, attempting to sound nonchalant. "Turns out there's not much to dig up."

"Let me know if I can do anything to help—with any of it. I've got a punching bag if you need it."

"That actually sounds pretty nice. I took a few self defense classes in LA. Now I might have a chance at beating the punching bag."

"Just let me know."

"Thanks Javi."

They went their separate ways: Javi back to his car to start looking into the rest of the case, and Alexis to her car to bring her supplies back and start on the autopsy. She really appreciated that Javi didn't treat her like she was broken. Of course, he understood better than anyone else the ways a person can act out when they feel helpless.

Alexis tugged at the velcro on her vest. She hated wearing the thing, but since Liam's warning she had made sure to never leave it home. As soon as she got everything loaded and into her car, she'd finally be free of—

Two muted impacts slammed into her chest and knocked her to the ground. Her head smacked against the pavement, and stars spun in her vision. What the… Had she been shot?

Before she could call for help, heavy footsteps neared. She smelled gunpowder, though she wasn't sure if it was from the stranger or from the holes in her vest. Her eyes locked with the man in front of her, and fear overloaded her senses. She recognized him: cold, dark eyes and sharp features. She knew him from every nightmare she'd had in the last three years. He was the man who had put a knife in her chest. He pulled her to her feet, and she lashed out, shrieking, kicking, biting, thrashing against his hold on her.

She got a few good hits in, even dragging her fingernails down his face before he caught her wrist and twisted it behind her body until something popped and pain flared up her arm. She screamed and he slammed her face-first into a wall. There was a pinch in her neck, and she cried out at the pain and intrusion. She fought against his hold on her, but he was immovable. Panic clawed at the inside of her chest. Tears slipped down her face as a heavy, disabling exhaustion spread across body, and she became boneless.

"It's time to sleep, cailín álainn."

And she did.

"Miss Harper."

Alexis groaned, fighting against heavy eyelids. The world spun around her, and blood pounded in her ears.

"Wake up."

As she fought the weight that had settled over her body, something gentle and firm forced her head up. "It's not nice to keep people waiting." A sharp pain shot across her cheekbone, and she gasped, her eyes opening.

She was laying on a cold, grime-covered wooden floor. Red stains were spattered in random splotches. Alexis tried to back up, but found her arms and legs awkward and uncoordinated. The room spun around her when she tried to move. She couldn't put weight on her left wrist. She half-crawled a couple feet back, only to hit a wall.

"There you are," he said with a smile—a sick smile that promised horror in her near future. Chills ran down her spine and her body began to shake uncontrollably.

"You know I was ordered to kill you? I tried to be decent about it—make it quick and painless. Of course, ya had to be difficult. You had to fight." He sighed, gently touching the scratches down his face. "Like a wild animal who's not afraid of the hunter. It's unnatural."

She tried to reply, but her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. She couldn't even understand the sounds that were coming from her own lips. What was wrong with her body? What had he done to her?

The man leaned close. "I'll kill you. Don't you worry about that." He smiled again, and she couldn't stop the tears that slipped down her face as she shied away from him. He roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, and caught some of those tears with his tongue. She shuddered as hysterical sobs ripped through her chest. "I'm going to have some fun first."

Kevin drove like a madman, swerving through traffic, headed to that shitty safehouse he couldn't seem to escape.

Sloane had her. It was his worst fears come to life. His contacts had informed him after they'd witnessed the man shooting her twice just outside a crime scene. The arrogance of the action astounded Kevin. Thank God Alexis had been wearing her vest. After catching her when she tried to run, and rendering her unconscious, he'd taken her.

Kevin had tried to protect her from his world. He'd tried to keep her safe, so she never had to witness the horrors that were a part of his everyday life. Now that seemed impossible. Sloane was a malicious, sick bastard. If he didn't kill immediately, it meant he was opting to play with his food. He was playing with Alexis. The thought made Kevin's stomach heave and anger cloud his vision, but he couldn't let those emotions rule him.

If he was going to have any chance to save Alexis, then he'd have to act like the ruthless man whose life he'd been living for three years. He had to be just as sick as Sloane was. There was no other way to get her out of there.

She'd hate him for it, but that was okay. He could bear her hatred, her disgust and disappointment. As long as she was safe. That was all that mattered.

The first time Alexis' head was held under the icy water, she kept it together. She fought against the pressure on her oxygen-starved lungs, she tried to stay calm even though the water hurt. The man's unforgiving grip on the back of her neck hurt. With each repetition, the agony grew, and still she fought.

She knew how this would end. Ice water in her lungs, unconscious, pneumonia, death. That was the reality staring her in the face, and that was why she was determined to hang on for just a little bit longer. Maybe there was no escaping the fate in front of her; she'd cheated death for three years. Maybe she'd run out of time, but that didn't mean she'd just lie down and let it happen.

Oh God it hurt so bad. It burned, it stabbed—

The man pulled her out of the water, and Alexis wheezed, gulping in great lungfuls of air, shaking so hard she felt it in her bones. He let go and she crumpled to the floor. Voices floated over her head. At first she paid no attention to them, merely trying to get as much oxygen back into her body as possible, and then she realized the obvious fact that there was someone else in the room with her and her tormentor.

She lifted her head up, drawing her eyes up from a pair of shined black shoes to a hauntingly familiar face. Kevin. Kevin was there. He'd come into the room at some point, and was talking casually to her torturer.

"Kevin?" she wheezed, his name coming out as a garbled squeak. She tried to sit up, and ended up falling hard on her elbows.

Kevin looked at her with mild amusement, as if she'd just said something sort of funny—like a bad pun. A sick sensation twisted in her stomach.

"Seems to like you," the man said, his eyes darting between Kevin and Alexis.

"All the women like me, Sloane," Kevin responded with a salacious grin. "What's this one doing here?"

Confusion mixed with panic. Why was he acting like he'd never met her?

"Nolan ordered the hit, and I figured a pretty thing like her shouldn't go to waste." Sloane paused as he stepped toward Alexis and she tried to push herself back. "Of course, she's not very well trained, is she?" He hoisted her up by her arms, and those precious minutes of oxygen and the shock of seeing Kevin right in front of her triggered the stupidest response she could have. She fought, a pathetic, uncoordinated sort of fighting that probably hurt her more than it helped.

She screamed, biting his hand when he covered her mouth. The sensation of his fist against the side of her head was jarring, but she didn't expect to be immediately submerged in that icy hell. She couldn't help it, she gasped and pulled the frozen torture into her lungs. Pain blocked out everything else. Like a thousand small knives stabbing into her chest, she choked, coughed, sputtered, heaved, anything to get it out. Anything to make it stop. Alexis would have gladly taken a bullet to the head instead. She would have pulled the trigger herself.

Just when the white spots in her vision had started bursting, Sloane pulled her out and let her fall face first onto the floor. She heaved cold water onto the old wooden panels, coughing, wheezing, barely able to draw breath as her body tried to expel the foreign fluid. The gentle touch against her hair made her flinch, and she looked up, expecting to see Kevin, instead she saw her tormentor. "That's a good girl. You won't fight me again, will you?" he cooed.

Alexis just cried, laying on the floor, her body betraying her. Kevin stood a few feet away, watching the exchange while smoking a cigarette. This was well beyond her worst nightmare. It was a mindfuck of epic proportions. His eyes were cold, blank. He didn't seem at all bothered by the display of aggression in front of him. She couldn't get her mind to move past the cigarette perched between his lips. She wanted to pull it out, stamp on it, and slap him for being such an idiot. When he'd shown up on her doorstep, he was dressed casually. Now he looked like a fancier version of his old self. He still wore a three-piece suit, but the way the fabric fell across his body, like it was made for him, hinted at a much more expensive taste than he'd ever been able to afford while she knew him. She whimpered as Sloane's fingers pressed, quite purposely she was sure, against the bruise on her face, and he shushed her like one would a child.

"What'll you do with her?" Kevin asked.

"Does seem like shame to kill her doesn't it? Maybe I'll sell her. I bet I could make an easy hundred grand," Sloane raised his eyebrows suggestively. "You think she's a virgin?"

A colder, darker fear swept through her as Sloane's words settled into her brain. No. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. She jerked away from Sloane's touch, trying to run, trying to get away despite her uncooperative body and the cold fire that burned inside her lungs with every breath. He watched her struggle with amusement.

Kevin stepped forward, and she bumped against his legs. A small measure of comfort settled over her. Kevin wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't let this terrible thing happen to her. Would he? And just as soon as the comfort slowed her racing heart, its beat picked back up. Kevin hadn't protected her from Sloane. He'd stood by and watched the man torture her. Would he stand by and let this happen too?

Kevin looked down at her, huddled at his feet like some kind of animal. "Even if she's not, she's pretty enough to pull down a profit."

His cold words pulled another round of tears from her eyes. Alexis opened her mouth to speak, to beg him to stop acting this way and help her. She was rewarded with an open fist to the side of her head, right over her ear. It wasn't painful; the angle and the shape of his hand created a loud, disorienting smacking noise and didn't actually hurt her, but shock made everything worse somehow. He'd hit her. Kevin had hit her.

"I didn't give you permission to speak," he said coldly.

Unexpected anger flared inside her and she glared at him. She wasn't some fucking animal. She was a person, and Kevin of all people should know that.

Her anger seemed to amuse him more than anything. "How much?"

Sloane looked taken aback by the offer. "I thought you never took spoils."

Kevin shrugged. "She's kind of cute." He hoisted her up by her arms, his eyes raking over her body, and Alexis struggled against his grip. He held her up, one arm wrapped too tight around her waist, the other caught in her hair, cradling her head. She tried to pull away, and he yanked her body flush against his, her hair fisted in his fingers. She couldn't look away.

"She's untrained," Sloane said.

A cruel smirk pulled at Kevin's mouth, inches from her own. His hand left her waist and skimmed up her shirt, cupping her breast. Alexis tried to back away as fear replaced any comfort Kevin's presence had given her, but he wasn't done yet. He lightly squeezed her breast and Alexis whimpered, tears running down her face in full force and tiny, quiet sobs shaking her frame. "That won't be so difficult," Kevin said, his blue eyes never yielding against the pain he had to have seen in her face. "How much?"

"Two-hundred grand."

Kevin dropped her. "Two hundred? You're joking."

"Friends and family discount."

He shook his head. "Come on, Sloane. I'm doing you a favor. You get some extra cash and Nolan never has to know that you're dealing on the side."

Kevin's implicit threat couldn't have been any clearer. "You're right. She's more trouble than she's worth," Sloane shrugged, pulling out his gun.

"And then you're out one-hundred-and-fifty grand," Kevin reminded him, smoothly stepping in front of Alexis. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were haggling over her like some old ladies at a flea market. Her life, her sanity, her future was on the line, and they were acting like she was just some high-end acquisition.

"One-ninety," Sloane responded.

"One-sixty."

Where had Kevin gotten so much money? He'd never had anything near that much when she'd known him before. Obviously his pay grade was better these days.

Sloane grinned. "One-seventy-five and I get to have a tumble with her before you take her. Call it a finder's fee."

Kevin slipped his hands in his pockets, thinking over the man's offer. "One-seventy and I don't share."

"You don't think she's worth more?"

Kevin looked down at her, his cold eyes scrutinous. "No, I don't. She's damaged, high on whatever rat poison you're feeding girls these days, and she's just filthy. As far as I'm concerned, I'm being generous. Take the offer."

His words rang in her drug-dulled mind as they continued haggling over her future. Damaged. He'd called her damaged. Like she was missing part, somehow unworthy and broken. Tears filled her eyes.

"Are you crying again?" Sloane snarled, incensed by Kevin's offer and the mess of a girl he was trying to get rid of. He stepped toward her and she cowered back, awkwardly stumbling. Kevin stayed in front of her.

"Touch her again and it's one-sixty-five," Kevin said with authority.

A shrill ringtone broke through the room, and Sloane pulled away to answer. Alexis listened with bated breath as he crossed the room and went through the door. Relief and fear and pain mixed through her body as she lay on the floor, tearless sobs wracking her frame. Soft footsteps drew near, and she flinched as gentle hands brushed her hair away from her face. Kevin kneeled next to her, watching her with that same detached expression, though she saw something flash in his eyes, something like pain.

They stared at one another, the air heavy with three years of pain and uncertainty. Tears slipped down her face anew. She couldn't reconcile the sight in front of her, couldn't match up the catalogue of pain across her body with the man she used to love. A small sob escaped her throat, and the pain on his face deepened.

The door banged open and Alexis' entire body jerked back. Sloane held the phone away from his body, covering it with his hand. "I've got to go. I want that money in my account by five."

"One-seventy?"

Sloane sighed, "Yes, ya cheap bastard. One-seventy."

Kevin nodded. "Consider it done."

The door slammed again, leaving them alone. Alexis wanted to feel relieved that she'd been spared, if only for a little while, but she couldn't. There was still too much to process, too much harm done. Too much broken trust.

"Will you come with me?" Kevin asked, breaking the silence.

She almost laughed at the question. As if she had a choice. As if he hadn't just treated her like animal that could be bought and paid for. She forced her mouth to form the words. "Go f-fuck yourself."

He sighed, stepping forward, and she automatically flinched. Alexis struggled to back away, but she was no match for his speed. He pulled a length of cloth out of his pocket, quickly securing it over her eyes. She began to hyperventilate, simultaneously trying to back away and clumsily pulling at the blindfold. Her hands soon met the same fate as he gently bound them in front of her.

She yelped when she felt his soft lips against her cheekbone, just below the bruise. His breath ghosted over her ear. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." He scooped her up in his arms, easily batting away her uncoordinated, weak attempts to fight.

Panic consumed her. Where was he taking her? What was he going to do to her? "K-Kevin, please, t-take me home." Her voice cracked. Her body was betraying her again. Cradled in his arms, a heavy, numbing feeling pressed over her. She tried to fight it, tried to stay awake, but it was no use. Her forehead rested against his shoulder. Memories wrapped around her as her broken body gave in to the sedative, and she felt Kevin's hands moving over her hair, feeling painfully, ironically, like a lover's embrace.

"Just rest. You're safe now."

He'd failed her.

Kevin drove through the city streets. He was obeying Alexis' request and taking her home, though not the one she had meant. He was taking her to his apartment, her new, hopefully temporary home. Alexis was out cold in the backseat of his car, and not for the first time was thankful for the dark, tinted windows. He was also thankful for Sloane's inherently rotten morals. If he hadn't taken his time with Alexis, Kevin wouldn't have been able to intervene. She would have already been dead.

Not that the small detail would matter to her. She'd never see him the same way ever again. He was the man who'd taken her freedom, who'd sat by as she was hurt, who had called her damaged and had talked about market value while she huddled on the floor, drugged, terrified, crying. That was who he was to her now. He was certain of it.

He speed dialed his sister, barking out one simple order. "Get to my place as soon as you can. I've got a new patient for you." He tossed his cell on the passenger-side seat. He had no idea what Sloane had given Alexis. He'd seen the puncture mark on her neck when he had set her in the car, but that didn't exactly narrow it down. There could be any number of things in her system now, and he had no idea how long it would take to clear or what the side effects might be. He had to put his fight with Brigid to the side for a moment. If she'd been telling the truth about trying to protect Alexis, then she'd be of help to them. That was the most important thing right now: getting Alexis help.

He pulled up to his apartment, parking the car, gathering Alexis up in his arms, and taking the private elevator up to his place. These days Kevin had more money than he knew what to do with, and he'd learned over the years that simply flashing cash or a credit card opened all sorts of doors. Once inside his apartment, he lay her on his bed, taking her shoes off.

He untied her wrists and slipped the blindfold off of her face. It had been to protect her from hurting herself or seeing one of the many horrors that house held inside just as much as it had been to keep her from knowing where he lived. She looked like a mess, all bruises and tangled hair and grime-covered skin.

He brought a warm, wet cloth from the en-suite bathroom and gently wiped her face, then her neck and arms. Maybe Brigid could help Alexis get cleaned up. He paused at the familiar chain around her neck, running his fingers over the Celtic knot pendant. He didn't realize she still had it, much less wore it. Alexis stiffened under his touch, and he was surprised to see furious blue eyes staring back at him. He was wholly unprepared for the clumsy, right hook she delivered to the side of his face and was momentarily stunned and knocked back. She scrambled off the bed, limbs shaking and clumsy. Kevin responded by wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her against him. She fought like a wild animal, kicking, biting, scratching. He had her pinned with her back against his chest. holding her arms in his hands so she couldn't break free.

"Let me go!" she screamed, seeming to have better control of her speech abilities. He hoped that meant the drug was wearing off.

"Alexis, stop it. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'll never stop! I hate you! I'll never stop trying to get away from you!"

Her words cut him, but it was exactly what he deserved. "Alexis–"

"How could you? How could you let him do that to me? How could you treat me like that?"

"It was my only move."

"How could you?" she repeated, taking in great gulps of air as sobs rocked through her body. "How could you?" He realized that she wasn't just talking about Sloane anymore. The question could apply to any number of sins he'd committed. "I loved you. I loved you and you…" She cried harder, and he felt her tears slip onto his hands.

Kevin took a chance and turned her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing, brokenly—like her entire world had been ripped out from under her. He supposed it had. He held her in his arms, gently moving his hands through her hair, whispering, "I'm so sorry," over and over again. He walked them back a couple steps so he could sit on the edge of the bed. She collapsed onto his lap.

Her hands pressed against his face, and her lips clumsily covered his. He was so surprised he almost jumped out of his skin. She tasted like tears. He gently pushed her back, staring into her tear-stained face. Her eyes were glazed, slightly unfocused, with large pupils. She was still high as a kite. He shouldn't be kissing her, not like this.

She leaned forward again, and he gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Not tonight." Probably not ever again.

Her face crumpled. "Why don't you love me anymore?"

That one cut right through his ribs, straight to his cold heart. He kissed her cheek. "I do love you. You're perfect."

"Then why do you keep leaving?"

He preferred her anger to these heartbreaking questions. "Because I'm not good for you anymore. You deserve better."

"But I want you."

He seriously doubted she'd feel that way later. "You have me."

She settled against his chest, clutching the front of his shirt. He tried to savor the feeling of her in his arms. He knew it was the last time it would happen. Soon enough her quiet tears turned to shallow breaths. She was out again. Hopefully this time she'd sleep it off.

After not nearly enough time, he let her head rest against his pillow and he covered her with the blanket. For years he'd dreamed of having her back in his bed, but he'd never imagined it would be like this. Guilt pressed in on him. Be careful what you wish for.

Kevin knocked back the glass of whiskey, then rested his face in his hands. He should be happy. He should be celebrating. How long had he wished to be with her again? To have her in his life? Except, he couldn't be happy. Not when she was lying unconscious in his bed, drugged, abused.

Brigid came into the den. Circles hugged her eyes. She'd arrived shortly after Alexis had fallen asleep again and had spent the last hour patching her up.

"How bad is it?" Kevin asked.

"Some bumps and bruises. Her wrist is sprained. I'm more concerned about whatever horse tranquilizer Sloane gave her. The IV fluids should help."

He nodded, taking another sip.

"Kev, how did this happen?"

"Nolan ordered a hit. Sloane decided to play with her first."

"Jesus..."

He paused, not sure if he should fill her in on the worst part of the whole fucking nightmare—the part that infuriated and depressed him in equal parts. "Sloane was going to sell her."

Her eyes widened. "I didn't know he was into that."

"Neither did I."

"How did you get her home?"

"I bought her."

He felt his sister's shock before he heard it. "Kevin! You bought her? Like a..." She stopped at the word, and he felt nauseous just thinking about it.

"It was my only move."

Brigid sighed, "I'm sorry. I know you did your best to keep her safe. You couldn't have planned for this."

"She's going to hate me."

"She'll forgive you."

His eyes widened at his sister's declaration, and he shook his head, "I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Kevin," Brigid said sharply. "Use your brain for something other than self-loathing for just one second. Alexis is going to wake up hurting, in a strange place, and if she has any memories at all, they're going to be terrifying. People are going to be looking for her; I'm sure they're looking already. Nolan wants her dead, and you know Sloane would love an excuse to put a bullet between your eyes. If you're not careful, this situation is going to get us all killed. You're going to need a plan."

For a moment, Kevin considered fighting with his sister. How was he supposed to make a plan when all he could think about was the broken girl in his bed? And then he realized that Brigid was right. He needed a plan. He couldn't face Alexis again without one. Everything was about to change, and he needed to be ready for it.

Alexis woke up to warmth. There was a distinct scent to her pillow—one she struggled to identify though she was sure she knew it. She slid her bare legs over the fabric, her head pounding, feeling like her body had been wrung out. It took less than a minute of disoriented blinking to understand she had no idea where she was.

She tried to remember what had happened. All her muddled brain could do was shuffle through hazy visions of being sick, of pain and panic and... Someone restraining her. She tried to pull the memories apart, to recall specifics, but they were slippery. They eluded her.

She sat up, her body protesting every breath and movement. The world around her spun, and she rested her head in her hand, wincing at the pain that shot through her wrist. She pulled back, surprised to see a compression bandage wrapped around her arm.

What the hell had happened to her?

She was in a room she didn't recognize, a bed she'd never slept in, and... clothes she didn't remember changing into. The white button-up shirt was soft and cool against her skin, but the panic that had settled over chest wiped out all comforts.

"Good morning."

The familiar voice brought goosebumps to her skin, and she slowly turned her head, her wide eyes locking with a pair of soft blue ones. Kevin sat on the other side of the room, watching her.

Just like that, memories tumbled through her mind. Sloane hurting her, Kevin with a cigarette between his teeth, the two of them arguing about money. Dread thumped against the pit of her stomach. He'd bought her. He'd paid a lot of money to have her. She felt sick.

He sat forward in his seat, and she scrambled backwards until her back hit the the iron-wrought headboard. She fisted the sheets, pulling them against her body in a pathetic attempt to protect herself. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched and waited for him to advance on her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said.

She didn't believe him. Why wouldn't he hurt her? He believed he owned her.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Can I get you anything at all?"

"Where are my clothes?" Her throat was dry and her voice cracked with disuse.

"Drying."

"How long have I–"

"You've been asleep on and off for a couple days."

A couple of days? Her family had to be worried sick. "I need to go home." She rushed to the edge of the bed, throwing her bare legs over the edge and standing. "I want my clothes." The sudden change in position made spots appear in her eyes, and her legs buckled beneath her.

Kevin caught her before she crumpled to the floor, helping her sit on the edge of the bed. "Take it easy. You're not one-hundred percent yet. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"I need to go home," she repeated, shaking her head

"You are home," he said softly.

Cold fear slid down her spine. He couldn't have said what she'd thought he'd just said. No. That was impossible. She saw regret in his eyes, but he was unyielding. Did he really think he could just keep her here? "Listen, whatever you paid that guy, I'm sure my dad would pay you back–"

He gave her a look of horror. "I don't want–," he sighed. "I don't want anyone's money."

"Then what do you want?"

"You're caught in the middle of something terrible right now, something that can get you and me and a lot of other people killed. I can keep you safe."

She shook her head automatically. She didn't believe him. She couldn't wrap her head around what he was saying to her. "My family can keep me safe. My dad and Kate—"

"They can't protect you, Alexis. They'd just be caught in the crossfire."

"No," she tried again. "I'll be fine. Everything will be fine. I promise not to tell anyone what happened. I won't tell them about you."

He sighed. "It's too late for that."

Anger shot through her chest. "What do you mean it's too late? I was just living my life, and then—" She glared at him. "This is your fault, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then why the hell do you think you can keep me safe? You certainly didn't keep me safe from that psycho."

"I promise you'll go back to your life as soon as—"

"How long?"

"As long as it takes."

"No!" she screeched. "I have a family. I have a life! I can't just give that all up to stay here."

The sad resignation in his eyes sent a cold shiver down her spine. "You don't have a choice."

Author's Note: At least they're back together now?

This chapter is dedicated to my amazing beta, JJS4. I'm always sending her stuff and asking, "Did I go too far? Is it too dark?" So if you like this story, be sure to thank her because it wouldn't be nearly as good without her input.

Thanks, everyone, for your support. I'd kiss you all if I could. Please, please, please review!

Next time: Alexis and Kevin face the joys and discomforts of living together once again.