[disclaimer] fan-fiction. Need I say more?

Against All Odds
-back to where it all began-

They rode in silence. He let her sit up front and didn't bother to lock the doors. Some part of her wondered if he wanted her to try to make a run for it, if he wanted her to try to escape.

An even bigger part of her wondered why she hadn't even tried. She turned her attention to the scene outside of the passenger side window. They had pulled off the interstate about fifteen minutes prior and she now realized they were in the center of the city. Her own fingers drifted to the door locks and she pushed down on the lock button. She heard him grunt and she blushed.

"Nervous?" He glanced at her momentarily before turning his attention back to the crowded street, "You should be. This isn't a good part of town."

"Why are we here?" AJ looked down at her lap, avoiding the gazes of the people peering inside of her captor's car. Any other woman would be banging on the windows with her fists and calling for help but, AJ couldn't shake the feeling that it was safer in the car with Phil.

"We're going back to where it all began."

"Do you live here?" She asked, unable to mask the surprise in her voice. Phil wad driving a nice car and seemed like he could afford to live comfortably, at least. She found it highly unlikely he would live in such a down-trodden neighborhood.

"No." With a sudden jerk he turned the steering wheel and they swerved into a turning lane. AJ grasped at the handle and made a rather strange squealing noise that she was not proud of and had her captor wiping at his eyes, he was laughing so hard.

"It's not funny. You could have killed us."

"Hey. I grew up here. I'm used to this. You're not going to die on my watch – so could you stop bringing it up?"

"You grew up here? You said you didn't live here."

"I don't live here. I got out when I could."

"What do you do for a living?"

"This isn't a date Miss Mendez. I kidnapped you, remember."

"And you said you weren't a threat to me. If you are going to inconvenience me by dragging me around, the least you could do is answer my questions."

He rolled his eyes and she pretended not to notice. "I own a karate studio."

"So you're like a trained fighter or something?"

"Something like that." He turned down a side street and began to slow down. AJ sat silently, looking around at the run-down buildings, banged up houses, and business with bars on the windows. She bit her lip and fidgeted with her seat-belt. Why couldn't he have left her at the hotel room?

"Here we are." He pulled into a driveway full of cracks and pot-holes and cut the engine. "Let's go. We don't have much time." He said as he unfastened his seat-belt.

"Couldn't you just leave me in the car?" She asked hopefully.

He smirked, "Honestly, you'd probably be safer coming with me. I won't let anyone hurt you but, if you are in this car all by yourself?"

She nodded, catching his drift and unfastened her seat-belt. They both climbed out of the car. She followed him up the steps and stopped a few feet from the porch.

AJ looked up at the dilapidated building, "What is this place?" She turned her gaze toward Phil and noticed that he looked like he was pain. "Are you alright"

And just like that, the hurt in his eyes was gone and his aloof demeanor returned. "Yea, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"You know who lives here?"

"I know the person who used to live here," he corrected. He began to move again and she jogged to keep up with him.

"Who?" She questioned as he began to flip through the keys on his key ring. She watched as he found the key he was looking for and slid it into the handle on the front door. He turned it and the lock clicked.

"My brother," He said as he pushed open the door.

[an] it's a short chapter I know but, I have always been a fan of the cliff-hanger ending. Haha. I hope you all enjoyed this update and I'll try to have another update up really soon because I know you all want to know what is inside, right?

I also noticed that I made a mistake in chapter four that conflicts with chapter three. I will go back and fix that soon.

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Besos!

-Danie.