Something caught Lexie's eye, a slight movement in the darkness. She couldn't quite make out what it was until the light caught his features just enough. Nate opened the door of one of the parked trucks and slipped inside. She needed to buy him some time and cause a distraction. She didn't know what he had planned, but she hoped it was enough.

Not knowing what else to do, she jumped up. "I'm here!" she screamed, coming out from the shadows with her gun raised. "Don't hurt anyone! I'll come." She only knew she needed everyone to look in her direction and hope she bought the time Nate needed.

"How many times is she gonna fall for that trick?" Teddy complained.

"That's a good girl. I'm glad one of you is smart enough move this s.h.i.t along," Rosh said.

Lexie locked eyes with Jackson.

"Why don't you put that gun down before you hurt yourself?" Rosh raised a brow.

"You said this was an exchange, so let Giles go and I will come with you. Wasn't that the deal?"

Rosh narrowed his eyes slightly before a plastic smile curled his lips. "Of course." Rosh stepped closer to Lexie. "Release him." Rosh waved toward his men.

The man who had been in the van with Giles shoved him toward Jackson. He stumbled and fell to his knees before climbing back up.

"Though, as Jackson pointed out...I'm a liar." Rosh announced sinisterly.

"Lexie!" Jackson called out just as someone knocked the gun from her hand and grabbed her from behind. She struggled against her attacker but he had too much size on her. She watched the gun slide to a stop in the dirt, too far out of reach.

"Kill them all," Rosh called out over the commotion. Lexie tried to scream but a hand was clamped over her mouth.

An engine roared to life and tires squealed just as bullets began to tear through the air. The truck Nate had climbed into came barrelling through the action and slammed into the van Rosh's men were standing in front of. The sound of metal sc.r.a.ping rang out as the side crumpled from the impact.

Lexie lost track of everyone as she tried to break free from her a.s.sailant.

"Get down, Lexie!" Jackson called to her. Lexie immediately dropped her body in a dead weight and the man's hold was compromised. She could feel herself slip through his fingers. Just as Lexie felt the ground beneath her fingers, the man's head whipped backward from the force of a bullet. Lexie immediately grabbed at the ground and tried to move away from him as his body began to fall. When he hit the ground, he barely missed her legs.

The angles of the headlights made it hard to see, as she tried to keep low. She had no idea what was happening. She felt completely disoriented as she spun around looking for Jackson. The shower of bullets faded away and a strange silence started to settle.

Lexie grabbed for her gun that was sitting in the dirt and brushed the hair out of her eyes. She couldn't see anyone in the darkness. She headed in the direction she knew Jackson was last. She could make out a shadow and noticed someone was slumped on the ground near the building. A wave of panic hit her in the chest as she neared. "Jackson?"

She moved closer to see who it was. It was Giles, still bound and gagged. She grabbed for the tie around his mouth and loosened it.

"Are you hurt?" Lexie asked, trying to do a quick a.s.sessment in the dark.

"Yeah, my side," he gasped.

Lexie reached for his side and felt his wet shirt. He flinched in pain. "Sorry," Lexie apologized.

Lexie jumped when someone knelt down beside her. She went to grab for her gun she had set on the ground by her feet.

"Don't even think about shooting me, Lex," Teddy said as he placed his hand on her back. Lexie was awash with relief and threw her arms around him.

"Jackson?" she asked quickly. "Where's Jackson?"

"He's fine." Teddy pulled out a flashlight and lit up Giles' side to show his gunshot wound. Lexie flinched at the sight. There was so much blood.

"It could be worse," Teddy said, completely unfazed by the sight of blood.

"Don't you dare tell me to shake it off, Teddy," Giles said through clenched teeth. "I'll fire you. I swear I will."

Teddy laughed as he pressed something against his side. Giles groaned in pain. "This is why you sit behind a fancy desk. You're supposed to leave this s.h.i.t to us," Teddy said as he pulled a knife from his pocket and began cutting his ties.

Lexie stood up and glanced around for Jackson. "Stay here, Lex," Teddy said distractedly.

"I'm not going far," Lexie a.s.sured him. She just needed to lay eyes on Jackson. To see for herself that he was well. Lexie rounded the wreckage from the vehicles, nervous there were still dangers lurking in the corners. Dust danced in the light of the headlights as she pa.s.sed the front of the car.

She blinked her eyes to adjust them as she stepped out of the light. Jackson was standing over a man with his gun aimed at his head. As she approached she could make out the conversation.

"...all those years you pretended like you gave a f.u.c.k. Did you get a kick out of stringing along my mother and I? And all that s.h.i.t you told me," Jackson's voice cracked as he dug the barrel of his gun into the side of Rosh's head.

Lexie looked down at something on the ground as she continued to approach slowly. Her eyes widened when she realized it was a dead body. She tried to shake it from her thoughts as she circled around it before drawing closer. Dane was standing next to Jackson with a gun in each hand. He was eerily still as he stood by Jackson's side. Lexie was still surprised by the relationship between Jackson, Dane, and Teddy. They had unspoken communication and understanding of each other that fascinated her. It was an energy they all shared, it was thick and invigorating. She couldn't help but respect it when she saw them in action.

Jackson's emotions were pouring out on the ground around him. Rosh had left a deep gash on Jackson's soul and now he was confronting the demon.

"You don't think I would have wanted things to turn out differently? I cared for you, like a*" Rosh admitted.

"Don't. Don't you f.u.c.king say it. Don't you ever f.u.c.king say it! You f.u.c.king piece of s.h.i.t." Jackson fired the gun. Lexie couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Rosh screamed out and grabbed his leg as he doubled over with a curse.

Both Jackson and Dane looked at her. "Get her out of here," Jackson said to Dane. Jackson was possessed with rage to the point that it caused gooseb.u.mps to break out across her skin. She wasn't scared of this version of him. She understood it because that same raged lived deep inside her. If she could control it, she would let it out, but she was scared to find out what it was capable of.

"No," Lexie demanded. "I'm not going anywhere."

Dane came closer but Lexie was determined to stand her ground. "You don't want to see this, Lexie. Trust me, some things can't be unseen."

"I have seen enough to know what I'm asking," Lexie looked up into Dane's eyes as he tucked his gun away and placed his hand on her shoulder. He gave her a slight nod before wrapping his large arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

She looked up at Jackson, who was watching her quietly before he turned back toward Rosh when he started pleading with Jackson. "I'm sure we can work something out. I have information..."

Jackson raised his gun and fired. Rosh's words were stopped immediately as his body fell to the ground. Lexie watched Jackson's shoulders drop as he stared at the man that had betrayed his father. She wondered if he felt relief that he had his revenge. Lexie wanted to feel better knowing he was gone, but nothing would change the fact that she would never be able to wrap her arms around her mother again. The weight was still on her shoulders. The only consolation she had was that he could no longer hurt anyone else.

Lexie ran toward Jackson. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. She didn't breathe until he accepted her in his arms.

"Well, we have the girl, but those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds took off with the evidence," Dane broke the silence. Lexie looked up at Dane.

"Come on, guys. Have a little faith. You don't think I would just run a car into a gunfight without a plan?" Nate said as he limped toward them with a box stuffed under his arm. He dropped the box at Dane's feet.

"Plans are really your style, Nate," Jackson shook his head with quiet relief.

"Yeah, well, It was actually just dumb luck," Nate admitted with a laugh. "Let's get the f.u.c.k out of here. My ankle is killing me."

CHAPTER.

THIRTY-ONE.

Flint The floor of the truck was covered in sc.r.a.ps of metal and other debris. Every b.u.mp of the uneven road caused the sharp objects to dig into his skin. The pain was becoming unbearable as he lay helpless, still under the influence of the drug.

When he realized what his sister had done he was beyond furious, trapped in a body that was completely immobile while his brain raced in anger. He was left to stare at the dirtied floor while Sabine went against his wishes and doomed them both. His screams were trapped in his head as he tried to force his body to move. Without knowing how much she had given him, he had no idea how long the effects would last.

All he could do was wait for what was coming as he sat on the kitchen floor. When the front door opened and he heard footsteps echo through the empty house, he knew his time was up. Familiar black shoes stepped into view. His eyes were so dry it was hard to focus but he knew exactly who it was. He could taste his own demise on his tongue when Jacobs leaned down in his line of sight.

"Tsk tsk." Jacobs smiled. "This is too easy. What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you, anyway? Testing out your drug s.h.i.t on yourself?" Jacobs laughed as he smacked Flint on the side of the face. "Let's get you back to John."

Jacobs had thrown him in the back of his truck, leaving him there for the extent of the drive. Flint knew exactly what was waiting for him at the end of this ride. He had taken too many people himself to John for this exact same fate. He was desperate to force his body into action but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't so much as twitch a finger or move his parched lips. The only hope he had was that feeling was beginning to return.

He needed to reason with John to save himself. Surely John would not forget the years of loyalty he had given him. The reason he was in this situation was because of Lexie. She had cursed him to this fate. John must know how much turmoil that girl had caused them since she came into the picture. She was the real problem that needed to be eliminated; he needed to show John this truth. Maybe now that Mary was gone John's obsession with her ghost would subside and he would realize that Lexie was just a reminder of something he could never have again. He would have to remind John how vital he was to the operation. For years he had thought of John as his family. They understood and trusted each other. He needed to believe John would grant him the opportunity to explain himself.

Frigid water slapped him in the face and Flint gasped for air. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until his harsh awakening. He was tied to a chair in the dark interrogation room in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Bitter Sweet. He never thought he would be the one in the chair. He gripped the armrests. He realized he was regaining control of his body. He ran his sluggish tongue over his lips and swallowed.

"There you are," Jacobs said as he leaned in. "Looks like your drug is wearing off. It will make this more fun if you squirm." Jacobs laughed.

"Whe..." Flint tried to force words through his throat. "Where..."

Jacobs raised a brow as he looked at him, waiting him to finish his words.

"John," Flint finished. His words were barely recognizable but he knew Jacobs would understand.

"He's on his way, but he said we could start without him," Jacobs said as he walked over to the table. "Oh, and by the way, you p.i.s.sed yourself. I think we can both agree this is not one of your finer moments." Jacobs frowned casually.

"You...don't need...to do...this," Flint pleaded.

"Oh, but I do," Jacobs said as he ran his finger along a knife blade he had picked up off the table. "I do because you know better than anyone what happens when you cross John."

Flint squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to think through the cloud of fear that was muddying his thoughts. "I was bringing...her back. I had her," Flint explained.

"You think John is going to believe that?" Jacobs took a roll of duct tape and pulled the tape free. The sound echoed in the room and a small whimper tried to escape the back of Flint's throat. Jacobs wrapped the tape around his hand, pinning it down so he could not move his fingers.

"Don't do this," Flint pleaded as Jacobs positioned the blade against his index fingertip. The sharp point of the blade dug into his skin. His entire body clenched as Jacobs. .h.i.t the end of the handle with a hammer, driving the blade into his finger.

A scream tore through Flint's throat so raw as his entire body jolted in pain. The chair sc.r.a.ped along the concrete floor as tears streamed down his face. "Stop...stop," he mumbled as he gasped in pain. "Please..." It didn't stop Jacobs from moving to his next finger and the next until he felt his consciousness slipping from the a.s.sault.

More water cold water was thrown in his face. He awoke with a gasp and immediately remembered the h.e.l.l he was enduring. Blood covered his mangled fingers and dripped down to the floor. He forced his head to look up as the door opened and John walked in.

"John...stop this, please. It's me," Flint whispered through his swollen throat.

"It is you," John said as he approached him.

"I was trying to get her back for you. I never intended..."

"Enough!" John demanded he stop. Flint looked up into John's stone cold gaze. "I'm not a forgiving man, Flint, but we have known each other for a long time."

"Yes...yes," Flint agreed, desperate for him to show mercy.

"I may be willing to come to an agreement if you do something for me," John said. His cigar smoke made the room appear cloudy.

"Anything," Flint agreed.

John pulled his cigar out of his mouth and studied it before his eyes returned to Flint. "Tell me the truth and we can put this behind us. Did you touch her?"

Flint stared at him. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. Knowing John, he already knew the truth and he was testing him. "She tried to seduce me...I had every intention of telling you. She planned it. I would never have f.u.c.ked her without your permission."

John placed the cigar against his lips and drew the smoke into his mouth. It slowly escaped to join the cloud gathering in the room that smelled of spice. It made the air feel drier as Flint breathed it in.

"Pull his pants down," John ordered Jacobs.

"What? John? I didn't f.u.c.k her..." Flint struggled against Jacobs, who unb.u.t.toned his pants and yanked them down. He tried to resist but he was bound to the chair. "I didn't f.u.c.k her!" he screamed as he tried to loosen his ties.

"And you never will," John said coldly as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

"Don't do this, John. Please don't f.u.c.king do this!" Flint screamed.

John stepped toward him with the bloodied blade in his hand that Jacobs handed him. The white hot pain was blinding as John made the cut. Flint screamed and fought against the ties that cut into his flesh but it was futile. He looked down at the remains of his manhood before he was swallowed in nothingness. He hoped he never woke.

CHAPTER.

THIRTY-TWO.

Lexie Lexie didn't realize she was bouncing her knee until Jackson placed his hand on it and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked up from her folded hands in her lap into his deep brown eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not a big fan of hospitals anymore," Lexie admitted.

"Don't be sorry," Jackson said with a smile. He took her hand in his and wound their fingers. His skin felt so warm against hers and she savored the feel of him. It calmed her despite the chaos in her heart, knowing she was in the last place her mother was alive. The place she lost her.