(this chapter contains themes of extreme violence, more death, mental illnesses, and themes of self harm and possible suicides. Please be aware if this is triggering to you.)
********
THREE YEARS EARLIER, JULY 15, 2017.
THE BRONX, NEW YORK.
The water streams down my back, and I think of all the people I want to see suffer.
Very comforting...almost as much as burying people's bodies in my backyard.
There's over a dozen, I can tell you that much.
But us maniacs, us serial killers, we don't kiss and tell...or should I say, kill and tell?
I hear the door open, turning my head over my shoulder to glance at who's disturbing my shower.
It better not be—oh. What a wonderful surprise...
He leans against the wall next to the shower, and I simply continue lathering my hair with shampoo.
I give him a small smile, squirting some soap slowly onto my loofa.
"Is there something I can help you with, Zane my darling?"
He smirks, turning his head away from me for a second.
I pay attention to his defined abs, and those biceps that could kill. I can't believe he's mine. And mine only.
"No, Jordan. All is well."
"If you continue to just stand there I'm going to add you to my murder list. I'll hide you in my floorboards and watch your dead body rot before bed every night. It'll give my house a nice smell of death...just like my backyard and everywhere around it."
He laughs, and I roll my eyes.
"I'm serious, Maserati. If you're just going to stand there then you might as well go...unless you have something entertaining?"
"Entertaining, huh? Like a nice conversation?"
I run a brush through my hair.
"I was thinking something a little more interesting, darling."
"Oh, really? Show me what you're talking about."
I give him a devious grin.
"Very well. Get in."
"What?!"
I open the shower door, grabbing his arm and dragging him in, pushing him against the cold wall and pressing my lips against his.
He smirks against my lips, flipping us around so I'm pressed flush onto the wall.
"Naughty Jordan,"
I giggle, holding onto his dripping cheeks and smooching him.
"Well, Mr. Maserati, I'd say you know how to make a woman feel good...very good."
He pulls away, pushing my hair from my face.
"Miss Lukas, tell me something I don't know."
"You have a bad mouth, let me shut you up."
"Gladly."
******
ONE YEAR BACK, JULY 15, 2019.
NEW YORK PSYCHIATRIC WARD.
You can feel them watching you.
Eyes.
Eyes.
Eyes.
Screw eyes.
Burn.
Burn.
Burn.
They will all burn in hell.
Maybe I'll cook them for a meal on Valentine's Day.
I'll eat it by myself...because Zane decided he could break up with me...then get me put in a mental hospital?
He thinks he can get away with leaving me with the words: "I'm sorry, Jordan. I'm sorry, my darling. But this is for the best. Don't worry. We'll see each other soon. It's only an until we meet again," sirens in the distance. "I'll miss you."
Numb.
That's all I felt. That's all I feel.
It's been a year and a half since I've been put in here...a year and a half since I've seen civilization.
I'm not crazy.
I start to laugh.
I'm not crazy!
I scream into my pillow, proceeding to throw it across the room before laughing again.
I'm not crazy. Right? Right?!
I bang my head against the solitary walls, listening to the screams in my head.
It's all I hear.
My victim's screams and cries of agony.
Someone opens my door, looking absolutely horrified.
"Jordan, sweetie, can you come with me?"
I snap my head towards her, letting out a small manic laugh.
"No!"
"Please, honey. I don't want to have to call people to escort you there...I don't want you to get hurt by any chance if they try and tase you."
"Let them! I love pain! Pain, pain, pain, pain—"
She ventures further into the room, looking wide eyed at the massive blood stains on both the floor and my thin white gown, along with my knotted up black hair.
"W-What happened?!"
She looks around, spotting a knife and a small ribbon, then the marks on my neck.
"Jordan, what did you do?!"
"I choked myself! Tied it around my neck and pulled! Then I used the knife!"
Dextra, the nurse who was assigned to me, looks at my arms which I'm holding up, and all the small slit marks on my skin.
"What mental and physical pain did he put her through?!"
I hear her mumble, and my face immediately goes blank.
"Pain? He didn't cause me pain...only when he left. What would you know? You don't even know him like I do."
Her eyes widen at my growing anger, and she reaches out gently for my hand.
"Come on. We just need to pay the psychiatrist a short visit, okay? Then I'll let you back in here."
She picks up the knife and ribbon with a scared look, them offers me her hand to take.
"No. I don't want to go. No, no, no!"
I start sobbing, and she gasps.
"I miss him so much!"
Frowning, Dextra leans forward and attempts to give me a small hug.
"Don't touch me!"
I shove her away, and Dextra holds her hands out in surrender.
"I'm sorry."
I stand up, stomping out of the room while Dextra chases after me all the way to the psychiatrist's office.
During the whole meeting I was saying nothing, just sitting there and listening to her dog shit advice.
As someone who formerly suffered from capgras syndrome and fregoli syndrome, currently suffers from borderline personality disorder, psychosis, and paraphrenia, these meeting are definitely not short.
"Do you understand?"
I jerk my head up, looking around.
"What?! When?! Where?!"
"We're you not paying any attention again?"
"Why would I want to!?"
"Because we want you to get better, Jordan. We want what's best for you. Us here at this ward aim to get you guys better so you can go back to the real world without feeling all this emotional and physical pain."
"Bullshit. I'm done!"
I try to get up, but one of the people push me back down into the chair.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Your meeting isn't over yet."
I sit down as I start to shake, breathing shallowly in and out.
"Let me go."
"What was that, sweetie?"
"Let me go! Let me go! He's—he's—"
I zone out, my eyes focusing on a figure in the shadows.
He's here. He's here. He came back. He's going to kill me. They're going to kill me. A stranger's always watching. He's watching. They're watching. Eyes. Eyes. Eyes. I feel them. I see them.
Eyes, they're all around me. I see him. What does he want from me?!
Help.
I'm trapped.
They're trapped.
Trapped.
Screw eyes.
Save me.
This is—torture.
Torture.
Torture.
Where's my prescription?
Please. Please. Listen.
My brain...is scattered.
All the best people are crazy...all the best people are-
I feel a hand on my shoulder, a warm hand. His hand.
I let out a screech, huddling my head in my hands and sobbing hysterically.
One of the nurses yanks her hand back, frantically spitting out apologies and wrapping her arms around me in a hug.
"It's okay, I promise you. I'll go get your pills."
She hurries off, and I dig my nails into my head, punching my head, banging my head.
"Get out! Get out! Please, make it stop! Get them out of my head!"
I pull on my hair, dragging my nails across my skin and creating huge dripping red scratch marks.
Two of the nurses grab my hands, preventing me from hurting myself any longer.
"Until we meet again."
"Until we meet again."
Someone runs in, and they hand me my pills, which I at first refuse to swallow, then oblige, immediately calming down.
"Someone's here to see her."
The psychiatrist's eyes expand.
"No one's came to see her in a while. Go take her out and we can continue our session later. She obviously needs a break."
The three nurses basically drag me towards the visiting room, sitting me down on a small sofa.
"Tell him he can come in now!"
One calls, and I frown.
"Him?"
I mutter, and I hear some shuffling feet when I look down at the floor, then a warm embrace that makes my heart melt.
"Jordan, baby. I'm so sorry."
He plants a small kiss on my forehead, and holds my cheeks.
"What happened to you?"
"The mental asylum you put me into."
"I'm sorry."
My head hangs low, and he looks up at the nurse while still crouched to my height.
"How much is it to get her out?"
"What?! We can't let her go, she's nowhere near ready!"
"Her mental illnesses were better then than they are now. You guys aren't helping her."
"But Mr. Maserati, you are the one that—"
"Enough. I'm talking her out of here."
"But sir—"
He grabs my hand, pulling me out of the chair and pulling me close.
"I'm so sorry I left you—"
"Zane. Why are you here? Why are you back?"
"There's something I've always needed to do...and it involves you."
*******
PRESENT DAY, MARCH 13th, 2020.
(DAISY'S POV)
Trevor and Taylor both lift me off the ground, steadying me on my feet.
"Daisy...are you okay? What happened?"
I suck in a breath, fixing my attention on the both of them.
"No. Nothing. Just—ugh. Never mind."
"You can tell us. We won't tell Zane."
"You don't have to though." Taylor adds.
"And we won't make a big deal out of it. We aren't the type of people to judge." Trevor smiles and I frown.
"It's just...I saw someone pretty important from my past...the one that saved me from being blown up when I was eight?"
Trevor and Taylor cock their heads to the side.
"I'm not sure I'm getting this at the moment, flower."
"Ugh. Silas Stone ring a bell?"
Trevor and Taylor lock eyes, then look at me.
"Silas?!" They both say at the same time.
I smack my forehead.
"You said you wouldn't make a big deal out of this, remember?! Now you promise not to tell Zane?! He hated his guts and would probably wrench out my guts if you or me said something about me talking to him. So don't. Just don't tell Zane—"
"Don't tell Zane what?"
Xanthe pops her head through the door, and my eyes widen a fraction.
"Xanthe—?" I glare at Trevor and Taylor. "Did you guys fucking bring Zane's little sister with you?! He's going to murder you."
Trevor rolls his eyes.
"She wouldn't stop bothering me."
"Shut up, big guy."
She pops into the room, pulling her shades from her face.
"I'm the coolest and we both know it. Stop being a bitch."
He playfully smacks her head and she rubs it.
"Ow. My noggin is fragile."
Her eyes move to my neck and she frowns.
"What the hell happened?!"
Xanthe squints, lifting my chin up with her finger.
"That looks like marks from someone's hand."
She pauses, when a look of realization crosses her face.
"OMG, it was one of them, wasn't it? Y'all are into some kinky shit, I mean jeez, really choked her out for some sexual—"
"Xanthe, shut the fuck up now."
She rolls her eyes, making a zipping motion across her lips and turning around, giving me one last suspicious look before walking out the door, me and the other boys following after.
After a long ride of Taylor and Xanthe arguing like little bitches, we make it to Zane's house.
"Xanthe, is he even home?"
"I'm guessing...unless he's at another random strip club getting a lap dance from some girl that goes by the name of Jordan Lukas, then I think he's home."
My eyes widen at the name she mentions.
Jordan Lukas...she sounds...familiar.
Then I realize, it's her.
The girl I met who tried to murder me around a year and a half ago.
She was my cell mate when I first went to prison.
There was something off with her, off with her brain, everyone called her the "Cuckoo Smurf".
Because her hair was blue and black...she almost—
I shudder at the thought.
"Jordan Lukas?"
"Yeah. The girl he was practically obsessed with until you returned. Even got her out of the psychiatric ward. The girl was nuts. And by the way she looked at me, I was one hundred percent sure she would dig me a grave and bury me alive. I think she works as a stripper now...I haven't seen Jordan in a hot minute."
Something to put on my list.
Find Jordan Lukas.
I nod uneasily as we approach his front door.
"Should we knock?"
"No. I don't knock."
"Xanthe. Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"
She rolls her eyes.
"Whatever. He doesn't care. And I don't care. As long as he's not doing the deed with someone, then it's completely fine. Not trying to see his—"
"That's enough now, Xanthe."
She nods.
"I thought so."
Unlocking the door, Xanthe walks inside, branching off from us all to go to her own room which is bright and pink.
Very pink.
And very mean girl vibes.
"Will you be fine?"
I nod at Trevor and Taylor, who then head to the kitchen to raid Zane's fridge.
Time for me to actually find him.
Walking around the house, I realize I have no fucking clue where I'm going.
He should be here somewhere.
I wander around, hearing noise from a certain room.
I hesitantly open the door, my eyes widening.
"Holy shit..."
The words fall out of my mouth.
There he is, abs glistening, muscles flexing, lifting up a 200 pound weight.
Fuck...
My mouth drops open in shock, the door falling shut behind me.
He looks up from the floor, catching eyes with me.
He gives me a little grin, dropping the weight onto the floor and standing up.
"Hello, love."
"Z-Zane...hi...Xanthe told me you were home..."
"And I am. You happened to come just when I was working out."
I nod, and he looks at me with a sinister look.
"I'd say you need some training, babe."
"Training?!"
"Yes."
"Why?!"
"You almost got choked to death by that noodle we call Ryker. That's just embarrassing for you."
"You know about that?!"
"Of course. I know everything."
I roll my eyes, dropping my bag onto the floor and tying my hair into a ponytail.
"Ugh, fine—what type?"
"Physical."
I feel warmth flood my cheeks, and he smiles.
"Come now, I should teach you the basics."
"Of what?! What exactly are we learning?"
"Some normal combat. And who knows? Maybe if you do good, I will give you a reward."
I make a face. "What could you possibly give me?"
"Some d—"
I clamp my hand over his mouth, shushing him with my other.
"Be quiet! Someone will hear you!"
He smirks against my hand, running his tongue up it.
"Ahh! Ew!" I yank my hand back, and he laughs.
"What I meant was that maybe I would let you join me in the shower after we finish. Shower make out sessions turn me on."
I make a concerned look at him.
"I'm worried for you. Really."
"I'm worried for you, too. After we're done you won't be able to walk."
He walks by me, discreetly smacking my ass, snickering.
I gasp, glaring at him.
"What the hell?! What are you planning on doing that I won't be able to walk?!"
"Hmm...too graphic to speak aloud. But just imagine, me and you," he leers at me "naked."
My mouth opens in disgust, but nothing comes out but a small breath.
"You're repulsive."
"What was that, babe? I don't think I heard you. Say that again one more time."
"Of course, babe. You're repulsive. Fucking disgusting if you'd ever think I'd lower my standards enough to sleep with you, then you're sadly—woah!"
He slams me against the gym wall, pinning my wrists above my head.
"Lowering your standards? Sweetie, that's hilarious! You're only making your standards higher if you slept with me. Every girl wants to."
"Well you unzip you're pants for every girl so I'm not surprised."
"I'd shut your mouth. Wouldn't want me to iron it shut, wouldn't you? I own you, you are mine, baby. And mine forever."
A surge of emotion goes through me, and I can't tell if it's fear or anger...or both.
Words echo in my head.
Words said by Jordan when I first met her.
I thought she was lying...she wasn't.
*******
"He only spared me. Spared me by a sliver. I was at the brink of death, about to die when he decided to stop torturing me. He'll ruin you, Daisy. But you've simply dug yourself in the biggest possible hole that no one can get you out of. He's going to manipulate you to the point of insanity, then he'll do what he did with the rest."
"The rest?!"
"Kill them."
*******
I glare at him, struggling to maintain my anger and fear.
"You don't own me!"
I rip my wrists free, then I flip around, stalking towards the door before his hand clamps around my wrist, and I gasp.
He pulls me back, spinning me so I'm against his chest with both my hands against it.
I look at my hands, then his face, small breaths escaping my slightly parted lips.
"But Zane—"
"Shh, baby girl. Why don't you leave the talking to me for once?"
He strokes the small of my back, backing me gently into the wall and caging me there with his arm.
With a sinister look on his face, Zane smirks.
"Answer me one question, babe."
I look into his eyes, scared to not follow what he asks again.
"Y-Yes?"
"Well, no need to be nervous. I'm not going to hurt you. Not yet anyways." He tilts his head to the side, before carefully sliding the sleeve of my shirt down, exposing my bare collarbone.
He caresses it gently, sending a shivering sensation down my spine.
"Sensational, isn't it? The way our body moves, the way our body feels," he moves down the other sleeve of my shirt. "The way our body reacts."
He slowly kisses my collarbone, and I tense up.
"Pleasure, an amazing feeling, isn't it, Daisy?"
I'm now sitting in his lap, still frozen out of surprise.
I blink a few times, trying not to give into it. Give into him.
"Zane, I don't—"
"Don't what? You can't tell me that you don't want this." He strokes my arm, causing goosebumps to form where he touched my skin. "Am I making you nervous? Don't lie to yourself, Daisy. Don't lie to me. I don't like liars. They get punishments."
He grabs me by the back of the head, pulling me closer so he can whisper in my ear.
"Now for that question, Daisy."
I gulp.
"Yes?"
"Do you like chains?"
*******
"A B C D E F G, won't you go to hell with me?"
I hide behind my bed, hearing her voice drifting across the room.
I tremble in fear, trying to control my breathing.
As soon as I hear her footsteps get closer to where I am, I immediately slide under my bed, facing the outside where I see her high heel boots approach my bed.
"Ohh, Daisy! I told you you were going to die tonight! Where could she be? Hmm...under the covers?"
She tosses my blankets, giggling.
"Nope! The closet?"
She rips the door open, kicking it shut.
"Nope! Oh, I know! Silly, silly girl! You're under the bed aren't ya?"
She bends over, peaking her head under.
"Whoop-dy doo! What do we have here?"
Her bright blue eye shines brightly while her other eye stays within the shadows.
"Are you ready to die? My poor baby! You look so scared!"
She starts laughing, immediately stopping.
I don't know what's happening.
"They're watching. The imposters. Did they take your place?!"
She grabs me by the collar of my shirt, dragging me out from under the bed and straddling me, pointing her knife at me.
"Who are you?! What did you do to her?! Imposters! Imposters! Where did you put Daisy?! Wha—where did she go?!"
She slices a bit of my skin, her face contorting in anger.
"Answer me before I slit your throat! Who are you and what did you do to Daisy?!"
"J-Jordan...I'm D-Daisy!"
My eyebrows furrow in pain, and she cocks her head to the side, laughing.
"Jordan, did you take your medication?"
"I don't need medication! I'm perfectly sane!"
She starts laughing, wrapping her hands around my neck.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt..." she pauses. "Who am I kidding?! It's gonna hurt, it'll sting..." she stabs the knife into my arm. "Spitting up blood in the sink!"
My eyes are wide, as she laughs in my face while stabbing my arm over and over again, sending shoots of pain throughout my body.
"I'm crazy, don't you like that?"
I only give her a small choke of fear in response.
She runs the knife along my collarbone, her hair and eyes glistening in the moonlight while blood stains her face and clothes.
"Roses on your gravestone, now don't forget! I flourish in the moonlight...screw eyes!"
She runs her bloodied fingers down my cheek, stabbing the knife into the space right next to me as she hears my front door open, drawing a smiley face with two x's as eyes in my blood before standing up, venturing quickly over to the window.
"You got lucky, Saunders. I will get my revenge."
And with that, Jordan disappeared out the window right when Zane opened my bedroom door, seeing me on the floor and cursing under his breath.
"What the hell?!"
He runs over, lifting me up gently.
"What happened to you? Daisy, talk to me!"
"J-J—"
My eyes drift shut, and he looks down at the eyeless smiley face, picking up the knife and looking at the carved initials.
JL.
Jordan Lukas.
*******
I wake up with a start, my heart pounding.
A tempest roars outside in the night, and I frown.
But then I feel his warm embrace, and calm down a few notches.
How I never want to leave.
I'm laying comfily on his bare chest, feeling it move up and down.
I suddenly get a sense of paranoia, a sense that someone is watching me...watching us.
Heart pounding, I tightly grip onto Zane's hand as a form of comfort.
Zane stirs in his sleep, lifting his head from his pillow with a frown.
He squints to look at me, rubbing my back which is tense.
"Hey...what's wrong?"
He whispers softly, and I give him a fearful glance.
"I feel someone's eyes. Someone is watching. A stranger is always watching."
He frowns at the unsettlingly of my voice, planting a kiss on my forehead as reassurance.
He lays his head back down on his pillow, yawning.
"Trust me babe, it's probably nothing. Get some rest."
"But—"
He strokes my hair, causing me to relax a bit.
But the feeling doesn't at go away.
"You are tense. Is it bothering you this much?"
I nod rapidly, and he sits up, laying me down on a pillow.
"I'll go check for you. Try and get some sleep. Where do you feel this from?"
I point at the window and the vent.
"Eyes. They're watching. He's watching."
Zane makes a concerned face, putting on his glasses and walking underneath the vent, shining his phone's flashlight.
He squints, then shrugs.
"Nothing there, babe."
But I know there's still something.
He walks over to the window, looking outside.
At the woods behind his house.
Nothing. Am I going crazy?
"Baby, there's nothing—"
He pauses mid sentence, seeing that I'm already snoring.
"—there. That worked."
He lays down on his side, wrapping his arm around my waist and securing me close.
******
I wake up in the morning, feeling something wet.
And sticky.
It smells like copper.
When I open my eyes I let out a small shriek.
Blood.
There's blood, everywhere.
And no...not period blood. I can assure you that didn't come from me.
Where's Zane?
I feel a cold chill, and frown.
The window's open. With a trail of blood heading into the woods.
What the hell?!
I hear a crinkle of paper, looking down and picking up the small note in my state of panic.
Hello, Daisy. Do you want your boyfriend back? The clock is ticking for him...his head is underwater.
-S
I drop the note in shock, jumping out of the bed out of horror and disgust.
That's Zane's blood. Blood. Blood. I think I'm going to pass out—
The door to Zane's room bursts open, and Xanthe and Trevor come into view.
Xanthe lets out a scream, and Trevor looks mortified.
"Holy shit. What the hell happened?!"
"Zane...Zane's gone! He took him! He took him!"
"Who?! Who took him?!"
Xanthe just stands there in shock, her face stark white.
"I'm going to be sick,"
She runs out of the room and to the bathroom, and Trevor picks up the note.
"Stay calm, Daisy. I'll go—"
"No. You don't know him."
"Who?!"
"Silas! The one who took him! I know that's his handwriting, I just know it! And I won't have you get hurt. I'm going now."
"What?! Daisy, no. Daisy—"
I run past him, throwing on a jacket and a pair of shoes before bolting our the door and into the forest, following the bloody trail and large footprints.
I knew someone was watching. I knew he was watching.
Now he has Zane...I'm going to get him back...no matter what it takes.
*******
(ZANE'S POV)
Daisy, I'm begging you.
Don't. Come.
I know you don't see this...and you can't hear me...but don't come.
It's a trap.
It's part of Silas's plan.
********
(DAISY'S POV)
After what seems like hours of trekking through the trees, I come across an abandoned warehouse, which is also where the footprints and trail ends.
He wanted me to end up here.
I pull out my gun, loading it and scrambling inside.
As I round a corner in the creepy ass place, I immediately go back.
I see them.
I hope you're ready to die, Silas.
You don't just hurt Zane and get away with it.
Here goes nothing.
3,
2,
1.
I jump out, and the gun is shaking in my hands, and I have it aimed right at Silas.
Zane's behind him, suspended in the air by cuffs around his wrists with a pained expression on his face.
"Daisy,"
His voice is soft, weak. What did Silas do to him?
"Don't..."
Silas only looks amused, auburn hair falling perfectly on top of his forehead.
"You know, Daisy, there's consequences with every decision..."
"Shut up, Silas! Just shut up! I won't let you ruin my life again!"
My stomach bubbles with rage, as my heart is heavy and my mind is blank. Empty.
One wrong move and I can shoot him. Kill him.
"You have the gun, Princess. Why don't you just shoot?"
"I know you only came back to destroy me again. Giving you a fast death wouldn't be enough."
"Now we're talking about me while your boyfriend is dying?"
He smirks, and my eyes follow his behind him at Zane, who looks absolutely horrible.
His hair is dripping wet, there's bruises all over his face, blood dribbling from his lips, and lacerations everywhere.
"You're lucky I didn't drown him when I had the chance, that would've been just lovely to witness. I mean, you want him dead too, don't you? Why don't we just make a simple alliance?"
I laugh humorlessly.
"Like I would just give up my entire existence to make an alliance with someone like you, Silas."
"Someone like me? I'm flattered...and assuming that's a good thing."
I roll my eyes, the gun still held tightly in my hand.
I have an idea...I don't think it'll work though.
Here goes everything.
I charge at Silas, knocking both him and me to the ground with a painful thud, attempting to claw at him and whack him on the head with my gun.
It didn't work.
Taking the control, Silas somehow spins us around so that I'm on the bottom, pinned down by my wrists, and his attractive face is hovering over mine.
My eyes widen, as the gun falls from my hand.
"Isn't that amusing."
He says in a sour tone, standing up and pressing his boot against my head.
He would most definitely crush my skull if he were to push down any harder.
"Always trying to be the hero, the good guy in the situation. But news flash, Daisy, you're nothing but that."
He smirks while pointing my own gun at me.
"You know you only make things worse, you're the bad guy. The reason so many people are six feet under. And how silly you are, to think you can beat me?!"
I hear Zane mumble something under his breath.
"When I get out of these restraints, Stone, I'm going to make sure you rot in hell."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing."
Zane smirks, silently laughing as blood drips down his bare chest.
"Agony. Don't you love it?"
His words break the now silence.
"Well, Zane. I actually do."
Silas smiles, leaning against the wall in the darkest corner of the room.
"Seems we have something in common."
"Yes."
As soon as I realize he's distracted, I grab the gun off the floor and point it at him once more.
Now back to square one, with Silas and Zane basically right next to each other.
What if I accidentally shoot him?!
"Daisy."
I immediately snap my head towards Zane behind Silas, my eyebrows furrowing.
"I'm doing this for you, Zane."
"Daisy. Don't kill him."
"Wait what?!"
"I said, don't kill him. Don't kill Silas."
"But—"
Zane shakes his head, and my mind goes blank.
A sudden wash of determination goes over me.
A determination to kill Silas Stone.
I'm going to kill him.
Without thinking anymore, I shoot.
I watch in horror as Silas quickly slides out of the way, and the bullet shoots straight through Zane's chest.
He winces, as the bullet pierces through his flesh.
I drop the gun, as Zane slips from his restraints and collapses onto the floor, holding his chest in pain. In agony.
Blood seeps through his fingers, and my eyes start to water.
No...no, no, no.
I run over, dropping onto my knees and grabbing him by the shoulders, watching him slowly pale, slowly lose life.
I should've thought about that—I should've—
I feel a hand on my cheek, and look up from my bloodied hands.
"Hey, Daisy. Why're you crying?"
He's smiling. But he's dying.
"Y-You—I...I shot you Zane! You're dying! I'm so, so sorry! I'm so—"
"Shhh, it's okay. You know, I'll die an easy death, L-O-L. And maybe I'll even see you in hell when you arrive."
I hug onto him, not paying attention as his blood stains my clothes, soaks them.
"You're bleeding out—I need to call—"
"Princess, 911 isn't going to fix a shot to the—"
He starts coughing, and I start sobbing.
He continues coughing, and I hold onto him as my cheeks are wet with tears and blood.
Blood spurts from his mouth, and he falls onto the floor, motionless.
"Zane?"
I look over him, grabbing his hands which are limp.
Which are ice cold.
"Zane?!"
Kneeling in a pool of his own blood, my hands start shaking even more.
"No—I—no—Zane?!?! Answer me?!"
I grab his face in my blood soaked hands, my tears dripping onto his face.
I-I killed him...
My Zane, he's—he's dead.
I look at his face, his eyes closed, but a slight smile left on his face.
As I hear police sirens, I look up.
Silas.
Where is he?!
I'm going to kill him!
"Don't worry, Princess. This isn't the end..."
I hear Silas's snickering, and look up to see him escaping out the back, without a single scratch.
"I'm sure we'll meet again sooner than later."
******
(ZANE'S POV)
This isn't the end, Daisy. I promise.
*****
(DAISY'S POV)
My heart pounds in my chest as I look at the gun, all the blood, and his pale body.
I hear footsteps, and about a dozen police officers bust in, holding their guns to me.
Still kneeling in front of his body, I hold my hands behind my head.
Silas called the police.
He's going to die the next time I see him.
"Daisy Marie Saunders, you are under arrest for homicide! You have the right to remain silent and anything you say and do can and will be used against you in court!"
I stay still, my hands dripping with blood and my hair matted with sweat as tears run down my cheeks.
My eyes widen, as I swear I see his chest move.
I swear I see him breathe.
He's not dead. He's not—
They secure handcuffs tightly around my wrists, standing me up as paramedics run past us to Zane's body.
"Wait! He isn't dead! He isn't dead! I promise you, he isn't—"
I let out a screech of pain when an officer tases me, and immediately shut my mouth as I feel half of my body go completely numb.
I get thrown into a cop car, driven away from the dark warehouse with Zane in it.
I swear to you, I saw him breathe.
He isn't dead.
Zane isn't dead.
Zane faked his death.