by Vivien Vale
It's my worst nightmare being played out in real life.
"This can't be happening. It just can't," I mutter to no one.
And then my cynicism and despair melt away as I realize this is a call to action. I have to save her.
She's probably waiting for me to show up and I won't abandon her now. I will never do that again.
So no matter what it takes, I will find and save her and prove to her that she never has to worry about being hurt by me again. We just have to get there in time.
"This guy is fucking crazy," I say to Jax.
"Yeah, he's hell bent on destroying my family because we closed down that mine. He's off his rocker for sure."
I’m enraged. All I see is red, and I imagine tearing through every inch of this building until I find her.
"We have to go. We can’t waste any more time. We have to save her now."
I'm already up and pulling on my jacket. Though where I'm going, I don't really know. I plan to go somewhere, though, and to do something. Jax calls me on this.
"You can't be rash about it, Leo. You need to sit here and devise an actual plan, otherwise you're just wasting time. You can't go into this blindly."
His calm composure pisses me off. Doesn't he care about his sister? Isn't he angry enough to run out that door and to find her?
"The fuck I can't. I’ll do whatever I want. I love her."
There's a pause as he digests this.
"What did you just say?" He's pissed. I can tell.
My mind is racing, and I don't have time for this bullshit with Jax.
"I said I love her. Now get that through your thick fucking skull and come help me find her."
He gets up and starts pacing the office.
"I told you, Leo, to stay away from her forever. How dare you think you love her. It will never happen under my watch."
If he really believes he can threaten me and keep me away from her again, he's gravely mistaken. I listened to him once before and it's my biggest regret in life. I will never make that mistake again.
He's got to be crazy to think I'd stay away from her now. And I tell him as much.
"You think I care what you want? This isn't about you. It's about Sienna and me, and we're in love and there's not a goddamn thing you can do to change that."
Jax gets right up in my face. "If you think you can touch her then you have it all wrong. I will use all of my resources to take her away from you. You'll never set eyes on her again. I warned you once, and that was it. You know that I don't approve."
How is he even thinking of this total fucking nonsense when we should be out finding her together?
I see Leo for who he is now. His true colors are coming out more than ever before.
He's just an overly protective asshole brother, and whatever he says, I shouldn't listen.
This is Sienna's life, and if she wants me to go away I will. But until then, I'm going to worship the fucking ground she walks on despite what Jax says.
I should never have listened to him in the first place. His threats are tainted with some really fucking twisted sense of brotherly responsibility, and even if he hid her at the ends of the earth, I’d find her.
Just like I’ll find her now.
"I left her once because I trusted you, Jax. You wrecked me and you destroyed her. Neither of us ever got over loving each other, and why you'd want to stand in the way of that I don't know. But one thing's for damn sure. I will never leave her again, got that?"
He seems surprised that I'm standing up to him now. When we were younger he got me away from Sienna by making me think that I wasn't good enough for her. I've spent years building myself up trying to prove otherwise.
And now I'm a man of ridiculous wealth and power.
It took me this long but I finally believe in myself. And I believe in Sienna enough to know we'll make it through. He won’t stop us again. Not this time.
"I'll tear you down," he says, but his confidence isn’t there this time.
"No, you won't, Jax. Because you love Sienna and you want her to be happy. I make her happy. You need to see that now."
He looks at me, all macho anger and posturing.
"We're just wasting time," I say. "Every fucking second that slips by is one closer to Sienna getting hurt. Don't you want to formulate a plan to find her? Don't you care about her enough to put all this drama aside and make sure she's safe?"
At long last, he agrees. "Fine. Let's figure something out."
Finally. Shit. The dude has taken this to limit of reason.
We sit down at my desk. He's talked me out of making rash decisions and I've talked him out of standing in the way of Sienna's happiness. We may yet work as a team. Maybe
Together we combine our collective assets to make a plan. With our connections, the security footage, and our own personal protection officers, we make headway in determining exactly where Sienna is and how to free her.
Sienna
I'm feeling more worried with each passing moment. It's obvious that William is totally unhinged.
Being in the hands of an insane person is terrifying because I have no idea what he'll do with each passing moment. He's simultaneously ranting and raving about how he's in love with me and how much he hates my family.
It's hard to get the story straight and I'm starting to worry that I'll be killed in the crossfire of his tormented mind.
If he were a sane, sober person, at least I might have a better idea of if I'll live or die, but as it is there's no telling.
His greasy black hair flops over his face and his suit is crinkled. He looks like a very deranged version of the person I met last night. I had no idea then that he was so crazy, and I wonder how he kept his wits about him for even one evening.
My instinct says to pacify him. I have no idea if anyone realizes I'm gone or how long I’ll have to placate him. I think if I pretend to return his affections, maybe I can gain some influence and convince him to untie me.
"William," I say. "Why am I tied up? I thought tonight you were going to meet me at Unique and we could finally be together."
He looks at me warily. "You did not. You would never have gone home with me."
"Yes, baby." I nearly choke on the word, but I'll say and do anything to save my own life. "I just needed you to get that contract out of the way with my boss and then I thought we were going to go somewhere, you know, together."
"You're lying,” he screams. “You could never love a guy like me."
I take a minute to consider my options and then say, "That's what I thought too at first. But then after I met you last night, you were all I could think about. Didn't you feel the same way?"
I've got him confused now. He shakes his sweaty head and tugs on his hair in a frenzied gesture.
"You mean you wanted to be with me?"
"That's right. Still do. But I don't like being tied up, so come release me and then we can get more comfortable."
"No!" he yells. "It's not true. You’re trying to trick me. I know you have a boyfriend."
I flinch at his manic switch from confused to insane.
I force a smile. "Oh, but you pale in comparison to him."
"I don't believe you, you lying bitch!"
I'm starting to lose him, and that means I'm starting to lose myself. I could be dead in an instant if I don't get a handle on him.
"William, please believe me.” My voice shakes as tears threaten to spill down my cheeks. “I broke up with Leo today. My bags are packed ready to run away with you."
"Really?" Tears stream down his face now.
His mood is more mercurial than anything I've ever seen. I'm wishing now I'd gone into Psychology rather than Finance so that I could know how to talk him down from this ledge.
And to my utter horror, I see the flash of steel that indicates a gun as he reaches into his jacket for a tissue to wipe his sweating brow and tear-stained cheeks.
Oh my God.
It's all over.
&n
bsp; These are my last moments. In a state of complacent calm, I accept my fate. Maybe it's the wrong reaction, but I just keep staring at the streams of sunlight as they come in through the window.
I think about how beautiful life is and how I need to appreciate these last moments of beauty. I hear myself breathing as if in slow motion. And then the most extraordinary thing happens.
"Sienna! Sienna are you in there?"
Leo? Am I imagining it? Am I actually already dead? Or maybe just unconscious and dreaming.
Then I hear the pounding on the door and I snap back to reality.
It is Leo! He’s come for me.
"Leo! He has a gun!" I yell hoping to keep him from coming in.
Please God, let it be me that dies and not him.
He came for me, but he's a moment too late. William grabs my hair and pushes the gun up to my temple.
"Please, William,” I sob. “Please don't do this. Think of the life you could have. My brother will still pay you. Just put the gun down. Please, put the gun down."
I'm full out crying now. I'm about to be shot. Leo will walk in and I'll be dead. I'm crying out of fear and I'm crying because he's just a minute too late to save me.
Everything we could’ve had was right within our reach. And now, because of this crazed maniac, it’s all going to be taken from me.
Then another paralyzing thought hits me. What if William kills him, too?
And it will all have been my fault. If only I'd listened and never insisted on being an escort, this tragedy wouldn't be happening.
"Please, Leo,” I beg, “just go! He's got a gun to my head."
Just then, as if on cue, the door bursts open. A crew of security guards surrounds us. And then there's Leo.
For a brief moment I think maybe I've died and this is a dream of how I wish it had all gone.
"Let her go," he says. He’s firm but cautious with William.
He tosses a bag of money towards him, and it distracts William enough to give the security team their chance.
They tackle him to the ground and a shot's fired. It bounces off the ceiling, but thank God it doesn't hurt anyone.
Leo stalks toward William and crushes his wrist with one booted heel, forcing the psycho to drop his gun.
And then it's all over.
The police arrive and drag William off to jail.
Leo gently unties me. I'm in a shocked daze as he puts my arms around his neck and lifts me up.
"I'll never let you touch the ground again. All I want is for you to be safe. I'm so sorry, baby." He kisses me gently, as though a kiss could ever make up for what's transpired, what I’ve caused.
I blame myself for everything.
"Leo, I'm so sorry. He just grabbed me. I never meant for any of this to happen. I was so scared. I thought I was going to die. I thought you'd find me dead and..."
"Shh, baby. It's okay. It's over now. It's all over."
"But it's my fault," I say as he wipes the tears away.
"It's not your fault, baby. None of this is."
"Can you forgive me?"
"For what baby? You're perfect. And now we're together."
And then I see my brother over his shoulder.
"What is Jax doing here?"
"He helped me. He helped organize everything. I couldn't have done it without his help."
"You mean you guys worked together?" I ask incredulously.
He laughs. "Pretty unbelievable, right?"
I want him to take me home to the penthouse and to fuck my brains out to make me forget this whole night, to remember that I'm alive, to give me reassurance that everything will be okay.
And I know he wants the same thing...to connect, to know that this is real. We haven't had any time to celebrate, But we can’t just yet. Right now, the place is a flurry of activity with policemen everywhere, and it looks like we won't be getting out of here anytime soon.
Sienna
Finally, late into the evening, the cops set us free. I’ve given them all I can. My body is exhausted, and despite being back in Leo's arms, having a brush with death is no laughing matter.
I feel spent and not in a good way.
"Can we just go home so I can take a shower?" I ask him.
"Of course, baby."
He takes me back up to the penthouse and has extra security stand outside the doors just to make me feel safe. The threat is over, we know, but until the cops have investigated all the angles it makes me feel more at ease knowing they are armed guards just outside the door.
I immediately pull my clothes off and trash them. I never want to see that outfit again. I walk naked through the penthouse into the shower. Once inside, I curl up into a little ball on the floor and let the shower rain over me.
The water slides down my back, and in here, within this privacy, I let the tears fall freely for all I almost lost.
I cradle myself in my own arms and the warm water provides some assurance, like life is saying, You haven't lost yet, baby. You still have more to live.
The shower helps to wash the wretchedness of William off my body. The idea of my last moments on Earth being been spent with him makes me want to fall apart. I hope he's rotting in jail and that he never gets out.
Eventually, the water turns cool and it's only then that I rinse off and re-emerge back into the world of the living. The world I’m still a part of thanks to Leo.
Leo’s knocking gently on the door. "Sienna are you okay? You've been in there awhile."
"I'm okay," I say in all honesty. "I just needed some time...alone."
"All right, well come out soon. Your brother's here to see you."
My brother? What the hell is he doing here?
I wouldn't have thought he'd care if I lived or died the way he’s been acting lately. He's probably just happy not to have to make the ransom for me.
I brush my hair and pull on a pair of Leo's oversized sweats. I want to be warm and cozy, not cute.
I come out of the bathroom, swimming in his black sweat suit. Jax is there, and the two of them seem to be like old friends pouring shots at Leo's kitchen island.
"What am I missing?" I say, unhappy that Jax is here.
I might as well apologize for my part in the debacle. After all, none of it would've happened without me insisting on being an escort.
"Jax, I owe you an apology. You warned me to stay away from this business and I just didn't listen."
I'm too tired to argue if he won't accept my apology.
To my surprise, he says, "It's fine, Sienna. In fact, it really wasn't your fault. I'd heard about some disgruntled employee a while back, but I didn't take it seriously. I should've been more on guard."
"So," I rib him as only a sister can do. "You're saying it's actually all your fault?"
He smiles. "Yes, for the sake of avoiding an argument, or hell, an all-out war, let's just say that."
"Fine by me."
"Here, baby." Leo hands me a shot of whiskey.
"So it's going to be that kind of night?" I ask, ready for some levity.
"Let's hope so," he says with a gleam in his eye.
Instead of yelling at us and going crazy, Jax seems surprisingly fine about Leo and me flirting.
"Have you finally accepted it, brother? That I'm in love with your friend?"
"Love? Do you hear that, Leo? She loves you."
He sidles up next to me and plants a soft kiss on my cheek. It's a small act, but filled with promise. Leo never would have been so free with that type of affection before.
"It's a good thing, too," Leo says. "Because, Sienna, I think it's safe to say that I've loved you forever...since we were kids. After you and I were together that first time, Jax forced me to stay away from you. Right Jax?"
My brother looks up from his whiskey, his expression somber. "I admit it. I'm sorry, Sienna. I threatened him at the time and used all my influence to chase him out of town. That's why it appeared like he abandoned you. I just didn't want you to get hurt
. Can you try to see it from my perspective?"
All those lonely nights of crying myself to sleep come flashing across my mind.
"I thought...I thought you just didn't like me, Leo. You'd had your fill. I was a conquest or something." I’d been devastated.
He looks at me and his eyes reflect genuine regret. "I never should've left. No matter what Jax did or what he threatened, I should never have left you like that. I've loved you since I first set eyes on you Sienna. I loved you then, and I've loved you every day since."
Tears of regret come up for all those times I spent ruminating over what I could've done wrong to make Leo leave so abruptly.
Now I realize it was all Jax.
How my brother could've remained tight-lipped for all that time I spent grieving Leo, I'll never understand. He saw how badly I was hurting for years afterward and yet he never revealed the truth.
"Jax, how could you?"
I am so tired of crying. I want this day to end with me by Leo's side, never looking back.
"I'm sorry, Sienna, truly I am. I thought he was going to hurt you. I really did. I thought he was just out to prove that he could get you. I had no idea he actually loved you. Now I see that his love is real. It's been him all along, and I'm so sorry for being so overprotective. I never should've overstepped my bounds like that."
I nod, taking a steadying breath. I want to be angry at him. I want to rail and rage that he caused me to lose ten years with the man I love. But if I’ve learned anything through this experience tonight, it’s that life’s too short to hold grudges.
Relationships are too important when they can just be taken away from you in a heartbeat.
"It's okay," I say, and this time I mean it. "I'm ready to put the past behind us for good now and never look back."
"Deal," Jax says. "I see now that Leo’s never going to break your heart. That's all I ever wanted for you, Sienna."
"Thanks, Jax."
He gets up and kisses me on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay. You should've seen this guy in action.” He nods toward Leo. “He wasn’t going to stop until he'd torn through the entire casino making sure you were found. You've got a good guy here."
"Thanks man," Leo says. "But I couldn't have done it without you."
