Please read my author's note at the end of the chapter!

+++++

Chapter Eleven

"The law ain't never been a friend of mine,

I would kill again to keep from doing time,

You should never ever trust my kind"

— Royal Deluxe "I'm a Wanted Man"

Sebastian King was mad and Elizabeth James did not have to look up at him to know that.

She had been finishing her rounds for the morning when she heard an unmistakable hush fall upon the floor, one that was usually thunderous in volume when it came to the hustle and bustle of the medical staff. Her spine instinctively stiffened and she felt her pulse quicken, nausea rolling through her as she registered that this was her reaction to his mere presence.

"I need to speak with you." His voice was low but firm. He stood less than a foot away from her, and his frame towered over her smaller one.

Elizabeth kept her eyes focused on the paperwork that weighed down her arms, reminding her of the hours of work that lay ahead of her. She was busy enough without Sebastian King breathing down her neck; but there he was, unmoving, and silently demanding her attention. She could not ignore him.

"Mr. King, I'm afraid I still have a few more patients to see before I have even a ten minute break," her voice came out surprisingly even despite the slight tremor in her hands as she adjusted the folders in her arms.

Elizabeth finally forced herself to look at him, holding her breath as she faced the force of his glare. His jaw was clenched and she could practically feel the tension that radiated between them.

"Dr. James," Sebastian bit out, "I don't want to hurt you."

Her stomach twisted and a bitter taste filled her mouth. His implied message left her little room to argue.

"Amanda," Elizabeth called out to the medical student who had been working with her for a few months, "do you think you could finish my rounds this morning? I only had a few more patients left, and none of them require anything other than a vital check."

Amanda had been standing a few feet away, watching the conversation cautiously. At the sound of her name, she adjusted her glasses and straightened her posture. Elizabeth watched in relief as she walked over to her and took the paperwork from her arms.

"Absolutely, Dr. James." She gave her a smile and snuck a glance at Sebastian before she walked away; eager to take on the task she had been assigned.

"Shall we?" Sebastian asked, his tone cold and impatient.

Before she could utter a response, she felt his hand wrap around her arm. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged through the hospital doors, unable to slow down or stop. Her lips were parted in shock, and her heart was pounding in her ears as Sebastian roughly opened the passenger door of a large, black SUV and gestured for her to get inside.

"I don't have all day," Sebastian snapped, "And like I said before, we need to talk."

+++++

It had been four days since she had been taken.

Evie felt her legs quivering underneath her weight, but she refused to budge. Perspiration had formed on her forehead, and she felt drops of sweat trail down her back as she stood on her bed, her arms hanging limply by her sides.

It had been hours, and she hadn't moved once.

Her eyes were closed, and apart from the occasional furrow of her brow, she looked peaceful.

"How long has she been like this?" Nick finally asked, unable to come up with any logical reason as to why she was doing this.

"About three hours," Mark stated, his eyes fixed on the peculiar case that he had been assigned to watch.

"Two hours, fifty-six minutes, and forty-three seconds." Her voice was light, but when she opened her eyes the sinister expression that graced her features was anything but.

"It's been four days." Nick stated, observing her closely as she remained in her position. She had closed her eyes once again, which allowed Nick to recover from the effect of her stare. "We haven't received a single threat. It has been completely silent."

Evie did not react.

"It's as though the Kings have gone into hiding." Nick prompted, edging closer to the bed.

"Maybe they have," she suggested. "Maybe I was wrong and maybe you were too. Maybe you've kidnapped a sociopath for absolutely no reason, and maybe you spent the last few months desperately trying to plan a way to tear me and the gang down—all for nothing."

Her eyes were open once again, but this time they were blank.

"Maybe."

Nick stayed silent. His mind was racing to develop some sort of plan to address the situation he found himself stuck in. Initially, he believed that it would only be a matter of hours before he received a phone call from Sebastian, one full of death threats. He was convinced that taking Evie would start an all out war. He expected that he would have the Kings on his ass immediately.

But it had been four days, and there had been nothing.

"Keep watching her," Nick told Mark, exiting without a glance back at her. He made his way down to the basement, an odd feeling developing in the pit of his stomach as he took in the massive house.

He was a powerful man, but for reasons unbeknownst to him, he felt unsafe. He was meant to be a dangerous threat, but lately he had not felt that way. He approached the basement door and quickly went down the stairs. Without hesitating, he entered the room.

"It's been four days."

Kate and Nate cowered back against their restraints, a look of confusion and panic on Kate's face, while Nate looked downright hopeless.

"It's time I start getting answers."

+++++

"Physically, he is on the road to recovery." Elizabeth offered, keeping her eyes ahead as Sebastian drove through winding streets. "Mentally and emotionally, I am not sure."

"When will he be able to leave?"

"It's hard to say—" Elizabeth began. Her voice was cut off by a scream, one that came from her own mouth. Sebastian had slammed on the brakes suddenly. His hands were tightly wound around the steering wheel, and his knuckles were a dangerous shade of white.

"I want to know right now," he spoke through gritted teeth.

"It's going to take time, okay?" Elizabeth's voice now shook when she spoke. "The stab wound was incredibly dangerous and he is lucky to be alive. But it has only been a few days. Traumas like this, they take weeks, months sometimes, to recover from."

She stopped speaking and had to make a conscious effort to steady her breathing.

It seemed as though Sebastian had frozen. He was barely moving and had a twisted expression on his face, conveying only a glimpse of whatever internal conflict he was suffering from.

"You know who I am."

It wasn't a question, but Elizabeth silently confirmed it with a nod of her head. Her eyes flickered out the windshield and then the window as she took in her surroundings. It was almost 10:00 AM, and the area that Sebastian had stopped them in was relatively empty.

"Then you must know who Mason Walker is, and what he does." Sebastian's tone was strained, and Elizabeth could tell that he was struggling to remain calm.

"I do."

Sebastian nodded but did not say anything else. He began to start driving again, allowing the silence to engulf them as they drove through the nearly empty streets. Elizabeth desperately tried to put together what part of town they had entered, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was going to need to run. Her scrubs felt heavy on her despite the light material, and the stiffness of her white coat seemed to grow worse.

"Mason is going to need to be able to do some work for the gang." Sebastian said as he stared at the road. "The police are going to catch wind of this, and I am sure they are going to try to dig their noses into his situation. That cannot happen."

Elizabeth felt her palms grow sweaty at the mention of Kings, and forced herself to maintain a neutral expression.

"He needs rest." She bit out. Years of learning medicine caused her to become unable to silence the doctor within her. "He has just suffered from a horrific trauma, one which you and your fellow gang members only offered a vague explanation of—"

"I am under no obligation to give you an explanation." Sebastian snarled out. His eyes were now burning into hers, and she felt her body tense as he leaned closer.

"It has only been four days," Elizabeth's voice was softer now, but it still held its firmness. "He needs time to recover and if you want to see him get better, then you're going to need to give him time. The police should be the last of your worries."

Sebastian stared at her silently before he leaned back and stared forwards. Elizabeth glanced out the window again and was strategically planning a way to escape when she heard Sebastian let out a humorless laugh. The sound itself made her skin crawl and she suddenly was met with a harsh slap from reality.

She was sitting in a car with Sebastian King, a renowned gang leader, a murderer, and a man of cruel intent.

Why did she get in the car with him? Why hadn't she put up a fight?

"I am well aware of the fact that it has been four days," Sebastian finally said, his voice pained yet sinister. "More than you'll ever know."

Elizabeth could detect that his words held a deeper meaning. It didn't take a genius to realize that.

"If he isn't going to be discharged, then Mason is going to need to work from his room. He won't be able to focus with the nurses coming in and out so—"

"Mr. King," Elizabeth cut him off, determination fueling her. "You seem to not understand the situation."

Those were the words that finally set him off.

Elizabeth let out a shriek when Sebastian's gun came into view and instinct drove her to unbuckle at lightning speed. She flung open the car door and fell backwards as she narrowly avoided Sebastian's grasp. Elizabeth forced herself to her feet and took off in a sprint, her heart pounding as she heard a car door slam and a pair of footsteps follow in pursuit.

Why had she gotten in the car? What had she been thinking?

Elizabeth darted through a narrow opening in a hedge and found herself sprinting through a stranger's backyard. A scream tore through her when she hit the ground. The air had been effectively knocked out of her, and spots began to cloud her vision. Sebastian had tackled her, and was roughly dragging her to her feet. His grip on her upper arm was ruthless, but she knew better than to yell out for help, or to even allow a whimper to escape her lips.

"Don't fucking try that again."

She stayed silent as they approached the car, expecting to be forcefully shoved into the passenger seat. However, Sebastian caught her off guard by slamming her into the side of the car and angling his body so that she was trapped against it.

A soft cry left her lips when he did this, and everything darkened around her as she tried to catch her breath. Elizabeth could smell the metallic scent of blood and predicted that she was bound to have a bloody nose soon enough.

"Listen up, Ms. James," his voice was brutal, and she fought the tears that welled up into her eyes as fear squeezed her heart. "It is you who doesn't understand the situation. Mason may be in critical condition, but I need him because for the last four days, she has been gone."

She?

Elizabeth felt confusion overwhelm her, but she refused to look up at him in fear of what she might see. Her eyes were trained on the ground and she focused on breathing, but when she saw his arm move she couldn't help but flinch back.

Sebastian hesitated, taking in the sight of the disheveled, young doctor in front of him. Grass stains covered her knees and parts of her coat, and he noticed flecks of blood on her shirt and her hands.

With all the anger he felt he was surprised that he hadn't lost it and strangled her already, but his anger was meant for someone else entirely.

He gently cupped her face, despite her feeble attempts to flinch away, and lifted her head so that she was now looking up and into his eyes.

"The girl I love has been taken."

Pain racked his body as he finally said the words that had been haunting him for the last four days.

"Mason is the only one who can find her."

Sebastian waited momentarily, his eyes searching Elizabeth's face. He was desperate, and he was pleading for help. He was on the verge of speaking again when she parted her lips.

"What do you need me to do?"

+++++

"Have you forgotten why you work for me?" Nick's voice shook with rage as he fought to remain calm in front of Kate and Nate.

The two had been gagged, so the silence that settled upon them was expected.

"Or should I kill off a person in your family? Is that what I need to do?" He stared at them intently, watching as Kate's expression morphed into one of despair, while worry flashed through Nate's eyes.

Nick stalked forwards and removed the switchblade from his pocket, causing Kate to struggle and cry out against her restraints. He rolled his eyes at her before slicing through the material that had been used to gag her.

"Well Kate?" He asked. "I'm going to need answers soon unless you want to see your sweet mother take a bullet to the head."

A cry left her lips at the mention of her mother and the potential danger she was in.

"Please don't hurt her," Kate finally choked out as tears leaked down her cheeks. "Please, I'm begging you."

Nick gritted his teeth. He turned to Nate, his eyes narrowing as he noted the bit of defiance that Nate's expression held.

"What about you?" Nick spat out, cutting the gag off in a similar manner. "You're nothing but a rat to the Kings now, and not only have you betrayed your gang but you were also meant to be one of Danny's best friends."

Nate licked his lips and cleared his throat, but remained unresponsive. His eyes had narrowed into a resentful glare, but Nick knew that his words had hurt him, just as he had intended them to.

"It has been four fucking days of silence and I want to know why." Nick's fist slammed down onto the wooden arm of Kate's chair, causing her to whimper and flinch away from him.

"I don't know!" She was scared, but Nick could not care less. "I've done everything you have asked! I brought you Evie!"

The urgency was evident in her tone and her eyes watered with tears. Nate on the other hand, was breathing heavily, clenching his jaw every now and then. Nick could feel the frustration rolling off of him, but that was the least of his worries.

"You have done everything I've asked," Nick said, turning towards Kate. "And now, I am asking for answers." His eyes shifted between them, anger growing within him.

"I would guess the lack of threats have to do with the fact that this one," his eyes flickered to Kate, "stabbed their best tracker, also known as the only guy who would be able to find you." Nate's tone was almost mocking, as though he was finding something pleasurable from this entire situation. "It also does not help that you decided to buy an estate in the middle of nowhere."

Nick grounded his teeth and pushed down the urge to put a bullet between Nate's eyes.

"Well I couldn't just wait out in the open for them to find me, now could I?" Nick's attempt to counter back was weak and he knew it. Nate even let out a humorless laugh upon hearing him, and gave a slight smirk back.

"Of course you couldn't. And now," he paused, "you can't be found at all! How delightful is that? I bet you always won when you played hide and seek."

"Watch it," Nick growled out. "You are treading on thin ice."

"Oh am I?" Nate challenged, feeling a surge of defiance ripple through him. "Then why don't you let me just break through the ice and fucking drown? Let me do what Evie couldn't, and die."

Kate sucked in a sharp inhale upon Nate's implication and shut her eyes, while Nate breathed heavily, his heart pounding in his chest.

Before a response could be given, the door flew open and hit the wall with an explosive.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say," her voice was smooth and her features screamed dangerous, "now was it, Nathaniel?"

"What the," Nick said, shock overriding his ability to form sentences.

Everyone in the room had jumped at the sound of the door crashing into the wall, and for a moment, they had all frozen in place. Granted, Kate and Nate were effectively tied down, while Nick stood there in horror, briefly forgetting that he had a gun tucked into his waistband.

He didn't even have a chance to reach back and grab it before her voice filled the room again, demanding their attention.

"Don't bother with the gun, Harmon." Evie now seemed bored, but her eyes remained trained on Nate, who was now staring at the floor. The defiance that had previously been surging through him was long gone, and he felt incredibly deflated.

"You're not the one in charge here," Nick finally brought himself to say, "I am."

Evie's unforgiving eyes turned to Kate.

"Having fun?"

Nick directed her attention back to him when he pointed his gun at her, although he had no idea what he planned on doing with it. He couldn't shoot her. Evie easily detected his lack of confidence, and smirked.

"Mark is lying face down in my room, and the other giant is probably trying to crawl his way down the stairs right now." Once again, her voice was empty.

"What did you do to Mark?" He asked, maintaining an even tone.

Her eyes flashed to him and she grinned, making his stomach twist. "I kicked him in the head."

Surprise ran through Nick. Mark was significantly larger than Evie, and she had also been incredibly injured and had barely begun to heal.

"You're telling me," Nick spoke quietly, "that you kicked him once in the head and he passed out?"

Evie smiled.

"One kick?" Nick questioned incredulously.

Evie glided across the floor, only stopping when the gun touched her chest.

"Even the most dangerous, ruthless opponent can be taken down, if you just aim well." She smiled again, her eyes filled with childlike innocence as Nick processed her words.

"One kick."

Their attention was diverted once again when Tom, who Evie liked to refer to as the second giant, entered the room. His gun was drawn and his eyes were blazing with fury, and Nick frowned as he held up his hand and motioned him to lower the gun.

"I see you fell short on your job," Nick said, giving him a glare as Tom reluctantly dropped his arms.

The look he gave Evie would have made any other girl cry on the spot. But this was Evie, and Nick wasn't even sure if she registered of the look on his face.

"She kicked me."

Nick raised his brows, "How the hell did she kick your head?"

Evie giggled sweetly and moved forwards, her body now leaning on the gun.

"Kicked him in the balls."

Her eyes danced with amusement, but Nick could see the insanity written all over her expression. She wasn't scared of him in the slightest, and he needed to change that. He couldn't help but internally curse at himself though.

He had wanted this. He had wanted the emotionless Evie, the one people seemed to talk about. But he hadn't expected this.

Ironically enough, his mother always told him, 'Be careful what you wish for.' And now, he wished he had considered the consequences.

"You know, for a guy with a house like this, who has the power that you claim to have," Evie spoke, purposefully egging him on, "you should have more than two guards."

"You know what," Nick spat out, a grin gracing his features to match her own. "It's time you shut the fuck up."

She cocked her head to the side, a flicker of confusion glinting in her eyes.

"Goodnight, Evie."

And with that, he slammed the butt of his gun into her temple and watched with relief and happiness as her unconscious body collapsed onto the floor.

+++++

Elizabeth could feel Sebastian's eyes burning a hole into her back as she slipped into the back entrance of the hospital, which was her attempt to discretely make her way to the locker room and change out of her recently dirtied scrubs.

Sebastian's instructions had been simple.

Keep the police and nurses away. Let Mason do his work.

In agreeing to this, Elizabeth had become Mason's primary doctor, which meant she was going to have to spend much more time than she anticipated or even wanted with him.

By a miracle, she managed to get to the locker room unnoticed. She hurriedly changed into the extra pair of scrubs she kept in her locker, cursing when she realized she did not have a spare coat with her. The dirt and grass stains, paired with small flecks of blood were unacceptable, and Elizabeth was forced to remove the coat and leave it in her locker.

So much for today being a better day.

Sliding her pager into her pocket, Elizabeth did a quick once over in the mirror before thoroughly washing her hands and arms, where dirt and blood had marked her skin.

She couldn't help but look at her reflection once more, and she instantly wished she hadn't. A dry sob escaped her lips and tears formed in her eyes; slowly falling down her face as she thought about everything she had just gone through. She had been downright scared and defenseless.

After a few more minutes she stopped crying. The tears continued to form in her eyes but she forced herself to breathe deeply, wipe away any residual moisture, clear her throat, and pretend like everything was okay. The redness in her eyes and cheeks seemed to have faded considerably, and she concluded that this was the best she was going to look for the rest of the day.

The pounding in her chest and head had yet to stop, and on any other day she would allow herself time to recover, but she had been gone for almost an hour. She could only hope and pray that Amanda had done everything correctly.

Elizabeth exited the locker room and made her way to Mason's room, ignoring the questioning looks she received.

"Dr. James!" Amanda's voice caught her attention just as she was about to enter the room.

"Amanda," she responded, a weak smile spreading across her lips. "Everything went well?"

The slight concern on Amanda's expression did not go unnoticed, and Elizabeth felt self-conscious as Amanda's eyes trailed over her appearance.

"Yes, it did," she finally said. "I was wondering if you needed me to do anything else? Or should I just continue with my usual rounds?"

"Your usual rounds." Elizabeth said, relieved that Amanda had not asked any further questions. "Also, as for Mason Walker, I will now be his primary doctor. No one goes in or out of that room without consulting me first, understand?"

Realization dawned across Amanda's features, and she nodded. "I understand."

"Carry on then." Elizabeth said, finality in her tone.

She turned away before Amanda's pitying stare could affect her any more than it already had.

A voice in the back of her head pleaded her to not go into the room, to do anything else other than see a member of Kings, but she had no choice. She had to suck it up, check his vitals, tell him that another member would be there later to bring him the resources he needed to start his search, and only then she would be able to leave.

"Hello Mr. Walker, how are you feeling?" She asked as she entered the room, her eyes focused on the clipboard of material that she made her primary interest rather than looking him in the eyes as she was meant to do with a patient.

She didn't expect a response, so when she didn't receive one she wasn't surprised.

"Just like yesterday, your vitals are up." She stated in a monotone, robotically going through what every doctor was meant to say during a check up. "I am going to continue to keep you at the same levels of painkillers for now, as the incident is still recent and I do not want to compromise your progress."

"Where is your coat?"

Elizabeth froze. For the first time since she had entered the room, she looked at Mason.

His skin was still pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His face was unshaven, and while she hadn't known him prior to this, she believed that the facial hair made him look much more dangerous.

"Are you deaf?" His tone held a sliver of amusement in it, but his eyes were cold.

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, and she found herself whispering when she tried to respond.

"My coat?"

Mason's expression conveyed annoyance.

"Yes. Your coat. The white one. The one that is evidently too stiff, which tells me that like you working here as a doctor, it is new. You must know the one I'm taking about. You hate it—I've noticed that. You're always trying to adjust the sleeves, and you look like there is a stick shoved up your ass when you walk around in it, but perhaps that is just the way you walk."

Elizabeth now gaped at him with unconcealed shock, her face turning a bright red as she processed his words.

"You're observant."

Those were the only words she could muster as the pounding in her head overtook her, forcing her to take a seat in the visitor's chair.

"I am." Mason agreed. "I also noticed that you've been crying and with that fresh bruise on your arm, I am willing to bet my life that you and Sebastian just had a talk. And this talk clearly involved a struggle, but that was squashed when Sebastian was able to convince you of his cause, or maybe he merely threatened you."

Elizabeth's head snapped up, first to look at him, then to look at the ghastly bruise that was forming on her upper arm. Before she could even think to say anything in response, she found herself cursing as blood started to rush out of her nose.

She darted into the bathroom, stumbling from her sudden movement. Pressing a bundle of tissues onto her face, she turned to look at Mason, who was now giving her a thoughtful look. There was a glint in his eyes, but Elizabeth was too preoccupied to decipher what it was.

"He wants me to start looking for her," Mason stated. Although it wasn't a question, Elizabeth nodded in response. She was internally counting to thirty, praying that her nose would have finally stopped bleeding by then.

"I assume he's sending some guys over with stuff for me to use," he continued, his eyes fixed on the brown haired girl who was too focused on her bleeding nose to respond to him. But Mason didn't care about her lack of response, for he already knew that was exactly what Sebastian was going to do. Being his right-hand man allowed Mason the ability to predict most of his decisions.

He adjusted his position on the bed, a movement that Dr. James noticed.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling any discomfort?" She asked immediately, her eyes widening in concern.

Mason didn't respond. He only gave her a blank stare and watched as confusion crossed her eyes, causing her brows to furrow.

Elizabeth slowly removed the wad of tissues from her face, allowing a small breath of relief to pass when she concluded that her nosebleed had stopped. She threw away the bloody tissues and washed her face and hands before facing Mason, who had turned back into the emotionless mute she had known since she had arrived.

"Are you seriously going back to silence right now?"

Elizabeth was frustrated and she didn't bother hiding it. She had known about Mason's reputation as being the genius, but she still had managed to grossly underestimate him. She couldn't help but be impressed with his observations, and it annoyed her that she wasn't able to present her own findings on him.

After all, she genuinely had believed he was a mute, which just showed how little she knew about him.

"Fine." She muttered. "I'll be back later with some food, and I'll be checking your bandage. If you need anything, press the red button and have a nurse page me."

Mason just stared back at her, his blue eyes conveying absolutely nothing.

She frowned and turned on her heel to leave.

"Does your arm hurt?"

She hesitated and turned.

"It's sore, but I'm okay."

Mason nodded and his eyes moved to the bruise before he cast his eyes away from her.

"Try not to make Sebastian mad, especially during a time like this." His voice was firm, but his tone was genuine. "He should not have hurt you.

The sincerity made Elizabeth's heart stumble about in her chest, something that she attributed to her nerves and nothing else.

"Okay." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

When she realized he wasn't going to say anything more, she muttered a quick goodbye and exited the room and collapsed against the wall by the door. She could tell people were staring at her curiously, but she just closed her eyes and rested her head back.

What on earth had she gotten herself into?

+++++

Her head hurt.

The pain radiated from her temple, mercilessly spreading throughout her entire forehead. The aching pain was so strong that she felt nauseous, and in her daze she attempted to massage the agony away.

But her hand didn't move, and neither did the other.

Evie fought through her disorientation for no more than thirty seconds before she realized that she was tied down. The ropes that bound her were thick, and whoever had tied her had intentionally wanted to cause her pain from how tightly she was being held down against the bed.

Her eyes shut as she became too overwhelmed with the light in the room, which wasn't much to begin with. Annoyance and frustration racked her being as she diagnosed herself with a fairly bad concussion, easily recognizing the symptoms she was experiencing.

She wanted to think about the room in the basement. Seeing Kate and Nate made her hands shake with anger, but seeing them tied up caused her to feel an array of other emotions.

But she wasn't sure what was real anymore.

Her dad's voice had vanished and suddenly, she felt completely lost.

But at the same time, she felt powerful.

But she also felt lonely.

"Maybe I am insane." Her voice sounded unfamiliar to her ears, and she decided to not speak aloud again.

The rope also held down her ankles, and Evie could feel an inkling of panic rise in her chest as she processed that fact that she was completely immobile. She forced deep breaths of air in and out of her lungs, reminding herself that she was okay, and that she would just have to wait it out.

But the feeling of helplessness was excruciating.

Evie had always been claustrophobic, and she often found that the feeling of immobility triggered the crippling fear. Immobility, to Evie, was the definition of helplessness.

So while her heart pounded and perspiration formed in a thin layer across her body, she struggled to remind herself that she would be okay. She had pushed Nick to his limits, and this was her punishment, but she was going to get out of there eventually.

She wasn't going to be stuck forever.

The stress was causing the pain in her head to grow dangerously unbearable, and her stomach jolted violently while the sweat continued to spread across her body. She felt incredibly hot and could feel the sheets sticking to her back, adding to the heat she suffered from.

Do not panic.

But the slamming of her heart in her chest overrode her rationality. She couldn't think about breathing. All she could think about was her immobility.

In her fit of misery, she barely heard the door open and close and footsteps approach the bed.

A shockingly cold cloth was pressed to Evie's forehead, causing her lips to part and a gasp to escape her as icy water trickled down the sides of her head. Her eyes fluttered open, but she was unable to keep them open as drowsiness overcame her.

"I should have been sedating you earlier," Nick muttered to himself, unsure if Evie could even hear him at this point. The lump on the side of her head was decorated with disturbingly dark bruises, and the dried blood that matted her hair down served as a stark contrast to her pale skin.

Nick pulled the needle from her arm, smirking as her eyes only flitted in response, a soft mumble leaving her lips. He sliced removed the rope from her hands and ankles, reminding himself to save them in case she decided to act out again. However, judging from the injuries that seemed to cover the entirety of her body, Nick could hardly imagine her trying to fight him again anytime soon.

"Nick, they are here," Mark announced, his eyes sliding over to Evie's barely conscious form. "Should I tell them you'll just be a moment?"

Nick gritted his teeth and turned to Mark almost angrily.

"I don't think an explanation for my whereabouts is necessary. I am the one in charge here, so they can wait however long it fucking takes for me to get there."

If Mark was at all surprised by Nick's words, he didn't show it in the slightest. He only threw one more look at Evie, his expression conveying nothing other than slight distaste, before exiting the room.

While Evie fought to regain full consciousness, she had been able to overhear the brief interaction that had taken place. If she had her full strength, she would have easily mocked Nick for his pitiful attempt to play the all-powerful leader.

It seemed that they shared that in common – both Evie and Nick had reputations that more or less fell short of who they truly were.

But unlike Nick, Evie had redeemed herself. She had abandoned her emotions, and was now playing her part perfectly: the girl who felt nothing.

"I can tell you wanted to say something," Nick observed, his eyes shamelessly trailing over her. The sedative had done its work well, and she could barely move because of it. Instead, she settled on giving him an icy stare, one that Nick ignored.

He wouldn't give her the benefit of knowing that she had a hold on him.

"You can't move," he smirked. "How does that feel Evie? To be completely helpless, that is."

Her expression was blank, but Nick was almost sure it was due to the drugs coursing through her system. Otherwise, he would have received a hateful glare from her.

"I had a lovely chat with Kate and Nate after you left." He smiled maliciously. "Sorry about that by the way, your head looks absolutely horrific after taking that hit."

You should see what it looks like on the inside, Evie thought to herself, physically unable to voice her thoughts.

I've got a war in my head.

"Nate seems to think that Kate killed Mason, which is why we haven't heard anything."

She could effortlessly detect that he was testing her. His eyes were transfixed on her face, and she could practically feel him straining to see what emotion would pass through her eyes. So, she remained expressionless.

The pain in her head had subsided slightly, but there was a general ache that had flooded her body and refused to leave. She felt her eyes flutter shut momentarily, the bright light within the room making her nauseous once again.

"What Evie? Surely even a girl like you must be sad about the news of Mason's death. He was your friend. He was practically your brother." He pressed; leaning into the side of the bed while Evie lay there spread out like a starfish. She attempted to block his voice out from her head, and turned her focus towards moving her limbs. This task, at the moment, seemed utterly impossible, and proved to be so after at least a few minutes had passed.

"So in the case that Mason is dead," Nick finally continued, "we are going to have to try to find a new way to help Sebastian find us."

"Thaddresh," her words were garbled and incoherent, and Evie felt her face heat as she heard herself.

Nick cocked his head to the side momentarily before lifting his brows. "You mean, the address?" She nodded. "You think I should give Sebastian the address?"

Nick laughed straight in her face when her head moved slightly up and down, signaling another yes.

"You are hilarious," he smiled, "truly hilarious." He paused, leaning closer to the bed. "I suppose I should also have you standing on the porch too, waiting there for him like a present on Christmas day."

The drug was evidently still working within her, but Evie was gaining just enough strength to push words out of her parted lips.

"You are the one," her expression was twisted in concentration. "Complaining about no phone call."

Nick nodded thoughtfully for a moment, as though he was actually entertaining her idea. Evie rolled her eyes, knowing that Nick was just using her for amusement at the moment. She hadn't expected him to follow her suggestion; she had intended to point out how ridiculous he was being.

He was mad that Sebastian hadn't contacted him yet; however, Evie wasn't sure if he even wanted him to. Nick had not displayed any clear leadership, and he hardly came off as a man with a plan.

In Evie's opinion, he seemed to have had an idea of how this was going to go exactly. But the second something fell out of place, his plan fell apart. In this case, Nick had expected Sebastian to call immediately. He had expected the threat to be upon him the second Evie came into his possession.

Why hadn't he called?

Evie felt the slightest stab of pain in her chest, but it was gone so quickly that she wondered if she had imagined it.

"Come on," Nick said, breaking the silence. "I think it's time you meet the men who are going to slaughter the only family you've ever known," he smirked, "if they ever find us, that is."

+++++

Danny watched Emily move around the kitchen, her eyes focused on the food she was cooking. While she hadn't said anything over the last few days, the strained look on her face conveyed the stress and concern that was burdening her.

But she kept it together.

Danny shifted his gaze to the cup of coffee in front of him, feeling the weariness and exhaustion blanket over him. He felt sick as he ran his hands over his face, his thoughts wandering and images of Evie flooding his mind. His heart ached as he thought of the last moments with her before she had been taken.

She had been lost in her own world, utterly consumed by her thoughts.

Danny should have known better. He knew she had been anxious, and her mind was tortured. He should have been there for her, and let her know that she meant the world to him.

But he had been hard on her. He hadn't paid attention to the way she was acting, or the fact that her actions directly resulted from the voices in her head.

Danny should have realized something was haunting her. But then again, he hadn't realized one of his best friends had betrayed him. The thought of Nate itself made Danny's blood boil, but it was also another stab to his heart. 

He had trusted him.

"Here," Emily whispered, placing the food in front of him.

She twisted her hands absentmindedly before turning away to make her own plate. Danny's eyes followed her while she leaned against the counter and prodded her food with her fork, her eyes glazing slightly as she stared down. Danny felt a lump form in his throat as he saw the tears build up in her eyes, and watched as she cleared her throat and turned away.

"Mason looked good when I saw him," Danny offered.

He really hadn't though. His face was unshaven and there were incredibly dark bags underneath his eyes. He hadn't shown a glimmer of emotion, only rolling his eyes when Danny handed him the laptop and the folders.

"These instructions are not necessary. I know what I need to do."

Danny had detected the anger in his tone, and instantly backed down. He didn't want to create more tension between them, especially since Mason was his best shot at ever seeing his sister again.

"We're going to find her," Danny heard himself saying. He could almost laugh at how weak his voice sounded. He didn't doubt Mason's abilities, but something inside of him was telling him that this time was different. Unlike the time Evie had disappeared before, this was not her choice.

Danny shut his eyes as the memories of her hysterical breakdowns flashed through his mind, reminding him further of how much he had failed as a brother to her.

"Well isn't this cute?"

Emily didn't even bother turning around when she heard Sebastian's voice. She only lowered her head into her hands and tried to block out the inevitable fight that was bound to occur.

"Sebastian," Danny ground out, feeling a concoction of emotions brew within him as his hands formed to fists. "Don't start this."

Sebastian barked out a sarcastic laugh as he took in the sight before him. Emily faced away, her hands covering her face as though she was shielding herself. Danny had been sitting at the counter, a plate of now cold food in front of him. In Sebastian's eyes, Danny was merely enjoying a meal, as though his sister wasn't missing and her life wasn't in jeopardy.

"Oh no, I haven't interrupted this little, family meal," his tone was sharp and ruthless, "have I?"

Danny whirled around to face him, standing only a few feet away from where Sebastian was. The two men glared at each other with hateful stares, and tension radiated between them heavily.

"Shut the fuck up." Danny spat out his words, unable to control the anger he felt as he stared into Sebastian's dark eyes.

Sebastian gave him a cruel smirk. "Did I say something mean? Perhaps it was the word 'family.' Did that hit a nerve?"

Danny felt his chest rise and fall rapidly as he fought to not react, knowing fully well that was what Sebastian wanted.

"It's not like you would even know what family is," Sebastian finally said. "You don't even care."

Danny lost it.

Emily let out a shriek upon hearing two bodies collide, and turned around to see Sebastian and Danny throwing punches at each other with murderous expressions on their faces. It wasn't long before Callum and Will entered the room, but they both stopped in their tracks rather than separate the fight.

"How dare you say I don't care," Danny roared as his fist landed on Sebastian's jaw.

Sebastian took the hit effortlessly before returning one of his own. He smirked as Danny stumbled back and watched as blood began dripping steadily from his nose. Sebastian was not prepared for Danny to launch his body at him, and the two wrestled around before Callum grabbed Sebastian and Will grabbed Danny.

"You can be mad at me all you want," Danny finally said once they were separated and placed at a safe distance apart from each other. "But fighting me isn't going make her just appear."

Sebastian clenched his jaw and tried to push the thoughts of her out of his head. He was desperate to direct his pain and anger elsewhere, and he was running out of outlets. Danny was right; fighting him wasn't going to help find Evie.

"I'll be in my office."

Sebastian only made it so far before his phone rang. He glanced down at the number and felt himself freeze momentarily when he saw 'Elizabeth James' flash on the screen.

"You better have a damn good reason for calling," Sebastian growled out, evidently not in the mood to speak with her.

"Mr. King, this is Amanda." Her voice caught. "Something is wrong."

The medical student?

"Why are you calling me? Where is Elizabeth?" He fired his questions rapidly as frustration grew. "And what the hell do you mean something is wrong?"

He heard her gulp in air before the words spilled out through the speaker.

"This man went into Mason's room so Elizabeth told me to call you, and—"

Sebastian turned abruptly and began walking towards the door, motioning for the rest of the boys to follow him.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Sebastian repeated, cutting her off.

"She ran into the room."

Sebastian gritted his teeth before ordering Amanda to keep him updated in case anyone else showed up. He climbed into his SUV and took off as soon as Callum shut his door, flooring it well over the speed limit.

"I'm on my way."

+++++

There were about fifteen men standing in the room. Their eyes were transfixed on her as she stood on weak legs with Nick behind her, keeping her body upright. The sedative had yet to leave her system, and her head felt fuzzy as she attempted to take in her surroundings.

"They haven't made contact yet." Nick announced, watching the faces of the men he stood before.

"Why not?" One man called out, expressing the restlessness and annoyance that blanketed the majority.

Nick handed Evie's body off to Mark. "It is believed that their tracker, Mason Walker, was severely injured when Evie was taken. With that knowledge, I believe they do not have the resources to find us, which is why it has been so silent."

"So what is the plan?" Another spoke up. "Are we just going to wait for Mason to heal, find our location, and then have the Kings come in here and blow this place to hell?"

Murmurs rose amongst the crowd and Nick's blood boiled as he took in the near mutiny he was witnessing.

"Come here," he motioned towards the man. As he made is way to the front of the room, Nick spoke again. "I see that some of you may have your doubts. If you think however, for one moment, that I would lead you all to your deaths, then you should leave."

The man had come to a stop a few feet away from him and silence overtook the room. Nick's eyes scanned the men and their expressions, looking for someone to challenge him.

"The thing is, I called you here today not to discuss the silence of the Kings. Instead, I wanted to tell you about my plan to let the Kings know who really is in charge here."

He removed his gun from his waistband and slowly approached Evie. He smirked as she struggled against Mark's arms, and gently ran his hand over her cheek.

Without warning, Nick fired a single bullet into the chest of the man he had motioned forwards. He watched with sickening satisfaction as the man collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air that would simply not come as his lungs filled with blood.

"This will happen to anyone who dares to question my ability." He looked around the room, waiting for someone to speak out. "Understand?"

The man on the ground was no longer moving, and subsequently, everyone lost interest in the now deceased man.

Murmurs of affirmation echoed throughout the room before Nick continued.

"The Kings have been used to getting what they want, when they want it. I think that it is time for that to change." Nick looked around the room before continuing. "Rather than wait until Mason manages to track us down, I say we send a message early on."

He looked over at Evie.

"We're going to kill him."

Her expression was empty.

Whispers broke out throughout the room, and Nick watched as looks of surprise, interest, and respect crossed over the faces of those who looked at him.

"Ed," he turned his attention to the prospect that hovered in the back of the room. "You finally want to show me your worth?"

He watched as Ed nodded eagerly, his face paling slightly as the focus was placed on him.

"Good. I'll brief you after this." He turned his attention back to the crowd and smiled. "You see, once Mason is dead, I'm sure Sebastian will be able to find us. In fact, we will leave a trail for him."

He looked over at Evie, who was staring at him blankly, no longer struggling.

"Because when they get here, they can come guns blazing all they want. We will be ready."

His expression was sadistic.

"It's time the Kings were executed."

+++++

Johns Hopkins Hospital had wanted her.

Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Not only had they offered her a deal that was painfully difficult to refuse, they had also offered her the best accommodations available in the area.

But she had declined their offer, and chose to stay in London.

Elizabeth only had enough time to give her phone to Amanda and tell her to call Sebastian, not security, before she sprinted into Mason's room, only a few minutes after the man dressed in dark clothes had entered.

By the time she had ran into the room, his gun was raised and Mason was sitting hopelessly on his bed, his eyes flashing dangerously at the gun pointed at him. Elizabeth had barely processed the situation before she was thrown into the wall, the man's arm cutting off her airway.

A strangled noise escaped her lips and within twenty seconds her vision had faded and her body hung limply against the wall. She collapsed when the man stepped away from her, chuckling at her broken form while she desperately sought to regain her breath.

"Now where were we?" The man asked. "Oh yes, I was going to send the Kings a message." He lifted his arm and pointed the weapon at his chest. "Now, to make this less messy, I'm going to ask you to get back on the bed again."

Elizabeth, who had been struggling to catch her breath, managed to shift her body to see Mason standing by his bed. His legs shook and his face was twisted in pain, but his eyes held a malicious glare. She watched as his gaze shifted to her for a mere second before he looked back at the man.

To her horror, a small red stain appeared on Mason's stomach and began to spread. His face had paled and his legs buckled slightly while one hand used the bed as support and the other placed pressure on the wound.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," the man snarled out, now moving closer to Mason.

Elizabeth forced herself to her feet and launched her body past the man, placing herself in front of Mason despite his harsh, breathless protests for her to leave. She knew he wasn't losing too much blood, assuming that only a few stiches had popped; however, if he remained untreated for much longer, he would be in critical condition.

"Move."

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as she stared down the barrel of the gun. She felt her skin prickle, but she fought the urge to do as he said. Instead, she remained in front of Mason, shielding him. She took this moment to look closer at the man, and to her surprise, she realized he was no more than a boy.

He couldn't have been older than seventeen or eighteen years old.

"I said," he growled out. "Move."

Elizabeth shook her head in response, her feet planted firmly on the ground. A gasp left her lips when a hand grabbed her side. Mason gave her a weak push, attempting to move her away from him and the weapon.

She shakily placed her hand on top of his and gently squeezed it before moving it. His hand had left a dark bloodstain, and she clenched her jaw at the sight of it.

"I need to help him," she told the boy, watching as his hand shook slightly under the weight of the gun.

Feeling courageous, or arguably downright stupid, Elizabeth turned her back to the man and assessed the situation. The blood had soaked through a significant portion of Mason's hospital gown, and the light sheen of sweat that coated his face told her the wound would need to be closed in a few minutes.

"Mason," she placed her hands on his shoulders, "I need you to get on the bed, can you do that for me?"

The boy behind her was telling her to move, but his orders fell on deaf ears as she forcefully attempted to push Mason onto the bed. He was resisting her and it was evident that he did not want to back down, even though his health depended on it.

"Mason, please," she asked, her voice shaking as she grabbed gauze from kit by his bed and started applying pressure to the wound. She ignored the way his warm blood flowed over her fingers, and only focused on slowing the bleeding.

"I said move!" The boy was screaming now, and Elizabeth felt hard, cold metal touch the back of her neck.

Mason's body was now halfway on the bed, his legs hanging limply off the edge. Elizabeth had managed to get his upper half up, but he was still resisting her.

"Apply pressure to the wound," she ordered, moving his hands where hers had been.

She turned to face him, her stomach lurching as the gun now rested on her forehead. The boy's face was red, and his hands were shaking from whatever tumult of emotions he was experiencing. Elizabeth could detect the internal conflict that flickered in his eyes, and struggled to think quickly.

"You're not going to shoot me." Her voice had only the slightest tremor to it. "I don't think you want me to die." She paused, a humorless smile gracing her lips. "I know I don't want to die."

"I don't want to hurt you." The boy said, his mask cracking slightly.

That was the second time she heard that today.

Elizabeth felt a fleeting rush of relief flood over her before it completely evaporated at his next words.

"But I will."

He held the gun steadily now, all signs of fear and anguish wiped from his expression.

Mason let out a pained cry, and Elizabeth tore her eyes away from the boy. She allowed the doctor in her take charge, and she turned to face Mason. Her hands worked expertly as she tore the hospital gown around his wound. She removed the bloody gauze and instantly wiped down his stomach with antibacterial fluid and fresh gauze. She flinched as he hissed out in pain, but she refused to slow down.

About five stitches had popped, and it would only take her about twenty minutes to re-stitch, clean, and fully dress the wound again.

"He is going to shoot you," Mason bit out, pain causing his features to twist.

Elizabeth shook her head as she reached for the last of the clean gauze and realized there was none left. The click of the gun made tears form rapidly in her eyes and she stared down at her bloody hands while the boy threatened her again.

"This is my job," he yelled out, grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn around. "If I don't do this, I am going to die. They will kill me, okay? He will kill me."

Elizabeth shook her head as she struggled against his hold. "This is my job too. I took an oath and I made a vow. I cannot and will not go against my duty."

The door flew open and hit the wall with a resounding crack.

"If you so much as blink," Sebastian's unforgiving voice filled the room. "I will kill you."

Elizabeth shut her eyes briefly as she became overwhelmed with emotion. Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes but she suppressed the sobs that wanted to escape her chest.

"Let go of the doctor right now," Sebastian ordered.

Her lips quivered as she felt his hand release her arm. Her eyes finally opened, but her vision was blurry from the tears that had filled her eyes. The boy now had his arms up, and his eyes were cast to the floor. She could tell he was just as scared as any sane person would be, but that was the least of her worries at the moment.

She watched silently as Sebastian removed the gun from the boy's hand. A tall, blond man took out a white cloth and came up behind the boy and pressed the cloth to his face. He only struggled for a few seconds before his body went limp.

"Elizabeth," Sebastian turned his attention towards her.

She shook her head.

She just wanted it to all go away.

"Mason's sutures need to be fixed." Her voice was hoarse and she hated the way it shook.

"Why didn't you call security?"

"I need to get the kit, it's in the supply closet in the hallway—"

"Elizabeth." Sebastian was now standing in front of her, demanding her to look at him. "Why didn't you call security? That boy," he motioned to the unconscious kid, "could have killed you. He was going to kill you."

"I don't know." She whispered. "I don't know why the hell I didn't call security and frankly I don't know how or why I have been caught in this fucking horrific mess. All I know is that I want it to all be over. Up until today I had never had been the presence of a weapon, and suddenly I had one pressed against my skull. So please," she took a breath and looked at Mason, "let me fix his wound. The sooner he heals, the sooner you're all out of my life."

"I'm sorry you had to get involved."

His tone was sincere, and if she hadn't caught a glimpse of his mouth move, Elizabeth would never have believed it was him that spoke.

She glanced at him, the rest of the guys, the unconscious boy, and then Mason. His ice blue eyes were fixed on her face, and he looked as though he was searching her for something.

"I'm sorry too," she whispered.

+++++

"You blame her," Sebastian spoke slowly from his place against the wall. "Don't you?"

Mason had placed the folders on top of the laptop and pushed it away from him. In his right hand was a small slip of paper, and he mindlessly toyed with it as Sebastian watched him from across the room.

"She didn't know," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "Evie had no idea Kate was working with Nick."

"I know."

Sebastian dropped his head into his hands before pushing himself off the wall. He approached Mason's bed slowly, and felt the undeniable twist of guilt in his gut when he took in Mason's state.

"I'm sorry for all of this. I'm sorry you got hurt. I can't change what has happened and it is killing me."

"Stop apologizing," Mason said. "You're not acting like yourself. If you're going to get Evie back, you need to be in the right mindset." His eyes trailed over Sebastian, and he noted the dark look that lingered in the back of his eyes. "The anger that you feel," he paused, "let it fuel you. He took Evie. No man should be able to do that and live to tell the story."

Mason's words were doing their job. Fury exploded within Sebastian's chest, and he felt himself come alive.

He was Sebastian King and no one—no one took what was his.

"Here."

Mason held out the slip of paper to him, which Sebastian eagerly snatched up. He watches as the darkness spread throughout his expression, and determination shone brightly in his features.

"Go get her back."

And so the King left to go catch his Queen.

+++++

Explanation for my disappearance:

I was depressed. That is the simple answer. I didn't find writing entertaining anymore, and couldn't find any inspiration to continue 'Catching His Queen.' I thought the entire sequel was horrible and I reduced it to being just another shitty aspect of my life.

So I left, and I left unannounced. That was painfully unfair to everyone who has ever supported this story, and me, and I am so sorry for that. I became too scared to come back, and believed that I could just leave Wattpad forever.

I returned on a whim, and I have been so blessed to be welcomed back into such a loving community. I promise to never abandon you, or this story, again. You all mean the absolute world to me and I will never be able to fully express my love for each and every one of you.

Thank you again.

With all the love in my heart, I love you to the moon and back. xx