I lean my head back against the arm of the burgundy couch beneath me, Amber passed out on the other couch beside me, the soft whistle of snores echoing from her mouth.

We're in some seating room on the third floor of the Raven Sector complex, waiting for Harks to come back to debrief us on the night... and hopefully tell us what else happened outside of our nightclub incident.

Ever since the car-ride back to the sector, Superior Harks and the other agents were deathly quiet, further implicating that something else was very wrong. My mind wanders back to how Harks had mentioned Beau, and I hope that he was merely talking about him going to see his parents without permission, instead of something worse happening.

My fingers automatically reach up to press against the bandage wrapped around my throat, flinching when it pulses painfully. I really hope this doesn't replace my fear of guns, after I just got over it.

My fingers then crawl up my throat to my cheek, where another bandage conceals the deep cut the grey-eyed assassin inflicted upon me. I also hope these don't leave scars, no wait, the one on my cheek might be a cool scar... though definitely not the one on my throat.

I draw my hand back down from my face and close my eyes. No, I'm probably just delirious from the exhaustion of the day. Each day, more problems seem to unfold, and I have to deal with them all by myself.

I lay there for a few more minutes, listening to the comforting sound of Amber softly snoring beside me. I open my eyes again and sit up to look at Ames, and the peaceful expression on her face as she sleeps.

My eyes flick to the dark purple bruise on her chin, my teeth grinding together as I lean forward and gently brush a strand of her now-messy hair from her face.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I whisper, drawing my hand back to rest my chin on it as I watch her chest rise and fall. If I had lost you too, I don't know what I would do in this life.

I'm about to lean back against the couch to relax, when the doors to the seating room are shoved open, and an enraged-looking man strides through them and towards me.

I leap up from my seat, an overwhelming wave of relief rushing over me as I take in Beau, and that he's also not injured.

"Beau! I'm glad you're okay, I thought something bad-"

"What the hell Harper?" Beau snaps, interrupting my sentence as he takes in the bandages on my throat and chin. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Does your life mean-"

"Be quiet will you? She's trying to sleep!" I quietly snap, pointing to Amber who is still somehow sleeping after Beau's loud outburst. I stare at him, outraged with the fact that he came in and yelled at me when I was trying to talk to him.

Beau's pale eyes dart to Ame's sleeping form, his eyes widening when he sees the bruise on her chin. He lets out a frustrated breath and turns toward me, jabbing his finger back toward the doors he had just burst through.

"Outside, now," he growls, spinning on his heel and striding back through the doors.

I can't help but curl my fingers into fists as I trail annoyedly after him, rounding the corner of the doorway to see him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

There's a bright fire blazing within his jade eyes as he waits for me to gently close the door behind me.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so angry?" I challenge, crossing my arms as I lean against the door.

"How am I not supposed to be angry after what just happened?" Beau growls, his eyes burning into mine as he dangerously leans forward. "I leave for three hours to have dinner with my parents, which you told me to do, and in the middle of having dinner with my parents I get an angry call from Harks, and do you want to know what he tells me?" he seethes, his breath hot on my cheek as I grit my teeth and cock my head to the side.

"What Beau, what did he tell you?" I drawl, folding my arms over my chest as I glare back at him.

"He tells me you've fought off five assassins on your own, and that you and Amber need backup at a nightclub... of all the places!" Beau snaps, taking another step forward as the rage from earlier blazes within his eyes again.

"You know, I don't think I see the problem," I snap back, pushing off the wall and unfolding my arms. "I fought five assassins, Beau, on my own! Isn't that what we've been working on this entire week? I also had a gun pointed at me, and I was still able to come out on top! Why are you so angry?"

"Because!" Beau roars, his eyes darkening as he stalks towards me gestures to the cut on my throat. "You had a knife held to your throat, Harper! You could've been killed for God's sake! Don't you have any care for your life?"

I gasp, stumbling back as if he's physically wounded me. "Of course I do, why would you say that?"

"Because you have a tendency to be reckless, Harper! You jumped into a fight with Serpent's Circle assassins without backup! Now we know for sure that they're after you, what would've happened if you had been taken?" Beau shakes his head viciously and starts to turn away.

"I should tell Harks immediately, it's probably best if we sent you back to America where you would be safe in your own country," he mutters to himself.

I quickly dart forward to grab his bicep and wrench him back, ignoring the way my lungs tighten in warning. "You can't do that! What about what we've been working on this week? What about wanting me to be your partner? Are you going to just throw that all away?"

Beau sucks in a deep breath as his eyes burn into where my fingers clutch his bicep. I grit my teeth and stand my ground, despite the tingling sensation that warms the skin of my hand.

"Yes, I am," he says slowly, his accent growing thick as he places his hand on mine and gently prys it away. "I won't be the one to stand by and watch you too, get yourself captured by a group of assassins."

Beau tries to turn again and drop my hand, but I grip it tightly to stop him from taking another step. "What do you mean me too? And who says I'll be captured? If we work together, they won't be able to touch me! And have you forgotten the fact that I took out five of them out singlehandedly? You're overreacting Beau!"

Beau stiffens and whirls towards me, his eyes glowing in pure fury. "Overreacting? What part of capture do you not understand Harper? You don't know what these people do to those they capture!"

Beau grinds his teeth together, as a single tear suddenly streaks down his cheek, causing me to quickly drop his hand in shock. "They'll torture you," he growls, quickly wiping the tear away. "Your skin will be covered in scars after they're done with you, is that what you want?"

My heart drops to the floor as I gasp, and watch as more tears streak down Beau's cheeks. There's something else wrong... there has to be.

"Beau," I say gently, placing my hand on his shoulder as I will him to look back into my eyes. "What's wrong? What else happened tonight?"

Beau's chest heaves up and down as he closes his eyes and shakes his head, all of the past rage in his body morphing into pure sorrow. "My brother, they took my brother."

"Who Beau, who took him?" I whisper, my eyes falling guiltily to the floor as I realize just who.

"Those damn Serpent's Circle bastards," he curses, his eyes flashing back open as he steps out of my reach.

"I will not allow you to be captured too, I can't have that on my conscience-" he sighs, and reaches out to grab my hand. My lungs tighten in response, as I feel his presence watching.

But Beau shakes his head and curls his fingers into a fist, before letting his hand drop back down to his side. "I'm sorry Harper, but this is how it has to be."

And with that, he turns away and strides down the hall, walking towards Harks' office. I don't move to stop him, only to watch as his chin drops down in defeat, the weight of the world seeming to rest on his shoulders.