TWs; mentions of terrorist activity, threats of harm/death, mild gore, death.
You needed a plan.
The problem was you didn't even know where to start. Sneaking away from a heavily guarded compound in the middle of nowhere wasn't exactly a skill you had practiced. In fact as close as you'd ever come was begging for Vicrul's help to escape a few months before when Kylo first brought you here, and it wasn't like you'd had an escape route. You'd been riding on a hope and a prayer that Vicrul would be able to handle the logistics because realistically all you knew was what Kylo had told you and the few things you'd observed outside.
But this wasn't just a matter of getting back to your life anymore. Everyone you loved was in danger, and if you didn't follow the demands of the woman you'd spoken to that you knew was involved in Spearhead - the same deadly organization that had cost hundreds of people their lives and freedom that Kylo had been hunting down person by person in vengeance for his son - it was going to result in a bloodbath. You had no reason to think the woman's threats wouldn't be backed up. It's not as if they were squeamish about slaughtering the innocent. Why should they be? It didn't sound as though there had been any legal progress made against them. In fact, were it not for Kylo and the knights you doubted they would have seen any justice at all.
Which only made what you had to do now that much more difficult. You not only had a terrorist organization to contend with, but Kylo, too.
The woman's instructions had been clear. You couldn't tell Kylo. You couldn't risk it. You had no idea how she'd managed to contact you through Kylo's computer. Even if you decided to risk telling Kylo the truth and hoping that he wouldn't just put you on lock down to keep you safe and disregard anyone who might die as a result of your lack of cooperation, you had no guarantee she wouldn't find out. Maybe the house was bugged. Maybe the cameras you knew were posted around the property had been hacked.
It didn't really matter. All that mattered now was getting home. No big deal, right? Just sneaking away from seven lethal assassins when you didn't even know where you were and the only means of transportation you'd ever seen was a helicopter you had no idea how to fly.
**************
You'd paced Kylo's office for several minutes, your mind spinning trying to come up with some sort of plan. It didn't look good any way you approached it. No matter what choice you made someone could end up paying for it with their lives. You family. Friends. The knights. Kylo. As angry as you wanted to be with him for taking your choices away from you, you knew his only motivation was to keep you safe. Just as you were doing now, he'd looked at his priorities and did what he thought was best. Now you had to do the same.
After a few more minutes of considering your options, the thought occurred to you that it seemed unlikely that Kylo and the knights would leave themselves with only one means of escape. They had back up plans for their back up plans. If something were to happen to the helicopter they'd all be screwed. Maybe they were willing to take that risk, but you had to know for sure. Your chances of escaping in anything else but a helicopter had to be better.
Sucking in a steadying breath, you made your way to the door, opening it softly. When you'd come back upstairs enough of the knights had still been in the living room you wouldn't be able to easily get outside without their notice. But a quick glance over the railing as you padded quietly towards the steps told you they'd cleared out.
Without knowing where they were you took care to be as quiet as possible coming down the steps, not wanting to alert Kylo or Ap'lek in the basement either. When you reached the landing you glanced in all directions, still finding yourself alone and no sign of any of them out of the windows. It wasn't a guarantee, but you didn't have time to try and wait for a better opportunity.
Deciding to go out the back, you had made it all the way across the massive living room and had the doorknob in your hand when you heard Trudgen's voice behind you, "What are you doing?"
You cringed, pausing just long enough to arrange your expression into one of vulnerability rather than the panic you felt. Of course given the situation maybe panic wouldn't seem out of character. You just didn't want to give him any reason to think you were up to something. Swallowing tightly you turned to face him as he made his way towards you, gaze shifting between you and the door. "I just wanted to get some air. I was going crazy upstairs. I feel so useless just sitting here when my dad could be dying." It was true enough. You just left out the part where you were being threatened by some faceless terrorist responsible for the death of Kylo's son.
When he reached you his expression softened slightly, his normally sharp dark eyes filled with sympathy. You'd come to realize over the last few months that while Trudgen may have been loyal to a fault and deadly as a viper, when he cared about someone he dropped his guard when it mattered. It made you feel all the more guilty for deceiving him, but you couldn't tell him the truth. You knew without a doubt he would pick his loyalty to Kylo over you and tell him what was going on. Or worse, if he decided to help you Kylo would have his head on a platter. "I know. This isn't ideal. But you know Kylo. He'll do everything he can for your father, and you. But rushing into something that could get you killed wouldn't be what he'd want for you, is it? It could just make things worse for him in the long run."
Ever the reasonable negotiator. It wasn't that Trudgen didn't have a point, he did. But what he didn't realize was that this all went far beyond your dad. It was about everyone you'd ever given a damn about. But you nodded all the same, reaching up to catch a tear on your cheek you hadn't even realized was there. "I get it. I just don't know what to do with myself in the meantime." But you did know what to do with him. You chewed your lower lip for a moment as you thought, pretending to be debating internally rather than plotting, "Actually, if you're not busy, would you mind trying to get an update from the hospital? Maybe they have something that could help Kylo get the right specialist to him?"
While he seemed a little surprised at your request - you rarely asked the knights to do anything for you - he nodded after a moment. Reaching out, he squeezed your shoulder gently, "Yeah, I'll see what I can find out. Take some deep breaths, okay? We'll get this worked out." With a fleeting half smile he turned and headed for the stairs towards Kylo's office. When you turned and reached for the doorknob again his voice rung out from the stairwell, "Angel? Don't do anything stupid."
Most of the knights had adopted Vicrul's nickname for you, and hearing it now just plunged you right back into a pool of guilt. You just prayed if you managed to pull this off Kylo wouldn't take out his fury on them. "Got it." You called back, slipping out the door without another word as he disappeared up the steps.
That was at least three of them you didn't have to worry about running into.
When you'd first gotten to the safe house with Kylo it had struck you how immaculate the grounds were. Nothing out of place. Seemingly sparse. You were certain the small shed at the front of the house where they kept their training equipment wasn't large enough to conceal any kind of vehicle, and your hikes with Kylo had told you there wasn't a garage or anything in an obvious location. You knew exactly where the helicopter was, but that had to be your last resort. But as you crept around the side of the house in that direction you vaguely remembered seeing that looked like a metal roof peeking through the trees behind it.
Maybe it was just an image born of desperate hope, but it was worth a shot. Better than aimlessly walking around hoping a car would fall out of the sky with a full tank of gas and, you know, not murder you.
Even though the walk from the side of the house towards the helicopter was a short one, it felt painfully long. Every step abnormally loud. You kept waiting to hear footsteps joining yours, or the sound of Kylo's furious voice behind you. You tried hard not to think about him at all. Logically you knew you should be more upset with him for what he was doing, but the danger he was in outweighed it. Not only did he count as a loved one Spearhead could target, you knew how badly they must want him out of the picture.
For months he'd been hunting them. Making them pay for all the bloodshed they'd caused with blood of their own. He was the only one to actually spook them. At least as far as you knew. That was why they'd attacked you and Vicrul. They were scared, trying to get at Kylo any way they could. No matter how sloppy.
Case in point; blackmailing you to come back to the states.
It left you feeling like you had a rock sitting in the pit of your stomach just to think about what they intended for you. In fact if you thought about it long enough, you'd have to start admitting to yourself in the haze of adrenaline your chances of coming out of this alive probably weren't good.
That unsettling thought kept you company the rest of the way. You ducked around the helicopter, trying not to think about your slim to none chance of operating it if your current plan failed. Sure enough when you wove through the sparse trees adjacent to it, a few yards in you found the building with the metal roof. It wasn't massive, but as you approached the door and saw the garage door next to it, you said a silent prayer it was at least big enough to house something on wheels.
Gripping the door handle, you were surprised to find it unlocked. You cast a glance over your shoulder - you'd been doing that so many times you could feel the ache forming in your neck - but you were still alone. Maybe someone had forgotten to lock it? Maybe they never locked it at all considering they were alone in the middle of nowhere.
Twisting the doorknob you slipped inside, squinting in the darkness, the only light the small sliver coming in through the open door. You felt along the wall for a light switch but couldn't find anything. However, what you did find after an assortment of tools and parts you couldn't begin to identify was something decent sized covered by a dusty green tarp.
Saying that silent prayer again you gripped the rough material and pulled it back, nearly crying in relief when it revealed a small silver sedan.
"Fancy meeting you here."
Shit. Again.
You jumped at the sudden sound of another familiar voice behind you. Knowing that whatever chances you had of pulling this off had just gone up in smoke.
You turned as the door opened fully, Cardo standing there, taking up the entire doorway with his impressively massive form. Despite the blonde man bun and his generally laid back personality, you'd seen first hand watching him train how deadly he could be. And more than that, he probably had the least reason to do anything that Kylo wouldn't want. You'd gotten to know him better, sure, but you weren't nearly as comfortable with him as you were Vicrul or Trudgen. Even Ap'lek you might have stood a better chance with.
"Don't make this difficult. Just come with me, we'll go back to the house. If anyone notices and we'll tell them we went for a walk to settle your nerves." He made it sound so simple. So reasonable. So easy to just give up and go back to the house. You almost wished it was. Though truth be told even if Spearhead wasn't involved, you were pretty sure you would have been out here even if it was only about your dad's health.
Trying to think on your feet, you remained rooted in place. You couldn't just try and dive in the car before he caught you - you didn't know where the keys were. And you couldn't exactly look for them without giving yourself away. "It wouldn't be difficult if you helped me find the keys." You countered weakly, your gaze shifting from him to the now more illuminated space as if an answer your problems was going to pop out.
Moving a step further - and closer to you - he nodded his head back towards the door, "Whatever you think you're going to do isn't going to help. Even if you managed to take the car, even if I helped you, you have no idea where you are. No money or passport to get back to the states. And instead of putting time into helping your dad, Kylo will devote himself to hunting your ass down and dragging you back here after he skinned me alive for letting you escape." His expression ranged from knowing to pity. The both of you knew he was right, but he got no pleasure from it.
But before you could plead your case - if such a thing was possible - a loud whirring noise caught both your attention. You felt your brows pull together in confusion. Was that the helicopter?
Cardo's expression mirrored your own. Temporarily abandoning your argument, he turned towards the door to go and investigate...only he never got a chance. As soon as he crossed the threshold you heard a loud thud and Cardo fell backwards to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Before you could even fully process what was happening, Vicrul peaked his head through the door. A large shovel in his hand. "Get your ass out here before I come to my senses."
He was gone before you could blink, but you took his advice all the same. Even if your brain felt ten steps behind. Abandoning the car, you quickly trailed after him, carefully stepping over Cardo. Pausing just long enough to crouch down and make sure he still had a strong pulse - he did - before you followed Vicrul through the trees.
He'd already abandoned the shovel, and the noise you'd heard was indeed the helicopter that he appeared to be going through the motions of getting ready. So it seemed anyway. You weren't really sure you'd know the difference between that and anything else. The moment Vicrul caught sight of you coming towards him he met you half way, grabbing your wrist and pulling you along beside him to the other side of the helicopter. The blades were spinning faster with every growing second, whipping your hair around your face until he opened the door and all but shoved you inside. The noise of the engine still made it nearly impossible to hear. You saw his lips moving but you couldn't hear a word as he hastily strapped you in before shutting the door again and spring back to the other side.
He climbed in beside you, performing a series of frantic movements and checks. His gaze continually shifting towards the house. While there was a decent amount of space between the two, you knew from personal experience you could still hear the helicopter from inside. You almost always did when the knights would leave for supply runs or jobs. Meaning you probably didn't have long before someone came to investigate.
When Vicrul seemed to complete everything he needed to, he handed you a bulky headset before putting his own on. It took you a moment to get in place, but once you did you heard his voice so loudly it was like he was speaking in your ear, "We should be at the jet in about an hour. I called in a favor, it'll be waiting for us at the airstrip."
You had a million questions on your mind, most notably why he'd decided to risk everything and help you when he knew how furious Kylo would be, but you refrained from asking as he focused on getting the helicopter in the air. As you steadily rose upwards you couldn't help but look down at a flash of movement...Kylo and Ap'lek running from the front door. It was too late for them to do anything short of trying to shoot the two of you down. Even from the growing distance you could see the fury blazing in Kylo's dark amber eyes, the way he refused to look away from you for even a second.
You hoped you'd be able to explain everything to him when this was all over.
Guilt flooded through you as you looked back to Vicrul, his jaw clenched tightly as he piloted. Even if he'd kept his gaze focused on the task at hand, there was no escaping the murderous anger rolling off Kylo in waves. "Don't." Vicrul's voice sounded in your headset again. "It was the right thing to do. And I'd do it again. We'll deal with the consequences later."
"There shouldn't be a 'we'. This is my fault." You thought back to that afternoon a few months before when you'd persuaded Vicrul to try and help you escape. You'd been so desperate back then to escape the fate that Kylo forced on you. But you'd changed your mind quickly, one of the main reasons being that you didn't want him to deal with the consequences you were discussing now. You knew Kylo would see this as a betrayal, and it terrified you to think of what he might do in his anger. But you hadn't asked this time. It seemed he'd decided to help you in almost as little time as you'd fallen in line with Spearhead's demands. "I don't get it though, why did you decide to help me?"
Despite the tense situation, you watched him turn to glance at you, his bright blue eyes unexpectedly tender, "Because you're my friend and you needed me."
His simple explanation was all he said on the subject, but you found yourself more grateful in that moment than words could have ever expressed. You reached out and squeezed his arm, feeling like you'd taken a breath for the first time in hours.
*******************
The helicopter ride was even shorter than Vicrul had promised. The two of you didn't talk much. What was there to say? There was nothing that could be done for your dad until you got back, much less anyone else you cared about. And you assumed the woman who was threatening you wasn't anymore keen on you revealing the truth to one of Kylo's knights as she was he himself.
True to his word, when the two of you landed at a private airstrip there was a small private jet waiting, fueled and ready once the two of you boarded. When you asked Vicrul where he'd learned to fly he told you it had been a skill necessary for his survival, so he learned.
The only other piece of information he offered was that this had been the same airstrip they'd arrived at when Kylo first brought you to the safe house. It wasn't really something you wanted to linger on. For one, you'd been drugged at the time so it wasn't exactly tied to a happy memory.
For another, you weren't sure you'd be able to do this if you kept thinking about Kylo. Over and over you'd replayed that last moment you'd seen him. Yes he'd been angry, his narrow-eyed stare still sending chills up your spine. But there'd been something else there that you hadn't really allowed yourself to think about at the time for fear that you would have called the whole thing off.
He was hurt. At you leaving him. Leaving with Vicrul. Not trusting him to take care of things. Maybe some combination of all those things. You could have fallen back on a million different excuses - he'd taken your choices, disregarded your feelings, invaded your life after he'd killed Poe - but the truth was that things had never been that simple between the two of you. Not even that first night.
That day he'd told you that you would be his forever wasn't just a dark promise; it was something you'd wanted as badly as he did. You wished more than anything that you could tell him this was about keeping him alive just as much as anyone else you cared about. If you somehow managed to come out of this with your life, you would.
After collecting a black bag left behind by some unknown contact Vicrul had been ready to go. You offered to keep him company in the cockpit, but he'd told you to try and get some rest instead. There was nothing either of you could do to speed up the flight back to the states, so might as well try and be ready for whatever came when you got there.
You tried, but mostly you just watched the minutes pass as you worried about what was going to happen. What you were going to have to do. Who would pay the consequences if you didn't.
You must have nodded off eventually in one of the small but comfortable chairs, because you woke to the sound of Vicrul's voice calling over the intercom for you to buckle up for landing. Even though it was getting you a step closer to what needed to be done, you still felt like you'd been plunged into ice water as your unsteady hands clipped the seatbelt in place.
A glance out of the small cabin windows told you that you were landing at what looked like another private airstrip. There were a few other small planes in the hangar, but otherwise the area seemed pretty deserted. You weren't sure whether that was a blessing or a curse. From here you weren't even sure what the woman expected you to do. You'd resolved that you'd start at the hospital and go from there. After all, the woman had managed to contact you on Kylo's computer. Surely she could manage a payphone or something.
When Vicrul appeared from the cockpit he was carrying that same black gym bag he'd boarded with. While you unbuckled and rose to your feet he unzipped it and fished out two phones, silently handing one to you. "Burner phones. My number is in there." He explained as he pulled out some cash and wordlessly passed it over to you.
You weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if you weren't sure why he thought you'd need it. Did he plan on splitting up? As you tried to think of a way to ask without raising his suspicions you turned the phone on...only for it to immediately start ringing. A blocked number.
The two of you looked to one another, but when you didn't see any sign of knowing in Vicrul's expression you turned to put some distance between the two of you. That feeling in the pit of your stomach telling you that you already knew who it was. But before you could make it even a few steps away Vicrul caught your wrist and abruptly pulled you back to him. Hitting the button to answer the call and putting the phone on speaker before you could blink.
Your eyes widened with shock, his hand still locked around your wrist, the eerily familiar voice of the woman patching through before either of you could speak. "Y/N. Good to see you can follow instructions. Even I have to admit I'm impressed with your timing. This will all be so much easier considering how resourceful you are." She paused, you got the feeling the bitch was waiting for you to say thank you for her praise. When you didn't, she 'tsk'd' quietly and went on in the same smooth tone. "I'm sending you an address through your GPS. Come there alone for further instructions. Is that understood?"
You hated the smugness in her voice. This perfect stranger who was responsible for an unknown number of deaths. Many of them you wondered if they even had any purpose at all, or if she just enjoyed the sick cat and mouse game. Unfortunately you had bigger things to worry about. But when you glanced up at Vicrul, he seemed surprisingly calm. It was just the tightness in his jaw and around his mouth that told you how furious he was. Though whether it was at the woman or you was a mystery.
All the same, he nodded at you, reminding you the woman was waiting for a response.
"Yes. I understand." You managed to sound at least somewhat in control, unlike the wild emotions you could feel simmering just beneath the surface.
"No wonder Mr. Ren is so fond of you, dear. He does like his orders followed, doesn't he?" This time she giggled, a strangely child-like sound coming from someone who sounded years older than you. It turned your stomach just to hear her mention Kylo's name, your fingers subconsciously tightening around the phone. Reminding yourself that she knew where your parents were and pissing her off probably wouldn't end well. "Well, that's enough fun for now. Get to that address as quickly as possible. Oh, and just one more thing. Your pilot won't be joining you. Make your goodbyes brief."
With that, the line disconnected, leaving you and Vicrul in silence.
Swallowing thickly, you disentangled your wrist from his grip and shoved the phone and cash in your back pocket. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, she told me not to tell Kylo so I assumed she wouldn't w-"
"Don't assume anything about these fuckers." Vicrul cut you off dryly. You could see the wheels turning in his head for a few moments before he nodded, like he'd agreed on a plan with himself. "I had my suspicions this was about something other than just your dad."
"She threatened everyone I've ever met if I didn't come back here. Including you and the knights. Kylo. She knew what hospital room my dad was in." You explained quickly, temporarily ignoring the light ding that came from the phone in your pocket. You assumed it was the address the woman promised to send. You needed to go. And according to her, you and Vicrul were splitting up.
Much as you wanted the comfort of not doing this alone, it was plain this woman already had tabs on you. If you did anything against her wishes she'd find out. But you hoped since he couldn't come with you there was one more thing he'd be willing to do. "Can you go check on my parents and make sure they're okay?"
"Consider it done." His expression remained thoughtful as he went back to rooting through the bag. He pulled out a set of car keys and handed them to you, "It's the blue Civic in the lot. It won't draw attention." As you thanked him - this spared you waiting for an Uber - he reached back in, this time coming up with a small black handgun. He checked that the safety was on before pressing it into your hands. "Take it. Kylo taught you how to shoot. Anyone threatens you don't hesitate." He instructed.
As uncomfortable with the idea of toting around a firearm as you were, you were grateful for that small source of protection. Not so much for yourself, but you were determined not to let anyone else get hurt because of these people. You hoped. "I couldn't have done this without you." At the very least it would have taken you days to pull it off, you never could have made it all happen in the few hours he had.
"Thank me by staying alive, Angel." You knew he was much better equipped to handle a situation like this, but you could see the stress in his gaze. These people had proven deadly and illusive all at once, and Vicrul probably knew better than you did just how great of a danger all of you were in now. "Listen to me," His hands appeared on either side of your face, cupping your cheeks as he tilted your head up to better meet his gaze. "You don't worry about any of us. We can take care of ourselves. I've got your parents. We're going to stop these people, but not at your expense. Play along, do what she says, but don't let them turn you into a killer. No one who gives a damn about you would want you helping terrorists for them. Learn something from the pain Poe caused."
While his words cut deep, you knew where he was coming from. And truth be told, even you had to wonder if Poe had been given the chance to do it all over again, would he have chosen differently? You couldn't imagine living with the deaths of innocent people any more than you wanted to be responsible for something happening to the people you loved.
Now more than ever it made sense why Poe had dove into the bottle.
But you couldn't think about the consequences right now. All you could do was hope that Vicrul was right and you could somehow avoid becoming the next means of destruction. And if you couldn't...there was a third option. You could have smiled if you weren't so close to losing it as a quote from The Dark Knight replayed in your head. Something about dying a hero or living long enough to see yourself become the villain. You'd watched it only a few weeks before with Kylo and the knights. God that felt so far away now. You'd been pressed against Kylo's side, warm under a blanket while you absently traced your fingers along his chest and he traced his fingers through your hair. You were pretty sure Vicrul missed the quote because he was too busy shoveling down massive amounts of popcorn.
Feeling your eyes grow wet, you knew you needed to stop while you were behind. You gave him a nod, not voicing your thoughts, and leaned up on your toes to press your lips against his cheek, "Please stay safe."
"Only for you."
*********************
Your parting with Vicrul felt ominous. Even though he was a phone call away and he was on his way to make sure your parents were safe, you knew you were essentially alone on this. When the danger or decisions came, you would be the one to make the call. Suddenly you longed for the security Kylo had unknowingly provided you in taking them away.
Following the GPS, you tried and failed to keep your nerves in check as traffic slowed you down. It was leading you into one of the most congested areas of the city. Some office park you'd never even heard of. Part of you wanted to know now what it was that was waiting for you there, the other hoped the drive would take forever. You knew already whatever it wasn't good.
Weaving in and out of the cars keeping you moving at a snails pace - ignoring the blaring horns and color array of middle fingers - you finally managed to pull into the parking garage a little under an hour after you'd left Vicrul. If you'd done the math right he should probably be arriving at the hospital not all that far away not long after you. Hearing that your parents at least were safe would have been a massive relief.
After finding an open spot near the entrance you parked, checking that the gun Vicrul had given you was tucked securely and out of sight under your shirt before even opening the door. As soon as you closed it behind you, your phone pinged in your hand again. This time with walking directions.
Feeling your brows pull together you followed the sidewalk from the parking garage a few blocks down the street towards the new location. Still a nondescript building, probably somewhere between 15 and 20 stories. Glass fronted, though you could only see the reflection of the busy street in the reflective surface.
You looked down to your phone again, all the more confused when the destination was marked as several feet away from the building on the sidewalk. Almost where you were. You looked up, looking around you for some sign that you were doing the right thing. A landmark, or maybe the woman who'd been calling you standing there. But nothing. A few people passed you in either direction. Horns blared from the street. A flock of pigeons near the door to the building were picking at someone's dropped food.
Then came the scream.
The kind of bloodcurdling, earsplitting scream you expect to hear in horror movies. Not standing in a mundane setting in broad daylight. It didn't belong here. It didn't belong anywhere.
Or so you thought before the body hit the pavement right in front of the building.
You were too shocked to scream. To do anything at all other than stare in horror at the broken body of a man who must have fallen - or jumped - from the roof of the building. The sound kept replaying in your mind on a sickening repeat. The man had landed face first. The sidewalk was stained red around him, pooling around him and soaking into his dark jeans and white tee shirt. Limbs bent at unnatural angles.
Everyone else around you seemed too stunned or nervous to approach the body, but some had begun moving to get a better look at the roof at the building, as if some answer as to what had happened might be there. Distantly you heard someone calling 911, telling the operator that an ambulance wouldn't be needed...it was obviously already too late for help.
Cars came to a standstill in the road, some people abandoning them and coming to see what had happened. A crowd began to form around the man, everyone asking what happened. The running theory that the man must have taken his own life by jumping.
Your phone vibrating unexpectedly startled you out of shock. At least enough for you to glance down, your stomach sinking when you saw the unlisted number again. For one brief moment you'd allowed yourself the fantasy that this had just been a terrible coincidence, but what were the odds...?
Feeling an odd sort of numbness spread through you, you answered the call and raised the phone to your ear. Unsurprised to hear the woman's voice again. "We don't know another well, so I thought it would be best that I prove to you that I am a woman of my word. When I tell you that there will be a consequence for non-compliance, I need you to understand that I mean it. It will make what comes next that much easier. But I'm not needlessly cruel. I started with someone I doubt you care much about. I think his name was Lucas? The young author you were going to help get his big break before you fled the country. Nothing to worry about, all art sells better once the artist is dead."
You thought she said something else, but for a moment all you could hear was a distant roar in your ears. Your vision seemingly going dark for a moment before you reminded yourself to breathe again. Lucas. It was true you didn't know him well, but you knew he never could have deserved this. Dying to prove this woman's point. She was speaking about his mangled body on the sidewalk like it was a meaningless object.
You wanted to scream. Call every name you could think of. You wanted her to be here, the gun tucked in your waistband suddenly feeling far less threatening and more like a tool. You weren't generally a violent person, but this woman...these people who played god for sport were worse than sick. They had to be stopped.
Oblivious to your thoughts, she continued speaking, "There's a black suitcase waiting by your car. Put it in the backseat and drive to the next location I send you. Do us both a favor and do try and get on the road before the police and news vans arrive."
Again she hung up without waiting for a response. She didn't need one. It had to have been clear you didn't need any further reinforcement.
With your stomach churning, you forced yourself to turn and start walking back towards your car. Her words echoing in your mind. The knowledge that someone had died just to force your hand. Someone who had nothing to do with Spearhead. Lucas was gone and she'd turned it into a joke. You knew already she would speak just as coldly had it been one of your friends. Your parents. One of the knights. Kylo. The danger that motivated you to come back to the states was very much real. There would be no question of that.
You jogged back to your car almost on autopilot. Your phone buzzed with the new address, and sure enough when you rounded the corner back into the parking garage you found a small black suitcase sitting by your door. Maybe you should have checked it first, but really, what good would knowing what was inside do? It wouldn't change the fact that you were going to follow the woman's demands before someone else died.
You picked it up and sat it down on the empty back seat before climbing back into the driver's seat. You clutched the steering wheel tightly to keep your hands from shaking as you made your way out of the garage, managing to get back on the main road and immediately taking a side street that would lead away from the growing traffic. You could already hear sirens in the distance.
Through the blur of unshed tears, you followed the instructions, stepping down harder on the gas pedal once you were free of the majority of the traffic. Your heart was still thundering in your chest when the shrill ring of your phone made you jump. Your frayed nerves protesting anything else.
Feeling a surge of vicious anger you snatched the phone up and answered it without looking down for that unlisted number, "What the fuck do you want no-"
"Angel."
You nearly stomped on the brake in the middle of the road. Of anything you could have prepared for, the sound of Kylo's voice hadn't made the list.
God you missed him. As much as the knowledge of his safety had comforted you, now it just reminded you of how much you wished you could feel the safety of his arms. He would have known what to do. Maybe he could have stopped what happened to Lucas. But that was why they chose you; because you weren't a match for them the way Kylo was.
So much had happened since you'd seen him from the window of the helicopter, but in that moment you could feel the anger and hurt in his eyes all over again. You remembered the way he'd held you when you told him about your dad, refusing to even consider letting you go. You remembered every time you'd wondered what your life would have been like had Kylo never broken into your house the night of the storm.
You remembered never actually wanting to know the answer.
Again you had to remind yourself to breathe. "Hi." You couldn't think of anything to say. What could you say? Sorry I escaped?
"You sound scared, baby." Those words could have been mocking. You knew he was capable of cruelty. Letting his temper get the better of him, too. But they weren't. He sounded so...genuine. Worried about you, which only made the guilt of knowing you would have to lie that much worse. Your hand twitched, almost reaching for the phone to hang up, but selfishly you didn't want to lose the sound of his voice. It was the only thing tethering you to the earth at the moment. "Are you hurt?"
His prompt snapped you back into the present. You couldn't lose it now. You had to think. Plan. You'd known that getting here was only half the battle. Kylo would find a way to come after you. You couldn't screw up and risk his life. He already had a target on his back. "No. I'm okay...I'm just shaken up. With my dad and all." Would he believe you? He'd had you watched for months before you left the country. What if he was keeping tabs on your parents? Wouldn't he wonder why you weren't at the hospital? "Please don't be mad at Vicrul, he was just trying to help me." That was the one subject you could talk about. At the very least try and shield him from Kylo's wrath.
"I'll deal with him later. I guess I should be grateful, he probably stopped you from doing something that could have gotten you killed." His tone took on a dry humored edge, but it didn't sound sincere. There wasn't anything funny about this. "You know this changes nothing. There isn't anywhere on this earth you could go where I wouldn't find you. I already told you; you're mine. I'm not letting you go." He took a breath while you tried to force air in and out your lungs. Shivering at the possessiveness in his tone...knowing that you didn't want him to anymore than he did. "Angel just come back to me."
When he'd paused you'd been waiting for more of the same. The domineering man you'd come to need the way you needed oxygen. You'd tried to prepare yourself for the confusing mixture of panic and desire he brought out.
You hadn't been ready for pleading.
"I promised you that I would do everything for your father than I can, and I will keep my word. I have a team of specialists flying in for him as we speak. We'll fly him anywhere in the world for treatment. We can get updates directly from the OR if we need to. If it's humanly possible to save his life I promise you I'll move heaven and earth to make it happen. Just let me come get you. I'm losing my mind thinking of the danger you could be in."
It was far from the first time that Kylo had been honest with you, but other than when he told you about his son Alexander, you couldn't remember him being so willingly vulnerable. You could hear the sincerity in his voice, and you knew without a doubt that he would do everything in his power to keep his word.
It was his openness to go against his nature, to open himself up to weakness for you that made you sure you'd do anything to keep him safe.
"Do you trust me?" It surprised you how calm you sounded. Your sudden resolve giving you the boost of bravery you needed to hold it together, no matter how much you wanted to fall apart.
His pause was brief, and you suspected more out of confusion that indecision, "Yes."
Your eyes closed for the briefest moment, soaking that single word in. Not having realized until that moment just how much you feared that he didn't. "Then I need you to trust me that I'm doing the right thing. I need you to stay where you are and trust that there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than with you." As many times as you'd run, all the times you'd put up walls with him, you'd never been trying to get away from him. You'd been scared of the side of yourself that wanted him. That wanted to be his.
You never should have wanted your husband's killer, or the man who stalked and threatened you. But you did. You wanted him, you wanted a life with him. You wanted him to chase you and keep you never even think about letting you go.
Maybe it was too late for that life now, maybe it wasn't. Either way, the one thing you were sure you could do - even if you died trying - was keep him safe and give him freedom from the people who stole his life.
You heard his intake of breath, about to speak, but you cut him off. You knew he could pursued you to do something you shouldn't if you kept listening to him. There was just one more thing you needed him to know in case this was the last time you ever spoke to him.
"I love you, Kylo."
You disconnected the call only a second later, pressing down on the accelerator again as you continued to follow the GPS and devoted every second you had left to coming up with a plan.
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(a/n)
it's been a minute my loves! thank you so much for your patience and understanding with me. I appreciate each and every one of you so much, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
we have just three more chapters left of Forever His before the end <3 I hope you guys have enjoyed it, and I can't wait to share the rest of the story. get ready for action and feels and pain. and ya know, more pain. because we love that around here O___O
thank you again for your patience and support! I would love to hear what you guys thought of the chapter.