"Mace? Why are we in your house?" I frown as I look around. I remember singing kareoke in here with Zeke at my side but the whole room feels a lot colder now.
"Wait in here, I'll text Zeke to tell him to bring his car." Mace strides out the room and I frown.
Zeke? Car? Leaving?
Hell no.
We fight back.
And we fight back hard.
Mace returns with a dark look on his face and we are in silence for a few seconds before a car arrives outside. It sneaks over the gravel and I see Mace's muscles tense as he approaches the window.
The thuds of footsteps pound into the silence and I want to run, until I watch Mace's lips turn up.
To my surprise Zeke then strides through the front door and in a rush of relief I want to throw my arms around his neck.
"Zeke!" I scream as I get up and run to him. After a second I feel him hug me tight, his strong arms making me feel safer than ever before.
"I shouldn't have left you." I hear him whisper, his face buried in my neck as his grip tightens around my waist.
"What's going on?" I ask desperately and pull back to look at him, then to Mace and back to Zeke again.
Mace nods to my not so good bodyguard and a silent agreement falls over them. His footsteps then drum as he speeds up the stairs two at a time and I frown as I turn back to Zeke, only to be greeted by his back as he locks his car and tests the tires.
I feel so lost and alone, not knowing what the hell is going on.
Zeke then comes back and strokes my cheek gently with one finger, breaking me out of my aimless stare at the ground, before resting his arm stiffly by his side.
"Sit down." His expression goes blank. "Don't answer the door unless Mace or I are here."
I am about to speak when he turns and leaves to follow Mace up the stairs.
I am about to enter the sitting room when there's a knock on the front door.
I freeze.
Zeke and Mace are nowhere to be seen. Do I answer it?
I go to the window and peep out as subtly as I can. I see a girl wearing all black, her face covered by a hood.
I want to scream but the figure has already taken my breath away. I slowly inch the door open, but obviously not quick enough because an arm soon pushes it into me, hurting my nose in the process. Suddenly I get pushed over, arms wrapped firmly around me. I struggle, fighting against my challenger.
"Help!" I scream and slap her across the face.
She grunts. "Hey! Stop it! I was just trying to hug you!"
My face drops and I slowly peel away the hood from her face like taking the mask off of Romeo, just without the same adoring affection. "Rebecca? Oh my god, it's you!"
Tears form in my eyes as stupid relief fills me. This is the third time today that I thought I was going to be kidnapped.
Suddenly we hear someone running down the stairs. "What's going on?!" Zeke's shouts urgently, a look of panic stricken onto his face.
Mace thunders after him, before both boys sigh in time. "Rebecca," Mace kind of smiles and hugs her tightly, a sense of protectiveness in his stance.
Zeke hugs her too, but not for as long. "Why are you here?" He asks as he pulls back, one arm still around her waist.
"Miles told me to come to yours in black, I thought we were playing pretend spies." Rebecca says quietly.
"I'll text him." Mace says seriously after rolling his eyes. "We're all convening here."
"Why? What's going on?" Rebecca frowns.
"That's what I want to know." I mutter and give Zeke a hard, cold death stare.
Both boys shrug uncomfortably before going upstairs again. "Stay down here. Don't open the door, don't leave"
Well what else are we supposed to do?
*^*^*
An hour later everyone has arrived apart from Dillon, who is meeting us there apparently. Wherever 'there' is.
"Okay so Baz follows us, yeah?" Mace looks between the guys.
"They want me so let me deal with it." Zeke moans before his eyes flicker to mine. "I don't understand why they want Hayley."
"They said they wanted me so that they could get to you." I speak slowly. "So why don't you hand me in and then trick them?"
Zeke immediately denies it. "We can't risk losing you." Our eyes meet for a few seconds before his voice comes out softer than before. "We'll think of something. Neither you or I are going to be handed in, that's for sure."
"Let's stick with the plan." Baz actually speaks, his voice dripping with finality, meaning that no one objects.
Foster grabs his coat and Miles and James play Rock Paper Scissors to decide who gets to drive. We all hug each other like it's a big farewell, before splitting up.
Zeke and I sit in silence as we drive. My mind is still trying to piece together everything which I've heard and seen. So the Blacksuits are something to do with Mace's Uncle... and they want Zeke?
"Tell me why." I suddenly whisper before I find my voice again. "Tell me why otherwise this could be classed as kidnapping."
Zeke chuckles lightly but then turns stone faced once more. "Some other time."
"No." I say and grip the side of the door. "Now or I'll jump out."
This time Zeke bursts out laughing for a few minutes before his eyes catch a glimpse of my dead serious expression testing him.
"You won't." He speaks, a smirk playing at his lips. "Besides, I thought you liked being badass and going on uncharted adventures."
"Not when I don't know why I'm running!" I spit and am about to open my door when Zeke grabs my arm, pulling me back.
"It's my fault." He suddenly admits, letting me go as he takes a deep breath. "Mace's Uncle caught me drinking with his nephew and said I'd blown it. I laughed in his face, of course, and tried to burn his frickin house down."
I raise an eyebrow. It all seems too petty to me.
"I was a very hormonal teenager." Zeke smirks. "Eventually I got a strict record and a warning from the police. Drink driving, drugs... you name it I'd been there, and the problem was that I brought Mace along too. His Uncle was furious, said I was a disgrace. He went to my father, moaning and yelling. My dad played it cool of course, fighting him off with his eyes closed. He was always cool like that."
I feel sympathy for the guy sitting beside me, but don't say a word as he attempts to carry on. He still kidnapped me.
"Mace's Uncle called my dad a liar and a fraud with a thick son who had lost control. I prefer the term badass, but you know. Our families sort of became enemies, but Mace and I kept strong. When my dad died I couldn't take it. Our last conversation had been about my drinking habits and how I should start to understand the meaning of my life and that i wasn't here to drink every night away with a different girl. He said that our neighbour's were scared and mentioned how Mace's Uncle had come to see him with advice on counselling for me, but he said that he had faith in me, my dad did. So when he left I tried to get a grip of myself, but that was after my wild days. For a while I had pure hatred for Mace's Uncle. By then he had refused to take Mace in and also insulted my family. Now the Nichilo's owned a large web of agencies around the globe, and because I was on warnings from the police they would never let me near their boss. So I waited patiently, and when the time was right I struck." Zeke's voice fades for a few seconds as his head turns towards me, his eyes wide. "I'm not like that anymore Hayley, I promise you."
I lean forward and touch his hand. "I know."
He looks at me for a few seconds before lowering his eyes to the road again, somewhat ashamed. "After my anger and grief had worn down I decided to sort myself out. I worked hard at the gym and lost a few pounds. Mace had left for his Italian modelling job by then so it was a shock for both of us when we met again this year. Just before school started we ran into each other and at first didn't even recognise each other's faces. We talked it out and continued being mates. Mace explained how his Uncle was out of his life. Gone. And that settled me. But now he's back."
All of a sudden there's a beeping sound as the car behind us comes to a stop, making us jump. Zeke pulls over and looks in the side mirror at Baz's car.
"Time to run, sunshine." He turns to me. "Or would you prefer it if I called you badass?"
I wink. "Which ever suits."
We climb out the car and immediately I'm greeted with a small, lazy, worn down motel.
"Who planned this?" I hear Rebecca's voice wail in horror. "My heels will get ruined in the mud, and they're designer you know! Just look at this place... it is definitely the definition of a piece of shit."
"Don't go shitting yourself over me then." Mace chuckles and starts unpacking. "We didn't plan on running, if you hadn't noticed, but next time I will arrange a five star hotel with a sauna just for your luxurious backside, your highness."
We laugh and I realise that a few people are missing. "Where's everyone else? Miles and James? Dillon and Foster?"
"They're staying as part of the plan. We'll meet them at rendezvous tomorrow after the attack." Zeke shrugs.
"Only if we survive!" Mace tries to spook us out and Rebecca squeals flirtatiously as I roll my eyes.
"And Dillon?" I ask.
"Not heard from him." Zeke says with a frown before passing me a huge bag. "I assume you'll want to sleep in my room tonight?"
His menacing smirk distracts my already drunk dizzy mind.
Hell yeah...