"Wake up."

The demand that was hissed into my ear was barely audible to my fuzzy hearing. I shifted, moaning when the movement only increased the blatant throbbing radiating from my temples. I was on a hard surface, nothing like the bed I so wished to be on. My thoughts were distant - groggy - like my mind couldn't move at a faster rate.

"Savannah - wake up. We don't have much time." The voice huffed out again, urgency written across every word. I struggled to move, to think, to respond - though I desperately wanted to.

"Fucking Trevor..." The man growled out. "Stupid idiot."

With those final words, my thoughts exploded. I could remember Ricardo, the syringe, the cold words thrown at me, Greg, and Jace.

Jace

I suddenly wished I was still submerged into oblivion, free of the torment that just his name brought to my heart.

My eyes opened and I found myself staring at the ceiling of the medical room at the safe house. My aching body was strewn across a metal tables, my wrists cuffed to the surface like a prisoner.

I swallowed thickly, the force of my reality hitting me. Because I knew just what I was in that moment.

A prisoner.

"Isley will be back and then we won't get another chance to discuss things."

My eyes snapped over to the person who had spoken yet again, a groan forcing its way past my lips when the sharp moved picked up the throbbing in my head. I widened my gaze at the man, who was also strapped down, my spine stiffening with fear.

"Calm down. You'll survive, I know you will. And when you do, then we'll talk."

"I don't think I can help you." I muttered, my teeth sinking into my lip as I avoided his gaze. "I can't trust you. I don't-"

"Stop." Greg forced out, looking in pain as he stared down at his leg. "We only have so much time and you need to hear what I have to say." He cast a wary look towards the shut door, shifting in the cuffs around his wrists uncomfortably. "I know what you want."

My eyes traced over the multiple bruises covering his face, back down to the bandage loosely wrapped around his bleeding leg. "I-"

"You want freedom. You want a way out of all of this. If what they're saying is true - if you're a pawn, then we can help each other out." His words were hurried, spoken so quickly that my brain lagged with trying to keep up with him.

"How? There's no way that we can. Look at where we are." I jerked my head to our bound wrists and the room around us. "We're trapped."

"These things take time." He shook his head. "Listen. Ricardo believes that Jace is truly in love with you. Even if you are a pawn, Nixon doesn't know that." My heart ached at his words.

Greg hesitated, before continuing. "We both need our freedom. You want away from all this, and I have a pregnant girlfriend who wants me out of this life as well. You're my key to freedom, and I'm your key to yours."

I waited with baited breath for him to continue.

"Since Ricardo thinks that Jace is utterly infatuated with you, he doesn't give two shits about making Jace choose, which means that he's content with trading Stella for you. I just need to remind him of this."

"How does that give me any freedom?" I bit out tiredly, yearning to rub at my aching temples. The deal was temping though, freedom for Stella and I would be away from those who I felt betrayed me, no matter what my life would be like once Ricardo had me.

"Here's the catch. Ricardo doesn't give two shits what happens to you after, which sounds like a bad thing, but is actually good. I don't know the details, but I believe he's willing to give you your freedom as long as you promise no future contact with Jace, or anyone in relation to Kingston after the trade is made. You'll have to drop your relations with any family you have left and any people you know. To the world, you'll be dead. That's what Ricardo wants Jace to believe."

I squeezed my eyes shut, the overload of information difficult to comprehend. "But, how do I know that Ricardo will follow through with the deal? And how does he know I'll follow through with the deal?"

"Here's where I come in." He pressed in his hushed tone. "Ricardo would assign one of his men to stay with you after, to know you're following up with your end of the deal. I'd be that man. He'd set us up in my city of choice, with new identities, and jobs. We'd start a new life. You with your freedom, and me with my family. I'd owe you, of course, for getting me out of this situation. "

"Why is Ricardo being generous?" I questioned suspiciously, eyeing the man before me. The thought of leaving the guys made my chest ache, even knowing that they had betrayed me. I didn't know who to believe, or who to trust anymore. "Hours ago he was demanding that Jace choose. I didn't get a choice. What changed his mind so quickly? He never mentioned anything to me."

"I know that." Greg dismissed, for the first time seeming hesitant. "He only mentioned this as a possibility to me once before, but I bet - no, I'm sure once I arrive with you he'll be willing to comply. You have options too, Jace isn't the only one with all the cards."

I had never felt more lost. The thought of facing Ricardo, the man who had been so cruel just hours before was hard to face. It was also hard to believe that I had a choice on my future. After what my little talk with Ricardo, I had believed my fate was sealed. I could feel a sliver of hope snake up my throat.

Greg pursed his lips. "Ricardo is like a brother to me. He's family. Believe it or not, he's really not that bad of a person. He's doing no different than what your Jace is doing."

"He's not mine." I muttered bitterly, sinking my teeth into my lip. "He never was."

Greg watched me for a moment, pity clear in his gaze, before he cleared his throat. "There's not much time. We have to act soon, before they kill me and before Ricardo begins to lose his patience. I'm sure you have questions, but I'm afraid I don't have the time or plans to answer them all. You need to make up your mind."

"I can't just make up my mind on something like this this quickly." I uttered, shock and confusion swirling in my gut. "I-"

"I'm not asking you too, but we'll only get one chance to escape. If you do decide to follow through with my plans, you'll have to find a way to get me out of the cells. You have a week maximum. If we escape and Ricardo does really make Jace choose, we already know who he will pick, Savannah." Greg finished pityingly. "It's always going to be Stella. Don't let him make that choice, Savannah. Don't give him that option. Give yourself some power instead."

"It's harder than that. I thought I could trust these people and-" I broke off, feeling the urge to cry strengthen. I cleared my throat, before I narrowed my eyes at the man. "What about the mole? Can you give me some information on that?"

His gaze became guarded - hostile - and he exhaled sharply. "I can't - not now. If you knew, everything could fall through and I'm not willing to let that happen. As soon as you let me know if you're willing to help me, then I'll tell you everything."

No more words could be exchanged because the door flew open and in marched a furious looking Cameron. Yanking a ring of keys from his pocket, he undid the cuffs around my wrists quickly. I flinched back away from him, before forcing myself to relax, hoping he didn't see my reaction.

"Jace is going to be fucking pissed at Trevor and Jeremy when he realizes they put you in the same room as him." Cameron muttered, jerking his chin over to Greg, as he helped me sit up. "C'mon, Isley is going to check you out in a different room than this piece of garbage."

I cast a wary glance at Greg, barely able to look at Cameron as I tested how wobbly my legs were. I knew Cameron's words were just another lie, another part of Jace's plan on getting Stella back and I refused to let myself feel any bit of hope that Jace Kingston could have an ounce of love for me.

"Hey," Cameron murmured softly, gripping my arm and forcing me to look up at him. "Are you okay? I know that the guys-"

"I'm fine." I interrupted him, shaking him off and limping towards the door without giving either men a backwards glance. "I'm fine."