***********PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT EDITED**********

With the envelope Jared had given to me gripped between my hands, I stared after him, lost at what I should do. Doubt weighted heavily on my mind, swarming my thoughts with the terrors of what could go wrong.

I shifted it in my hands, the packet surprisingly heavy. The fact that Jace had known about Noah hurt more than I wanted to admit, but I also wasn't all that surprised. It seemed the more I discovered about how much he really knew, just how involved he was in everything would grow clearer.

I pried the tab open, shifting it so the papers were visible inside. I slid them out, lifting my eyebrows at the list of locations and times that had been recorded. Several were highlighted, and my face wrinkled in confusion. Flipping through the pages, pictures began to surface as well of the boy and I felt unease fill me. It felt invasive, looking at moments of Noah when he had no idea that he was being watched. I flicked my eyes over his face on one of the pictures. He sat leaning over a book, his brow scrunched up as if confused at whatever he was studying. Another was him walking towards his car, earbuds in each ear and a harmless smile painted across his lips.

I stuffed the photos back in quickly, my stomach churning at the new information I had in my hands. He was just a little boy and Jace already had him being watched. That fact filled with stomach with grief.

The shiny glint of the car keys left on the coffee table caught my attention and I sucked in a shallow breath, the beginnings of an idea beginning to spiral curl together in my head. It couldn't just be a coincidence, was I right? I hedged closer to them, my body tense as my eyes flickered back towards the door. Jared wouldn't have just left me with the information in this envelope and nothing else. This had to be his help also.

Right?

Before I could overthink it, I was stuffing the keys in the pocket of my hoodie. I sucked in a breath, my nerves getting the better of me, before I sunk down in a plush chair. I needed a plan.

And quickly.

Swallowing sickeningly, I pried the envelope open once more. Skipping past the pictures, I plucked out a pile of what seemed to be notes. Scanning over the writing, which was scrawled hastily across the lines, I tried to gather whatever the person had written.

"A schedule?" I muttered, flipped it over, hoping it would give me more hints. Running my finger over the list of times, I paused to take a glance at the clock hanging on the wall over the fireplace.

4:03.

Shooting my gaze back at the paper still gripped tightly in my hands, my teeth sunk into my lip. Based on this schedule, he would have just gotten out of class and would be heading off to the library.

Knowing it was my only chance, I once again sorted the papers back into the envelope, before forcing my weak legs to straighten and hold my weight. I needed to get a move on.

I tucked the papers against my torso as well, before wrapping my jacket tighter around me.

The terror that I was going to get caught made it hard to move my feet forward, but I forced myself to stride over to the doors. The memory of how cruel the guys had been over the last few days turned my gut sharply. If I was going to do this, now would possibly be my only chance. I didn't know when someone would eventually come looking for me, but I knew it could be at any time. That had me opening the door with urgency and shooting a look down the hallway.

I didn't know exactly what Noah could help me with. Heck, I wasn't even sure why I was doing this. But, there was a small hope lingering in my chest that the boy could help me with something. Plus the fact that Jared had given me this information had to be some clue that could help me.

Or land me in deeper shit.

But even with knowing that, the urge to trust Jared was something I couldn't deny.

Not knowing exactly where the garage was or where the hell Jared's car was, I stepped out into the hall hesitantly, surprised to find it empty.

I knew the general area of where the garage was. I had commonly frequented there, nor did I exactly know how to get there. I shut the office door softly behind me.

Starting quickly towards the staircase, I attempted to make my steps as quiet as possible, but with each step on the creaky wood, I knew that was nearly impossible.

Holding my breath, I finally made it down the staircase and to the front door, my eyes scanning the foyer. No one was in sight, as if this was set up to be the best timing to escape.

I eased the lock over, before opening the door, silently shutting it behind me before turning towards the drive.

There, sat a car.

I narrowed my eyes at the car. It was facing towards the exit, perfectly lined up, as if waiting for a driver to take it and leave. I was willing to be big bucks that this happened to be Jared's.

It had to be.

Jamming the keys into the ignition, I pushed the car into drive, slamming my foot on the gas not even a second later. With a loud squeal, I was flying down the driveway, passing the densely packed forest at speeds that had my stomach twisting.

My eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror, anxiously taking stock of the fact that no one could be seen it. The churning feeling increased in my abdomen, paranoia causing me to grip the wheel harder. I didn't know what the consequences would be whenever they discovered I had left, but I figured they'd be drastic.

Finally hitting the main road, relief flooded me when I turned off the driveway. Mentally, I tried to collect my thoughts and think up a reasonable place of where Noah would be. The library would be the most likely, but what if he wasn't there?

My nerves increased, my teeth sinking into my lip. Then I'd have to try other places and the likelihood of getting caught grew with each minute.

I forced myself to lighten the weight I was placing on the gas pedal, easing off so the likelihood of getting pulled over was decreased.

I figured I had ten to twenty minutes before someone realized I wasn't in the office and Jared wasn't with me - even less if luck wasn't on my side today.

I tried not to focus on something rather than what I was about to, instead studying the road in front of me intently. I wasn't even sure on what to say to Noah, but I had to trust that he could help me in some way.

Entering town gave a rush of adrenaline to flow through my veins as I scanned the streets, looking for a hint of where the roads could lead me and for any police officers, in case they had anything linked to Jace.

Finding the library took longer than I had expected as I gripped the wheel nervously, my eyes flickering to the clock with anxiousness as I watched the clock tick down on my precious time.

Discreetly I ducked my head, focusing in on my feet and on what I was about to do. Taking deep breaths, I prayed that the beating of my heart would slow down. The memory of the traumatizing memories with Ricardo's men only succeeded in making my panic increase and perspiration broke out on my forehead.

A tinge of relief released a weight from my shoulders when I was finally in the safety of the library, letting the doors of it close before I quickly disappeared behind a shelf, my eyes wandering around the tables nervously, anxious for both if he was here and if he was not.

I pretended to scan a row of books before moving to the next row, scanning the next row of tables. If Noah was here, then there was also a good chance that his father's men could be as well and that thought terrified me.

Most of the tables were students who had just got out of school, most with their backpacks slung lazily on the tables, a strew of loose papers and school supplies spilling messily from them. The possibility that Noah was just here but was blended in with the chaos of after-school students didn't escape me.

Ducking my head once more, I stepped out from behind the shelf, confident that my hood covered most of my face with a shadow as I hesitantly began to step into the mess of tables, my eyes scanning each individual one with nervous hopes of finding a familiar face.

I had luck. Near the back of the cluster sat a boy, slumped over a textbook and tapping the eraser of his pencil against his cheek as if he was bored with whatever he was reading.

"Noah!" I gasped, too loud in the quiet library. I received more than just a few hostile looks which I ignored, instead dropping quickly into a chair nearest to him.

The Noah had looked up, his eyes surprised at hearing his name escape from the loud voice. When his eyes finally locked with mine, that surprise turned into a dose of shock.

"Savannah?" He suddenly guarded and I immediately knew he was exposed to more of the world he lived in compared to when we had first met. "Hi. How are you? It's been awhile-"

"I need your help." I blurted out, interrupting his polite small talk, my words a blurred rush.

He seemed surprised, as if he wasn't expecting that to be my first words to him. "With what?"

"This isn't the right place..." My eyes flickered to the close groups of people, crowded into the tables surrounding Noah's. "Can we...?" I jerked my head towards the doors, pressing my hands tightly against my denim-clad thighs in hopes to stop them from shaking.

"I don't know." He looked conflicted, as if he didn't trust me near him.

"Please?" I whispered, trying to avoid having to beg for the young boy to talk to me.

Nodding slowly, Noah stood up, jerkily shoving the packet of papers he was working on back into his book bag. He looked anxious, as if he wasn't sure what was about to come.

I started to the door as soon as he had slung his bag over one shoulder, glancing back a single time to confirm that he was still following.

"Is my car okay?" I nervously tucked a handful of hair behind my ear, turning my head briefly to stare at him. He looked distrustful suddenly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not going to kill you." I muttered darkly, suddenly offended that Noah would believe I could do such a thing. "You honestly thing I could do that?"

"I have a right to be hesitant." He argued, shrugging simply, before exhaling and hurrying his steps so that he was walking directly by my side. "I've heard some things."

My eyebrows wrinkled together and I studied the ground beneath my feet as I trudged along, anxiety filling my gut at what he could have heard.

"What exactly is this about?" He spoke up, his gaze dropping to mine, suspicion still there distantly in his eyes. "I mean, I know barely the basics. I was told not to talk to you. So, why are you here?"

"I think you have an idea." I murmured back, reflecting on the look I had seen on his face when he first had saw me. "I think you must know more than just the basics."

"What do you mean?"

I didn't answer, instead unlocking the doors to the sleek car and sliding in, starting the engine. He cautiously climbed in, his eyes appreciatively sliding over the interior. He let out a low whistle.

"Damn. Nice car." He complimented, his eyes briefly meeting mine, before I started to reverse out of the spot.

"Thanks. I stole it." I grinned wickedly at him as his jaw unhinged.

"You what? Let me out now!"

"Calm down, I was kidding. Sort of." My lips curled up slightly. "I stole it from Jace's collection."

"I doubt he's going to be too happy about that." He shivered, as if he feared just the thought of Jace's reaction.

"It'll be fine." I honestly replied, knowing that it would be. I would be gone soon enough.

Noah cleared his throat, nervously tugging on the collar of his buttoned shirt. The slight creases around his mouth clued me in on the fact that he was more stressed than he was letting on. "So, what is this about?"

"How much do you know?" My voice cracked with nerves and I sunk my teeth into my lip. From the corner of my eye, I could see him studying me with narrowed eyes, attempting to figure out my intentions.

"I barely know anything. Heck, I barely know you. I don't know why I even got in this car." He sighed, pressing his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose.

"Please, just tell me what you know." My anxiety was rising with each minute that passed. Someone would have to notice soon.

"I-I don't know much." He admitted once more, bunching his hands into his shirt. "I know that you know that my family dabbles into some... some not so nice business." He finally finished, his lips pursed as if struggling with what he wanted to say.

"I actually found that out accidentally. My father never let his business into our family home, as he never wanted me to discover the truth. As you know my parents are divorced and on my way back to my father's place one day, I forgot my key and had to stop by his business quarters. His secretary let me into his office because he was in a meeting and there was some paperwork left on his desk. Stuff I wasn't supposed to see."

"What was it?" Curious invited me to speak and he hesitated once more.

"Designs for weapons, numbers, that kind of thing." He waved his hand, as if the fact was nonchalant to him now. "I didn't understand what it was at first, but then Dane - my father's associate and arguably closest right hand man - came in and found me. He told me the basics and made me promise not to speak of it again." Noah pursed his lips, studying his hands. "When I picked you up that night, I had no idea you were in association with the Kingston's, until recently."

"How'd you find out I was?" I questioned, pulling off onto a deserted part of a vacant road. I trusted that no one would drive by that would recognize us.

"Stella actually." He mused, a sad look entering his eyes. "My father had raised my thinking that she was a foster child staying with us. He had her stay in the guest house, with Dane, and I didn't get to see her much. But the time I spent with her, we grew close. She never opened up to me about what the truth was on her stay though."

"My dad told me he was taking Stella on a trip to find her birth parents." Noah rolled his eyes, his voice taking a sarcastic note. "Only he was actually taking her to that gala and well, you know what happened that night cause you were there." He shook his head bitterly. "I would have been in the dark if it wasn't for Stella, who when she came back, decided to open up to me finally. We may have - uh - we may have kissed." He muttered, a dark blush crawling up the back of his neck to his cheeks.

I managed a smirk at his shyness, before he cleared his throat and continued.

"That's not the important part though. She told me about how she wasn't actually a foster child and that she knew exactly who her family is. She also told me what my father is doing and what he's planning to do to you - the bribe, I mean." Guilt colored his tone and I knew he pitied me. "Of course I went to my father and he finally opened up to me about it all, saying I could be a help and then he showed me photos of you all, as a caution."

"So you do know..." Hope drained from my body.

"Savannah, I don't know how I could be of help to you anyways. There's not many choices in this. It's one way or the other." He whispered, his tone heartbroken. "I really wish I could do something to help you and Stella. I don't agree with what my father is doing."

"You would help if you could though?" I desperately wanted to clutch onto his arm and beg, but I forced myself to sit still, instead studying the leather of my seat with intent.

"Of course. You know I would."

"I need one favor. Please." I turned to him, my eyes fierce with determination. "I need your father to keep his word. If I go through with this - when I do," I corrected, blinking back the water that had suddenly surface in my eyes. "I need to know that he'll actually return Stella back to the Kingston's."

"What about you? Don't you want to live to?" He questioned, staring at me with wide eyes. They still held a certain innocence still, even after discovering this whole mess.

"I understand that the chances I will are extremely low." I didn't want to focus on that too much, so I continued. "Can you do that for me?"

"Why? Why give up your life for someone you barely know?" He pushed, his eyes intense. "Why not just leave things how they are? Why not be selfish?"

I didn't want him to know that there were more factors in this story than just what he knew, so I merely lifted my shoulders, my mind whirling with thoughts of Jace.

"I'll try my best." He settled when he realized I wouldn't answer his questions. "I understand Stella deserves her life back, no matter how tough it will be." His hands had turned into two tightly wound fists and it suddenly occurred to me just how much he loved her.

"It'll be okay." I forced a smile, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

At least I was trying to tell myself that.

"One last thing," I spoke, my mind muddled with all the information that he had let me know. "Is Greg trustworthy?"

"Greg? Yeah, why? How do you know Greg? He helped raise me pretty much." His lips turned into a crooked smile. "Good guy."

Not wanting him to know that he was locked in the cells beneath the Kingston residence, beaten, I forced a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "No reason. I should get you back. I should be getting back soon. I just needed to know if you were willing to help."

"Of course," He murmured.

I pushed the keys back into the ignition once more.

We had barely reached the main roads, before something caught my eye.

"Shit." I muttered, squinting into my rear view at the flashing police lights. "I was going the speed limit!"

Before the sentence had even left my lips, a similar face caught my attention from behind the car's wheel.

"Xavier?" I whispered once more, this time in horror. "Oh, shit. Shit." I hissed, stepping harder on the gas as I cast an anxious look at the boy in my seat. I wasn't sure what exactly would happen to him if Jace's men caught me with him, but I sure as hell wasn't willing to risk it.

"What's happening?" Noah's face had gone white as he leaned forward to peer behind us to see the police car. "Savannah! What are you doing? Pull over!"

"It's not the police! Well, technically it is. But, not the innocent kind!" Understanding what I meant, he leaned back into his seat, looking even whiter if possible.

"What?"

"It's fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I just have to figure out how to lose him."

"Lose him?" Noah shouted, not looking so relaxed anymore. "He's pretty much a fucking cop! We're not going to just be able to lose him!"

"Noah!" I yelled back, shooting the young boy a stricken look. "Language!"

"Are you kidding me?" He rolled his eyes back. "We have one of your boyfriend's gang dudes chasing us down under the impersonation as a cop and you're worried about the word fuck?"

"Yes! Now stop it!" I order back angrily, only pressing my foot harder down on the gas. Noah let out a gasp, gripping his chair tightly.

"You're going to kill us." He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.