The darkness around was making my head throb. The dark colored cloth covering my face was making my claustrophobia kick in and the cloth stuffed in my mouth wasn't helping either. As far as I could assume, I was sitting on a chair or something like that with my hands tied to the arms of the chair and my ankles tied to the foot of the chair.

Sounds like the perfect kidnapper.

I had gained consciousness a few minutes ago and I still didn't know what time and day it is. I struggled to get out the strong hold of the ropes holding me, but it was too tight for me to break. After many attempts, I realized that it was no use throwing my hands and legs as the more I did that, the more the rope rubbed against my skin bruising it.

I gave up struggling after many attempts and the feeling of helplessness took upon me. A tear out of fear cascaded down my cheeks.

I need you Ace.

Save me.

10 Hours.

It has been 10 fucking hours since I last saw her and now my patience level was edging. Initially my anger was directed towards Eva but after I saw the CCTV footage, my anger directed towards the fucking kidnapper who kidnapped her.

But now, after 10 hours of investigating and searching - my anger was directed towards me. Why did I leave her in the first place? The self-loathing was ticking me like a time bomb. If I don't find her by two hours, I will lose it. 12 Hours without her is the maximum I can handle. I don't care what I am thinking right now and how it sounds so...not like me. But now seeing her has made me realize something I never thought would happen. I realized how important she was to me. It has been months since we are together in this contract marriage...it's been almost 10 months. But it feels like it was only yesterday when I made her sign the contract papers and become my so called wife. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think that this woman would become so important to me that I couldn't live without her.

She has been an incessant, irritating, stubborn, stupid and above all - a crazy experience. But at the same time, she has made me realize many things I didn't know - Accepting myself and my past being the top one.

And it may sound cheesy or idiotic or whatever you call it but this time without her has been so hard. I don't know how to describe it but I think a single statement would do that which is-

You don't realize the importance or something until you lose it.

Yes, I am damn sure about that. After not being around her and worrying about her for hours, I can safely admit that she is hell important to me.

But I am so not ready to lose her. I am going to find her, no matter what happens.

The investigators I hired, think that it's probably some well established gang or rivalry who have kidnapped her because it was well planned kidnapping. The number plate of the truck revealed the necessary information about the owner and it turns out that the truck has a 79 years old owner who cannot even stand up from his chair. They think that it has been stolen from the old man who didn't have a clue about the disappearance. He didn't even ride the truck for the last decade or something. His grandson was sometimes using the truck for going out and thus we hunted him down too. Turns out that the 22 year old boy wasn't in the State for the last couple of months as he was in Boston, studying. So the truck was a dead end.

But then when the patrolling police checked the footage, they spotted the truck on the highway some 52 minutes away from the island. But when they got the information about possible kidnapping - they followed the car (and we tried to follow them) but the complications arrived when a duplicate of that truck came out of nowhere and it got mixed up in the traffic on the roads. And eventually the police lost both the cars. I was so angry at them when I reached there that I punched the police car in anger(for which I had to pay also but that fucking didn't matter) and it took all my strength to not kill the policemen.

Talk about patience.

But what stopped me from doing that was the fact that one of them gave me another lead. They had informed the next patrol station from there and they were trying to track the movement of the truck.

"They are on it Sir. We will call you the second we get any update on the whereabouts of the truck." He had said.

So here I am waiting, sitting in the car and on my way to the next patrol station. I am not going to sit in the room and wait for the police to do anything. I will stand next to them myself to make sure that we don't lose our lead again.

My ringing phone was the only reason why I stopped nudging the driver about driving faster. I looked down to see Ryder's caller ID. I told him about all this today morning.

But that was not Ryder who bothered me - it was the fact that it a conference call. With Jennifer in there too. I haven't told her about the kidnapping yet, I thought it would only make her worried. But it seems like Ryder wasn't able to keep the secret. I could have easily not answered the call but Jenna's concerned face came in front of me and I knew it would make her more worried only if I didn't answer. So not wanting to make Jennifer catch the next flight and come to me - I accepted the call.

"What the hell happened to Eva, Ace Estevan Parker?!" Jenna's, concerned for Eva but angry at me voice, boomed into the phone.

"Uh..I can't find her." I said hesitating. Yeah, she really did that to me.

"What in the world do you mean you can't find her, Estevan?" She asked, her voice a little confused but the anger was still there.

"She was kidnapped...last night...I can't find her. I have been trying to Jenna but I can't." I said trying to explain.

"But how did it happen? Weren't you there with her?" She asked.

"Yes. I mean no. I was there with her but then we talked and we got into an argument. I was angry, I didn't realize what I was doing. I left her alone on the shore in anger. I didn't realize what I was doing, Jenna. I came back later but she wasn't there. I didn't...I didn't mean to..leave her..I am...I am sorry." I croaked at the end as the events of last night and my fault in it came crashing down onto me.

Jennifer was silent for a minute. Probably because hearing my helpless tone shocked her or the fact that I just said I was sorry, might be a reason too.

"Tell her that when You find her. And don't come home without her. I want you to find her. Do you understand me?" She said like a...mother. Yeah, she played that role in my life too.

"Yes. I do." I said obediently.

"Can I say something now....?" Ryder's timid voice came. I made a mental note to kill him when I reached him physically. I told him not to tell Jenna.

"No you can't." I said fiercely.

"hey! I didn't tell her Acey. She guessed something was wrong from my idiotic behavior. She forced everything out of me." Ryder said and I could imagine the stupid pout he must be having.

"Oh you haven't heard the more dangerous part of my actions." Ryder added and I knew that he did something.

"What else did you do for god's sake?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah wait for it Ace." Jenna piped in.

"I told the kidnapping thing to -" He started slowly, building suspense. But I was in no mood for it. My patience had been tested enough for today.

Whom did he tell about Eva....someone who would be angry as-

Oh shit.

No. Not her-

"Jessica!" He ended before me. Oh no. Not her again.

"I am still wondering why you aren't dead yet. And why did you leave her other friend? What was his name- Jake?" I asked sarcastically.

"Oh don't worry. I told him t-." He said proudly but stopped realizing that he just signed his death sentence.

"Ryd-" Before I could complete, he cut the call but not before I head Jenna say-"you are dead."

Just as I kept the phone down, it rang again. It was an unknown number. Maybe the police?

I quickly accepted the call, but the second I did that-

"Tell me your middle name Ace Parker. They want it for filing the complaint!" A familiar, expected voice boomed again.

Remind me to always save such phone numbers so that I can be warned beforehand.

"It's Estevan." I said, not knowing what to say.

She was silent for a second, clearly not expecting that.

"Don't act smart man. I am so going to throw you in jail for kidnapping my best friend. I am almost at the police station." She said and I knew she was capable of doing that.

"I didn't kidnap her for fuck sake." My anger blew.

Why is everyone scolding me? I am trying to find her too.

Because you left her alone.

Fuck off. Not the time for subconscious play.

"But you left her to be kidnapped for fuck sake." She bellowed back.

Oh god.

I could have easily shut her up but I knew it was my fault too.

"I am trying to find her." I said honestly.

"you sure as hell do that or I am going to shoot a bullet in the middle of your chest and then fill the hole made with red chili powder and salt. And then I will put your body in a bag of salt and throw you in the ocean." She said with every inch of seriousness she could manage.

She really is Eva's friend.

"Understood." I said.

"If you don't find her by 12 noon today, I am seriously going to do that." She said and hung up before I could say anything.

Few minutes after, when I was still reliving the dangerous threat given to me - my phone rang for the third time. But I wasn't mad this time.

It was the Police.

"We found it. Sending the address. Reach there." He said when I picked up and I told the driver the address sent to me.

It was only a matter of few minutes before I find her.

I frantically screamed and yelled trying to find her but I couldn't. The desire to see if she was okay was burning inside me. I was feeling so fucking helpless. What if she isn't here?

What if I am too late to save her?

What if something happens to her?

Will I be ever able to forgive myself it someone hurt her?

What if I fucking lose her?

No. No. No.

That can't happen. I need to find her. I can't even think about the thought of losing her. I am not going to leave those mother fucker kidnappers. I am going to kill them with my bare hands. I can't lose her, I can't because that can't be happening. I can't-

That very second I came to the end of the hallway I was walking and that is when my eyes stopped at the petite figure who was tied on the chair. I couldn't see her properly due to the darkness around in the basement but I knew it was her. I know it.

A sudden rush of relief washed over me as I started breathing again. My eyes warmed as I saw her. A mere look at her made me relieved. She is here. At last I found her.