A/n: New Chapter. I felt that including nick in this mess Kei is in would be necessary to further fortify their relationship. This additions were not part of the previous version. While the storyline remains the same, these additions give the book more weight. Nothing will be left untouched. This will apply to all the other books coming back to the scene.

"...a weak man needs to crush a woman

in order to feel powerful..."

I trust my gut feeling in a lot of situations. That sixth sense that tells me something isn't right has never failed me. When I act on it, it saves me from a world of trouble. When I spoke to Kei, when she said it's going to be okay, it didn't sit well with me. Halfway to college, I have turned back. I'm going back. I'm trying not to speed but I'm honking at everyone and everything. I just need to get back to her.

I finally got past the junction. Not giving a damn about neighborhood speeds, I accelerated and came to a sudden brake outside her house. I banged on the front door repeatedly. "Keira! Keira open up!"

I kept banging until Jason's mom opened but only a mere crack. "What do you want?"

"Where is Keira?"

"She's busy."

"Then let me in so that I can pick my son."

She lessened the opening to a smaller crack and suddenly closed the door. She even turned the locks. Something is wrong here.

I went to the back. Keira has a faulty kitchen window that never locks. I told her not to fix it. It's a good exit point and in this case my entry point. I pushed it open and climbed in, taking care to keep it quiet.

I can hear voices. It's Jason and his mother.

I paused for a second. Where is Terrence? I continued stalking quietly. I picked a knife and put it back. I am not here to kill anyone, just to make sure Keira is all right.

"You hit her too hard! A little to scare her is okay but you have battered her face!"

"She's sleeping around! When I find out who that man is I will beat him up too!"

"What did you do with the money?"

"It was a bad gamble."

"All 28 million?"

"I lost okay? I'll win it back!"

I pushed the guest room door open, bracing myself when I saw Kei on the bed. She is facing away and very still. The two accomplices looked at me. She's holding my son.

My eyes sharply turned to Jason. "What did you do?" I asked him. He moved aside for me to check on my best friend. Black and blue faces are not strange to me. This was pretty much the scene where I grew up. But on Kei? No. I'm almost at the brink of tears and I don't cry. I just don't. "What did you do to her?"

He is now holding my son, his hand around There's little neck. "Lorraine, for once use your brain and mind your own business. Walk away."

"You are a weak man! You beat up a woman half your size! And for what? To inflate your stupid ego? To make yourself feel like a man?"

"Shut up! Don't talk to me like that!"

"Beating up women doesn't make you strong. It makes you weak. And I may not be able to do something now but I swear that payback is coming your way. Give me my son!"

"If I give you your son-"

"I think we will hold on to him as assurance you won't say anything." His mother interrupted. "Walk away. In 24 hours you will have your son."

I have dealt with far worse situations but this is different because it's my son who is at risk and Kei as well. "And Kei?"

"She's none of your business."

I will get Terr back in less than 24 hours. They just don't know that. I knelt near Kei. Next to her ear, I whispered. "I'll be back with help. Hold strong honey."

I walked out almost to a run. I am going to the hospital. I need proof. I need proof not that he won't believe me when I tell him but because it will flare him to rage. I'm not Nick's biggest fan but he has a role to play in this and he must play it.

Ferrer Cavaleiro is not my cup of tea either but it seems all roads will always lead to him. I bust into his office without caring that he's with a patient.

"Pictures!" I demanded.

"Young lady, can't you see I'm with the doctor?" The old man complained.

"I'm not here for you. Shut up. Ferr, photos now!"

"Let's talk outside." I walked around him and started emptying his drawers one after another. "What are you looking for?"

"The photos you took of Keira after Jason beat her up! Where are they?"

"Those are confidential -"

My hand found it's way around his neck. My eyes are bulging to close proximity of popping out and I already have large eyes. My son is in the hands of those abusers and Kei couldn't even open her eyes or talk. If not for the warmth from her body I would have panicked. "I'll break all your fingers. What is more important?"

"I'll give them to you."

He opened a safe and gave me an envelop. I checked to make sure I have the correct pictures. I left when I was certain. My next stop, Bale Industries.

I ran past reception, ignoring the man shouting at me to stop. I got into an elevator picking the highest floor. He better be here! I'm sweating and I cannot run around looking for him. Time is not on my side. Those bastards will try to hide Keira.

I burst into his office but he's not here. "Shit!" I cursed.

There's one other door that I passed. I went back only to come face to face with two guards. I punched one in face and kneed the other to the groin before entering a room full of confused people. Nick's eyes grew wide.

I went straight to him but the guards didn't allow me to reach him when they pinned me down on the floor. Nick and I are not friends. He knows. But we have a mutual connection. Keira.

"It's about Kei!" I shouted when they pulled me up and started dragging me away. "It's in the envelop! It's about Kei!"

"Stop." He instructed the guards. He picked up the envelop. "Let her go. Please excuse me."

He left the board room. I followed behind him. He kept the door to his office open for me. I snatched the envelop from his hand. I laid out the pictures Ferrer took. With every photo I laid down on his glass table, I felt pained because she never lets me see what he does to her. None of these photos show her face except for the last one which I'm now holding. Her face looks nothing like this now.

"What is this?" Nick looks affected.

"I thought that by now you would know her body intimately." I laid down the final picture where she has the swollen bruise on her temple. "That is Kei."

"No..." He picked up the photograph. "No... What happened?" He frantically looked through each of the twelve photographs. "What happened? Where is she?"

"Nick, Jason does this to her. This was right after you took her to Miami."

"How do you know Kei?"

"I'm the best friend."

His face grew pale. "Where is she now?"

"In her house. Badly beaten. Her husband is holding my son hostage."

"You have a son?"

"It's not about me. You need to do something. I need you to do something Nickolas."

He cleared out all the pictures. He out them back in an envelop and grabbed his coat. I followed him proudly. Now I have the muscle to match Jason! The best part is I won't have to do anything. I'll be glad to but it's better if I don't. Staying low means the past life is left behind.

I can't stop looking at the photographs. This is why she didn't want to let me see her when we made love. I can't believe I never noticed. Wasn't I paying enough attention? It explains her fear and reluctance to ask for a divorce. He has been beating her up and I didn't know!"

"Nicko, what is the plan here?" Julio asked me.

Lorraine is looking at me too. I put the photographs away. "The plan is to kill the bastard."

"Nicko, this is not Italy."

"I don't care. We get in there and we kill him. Simple."

"Julio is right. This is not your backyard. We get in there, I get my son, you beat the fucker up and get Kei. No one has to die... yet."

"How was she when you saw her?"

"Not good. You won't even recognize her. She survived a boxing match where she had her fists down the entire time."

Ad soon as the car stopped, I got out. "Julio and I Wiko cover the back." Lorraine informed me.

I rang the doorbell and waited. Everytime I have come here, he hadn't been home. Today we finally meet face to face. The house is dark. Did they leave? I rang the doorbell a second time. A light in the house cane on. He opened the door to a mere crack. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You're still the coward I remember. Open the door Jason."

"Nick?" He opened it w little wider.

"You have something that belongs to me." I'm trying to will myself to calm. I want him to let me in and then I will rearrange his face.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Keira."

His eyes widened with realization. "So you're the one!"

"I am the only one." I delivered a strong punch to his face, sending him back. I entered the house and closed the door. "Where is my girl you weak piece of shit!" He got up and pushed back, punching my jaw. I retaliated with nothing but brutal force. I punched him until my knuckles became bruised. "I'm not playing games. Where is she?"

"Hey Jason. I'm back." Lorraine smiled at him. She disappeared down a hallway only to come back with a baby in her arms.

"Where is Kei?"

"She's not where I left her." She put the baby on the floor and ran upstairs. She came down seconds later. "Kei isn't here."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Where is the living room rug?" Lorraine questioned. "Where is she Jason?" She kicked him in the face. I pulled out my gun, ready and willing to fire it.

Julio is thinking it too. It won't be the first time a body has been rolled up in a carpet. It's like I'm reliving Greece all over again. Is she dead? Have they gotten rid of her body?

"Answer or you're dead!" I shouted with the gun pointed at him.

"She's in the garage! We were going to dump her body! She's in the garage! In the trunk of my car!"

"Go. I've got this." Julio told us.

Lorraine led ne to the garage through a door off the laundry room. There's a woman pacing about. Lorraine tackled her down rather brutally. I out the gun away and approached the trunk. I opened it to see a rolled up carpet. My heart beat rose rapidly with that familiar tightening in my chest. I carefully pulled the carpet out, laying it on the floor.

"Is she okay?" Lorraine asked. I rolled the carpet out as carefully as possible to reveal her still body. She's very still. I can't believe he did this to her. Her face is a swollen mess. My sweet girl didn't deserve this. "Is she alive?"

She does seem to be. "She's not breathing." I noted. I placed my fingers on her wrist. "I can't feel a pulse."

"We should go to hospital! We should go now!" Lorraine came over. "Kei! Kei you can't just go out like this!"

I'm still looking for a pulse. I placed my finger where pulse is the strongest. I remember Ferrer blubbering something about a carotid artery. "It's weak. She's alive."

I quickly picked her up and left through the garage. Julio and Lorraine joined me and we left the neighborhood in a hurry with Kei in my arms.

This is the second time I have come this close to losing her. There will not be a third time.