Jackson POV

I can't believe myself. I just let them take Marti without a fight. I heard about Trevor and how quickly he laid everyone in sight when he went to one of our hideouts. Only one person made it out alive.

My other best friend Ian. I'm glad he came back to Castle City but, I didn't think the first thing he'd experience being back was so much bloodshed.

It's my fault Ian joined the Dzhaun in the first place. I guaranteed him a spot for life as long as he ran drugs like we did before.

I need to find Marti as soon as I can. I can't let him continue to be tortured by Trevor like that.

Why am I such a weakling. I could've fought and fought until I got Marti to a safer place. I should've taken him out of the city completely when he first came up to me.

I feel so stupid and useless right now.

I'm coming for you Marti. Please wait for me.

When I heard them leave the room I stepped out of the bathroom slowly. My head snapped to the window as I heard sirens. "Shit," I said to myself as I ripped off my jacket and threw it on the floor. "Last thing I need is for police to see me with this jacket on," I said as I walked out of the room cautiously. The elevator closed and I walked down the hallway and examined the bodies. I moved one of them over and my eyes widened.

That psycho put bombs in here. I need to get out of here quickly. 13 minutes left.

I looked at my watch and the time was 1:36AM. I ran to the end of the hallway and started running down the emergency staircase. Sliding down the railing and continuing to run. "Fuck I shouldn't have stayed at the top floor," I huffed out as I was at the 10th floor.

I know the bombs said there was 13 minutes left. I hope I can get out of here in time.

I looked at my watch. 1:39 AM.

I have 10 minutes left.

I continued running down the steps, feeling the pain in my ankles and legs as I took more down. I slid down the rest of the rails, letting the chipped paint scrape against my hands. When I finally got to the bottom I looked at my watch again. 1:42 AM.

About 7 minutes left. I wish I knew how to dismantle them but I've never seen anything like it before. I'm guessing Trevor made them himself.

I looked in the lobby through the small window and saw Trevor dragging Marti out. I saw bodies all over the lobby.

Trevor is seriously a sick bastard. Killing all these people for no reason.

I ran to the emergency exit and walked out, I stopped when I heard more gunshots and pressed my back against the wall. I peeked around the corner and saw them all driving off, leaving two dead cops in the parking lot.

I need to leave now or I'll get blamed for this for sure. I definitely don't need to be blamed for killing cops. The entire city it going to be after Trevor and his crew now.

I ran over to my truck and got in, I drove out the back of the parking lot and drove away as fast as I could. I drove back to the dive bar, going past police and first responders.

I wish I could warn them... maybe it'll go off before they get there... it's horrible to hope for but we can't lose first responders in this city, there's barely enough who want to work here anyways.

I checked my watch. 1:47 AM.

2 minutes.

I sighed as I finally pulled into the dive bar parking lot and parked my truck behind the building when I stepped out there was a loud boom in the distance that made me jump and my blood run ice cold. I looked back at the hotel and it was engulfed in flames.

He actually did it.

I walked into the back door quickly and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me.

"Boss!" Ian shouted as he ran up to me, "What the fuck just happened?" He asked.

"I need a drink first," I groaned out as I sat at the bar.

The bartender slid me a shot of whiskey, "you look like you need it," he said as he started making a drink for me.

"Thank you," I said as I downed the shot. Letting the alcohol burn my throat on the way down. I turned in my seat and looked at everyone who were still staring at me, "I'll accept being the boss, if we handle those clowns first," I said.

A few of them got big smiles on their faces and some jumped up and cheered. "Let's do this!" Ian shouted.

Another member, Drake, walked over to me and handed me a cigarette. I lit it and thanked him.

"I know exactly where they reside, they have something precious of mine, we're going to get that back, then take out every single one of them," I said and a few of them nodded.

"When do we make a move?" Ian asked.

"Tonight, in about two hours we're going to infiltrate their area and take them all out."

———

Marti POV

I'm back in hell.

I thought I had escaped but that was just a whimsical farce. I couldn't have expected to escape from Trevor so easily like this.

I feel so stupid.

Maybe this really is my karma.

I flinched when I heard the basement door open and Trevor stepped down the stairs slowly, making sure every step was booming throughout the room.

Here comes my punishment. I feel in a way I deserve it. I could've lied to him and told him I just needed some fresh air.

But he saw me in a hotel without my bike. Shit... he probably knows exactly what truck Jackson drives.

It's almost pointless to lie to Trevor anyways. He can stare into your soul and know when you're lying, even the tiniest bit and he'll dig it out of you with a rusty knife.

I don't know how he does it.

"Marti, Marti, Marti," he chuckled as he stood in front of me. The light illuminating his tall stature, barely showing his face but I know it's plastered with a smirk. He pulled out a pill bottle, scraped some coke on his pinky and sniffed it quickly as he looked down at me. "You really thought you'd be able to get away from me," he said with a low chuckle.

He's going to torture me for the rest of my life. I'm never going to get away from him as long as I'm alive.

He leaned into my face, "I could let you out of that chair you know."

But you won't. Don't even give me false hopes like that.

He cocked his head slowly at me, "you're so quiet."

What am I even supposed to say? I know begging would only make you laugh.

I stared up at him still. "I didn't cut your tongue out, talk to me, my love," he whispered.

"Hi Trevor," I whispered and tried to look away from him.

"There's that sweet little voice of yours," he squatted in front of me and smiled, his cold, bloodshot eyes staring back at mine.

He yanked my face back and got closer, almost pressing his lips against mine, "I hate the way you left me with no warning... just to see Jackson of all people," he snarled.

"I-I told you he was barely there," I shivered as he moved to my ear.

"You can't lie to me Marti, I know he was in that hotel," he growled at me.

"He was... b-but he left," I gulped.

"Lets hope he burned in the explosion, or he's gonna get the Josh treatment when I find him," he whispered. I shut my eyes tight to hold in my tears from the thought of that.

Please not Jackson. He doesn't deserve that at all. Please don't.

I'll take all of the torture as long as Jackson doesn't have to deal with any of it.

Please torture me instead.

I can take it all.

He threw my face as he stood up straight and walked away from me. "I won't kill you Marti, you're much too precious to me," he said as he walked over to a table. He picked up a scalpel knife and walked back over to me. He grabbed my face again and put the knife near my eyeball, "I've spent too much time training you, it'd be a waste to just kill you off," he said as he moved the scalpel down my face, letting me feel the cool metal on the blade.

At least he isn't slicing my face up... yet... knowing him he might just do it. Add onto the scars I already dawn on my face.

"But I can mutilate you all I want, I know when to stop, so you'd suffer for a few days, but you wouldn't die," he chuckled as he sat in my lap. "Where should I cut first? You get to choose my love."

Just stab me in the heart. You've already ripped it out and stomped on it at this point.

I gulped and put my head down, already feeling burning tears coming out.

What happened to him. We were doing so well for a while. I behaved for so long and he hadn't done anything crazy to me.

I felt like we were truly in love and living life as a regular couple for a bit.

As regular as we could be at least.

When did the sudden change happen?

What made him be this way all of a sudden?

"But I love him dearly..." I whispered.

"What?" He asked.

"That was all a lie wasn't it?" I asked, my voice cracking a bit, still having my head down.

He gripped my hair and pulled my head up and stared into my eyes, "I do love you dearly, Marti, I'll always love you," he said with slight concern in his voice.

Then why. Why are you doing this to me?

"This isn't love Trevor," I cried out to him, feeling the tears pouring down my cheeks.

"This is the only way I know how to love Marti," he said as he pushed my face back, making me head rest on the back of the chair.

This can't be the only way... he has to know there are other options to love other than this.

I don't want to leave him again, but I want to run to the farthest part of the earth away from him at the same time.

I started jerking as he moved the blade towards my shoulder, "Trevor!" I yelled out. He froze and looked back at my face. "I-I can teach you... what real love is..." I whimpered out.

"I'm already broken Marti, you can't fix someone like me," he said quietly and pulled me towards him, pushing my face against his chest, he used the blade to cut down my back slowly. Making me scream out and yank against the cuffs on my wrists and ankles.

Please let me help you.

"Please stop," I begged as he started making another cut.

"I have to make sure you know you belong to me," he whispered in my ear as he rubbed my head softly, making another.

"Fuck!" I yelled out as he made another.

Please stop... I want to help you.

"Don't worry my love, you'll love what you see when I'm all done," he chuckled.

I believe he can be helped. Anyone can change as long as they try. He was changing from when I first met him.

Something set him off... or more like someone. Josh.

He told Trevor he was going "soft" and I'm guessing Trevor panicked.

I can help him get back to who he was. I'm determined to help him. No matter how much pain he puts me through. I can do it.

I closed my eyes tight and bit my lip, almost breaking the skin as I tried to keep in my screams of pain.

"You'll be mine forever," he whispered as he continued.

In that moment I feel like I checked out. I stopped screaming and laid my head against his chest, breathing softly as he was making permanent slices into my skin. Marking me forever as his.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I still feel my heart aching for him. Aching for what we had before. Aching for the soft touches and loving kisses he used to give me.

Why did I run away and drag Jackson into this? He's probably dead because of me now.

I only bring pain and misery wherever I go. I only bring death and depression where I lay my feet.

I can never leave Trevor.

I'm his forever.

I'm his property.

Whether I like it or not.

I dug this grave a long time ago. I need to lay in it and accept my fate. I'm going to die at Trevor's hand if I don't accept him for who he is.

I belong to him.

I looked up at him with a daze in my eyes. He smiled down at me, "you're finally understanding, my love," he said, his voice laced with insanity.

My ears were filled with static as he leaned down to my face, he dropped the bloody scalpel on the concrete floor, letting it clink as it rolled away. He held my cheeks gently as he kissed me passionately.

I do understand Trevor. I understand more than you think I do.

This is who you are and nothing I do, can change that about you. There's nothing I can say to you, that'll change the only way you know how to love.

It's sick, twisted, and malicious.

You know it is.

Yet you don't want to change because you think it'll make you weak. I understand what it's like to be weak. I've been weak all my life.

You've broken me. Fixed me. And broken me again.

Molded me into the perfect doll for your taking.

Only the strong survive.

I understand that now. I'm not one of the strong ones.

"Let's go upstairs my love, we have to pack," he whispered as he ran his fingers down my head, then over my freshly cut skin. He licked my blood off his fingers and smiled brightly.

He stepped off of me and unchained me. I stood up slowly and looked up at him. He had a big smile on his face as he held my hand softly. I stumbled a bit in my step and held onto his arm as I struggled to stand up.

"I'll help you," he said and lifted me up in his arms and carried me up the stairs. I laid my head against his chest as he shut the basement door behind him with his foot.

"Where are we going?" I asked softly as he walked up the stairs to our bedroom.

"Somewhere over the rainbow."