I looked at Alec. "How do you know that?"

Alec shrugged. "I pretended to be unconscious when we got here, so I overheard a few things."

I looked around the dark room we were in and swallowed.

"Did you happen to hear where we are?"

Alec smiled. "I know exactly where we are."

"Why are you smilin'?"

Alec chuckled. "Because I hate irony, and being in Darkness is about as ironic as things can fucking get right now."

I widened my eyes. "Darkness? The club where Bronagh, Damien, and Alannah were held by Marco a few years ago?"

Alec winked. "Good memory."

I frowned at him. "Why are you bein' like that?"

"Like what?"

"Cold."

"Cold? Me? I'm barely even lukewarm compared to you, baby."

I looked down. "I'm not cold, Alec."

"You are an ice queen, you heartless bitch."

I flinched and Alec laughed.

"Don't you dare play the wounded little girl, I know who you really are."

No, you don't.

I didn't respond to Alec, telling him I was pretending about all the vile stuff I said back at the apartment would fall on deaf ears right now because he was mad. I groaned as I pushed myself up to my feet. I placed my hand on the cold dark wall to steady myself when my head got dizzy.

That wanker who grabbed me hit me hard.

"We need to find a way out of here."

Alec laughed. "Don't let me stop you from searching for a way out, as you can see I'm a little tied up here."

I ignored him and looked around the room, I slowly walked over to the only door and tested the handle.

It was locked.

"Damn it."

"They won't make things that easy for you, princess."

I turned to face Alec.

"Stop it, hatin' me won't get us out of here. Put a stopper on your feelin's for a minute and focus."

Alec grinned. "Tell me what to do again, baby. I love it when you give me orders."

Damn him.

I stalked over to Alec and bent down until I was face to face with him.

"Hate me all you want, but I need you to focus so we can get out of here. Think of Bronagh."

Alec flicked his eyes to Bronagh's unconscious body and set his jaw.

"This is all your fault."

My fault?

"What? How?"

Alec growled, "If you never came to my house looking for my help we wouldn't fucking be here."

I felt tears gather in my eyes but I blinked them away.

"I had no idea about Marco's existence or about me uncle's business life when I met you. I had no idea any of this would happen! How dare you place the blame at me feet, I didn't put us here... Marco did."

Alec hissed at me and it frightened me so I pulled away and fell back onto my arse and yelped in pain.

It really hurt.

"What do you know you can feel something."

I turned my head away from Alec as I began to cry.

"Your crocodile tears won't get you any sympathy with me."

I covered my face with my hands and sobbed.

How the hell did this mess happen?

Alec sighed. "Enough, Keela."

I cried harder.

He was being so cruel. This wasn't the Alec I knew, this was a darker side to him.

"God dammit, why are you crying?"

"Because of you!"

"Me?"

"Yes you. You're bein' horrible to me."

Alec laughed. "For good reason."

No, not for good reason!

"Look, I lied to you when I said all that stuff back in me apartment. I did what you tried to do, I made you hate me to keep you safe. Me uncle told me if I didn't stay away from you or you family, that he would kill you all. I don't want that to happen so I said all that horrible stuff about us bein' fake so you would get mad and hate me... So you would never want to see me again... So you would be safe."

I pressed my face down into my knees as my tears fell.

"How am I supposed to believe you? How can I be sure that you aren't saying this as some sort of ruse?"

I cried harder. "Because I'm not horrible, I'm a good person! I did what I had to do to keep you safe and you hate me for it!"

Silence.

"Keela."

I ignored Alec.

"Keela!" he called my name, louder this time.

"What?" I snapped.

"Prove what you said in your apartment was a lie, prove you care for me."

What?

"How can I do that? You won't believe a word I say."

"Show me."

Show him?

I wiped my face and my running nose then turned to Alec.

"Show you?" I asked.

He nodded. "Show me... or are you to disgusted to touch me?"

I swallowed.

Before, I could only see him willingly touching Dante and Everly in my head, but now I can only see him being forced into a situation that he had no control over.

He didn't disgust me. Not in the slightest.

I carefully crawled over to him then straddled his body and placed my hands on his warm cheeks and brought my head down to his. I looked into his blue eyes and I rested my head against his and inhaled his scent.

"We're real," I whispered then covered his mouth with mine. I kissed him with every fibre in my body to show him how much he meant to me.

I felt my tears fall as I kissed Alec, they ran down to my mouth and blended into our kiss. Alec passionately kissed me back, and if he'd had the use of his hands, I knew he would be holding me tightly to him.

I slowly pulled back from kissing Alec and rested my forehead on his as I caught my breath.

I opened my eyes and found Alec's blue orbs staring back at mine.

"Hi," he whispered.

I cried. "Hey."

"I've missed you so much, kitten."

He believed my kiss.

He believed me.

I sobbed, "I've missed you too, playboy. I'm so sorry for leavin' you. I should have gave you a chance to explain when you wanted to-"

"Shh. It's okay, it's in the past now."

I put my arms around Alec and cried.

I cried until no more tears fell from my eyes.

"You look like shit," Alec said after I calmed down.

An unexpected laugh tore from my throat. "You don't look so hot yourself."

Alec brushed his nose against mine. "Can I ask you a question?"

I lightly grinned. "You just did."

Alec smiled. "You know what I mean."

I pecked his lips. "Yes, you can ask me whatever you want."

"Okay, will you marry me?"

I momentarily forgot how to breathe and began to cough when my lungs protested.

When I got a handle on myself I looked at Alec through wide eyes.

"What did you just say?"

Alec smiled. "Will you marry me?"