I'm a shitty runner.

I'm not one for agility either.

I thought I had made the best escape.

Zeke caught up to me, and fast.

The moment I felt his grip on me I fought to get away.

"Please! *sob* Let me *sob* go!" I pleaded.

"I'm sorry. I'm just doing my job."

"Please! I wanna *sob* go home!" I couldn't breathe.

My body being weak from running and trying to fight off Zeke, I struggled to breathe through my sobbing.

Zeke sat there with me between his legs on the ground, with a firm grip around my waist and upper body.

"I'm sorry. I know things are tough for you. You need to calm down okay?" He tries to coo in my ear.

And I try to fight again. Clawing at his arms and throwing my head back in an attempt to head butt him.

I sob again as I fail miserably.

I felt as though I was going to pass out.

The hiccup sobs and a slight wheeze hit me. I gripped his leg as I struggled to catch my breathe.

Everything went dark.

***

"I understand that boss, I really do but shouldn't you at least explain why?"

I slowly open my eyes and see that Zeke and Hika are both standing at the foot of the bed arguing over something.

The moment Zeke notices I've woken up he gives Hika a pat on the shoulder and exits the room.

"Hey little one, how are you feeling?" He asks me as he makes his way to the side of the bed.

I turned away from him. Though he wasn't angry at my attempted escape, I was.

I tried and failed. I knew I messed up any bit of leeway I had in this house.

He was going to have me followed everywhere. All the time.

It made me mad.

Hika lets out a heavy sigh.

"Zeke said you made it pretty far, and to be honest I'm quite pleased at how you made-"

"I don't care." I cut him off.

"Please. Just leave me alone."

I shut down. If he spoke to me again I didn't listen. I just lay there silently sobbing until I fell asleep.

***

I was back to square one.

Refusing to eat and sleeping all the time.

Nicole had come a few times while I slept, leaving a stuffed animal for me to wake up to.

I sat up, my head being groggy with sobbing the night before.

I slowly made way out of the bed. I needed to pee.

The minute I step out of the door, I notice Zeke sitting in a chair next to the door.

"Great, not only am I held hostage, but now I need a babysitter."

Zeke didn't respond, instead the minute I walked four steps out the door, Zeke was out of the chair and on my tail.

I walked to the bathroom and spun around "You gonna help me pee too?"

Zeke just walk to the wall and stood there with his hands together in front of him.

I shut the door and cried while I relieved myself. After washing my hands I walked out of the bathrrom to find Hika standing there with Zeke.

"Come to my study for a bit?" Hika said in more of a question than an order.

"I'd rather jump off the roof." I spat back and headed back to the room.

"Nicolas!" He shouted at me.

I flinched and stood still. My heart was racing. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder.

His face was begging for me to listen but I just couldn't care. At the moment my mind was numb.

"You need to eat and we need to talk."

I shrugged my shoulders and walked back into the room.

Before I could close the door Hika pushed it open and threw me over his shoulder.

I didn't put up a fight. I just let him.

He opened the door to his study and set me down in the chair.

Though the food in front of me smelled so tempting, I refused to touch it.

"Eat little one."

I said nothing. I wouldn't even look at him. I turned my head and ignored his request.

He let out a sigh of frustration as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Why do you keep acting like this? What is so wrong about being here with us?"

I felt the ping of hurt at that question. I love Nicole.

And though I care for Hika, all I feel right now is anger at being controlled.

I don't respond.

He stands up and rolls his chair to my side and sits as close to me as possible.

He turns me in the chair to face him.

Grabbing a bowl of soup he puts it to my lips.

"Drink this, please. Put something in your stomache."

I swat the bowl away and look away from him.

He breathes heavily in and out through his nostrils.

He takes a large swig of the soup and grabs me by the chin.

Tilting my head back, he squeezes my face to where my mouth opens. He leans down the lets the liquid in his mouth flow into mine.

I try to push him away, but my body is weak and his is like brick. I slap his arms as I feel the tears fall from the side if my eyes. He picks up the bowl and repeats.

Through the sobs he kisses me.

"Please. Stop hurting yourself." He kisses me again.

"You have no idea, just how much I really love you Nicolas." He kisses me again.

"W-Why *sob* are y-you doing *sob* th-this?"

"I don't want you to live in fear. *kiss* I want you to get better. *kiss* I want you to be free *kiss*."

"Th-Then why *sob* a-are you *sob* keeping m-me here?"

"Because James got away from my men. He's somewhere out there and we can't locate his whereabouts."

The fear has kicked in.

"D-Don't... *sob* I.. c-can't *sob* P-Please don't let him find me Chikao!" I leapt in to his arms.

I broke.

My biggest fear is out there.

Waiting.

It was only a matter of time...