There we were, racing down the stairs to avoid the person who was chasing us about 1 floor up. 

Here's the thing about destroying an office and stealing a file; if you leave, you're fine. If you get caught, you're fucking screwed.

So we ran, until we got to about the third floor. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything. The only sign that I hadn't lost Rico was the sound of his breathing beside me. I looked around rapidly for an escape because I could also hear their steps above us.

Rico found one.

But there's no way I'm taking it.

He picked up a large paperweight and threw it at a window with a huge amount of force, pulling a lighter out of my pocket while I was too stunned to move and lighting a paper on fire, creating a small bonfire near the door.

"What are you doing," I asked, my heart barely beating as he went to the window and looked down.

"We have to take the window, the guys are right below us. Starting the fire will keep them from following us."

When he put out his hand and gestured for me to follow him I backed away.

I am terrified of heights.

It's my only fear.

"I-I can't. Just go, I'll find another way out."

A loud banging sounded from behind the doors, in my stunned and scared state I ducked low and put my hands over my ears. 

This is all too much.

Rico must have sensed my fear because he came to kneel in front of me so he was on my level. He pulled my hands from my head and put both of his on either side of my slight frizz.

Damn this heat.

He looked directly into my eyes with those dark ones.

"We have to go."

Somehow, I found my traitorous head nodding. He helped me stand up, by now the fire had spread to a majority of the room as a result of all the paper in the office. I was glad that I gave Liam the files before he left.

I inched to the window, my arms tucked around myself as if to hold me together. I peered over the edge. Liam and Jeremy were in the van just under the window, but it was too far. It looked like it was getting further by the second.

I closed my eyes tight and pulled back sharply.

He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer though.

"It's going to be okay. Most people won't even die from a fall this high. Just a broken arm if you aren't careful enough," he tilted my chin up to look at him. I had tears on my face," Who are you?"

"M-Mary."

"Mary who? Who are you?"

"I-I'm Mary, Queen of Angels."

"Say it again."

"I'm Mary, Queen of Angels."

"One more time."

"I am Mary, Queen of Angels."

"What are you Mary?"

"I'm a survivor," his encouragement got me on some kind of an ego high," I'm a fucking queen."

"Then let's go."

I nodded, fear starting to inch up again. He put out his hand for me to hold, which I gladly took and held onto for dear life.

I don't want to die.

The door burst open behind us but we were already falling. 

Falling.

Dropping.

Going down.

I screamed at the top of my lungs but was pulled into a warm pair of arms just before we hit the hard metal of the top of the van. My side stung from the impact but that didn't stop me form standing up on shaky legs and looking up at the window we just fell from.

Rico Hernandez is fucking insane.

I just fell 3 stories.

Oh, my god.

I ran my hands through my now un-straightened hair and let out a laugh of awe and stun. I'm alive. Fear just got bitch slapped.

Rico stood up too and let out a whoop of excitement, pumping his fist in the air. I was gazing at his joyful face for just a moment before I realized something-

He could have just left.

He could have gone down the stairs and left me there to get caught.

He didn't.

This thought haunted me as we climbed into the car to go out for drinks to celebrate, something I gave Rico permission to join in because of his help.

The boys were singing some stupid song along with the radio while drinking beers. I sat on the stool and watched the news.

Fire at Reagan Enterprising.

A small smile formed on my face and I glanced at Rico beside me, he was singing along to the song as well. I called his attention and he turned to me, a smile still plastered on his face.

"Why didn't you just leave me? You could be with your brother right now and half way to your father's territory."

He looked down and thought about it a while, his leg jumping as he considered his reply.

Maybe he was considering his actions.

"You know," he looked around suddenly," This looks a lot like the bar we were at when you took me back to your place."

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement.

"Do you remember what you told me?"

"'Fuck off.'"

"No," he chuckled before his eyes narrowed at something. His fingers found a strand of hair that was still semi straight and he started to twirl it around a finger," You told me you weren't afraid of anything."

I looked down.

I had said that.

"Don't look like that, there's nothing wrong with being afraid. There's also nothing wrong with shooting down a guy at a bar," something over my shoulder caught his eye before he continued," You might have to do that now."

I was about to ask him what he meant, I was too lost in his kind words and big, brown eyes to understand the meaning to his words. He could have been speaking Chinese for all the good it did because the next thing I know I hear a seriously drunk voice behind me.

"Hey, baby," he slurred. 

A shiver of disgust rolled down my spine. This is gonna be a long night.