Arya's POV -

My entire body is shivering and It's not from the cold November air. It's from fear.

There's a gut feeling inside of me that is saying something is going to go wrong and I'm trying my best to ignore it.

But the nagging just keeps getting worse.

Izzy and I watch in silence as Grant approaches us less than 10 seconds after Rome leaves, and I give him a nervous smile as he sits beside me.

"Hanging in there?" He asks and I blow out a breath.

"Trying to." I shrug and tap my fingers on the table.

Grant looks over to Izzy with a little bit of an annoyed face making her shrink.

We sit in silence so I decide to just watch the kids near the playground area. I'm surprised there's that many people out here when It's this chilly.

"So..." Grant trails off and I can't help the small smile that touches my lips.

"So...what?" His head turns towards me at my words.

"Well the mood is very depressing right now, let's talk about something to distract ourselves." He says and my mouth drops open.

"You don't want to think about the fact that Ivan and Rome could be shooting at each other right now?" Izzy asks and both our eyes go wide with shock.

Grant's eyes then narrow at the girl sitting across from us.

"No, I don't want to think that all of my friends are being shot at, but thanks." He deadpans and I shut my eyes tightly together.

No, I don't want to think about that either. I just want all of this to be over. I want Ivan to finally go away, to be gone. To never be seen again.

"That isn't helping if you're trying to change the subject, guys." I say softly, biting my lip.

Silence follows again and I shiver, this time a bit from the cold.

We should have went somewhere indoors.

And It's as if Grant read my mind, "Want to go somewhere inside? Maybe a café or something?"

Once I process his question I think of what Rome said a bit ago,

"Listen to me, Ivan has been seen so I want you and Izzy to stay here with Grant. Do not go anywhere, got it?"

"Do not go anywhere, got it?"

"I don't think we should." I mutter and wrap my jacket tighter around myself.

"Why not? You're obviously cold. What about you Izzy? Would you rather be inside?" Grant asks and it takes her a few seconds before giving him a slight nod.

She then sits up a little straighter and directs her attention to me, "Yeah it is getting a bit chilly. I know Rome said to wait here Arya but who knows how long he'll be."

I nibble on my bottom lip as I try to decide. Rome said to stay here.

But Izzy is getting cold.

I'm getting cold as well.

"Nothing will happen if we go to a nearby restaurant or something." Grant says and I finally give in once another minute passes.

"Alright fine, but we're going somewhere close to here. Let me also send a quick text to Rome." They both give me a nod and I take out my phone.

Me: I know you most likely won't see this but Grant, Izzy, and I are going to a nearby restaurant or something since It's getting cold. Please be safe, I love you.

Pressing send I tuck my phone back in my pocket and the three of us stand up.

"Where should we go then?" Izzy questions and Grant takes a glance around.

"I don't know, we'll find somewhere once we're inside the car." He gestures towards the SUV in the distance.

Making our way towards the vehicle, Grant makes a call to the other men that were surrounding the park to follow us which makes me feel slightly safer.

Once the three of us are tucked inside, me in the passenger side and Izzy in the back, Grant turns on the heater.

While Grant looks for somewhere to go, I'm staring at my phone praying for Rome to respond. Any kind of response so I know he's okay but I've gotten nothing.

This doesn't ease my worry at all but I know he's most likely already at whoever's house Ivan was seen at.

Maybe it was Izzy's.

I look through the mirror to see Izzy with a nervous look on her face as well.

"Are you okay, Iz?" I mutter back to her and she snaps her eyes to meet mine through the mirror.

She tries to give me a smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I'm okay, just...nervous is all."

"I know, me too but don't worry I'm sure Rome has everything taken care of." I'm trying to reassure myself as well.

Grant also attempts to ease the distress clearly visible in our words and body language. "Yeah like Rome said, Ivan was already seen so there's definitely no way he's escaping. Especially from a guy like Rome."

I smile at his words and nod, releasing another breath.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three of us decided on a small little restaurant about a mile from the park, so here we are sitting at a table in the corner.

The worry that was once in my chest was gone at first in the car, but now It's back but worse.

It's like the fear inside of me multiplied by ten.

Grant and Izzy both ordered food and drinks, looking completely unfazed and normal about the situation that's happening while I only ordered water and am having an internal panic attack.

Noticing my unease once again, Grant places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Arya, relax. Everything will be fine."

"You don't know that." I whisper, "We have no idea what's going on right now. Rome isn't responding."

"He can't be on his phone if he's beating the shit out of Ivan." He shrugs, sipping on his Iced tea.

I widen my eyes at his words and sigh while Izzy grins at him and gives her own nod of agreement.

"I just hope everyone's safe." I say, eyeing my water. I continue to chant prayers in my head for all of Rome's men and anyone innocent that's in the same area they are.

I hope Rome is okay.

I hope James is okay.

I hope Elijah is okay.

Grant reads a text on his phone and rolls his eyes, typing out a reply.

"I need to make a quick phone call. Don't leave this table, you hear me?" He tells the both of us while standing.

Nodding, he gives us one last look before turning and heading towards the door.

I'm not sure if It's very smart to leave us alone but I know Rome's men are around here somewhere.

I watch as Izzy plays with her napkin, her hands slightly shaking.

"Are you okay?" My eyes fill with worry when she shakes her head.

"N-No I'm-yes! I mean yes, I'm fine." She stutters and I give her a confused look.

"Are you sure? You just said no and then yes."

I'm taken aback when a tear falls from her eye, slipping slowly down her cheek.

"Izzy?" I question while my heart feels like It might fly out of my chest. Why is she crying all of a sudden? Why is she shaking when she was doing okay 10 minutes ago?

"Re-Remember when I said Ivan...threatened to kill people If I didn't listen to him?" She says weakly and I swallow, nodding.

Where is she going with this?

"Yeah...I remember. Why?"

"He did it again." Her words make my body go into shock.

"He what?! When?"

"Today."

"He contacted you again and you didn't say anything?!" I try not to yell but It's quite hard.

She flinches and I recoil back into my seat.

"What did he say Izzy?" I ask and she lets out a soft cry.

Refusing to answer, she looks down and nervously plays with her napkin.

"Izzy! What did he say?" I hiss and she clenches her eyes shut painfully.

"He asked-He asked where we are."

"Where we are? When?"

One more tear falls down her cheek before she meets my eyes.

"In the car."

I look around the restaurant frantically, the chatter in the room disappears as I search for Grant.

"And what did you tell him? Please don't tell me you actually said where we are." My tone is full of fear as her eyes widen.

"I-I'm sorry."

Once the words escape her mouth I fly out of my chair.

"You told him!" I scream, but It's not a question. She told him.

Oh my god, she told Ivan where we're at.

Where I'm at.

"Why would you tell him the truth!?!"

"Arya I'm sorry! You know he threat-"

"Yes I know he did!" I grip my hair, pulling it tightly.

"I also know that Rome and his men could have protected you! They would have! What have you done?!" I scream at her and she sobs.

The restaurant is now filled with silence as everyone watches our encounter.

"Arya please!"

"Please what!? You told him where we're at. He's going to come here Izzy, and then what was your plan? You put the two of us and these people in danger!"

"Arya just liste-"

Her words go straight over my head as I almost trip over my chair, sprinting towards the door at the other side of the restaurant.

People give me crazy looks but I ignore them, my heart beating wildly.

"Grant!" I scream but then my feet stop in place at the sound of gunshots.

The people in the restaurant gasp and yell, getting to their own feet to prepare to run for the hills.

And then yelling.

More gunshots.

More yelling.

A hand touches my back and I yelp, swiftly turning around.

Goosebumps crawl up my arms when I look at the person in front of me.

No.

No.

No.

Ivan stares down at me with a wicked smile.

"Hello Arya, It's nice to see you again."