I looked across the cage where Silva and Lucas stood, separated only by an announcer holding a microphone.

On the opposite end of the cage I spotted Daniel, Miguel, and Kyle. They looked nervous. That made four of us.

Miguel and Kyle were focused on Lucas and Silva in the cage but Daniel was looking at me.

He shot me a smile and a small wave. I returned it, feeling ridiculous for waving at a time like this.

He gestured to his phone and then to the exit, making a few seemingly random gestures in between. I shook my head at him and mouthed an exaggerated "What?"

He repeated the gesture as though I'd spontaneously understand the random movements, this time lifting his fist in the air and twirling it around. I waved my arms in exasperation this time. "What?!"

He threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes. He was annoyed with me?!

Miguel seemed to notice Daniel at this point and turned to scold him. Daniel gestured to me and back to Lucas before he pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"These men need no introduction! Former reigning champion, Silva the Axe Murderer and current middle weight champion, Lucas Miller!" An announcer presented the two fighters in the middle of the ring.

Silva stood with a sneer splattered across his face. That introduction had probably left him wanting to murder the announcer. In fact, the announcer saw this and took an unsure step backwards.

"Er, both exceptional fighters! No competition there!" The announcer corrected quickly, "without further ado!" He backed off and wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead, his panic clear in his face as he stepped out of the cage.

Silva rubbed his hands together before dashing forward towards Lucas, fists already swinging.

Lucas placed his arms in front of his face to protect himself. Silva changed his position and jabbed into Lucas's ribs, hitting continuously.

Lucas used his leg to uppercut Silva, who stepped back in disorientation.

Lucas used this to his advantage as he leapt forward and pounded into Silva's face. He was striking so fast and with so much force it looked like he was using a speed punching bag - the bag being Silva's head.

Lucas's eyes were trained forward as Silva reached into the waist band of his shorts and pulled out a knife.

He took a swipe at Lucas who jumped back quickly. "No!" I shouted in horror.

Underground fights had no rules but this was sleazy even for Silva. I looked to Kaz who looked just as surprised as I was. "This is the man of honour that you've given your loyalty to?" I snapped angrily.

He said nothing to me, but his silence spoke volumes. He was in too deep. This was his world just as much as it was Silva's, though he tried to rationalize it. You couldn't. This was wrong.

Silva swiped his dagger again and slashed into Lucas's side, blood rushing out of the gash. He used this moment to jab at Lucas's leg. Lucas was trying in vain to avoid the knife, but Silva looked maniacal, holding his knife like an extension of his arm and jabbing wildly.

I could see Lucas's face calculating. He eyed the knife, Silva's face, and finally Silva's stance. He paused for a moment and jumped on Silva's body as Silva held the knife upwards. It pierced him somewhere from his abdomen to his chest but I couldn't see where it hit.

Lucas's arms curl around Silva's throat, grasping him in a guillotine chokehold, he grips his head as he falls backwards, intending on disarming Silva.

Silva's chin pushes into his chest and his head slams flat against the concrete.

The next twenty seconds happen so quickly, I feel as though it's hours.

"Police! Hands up!" Several men in uniform scamper forward, followed by Ashley, Mr. Greggs, and Ms. Smith.

I look to Lucas who is standing with his hands behind his head, his chest heaving as he stares at me, his expression unreadable. Blood gushes from several wounds in his body.

I look to Silva to see him unmoving on the mat, but his chest is rising and falling so I know he's alive.

I look to Kaz who also has his hands behind his head, a look of remorse clear on his face.

Miguel, Kyle, and Daniel are all talking to the police. The crowd dispersed faster than I'd ever seen it happen before.

The police currently had Frank and Kaz in custody and several moments later, an ambulance drove up to take Silva away in handcuffs. His body remained motionless.

My woozy head was starting to feel too heavy to cope with and I registered the pain of cold concrete as my body fell into a colourless abyss.

I awoke to the beeping of a heart monitor that I'd heard countless times in my career. I opened an eyes to see Daniel's face mere inches from my own, his head resting on his arms on the hospital bed.

I jerked back, "Ah!" I shouted in surprise.

"Okay, slight overreaction, Em," Daniel rolled his eyes at me, his ever-present smile plastered on his face.

"Sorry, you scared me." I looked around the room, hoping to see Lucas but finding it empty. "What happened?"

"You pulled a Sleeping Beauty on us," Daniel explained. "After you knocked out, the police arrested Silva, Kaz, and Frank. Lucas is in the room next to you. They won't let him go until they're done stitching him up, but he wanted me to stay with you."

I nodded and looked down at my legs, currently covered with a blanket. "How bad is it?"

Daniel held onto my hand, "Em, this isn't going to be easy," he maintained solemn eye contact, "You're paralyzed. I know it's going to be hard, but I've applied to be your caretaker during this difficult time in your life."

I gave him a blank stare and used my good leg to nudge his chair.

He grinned, "I couldn't help it. You have a pretty bad concussion and you've had to have a blood transfusion for blood loss. You'll also need to be in a cast for a few weeks."

"How did the police find us?" I asked as I reached for a cup of water that sat at the table near me.

"Apparently your neighbour was waiting on you to bake cookies or something - side note, what kind of boring nightlife do you keep that you bake with your elderly neighbour during your time off? Your friend, Ashley came to your apartment because you hadn't answered your phone all day and the two met up, figured it had something to do with an underground fight and contacted Lucas through your reporter friend's resources and a license plate that your neighbour remembered Lucas had. Crazy stalker, much? They talked and concocted a plan to catch Silva in the act of attempted murder and kidnapping."

"Wow," I stated in shock.

"I know," Daniel sighed. "It's all over the news, you friend is making sure it travels fast. But, I think we should focus on something important here - we need to work on understanding each other without words."

I laughed, "What on earth were you signing anyway?"

"I was trying to tell you that help was coming."

"That was so far off of what I got," I laughed.

Daniel looked at me and grabbed my hand, "Emily, what you did for me back there with Silva... no words can express how grateful I am that you cared enough to do something like that. I love you, Em." Daniel's eyes teared up and he gave me a shaky smile.

I reached out for him, ignoring my aching and burning body and wrapped my arms around him, "I love you too, Daniel. I'd do that any time of the day, in any situation, at any point in my life."

The door shoved open and in walked a frowning, cranky looking Lucas. He caught my gaze and he immediately smiled with relief, the expression causing butterflies in my stomach. I had truly missed him.

"You're awake," he breathed. He had dark circles under his eyes and his body was bandaged up. He looked like he had been through hell. He probably had.

"What's got you so grumpy?" I smiled.

He sprinted towards me and gently wrapped his massive arms around my frame, warmth already taking over my entire body.

"I need to restock my candy stash," Daniel stated loudly before leaving the room.

Lucas leaned back and placed his hands around the sides of my face. "What on earth were you thinking?" He frowned at me as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead, my cheeks, my hair, my neck. "Hm?"

"I really wanted to get out of baking cookies with Ms. Smith," I chuckled as he continued to kiss every inch of my face. "Watch your wounds!"

Lucas paused and his intense gaze locked onto my face, "You're my guardian angel, Emily. I mean that. You've literally been sent as my salvation. Where would I be without you? Where would any of us be? I can't express to you what you mean to me." Lucas's pale blue eyes were misty by the end.

I had made both brothers cry in the span on five minutes.

~~~~~

There's just the epilogue left! Any questions leftover will be answered then.

Please bear with me, I'm trying to tie together all the loose ends of this story and I want to do it justice, not just rush to get updates out.

Trust me, I am working on this. It's just too close to my heart for me to rush.