"The Boss and Leroy are here."

That one sentence froze his blood. Wren tightened his grip on Leah's arms, trying to see her through the darkness, but night shielded her. If he could only see her teasing eyes and playful grin. If only her voice wasn't filled with as much dread and fear as he was feeling. If only-. He swallowed a moan, closing his eyes as reality washed over him. There were no 'if onlys'. They had found him and by his ward's trembling frame, Leah had once again suffered at their hands.

This will never end, He thought. And, it was true. As long as the Boss and Leroy remained free, he would never be able to live a normal life consisting of a wife and children. Even without the prison of debt, he realized he would constantly be living in a prison of looking over his shoulder.

"I've got to finish this." As the words left his lips, a resolve settled over the ex-fighter. A resolve stronger than his fear. 

"What? Wh - What do you mean? We need to run and call the police and -" Leah's panicked words were cut off.

"The police are already on their way to the mansion. You need to go back and lead them here. Okay?"

Leah's hands found the loose material of his shirt and her body began to shake with intensity. "No! No, you can't go! I can't lose you, Wren."

Wren's spirit grieved as he pulled the girl to him, hugging her with the desperation. He knew full well this could be the last time he held her so. Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the top of her piled hair, doubting she had felt it but unable to resist. "And I'm terrified of a life without you, Princess. I'm terrified of them getting away. If we don't stop these guys tonight, there will be no way I can stay with you any longer. Please, be brave and run home. Please. . . I need to do this. People will only keep getting hurt as long as The Boss and Leroy stay free."

Her arms slipped from his chest to around his waist and he was squeezed with such strength, he wasn't sure he would be able to pry them off. But just as he moved to pull away, the young heiress released him and stepped back. Her hands wiped at her face, but even in the dark, he saw her chin lift.

"Beat the living daylights out of them, Butler Boy. I'll bring the police."

Despite the situation, the corner of Wren's lips tipped. "I'll do my best if they are still there."

"Oh my! I forgot!" Leah gasped. "A man helped me escape."

Wren frowned. "A man? What do you mean? Did you recognize him? Did he say his name?"

"No, it was so dark.. He did say he would handle The Boss and Leroy though." Leah paused before crying out. "Oh, Wren! What if he was just a passing civilian? They will kill him!"

Wren's gut twisted. Any hesitation about chasing the men vanished. "Get the police, Leah!"

Moving in unison, the two spun, bolting in opposite directions. Wren's heart pounded as he dashed towards the road at the edge of the forest he knew wasn't far. Perhaps it was his old training as a gangster that he had learned every route and road within a fifty-mile radius upon being hired as a butler.

His steps slowed as he drew nearer before settling into a steady walk. He strained to listen, stopping several times to gather his surroundings before pressing on. Finally, the faint sound of men's voices gave him the definite direction he was needing.

As he slipped from tree to tree, crouching low in the open spaces, he finally slid behind a large Oak that rested on the fringe of the forest. Not far away, he spotted a van and two men hunkered down in front of its tires. Wren's heart thumped at the long hair spilling over one of the men's shoulders. The one person he had never wanted to see again, was not even twenty yards away from him, squatted down at the front of the van.

He watched the Boss lift the van's tire from the hub, grunting as he threw it into the grass beside him. A curse from the other man answered the question of his identity; Leroy loved to curse.

"I should have spilled your guts on this grass, Callihan!" Leroy spat, slamming a fist on the back window of the van from where he stood.

Wren's entire body jarred as shock propelled through him. Callihan? It can't be! He shook his head as if to clear it and strained to listen. No response was forthcoming. Wren pursed his lips as his mind raced. If Callihan was in the back of the van and Leroy was wishing he had killed him, then was it Callihan that had freed Leah? And, by all appearances, destroyed the van's tires? Wren leaned around the trunk, pressing close to its rough bark to survey the situation better, but he still couldn't understand it. Even though he liked his former hand to hand combat instructor, he couldn't imagine him standing against the Boss on his own.

Leroy cursed again, but this time The Boss's cold snap silenced him.

"Just shut up and change the tire," The Boss said. "The priority is to get out of here. We will deal with Callihan later."

Leroy yanked his own tire from the van, stumbling as he threw it to the grass. When he hissed in pain and gripped a leg he was obviously favoring, Wren tucked the information into the back of his memory. "Well," Leroy huffed, " I still think we should just kill him. We don't need no collateral damage to carry around."

The Boss said nothing as he tightened a lug nut, before standing and pointing what looked like a wrench in Leroy's direction. "Don't be a fool. He found us way out in the middle of nowhere. So save your energy because we are going to need your skills to find out how."

Leroy paused to look at the van before chuckling darkly. "Torture huh? I would love to hear Callihan scream."

"Just shut up and get the tire on! Those girls are probably telling the police all about us by now and we need to be long gone. Plus, if Wren knows we are on his trail, then he will be on the move. We need to be in front of the surveillance cameras when he tucks tail. I'm not waiting another five years to find him again!"

Wren's eyes narrowed. How had they planted surveillance cameras without Edward or Bates spotting them? Neither Leroy nor The Boss was that stealthy!

As Wren continued to watch, the two gangsters said little. Wren's plan was simple. Keep an eye on them until the police arrived. But, as The Boss finished with his tire and stood, he knew his plan was rapidly changing for him. Leroy would be finished soon as well.

They can't get away! His desperation gave him courage and the understanding Leah would never be safe again caused his fingers to pulse as they often did before an impending fight. He relaxed his clenched fists, trying to observe every detail possible in the dimness. It was no easy task, but when the Boss tossed his wrench close to the flat tire and rounded the van to the opposite side, Wren didn't hesitate. Hesitation would kill him.

Crouching low to the ground, Wren's steps were silent as he sped to the tool. Not once did he lift his gaze from it, knowing he didn't have time to search for a weapon. His palm connected with cold metal and without stopping his movements covered the distance between him and Leroy in a matter of seconds. What he hadn't expected was for Leroy to whirl, the flash of a knife blade whipping into his hand, but Wren was already two movements ahead of the assassin. The wrench collided with Leroy's temple, a resounding whack filling the silence followed by an echoing thud as Leroy was slammed against the van's metal. Relief was Wren's only emotion as Leroy slumped to the ground face first, dead or unconscious, he wasn't sure.

He whirled but his every movement froze as he stared down the barrel of a pistol. The Boss's dark silhouette stood a good inch over him and even in the darkness, the gangster leader's white teeth flashed as he smiled. Wren knew it wasn't a friendly grin.

"And here I thought you would take off running," The Boss said, sarcasm evident. "Drop the wrench."

Wren's eyes narrowed as he tossed the tool to the side and raised his arms up and away from his body, hoping to still the man from firing the semi-automatic firearm. "I might have except you touched someone important. You did it to flush me out, right?"

A low chuckle was his response, a sound that sent shivers up Wren's spine. "Wrong." The Boss relaxed his tense stance, walking a few steps to the side but his gun never moving from its direct point to Wren's head. Wren moved with him, arms still raised and palms out. "I've planned my revenge on you for years, Adams, but nothing felt satisfactory. That is until I realized you had fallen in love. What better revenge than to rip her away from your arms and put her into the arms of another."

Fury flared inside Wren. His teeth ground together as his former boss's words sank deep into his soul and his open palms clenched into tight balls. "You coward! If you want revenge, you should deal with me and me only! Not innocent girls! You're sick."

"I prefer the term evil."

"You are definitely that."

"I am, aren't I? Now, the question is: Do I kill you and leave you with the knowledge of your girl's fate? Or, do I throw you in the back of my van with Callihan? I don't know... maybe make a deal?"

Wren barked a laugh. "I'm not making any deals with you."

"Don't be so sure. My deal is rather generous."

Wren's scowl deepened. "I know what kind of deals you offer."

"Except this one is unlike the others, Butler Boy."

A second chill ran down his spine. "How did you learn that name?"

"It wasn't hard. Just like it wouldn't be hard to kidnap the girl again."

The urge to snap the man's thick neck caused Wren's body to shudder with restraint. He knew The Boss was trying to scare him and in truth, it was working, but his fury was reaching a level he wasn't sure he could control much longer. "If you touch her, so help me I'll -"

"You'll what? I'm the one with a gun to your head, so shut up and listen. Fight for me again. I'm trying to get a ring set up in another big city but the competition is steep. I need someone with your skill."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"I swear on my title as Boss - I'll not touch Leah Kingsley or anyone you care about if you'll fight for me again."

Wren blinked at the offer, stunned before a slow grin shaped his lips. "You must really be desperate. Did I wipe your feet out from under you that bad? It's a very satisfying thought." Wren's chuckled, delighted to see the Boss' form go rigid. "Here's my answer: Never. I'll die first."

An animalistic growl emerged from The Boss. "You don't care what happens to the girl?"

"Tony's daughter was just kidnapped and if her captors are still on the loose, what do you think will happen? He's already overprotective, but he will go into full panic mode. Reaching Leah's side after this will be next to impossible! Leah will be fine, but you aren't going to be."

"Why is that? Again, I have the gun!" The Boss snapped. But what he didn't notice was the tiny steps forward his former fighter had taken in the hottest moments of their conversation. The movements had been minuscule, but coupled together, had closed the distance enough. Just enough...