I flinched when I heard the safety of the gun click off and felt the cold stab of the gun being pressed harder into my temple. My muscles were frozen into immobilisation as I knew if I made one wrong move then I could be dead in a second. I needed the bikie distracted so I could use my self-defense techniques on him.

Blake's expression had morphed into one of pure horror, his eyes were wide, and he gasped in panic.

"Please don't hurt her," Blake begged, his body becoming limp in the bikies grip as he lost the desire to fight back. The bikies were now holding his body weight and they released him throwing him with a frustrated grunt causing Blake to fall to the floor on his knees with a crash.

"I will do anything you want, anything." His eyes were pleading, and his tone had changed into a beseech.

From behind me I heard the bikie laugh at Blake's begging, his head was lowered, and his hands were clutching the ground for support.

"Anything you say, will you stand there and allow me to shoot you? So now you can know how it feels to be helpless, chained to someone else wishes," the bikie behind me mocked. A light entered Blake's dead eyes for a moment and he raised his head.

"Yes, do anything to me. Just don't hurt her," he agreed with urgency. But what frightened me more was not the thought of Blake being shot but by the way he had no fear in his eyes of it, like being shot was nothing to him.

"Well since you asked so kindly." He bikie spluttered out a humorous roar of laughter loving having Blake begging.

The bikie holding me released the gun from my temple to aim it at Blake. I noticed him aim for Blake's foot and a stream of horror filled me just as he pulled down on the trigger. I knew that this was my time to fight back when he was only holding me by one hand, I elbowed him in the stomach and swung out of his hold. Just as I did I used my other hand to knock the gun out of the grip of the bikie. But I was too late the gun still fired with a mighty bang.

My face dropped in terror at the thought of Blake being shot but when I glanced to him with panicked eyes, he looked straight back with no pain in them. There was a yell of agony to his right and I skipped my eyes over to the see that the other bikie had been shot in the foot. I released a deep breath as I realised that he missed Blake because I knocked the gun out of his hands.

Now I was free from the hold of the bikie I quickly lunged for the gun that now laying on the floor. The bikie seemed to be in shock that he just shot his friend, so it was easy when I rose from the ground and swung the gun into his face. I slapped him in the face with the hilt of the gun causing his body to spin and flail to the floor. His body crashed to the floor with a nightly yelp of agony from him and he didn't get back up again. I kicked him just to make sure and when he didn't move a muscle I reverted my attention straight back to Blake.

Blake was no longer restrained as one of the bikies was now crouched on the floor howling in pain clutching his foot. The other bikie Blake had incapacitated and he was now was lying on top of the bikie who wasn't shot plummeting him with punch after punch. The guy Blake was punching was bleeding from his nose which lay crooked, broken and curled into a ball, as he couldn't fight back from an enraged Blake.

I held the gun tucked into my side but still in my grip, so I could use it if desperately needed as I ran to Blake. His face was overtaken with fury, his lips were pulled back into a sneer as he hurt the guy before him without any sympathy.

When I reached Blake, I dropped to my knees beside him and I wrapped my hand around his wrist just as he was about to take another punch. His fist jerked in my grip, but I held strong and Blake's eyes snapped to mine. A jolt ran through my veins when our eyes met, I saw his pupils were dilated through the balaclava, making him not look like Blake at all.

I ignored it through and lowered my lips into his ear as I spoke so only he could hear me speak his name.

"Blake," I breathed desperately. His movements stilled midair and he swiveled his face to mine. My stomach lurked into my throat when I looked into his eyes and saw hatred and murder there, he was so imbued with rage. I grabbed his cheeks with both of my hands, so he could only look at me.

"Stop, you are killing him," I urged, trying to pull him away from his darkness.

"I don't care," Blake spat in return, but he didn't try to back away from my hold.

"We have to go," I demanded, releasing his face to grab his hand and pull him away. Just as I was getting him to cave to my wishes his expression changed, his mouth falling open and his eyes looked behind me as they pooled with horror.

"Rose, look out," he gasped in terror. I only had a moment to spin around to see what was behind me to see the bikie I thought I had knocked out earlier punch my face causing pain to radiate out through my mouth and jaw. The pain was so immense my body collapsed to the floor where my head bashed into the ground causing further agony to emerge through my brain. My body stayed collapsed on the floor as my vision blurred and splotches of blackness filled my vision and my head spun.

But I was still awake, and I heard Blake punch the bikie in the jaw so hard he collapsed to the floor and lost conciseness.

I saw through blotches of blankness Blake's eyes lock on the passed-out form on my attacker in longing like he was fighting every instinct within him not to return to beat him up as well. But as soon as his eyes flickered to me he knelt to his knees beside me and placed a hand onto my cheek.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, concern radiating from his tone.

"Dandy," I spluttered. Blake raised his eyebrows in skepticism. I tried to get up, but my head spun so badly I thought I was going to be sick.

"Blood hell, everything is blurry," I coughed, returning my head to the pavement. "I feel like that one time I got a tooth taken out."

"Shit, you are concussed," Blake worried, placing a hand onto my forehead. When he pulled his hand away there was blood on his hands.

"I am taking you to the hospital." Blake's eyes were filled with conviction, I wasn't getting out of this one.

"That's probably for the best," I agreed, given I didn't think I could even get up by myself.

His eyes searched mine, completely filled with worry as I tried to bring my head up but closed my eyes tightly due to the spinning.

Then suddenly Blake wrapped his arms around my legs and shoulders and scooped me up from the floor into his arms. Unprepared for the sudden motion I wrapped my arms around his neck to stabilise myself. My head spun from the jolting of my body and I let my head fall forward into Blake's throat to try and stop the spinning.

I didn't complain because my head was whirling too much for me to walk confidently on my own and my stomach was rolling with nausea, I had to place all my focus on trying not to vomit. Every time Blake's foot hit the pavement I felt it rock and swirl through my head and stomach. Blake was holding me tightly to him like I was made of glass.

"Where is your car?" Blake asked softly. I didn't move my head from the spot in his neck when answering.

"Car park on Wellington street." Then swallowed from the bile that rose in my throat. He walked to my car in silence and when he placed me into the passenger seat I sighed in relief at being on stable ground. He walked around into the driver's seat as I laid my forehead onto the window closing my eyes.

"We are ten minutes away from a hospital," Blake reassured in a worried tone as he started the car with a rev.

"I am fine." I waved him off but then needed to drop my head back down from the spinning. After a few minutes of driving I started to feel better, good enough to talk and there was something very important I wanted to ask Blake.

"You were going to let him shoot you for me?" I asked astounded, I still couldn't believe the way he begged for me, almost like he cared if I was hurt. I wanted to find out the reason why he reacted like that, because I wanted to know more. I wanted more of what he made me feel when he put everything on the line for me.

"Yeah, I guess it was a good thing you stopped him," he agreed as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he drove with one hand on the wheel.

"You are an idiot," I scoffed.

"Thanks." He smiled his dimpled smile and I couldn't keep my eyes off him. The way he spoke so confidently and sure about his actions to prevent me from being hurt even though it would have meant tremendous amounts of pain for him was making my heart jump in my chest in happiness.

"Oh also, Lisa put everything she could find on that code studio account onto this USB. You can have a look through if you want?" I remembered as I pulled out the USB from my pocket and handed it out to him. His eyes lightened up and his mouth fell open in reaction.

"Thank you, that means a lot." He was eyeing the USB like it was made of gold, a rare gem he had been searching for years. He took it out of my hand and placed it into his jacket pocket securely.

With a jolt I realised that my mother was going to worry if I wasn't going to be home soon. I moved my attention to my phone to text her that I was going to be late home.

As we neared the hospital I noticed Blake's fingers were tapping on the steering wheel anxiously and when we pulled up they began squeezing the wheel so tightly that his hands turned white. Blake waked up to my door with shaky steps and opened my door for me. He was about to pick me up again, but I flicked him off as my head wasn't spinning so much now.

"I can walk, I am feeling a lot better."

He took a few steps back giving me space to get out the car, but I noticed that he stumbled a bit as his knees were shaking. I looked at him with my eyebrows pinched together in confusion, I didn't know why he was acting so strangely.

We walked up to the hospital front doors in silence and just as we were about to walk in Blake stopped suddenly. Then I felt him grab onto my hand haunting my movements as well. I turned around to face him with my eyebrows raised in question.

It was his expression that hit me first, it was completely filled with fear. His eyes were narrowed as he glared in horror at the hospital behind me.

"Rose," he spoke in almost a gasp and his voice quivered. "I can't go in there." He shook his head vehemently. His eyes kept flickering between me and the hospital doors. His body was rigid, and I saw his hands were shaking, I knew instantly what he was referring to, his fear of hospitals. I remembered the night Blake was in a fight and I wanted to take him to the hospital, he strongly refused. I wondered why.

"I will be fine, you go home." I knew it was hard for him to be even here and I didn't want to cause him anymore distress. I knew just by his reactions that coming this far was difficult for him and he was only doing this for me.

It was visible to see the relief on his features when I said this, his tight shoulders slumped and the lines on his forehead smoothened.

"Text me when you leave, I will pick you up, no matter the time," he promised. My features softened, and my heart filled with warmth at his care for me. I felt like I wanted to show him the same care back.

"Thank you, Blake," I smiled and leaned into him to kiss his cheek softly. His skin was rough from his shaved hair and I allowed my lips to run over the uneven surface. I pulled away slowly to look into his eyes, which had now widened slightly and there was a soft pink tinge on his cheeks. I smiled at him and swivelled around on my heels to walk into the building, but Blake spoke again. When I faced him this time his eyes were serious, and his expression was sober. He stepped up closer to me, so close I could see a mole on the side of his jaw.

"A few weeks ago, you said that there are people who care about me, did you include yourself in that statement?" He asked earnestly. My mouth fell open in shock at the boldness of his question, but I knew I wanted to answer this honestly. I inhaled a deep breath of courage before speaking.

"Yes," I admitted, staring straight into his eyes. And because I was I could see his eyes flash in pain and then he lowered them, so I couldn't read his reaction anymore. He didn't say anything for a long time and finally I waved him goodbye and walked into the hospital, leaving his remaining form frozen in the same position until long after I left him.

***

After a hefty few hours in the waiting room I finally saw a doctor. I had to make up a lie that I had fallen down the stairs and they believed me. I was given some medication for my head and they needed to stitch up the gash on my forehead. Then I was given the all clear to go home. Given it was so late when I was released I didn't want to call Blake and wake him, so I caught a taxi home.

When I arrived home the house was dark, my mother had gone to sleep, and Blake was nowhere to be seen. Feeling woozy from the drugs I was given I trudged into my bedroom nearly collapsing against the door when I opened it. My room was dark as the rest of the house and when I switched the light on my eyes were drawn to a movement on the floor. I yelped in surprise when I saw that Blake was sitting on the floor with his back against my wardrobe with his head in his knees, which were pulled up to his stomach.

His head snapped up instantly when I walked into the room. His eyes locked with mine and I noticed with a shock that his eyes were red and ringed with dark shadows. My eyebrows kitted together in worry as I watched him, why was he sitting in a dark room with his head in his knees? This couldn't be good.

As his eyes focused onto me he jumped up instantly and strode up to me placing his hand onto my elbow. His hand was warm and his gesture protective.

"Why didn't you call me to pick you up?" He asked sternly, his eyes squeezing together in anguish.

"I didn't want to wake you, it was easier to catch a taxi." I shrugged, brushing it off. His eyes narrowed, looking like he wanted to argue but had a more important question to ask.

"What happened? What did they say?" I released a deep breath and collapsed onto my bed. Blake followed my movements guiding my arm with his hand on my elbow lowering me softly onto the bed and only then released my arm.

"All is well, I just needed a few stitches and they gave me some medication," I explained kicking my shoes off onto the floor. Blake was quiet staring down at me and when I glanced up at him finally my heart jumped out of my chest. His eyes were haunted, and his lips were turned down in a gloomy expression.

"I am so sorry this happened to you Rose," he apologised sincerely, his eyes burning with intensity.

"It is my fault, I shouldn't have gotten myself involved." I shook my head brushing off his statement and yanked my socks off.

"You deserve better." His words were so filled with agony and torment that my head snapped up to his. His expression was riddled with guilt as he stood there with his hands hanging by his side looking lost and broken with his red ringed eyes. Just seeing him so vulnerable and broken caused my heart to break and with a rush of defiance I jumped up from the bed, so our faces were nearly touching.

"I deserve, what I decide I deserve, no one else," I declared staring straight into his eyes.

His gaze roamed my face, his features were stoic as he looked at the bruises forming on my cheeks and I knew that I crossed a line tonight, getting myself hurt because of him. Blake walked straight past me out the room without acknowledging my statement and out the front door. I knew in that moment that he was going to push me away again, maybe forever this time.

***

Hey guys!

Another chapter so soon? It must be Christmas :D

Thanks all for reading Xx