Rex was staring at me funny.

He had been all day actually, though he just kept saying 'nothing' whenever I asked what was wrong. He was also being a lot more quiet than usual. I mean, I was used to his silent brooding demeanor, but this was on a whole other level.

It was Sunday, and besides a quick trip to the grocery store, Rex had rejected any invitation to leave the apartment. Even when the boys asked if we wanted to go to a race that night, he blatantly refused. Which, according to what Trey said about how Rex never missed a race, was beyond weird. I kept my concerned thoughts to myself though, and ended up sitting quietly across from him eating the Ben and Jerry's we got at the grocery store. I know it was almost winter, but anytime is ice cream time!

I glanced up from the chocolatey goodness to see those dark eyes locked on me—again. Actually, they haven't waivered all day, and while I loved the attention from him, concern swelled in my chest once again. I frowned and stuck the spoon into the sugary dessert. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked softly as Rex sat with his back pressed against the couch's armrest. His long legs kept me caged against the cushions.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" His voice was casual enough, but that gaze refused to leave mine. Every once and a while he would roam those eyes over my entire body, but it wasn't in the creepy way Jason used to. No, it was almost like he was making sure I wasn't hurt or hadn't lost a limb since the last time he checked. It made me squirm uneasily against the other armrest.

"You've been staring at me all day." I mumbled down into the ice cream before scooping another bite into my mouth.

Those mind-numbing lips of his raised briefly at the corners, before dropping just as fast. "I always stare at you. You just never notice." I wasn't sure why that made me blush, but I felt that familiar heat stain the back of my neck anyways. I kept my face turned completely down towards the ice cream.

"Then why am I noticing now?" I countered softly, though I was just trying to tease that look out of his dark eyes. It was scaring me. He almost seemed angry, but there was no malice in his voice and his movements were all calm and deliberate. I wasn't sure what was wrong, but I had a sickening feeling I had something to do with it. He wouldn't resent me for the job thing, right? I-I did tell him to take it in the end! He was the one who said no.

Rex shrugged, though his eyes never wavered from mine. I let out a small sigh before sticking the lid back on the ice cream. I wasn't going to force him to tell me if he didn't want to. As long as I didn't do anything wrong and he wasn't upset at me, I wouldn't put him. "Where are you going?" Rex suddenly sprang forward as I stood from the couch, his hand like iron as it gripped around my wrist. I shot him a raised eyebrow in surprise, though it quickly fell when I saw the panic swirling behind his dark gaze.

What in the world...?

"I-I'm just going to put the ice cream up so it doesn't melt." I stared down at the dessert than back at those frightened chestnut eyes. Okay—something was really wrong.

"You can't go alone." He shook his head, like that was the most obvious thing in the world, and stood quickly to his feet. Was he seriously about to escort me into the kitchen?

"The kitchen is literally right over there." I pointed towards the empty doorframe and the sink we could clearly see from the couch. "It's not like I'm leaving the apartment, T'." I said a whole lot softer when that hard edge in his eyes didn't fade.

"I can't see you from here though. Someone could break through the window and—" He cut himself off mid-sentence, like he realized how ridiculous that sounded, and let out a deep breath.

My eyes were wide in disbelief, especially because his arms had wrapped tightly around my waist like he didn't plan on letting me move anytime soon. "We're not on the first floor, T'." I said the nickname softly again, like that would get through whatever part of his brain was in control. "No one can break through the window." I placed the hand that wasn't holding the ice cream on his arm gently, but his touch didn't ease. "I'll only be a second. I promise."

His jaw clenched and that hard gaze flickered towards the kitchen. He shook his head. "I'll just go with you then." He tried to force a smile onto that handsome face, but there was no hiding the desperate look in his eyes. I kept my worried thoughts to myself, and let him drag me silently into the kitchen.

"Did something happen while you were gone yesterday?" I asked carefully as he pulled us to a stop in front of the refrigerator. He had something to take care of for a few hours yesterday afternoon, and by the time he got I was already sleeping. Something must have happened during that time it was the only thing that made sense.

Rex didn't say anything for a minute, just shoved the ice cream into the freezer with that hard expression pulling at his lips. It wasn't until he closed the door with a resounding 'thud' that he let out a sigh and turned towards me. "Yeah, you can say that." He grumbled and leaned against the counter at our side, those dark eyes scanning over every inch of my face.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I laid my hand over his upper arm, though he reached up quickly to take it into his.

"I..." He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before continuing. "I went to Boston yesterday." Rex started slowly, his chestnut gaze dropping to our hands.

"Why?" I encouraged as he reached for my other hand until he was holding both of them in a firm grip against his chest.

"To talk to your dad." The blood drained from my face at his words, and I suddenly realized why he was caging my hands against him. So I wouldn't run away. "I just went to tell him I didn't want the job, that's the only reason."

Except, with the way Rex was looking at me right then, I had a sickening feeling they talked about a lot more than just a job. I could feel my heart constrict in my chest, could hear the beating of it in my ears. No. My father wouldn't. He knew how much Rex meant to me. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I was wrong. Yes, he would have told Rex. If he thought, for whatever reason, it would make Rex change his mind, he would have told him.

"What did he tell you?" I could barely get the words from my lips. I was too terrified to hear the truth. Rex's grip tightened on my hands, like he knew how badly I wanted to beat feet to the nearest room with a locked door and never come out.

He didn't say anything for so long I ended up thinking he never would. Rex just held me immobile, those dark eyes trained on mine until all the fear and panic brewing inside me threatened to take over. "Rex..." My voice waivered, I could feel the wall in my head wanting to break. He knew. I could see it shining there behind his eyes. He knew.

Rex used his grip on my hands to angle us around and pin my body between his and the wall beside the fridge. Then his hands were in my hair, not caring one bit that tears were leaking from my eyes as he all but crushed his body into mine. "I won't let anyone take you from me. I won't." I couldn't help the sob that racked through my chest, which only made the whole situation ten times worse. But his hands were tilting my head so his eyes could stare into mine with such a steely determination it tore at my heart.

I shook my head against that determination. If he was still willing to say that, to believe it, then he didn't know everything. Didn't know what I did to make sure Jax and I were safe. What I had become—terrified that it would happen again. He didn't know everything. That alone made a relived breath leave my lungs.

"It's not that simple." I said on trembling lips, my hands clutching desperately at his forearms while his grip stayed buried in my hair.

He let out a rough scoff, though that panic in his eyes from before gave way to an angry fire. "Oh, yes, it is. I'll make sure of it."

"No, you don't get it. It's my fault—"

"Baby, you were kidnapped. That is in no fucking way your fault."

My eyes widened as his hands dropped to the back of my neck, and pulled me as close to his body as they could. There it was. The beginning of everything. Though kidnapped was such a funny word. Stolen. Stolen was so much better. Jax and I were stolen.

"I-It was. I should have been paying attention. I let go of Danny's hand when he was trying to follow Luce, and—and..."

"Hey, sh. It's okay." He let go of my neck to wrap those strong arms around my back and pull me into his chest. I cried against the fabric of his t-shirt, not caring that I was staining it with my tears. "You were eight and had a bodyguard. How were you supposed to know that would happen?" I just shook my head and pressed my face further into him.

I wasn't sure how long he held me like that, but I vaguely remembered being half carried into his bedroom at some point and placed under the covers. Rex laid down beside me and held my body against his until the crying finally stopped and I could blink the water away enough to glance up at him.

"I'm so sorry, Roza. I'm a complete dick for making you remember that." His hand was running softly through my hair, those dark eyes gazing intently at my tear-stained and blotchy face as he did.

"Not your fault." I mumbled around the sudden frog in my throat. "I always remember it. I just never... talk about it."

"And you don't have to." He soothed gently and abandoned my hair to pull my body back into his.

Despite his words, I found myself wanting to know what exactly my father had told him. Even though I wasn't so sure that was a good idea. Regardless what Rex knew, he was still here, with me. He hadn't left. That was all I should have needed to know. "What all did he tell you?" I asked against his shirt, and vaguely noted how I was disappointed that he kept it on.

Rex pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head and squeezed his arms tight before answering. "That you were taken in some crowded mall when you were eight, and held for ransom. Then somehow ended up in the foster system for seven years until he finally tracked you down and brought you home."

Short, simple, and to the point. That sounded like dad. My body relaxed against his as a relieved sigh left my lips. The details were lacking. I could live with that. He didn't know everything. That was good.

"It's how I met Jax." I admitted a silent moment later. His hands, which had been rubbing my back soothingly, paused. "They got him confused with this other boy from some rich, well-to-do family in Norway. They took him at the airport when he landed in the US." I wasn't sure why I was telling Rex any of this. I tried so hard to keep it all from him, but the words wouldn't stop spewing from my lips.

"They held us in this—this place together for a while." I closed my eyes against the images flashing through them, but they were impossible to stop. I saw their faces through the eyes of a child, too tall humans with the glowing eyes of demons and malicious faces.

"I used to hear them speaking all the time. Dad had paid them what they wanted immediately, but Jax's family hadn't even sent a response. By the time they realized they got the wrong kid, we escaped. They left the door unlocked one day, and we got away."

Which was only half true, but I had to leave out the rest. I had to. It was when the darkness started. When the broken inside of me shown through and I couldn't stop myself. I had blacked out, and when I could see again there was so much blood and Jax was screaming at me to run.

I clutched tighter at Rex's shirt and took comfort in the fact that he wasn't pulling away. "We ended up being in some rinky dink town near the border of Canada. No one had ever heard of Rune Evans so it was easy lying about who I was."

"Why did you?" I was surprised when Rex's voice suddenly spoke in my ear. Despite how tightly his arms were wrapped around me I had almost forgotten he was there. Which was silly, because who could ever forget Rex Turner was holding them?

"They would take me away from Jax, and we promised we wouldn't leave each other."

I half expected him to get angry at that, or show some sign of unease, but Rex just pressed his lips against my forehead and cuddled me further against him. "You're the sister." He sighed into my hair, sounding much like he had figured something out. "I should have guessed that." Rex murmured but didn't bother elaborating. "So, they put you in foster care together?" He prompted softly, though I knew if I wanted to stop speaking he would have been completely fine with it.

I nodded as one of his hands left my back to run soothingly through my hair. "Yeah, we were able to convince the social worker there that we were siblings and got to stay together for the most part." Though staying together hadn't always helped in the end. I still saw the dark room whenever I closed my eyes. Could still feel the walls caging in around me, suffocating all air from my body and light from the room.

"Eventually," I pushed forward with a heavy breath so I didn't spend time dwelling on that dark place, "my face was plastered all over social worker's databases and someone tipped off my father. I was fifteen when he found me, and I begged him to take Jax too. He was going to, but Jax, that moron, said no." I had never been more furious at that blond than that day. When he looked me in the eyes and told me to leave, told me to never look back for him. We made each other a promise, and he was breaking it.

"Then dad legally changed our last names and moved us here. He kept the Rune Evans persona for the face of the company, but Luce and I haven't been in the tabloids or any kind of press since I was stolen. And the world slowly forgot about the Evans daughters." One of the many things my father had promised to do. Keep us out of the spotlight, away from that world, so no one would try to take us again. To take me again.

I knew it was why he stayed away so much. The press followed him like celebrity-obsessed paparazzi. If he came home all the time, they would follow him here. They would find us, and we would have been thrown back into that mess of a world once again. I hated that he was never there, but by staying away I would be safe—I could live as an ordinary, insignificant teenager. Minus the panic attacks and broken pieces inside part.

We were quiet for a while when I finally finished speaking. Neither of us had a clue what to say, but his arms weren't loosening and I took comfort in the support they provide. The support he provided.

"I—I'm so upset he told you." I finally murmured what felt like hours later. Rex's arms tightened around me, like he was afraid I would pull away. Silly boy didn't know I would glue myself to him if I could. "But I'm glad you know... now." The truth of my words lifted a weight off my chest that I hadn't realized was there. I never wanted him to know, to see the imperfection of my past, and the broken pieces of my soul, but it was almost refreshing that I didn't have to hide everything anymore.

"I'm glad you told me." His voice was a dark rumble in my ear. He was still there, still holding me like his life depended on it, and that was all that mattered.

Rex's arms let me pull away from him a fraction, and I tried to give him a small smile until I saw the look pulling at his handsome features. "You look angry..." I whispered softly and raised my hand to rest gently against his cheek.

"Oh, I am."

"At... me?" Rex jerked like I had slapped him and I instantly regretted the question.

"Why the fuck would I be mad at you?" I shrugged softly, like that would dispel the horrified look in his eyes. "Rosalyn, you know I have this overbearing need to keep you safe, and I just found out you were fucking kidnapped as a child. You can't expect me to be calm about it."

He let me lean a little further away at his words, but just a little. It was enough to place my hand on his chest soothingly thought. "It was a long time ago, T'." Even though convincing myself that was an issue all on its own. "I just—I just get nervous whenever Rune Evan's life gets too close to mine again. I know it's probably a ridiculous fear but—"

"You have every right to be scared." Despite that fury still blazing in his eyes, one of his arms unwrapped from around me so his hand could keep mine pressed to his chest. It made me smile. "But I won't let anything like that happen to you again, Roza." There was that determination in his eyes again, like he could keep me safe from every demon in the world if he just tried hard enough.

When he said it like that, I almost believed him.