Present

I sat down on my cot, staring at the white painted brick wall on the other side of the cell. It had been four hundred and thirty-seven days since he shackled the cuffs to my wrists. Four hundred and thirty-seven days since he betrayed me. I would be angry about it if I wasn't in so much pain.

They had been feeding me painkillers to help my back, but it wouldn't stop. I needed professional help with it, and I would for the rest of my life. Queen had taken care of me, had given me the best doctors and physiotherapists that all of Europe offered. Now, I was in a maximum security prison, without that help.

I let my head fall back as I let out a long breath, trying to calm and relax my body.

But the throbbing in the middle of my back kept getting worse. If it kept going like this, I knew it wouldn't be long until I couldn't walk without pain blinding me again. Maybe I should ask for a muscle roller. If I bribe the warden again, it might happen.

The jingle of keys echoed through the halls, getting closer to my cell. I stood up, biting back the pain, to see where the guard was heading to, to see who was being called out for questioning. It wasn't the scheduled time to go outside or have a meal, nor was it visiting hours.

Most likely, it was the police here to question someone about their crimes.

Or someone had paid the warden enough to allow visiting hours for someone special.

I could see the guard beyond my door, but I also saw a man in a black suit. Shit. I took a step away. They were here for me. Which meant he was here for me.

"Hands on the wall, Hyde." The guard said. The warden stood next to him with a smile on his face.

"I don't want to, though." I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"Are you being uncooperative, Hyde? I am bored. Might be entertaining to see someone beat the shit out of you." The warden said. I smiled back at him.

"You honestly forget who I am sometimes, don't you?" I asked, but I could see he was already on edge. If he was in a better mood, I might have kept pushing him, but if he was here, then the warden had to be on his best behaviour. Pushing him now would mean punishment later.

"I don't care, is the problem." The warden said as I put my hands on the wall, the guard signalling to the control room to open my door.

"You do. You screw me, she'll screw you." I said as the guard walked in and patted me down, in case I had fashioned a cute little shiv out of a toothbrush or something. I hadn't. Or, more accurately, I didn't have it on my person.

"You overestimate how much you matter to her anymore." The warden said. Interesting. Is it possible that Queen found new information? Had figured out exactly how I ended up here?

Once the guard was sure I didn't have any handmade weapons, he turned me around and cuffed my hands in front of my body. He then got behind me and pushed me towards the cell door.

"To the interrogation room?" I looked into the warden's eyes.

"Yes." He said, turning away from my stare before he even finished the word. He must be desperate to get this done. I walked between him and the guard. I had only been in the interrogation room once, four hundred and thirteen days ago. It had been him that time, too. I knew it would be no one else. They assigned him to the case I was a part of, but it would be nice to not have to deal with him.

We walked past the window to the interrogation room. When I glanced in, I saw it was empty. Great, he wanted to do the whole 'dramatic entrance after they chain me to the table' play. What a mature move.

The guard and the warden walked me in and sat me down, attaching my cuffs to the table before walking out of the room. How long would I have to wait? How much of a prick did he feel like being today? I shuffled in the chair, grimacing as pain shot through my back before I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I heard the door open and let my head fall back, groaning.

"What the fuck do you want?" I asked, hearing the chair across from me scrape across the ground. If I kept my eyes closed, then he didn't exist. If I didn't see him, he wasn't there.

"This is Agent Esmond Triggs, questioning Sierra 'Max' Hyde. Interview opened at..." There was a pause, he was probably checking that stupid watch with the brown leather strap. "One fifteen pm." I levelled my head again and opened my eyes, meeting his piercing blue-green eyes. The sight of them twisted something in my stomach.

Shit.

I surely wasn't still pining over this piece of shit, was I?

I was here because of him. He lied to me, made me fall in love with him, took all the information I shared with him to further his career and threw me in here without a second thought. Without visiting me once.

Him and his stupid, soft, chocolate coloured curls could fuck off.

"Four hundred and thirteen days." I said. The words made that feeling in my stomach turn to fire and anger. "It's been four hundred and thirteen days since you came here to interrogate me like you didn't already know everything." I could have sworn I saw him flinch.

"Hyde-"

"Don't start with that 'Hyde' shit." I leant forward on the table, not looking away from his eyes. I needed him to be as uncomfortable as possible. The more I pushed him, the more he would crack. Yes, he was here to interrogate me, get information from me, but he would know that it's never that straightforward with me.

"I'll ask again, what the fuck do you want?"