"You didn't arrest Sarah just because she had a tattoo," I say before he can leave.

He turns to glare at me. At least, I'm assuming he's glaring at me, hard to tell with his sunglasses on.

"I should have," He states. "As a matter of fact, I should go and arrest her right now seeing as I'm no longer stuck on babysitting duty."

My anger starts to flare up. "I didn't ask you to protect me. That wasn't my choice. If you recall I kept trying to get away from you."

"And I should have let you go!"

"I'm not arguing with you on that." I cross my arms over my chest as I glare at him. "You didn't condemn Sarah just because of a tattoo."

"She said herself that she did bad things."

"So? Did you even stop to ask yourself if there was the remote possibility that I didn't have a choice in what I did?" I so had a choice.

His mouth forms a firm line and his jaw clenches up yet again. "Did you?"

I don't answer.

"See?" He growls out. "I asked you before how you knew these people, why Volkov was after you and you tell me you saw something? You were a part of the gang!"

"The key word in that sentence being were as in, past tense. As in, no longer," I say. "And to be fair, you never specifically asked whether or not I had been a part of the gang."

"Keep talking," His voice is deadly. "Go on."

I glare at him before blowing out a sigh. "Please just let me explain."

"Explain what?" He asks sarcastically. "It's no longer my problem. Agent North is coming to take over and should he see your tattoo and decide you don't need to be protected anymore, so be it."

Right now, I'm just happy he hasn't completely jumped to she's Nicolette Moore, just yet. So far my biggest sin in his eyes is being one of the bad guys. Which is why he can't understand why he's been protecting me.

I don't care to imagine what he'd do if he were to actually learn who I really am.

"You know," He starts again. "for someone so keen on getting rid of me, you're trying awfully hard to get me to stay."

Because I-I don't know why . . . Yes, yes you do.

I open my mouth to say something, what I'm not entirely sure. What he says is completely true. Just a little while ago I was trying to get away from him, now I was wishing he'd stay.

Before he can step out of the apartment and into the hallway though, his phone rings.

He mutters curses and drops one of the bags, pulling his phone out of his pocket with his now free hand. "What?" He snaps into the phone. He waits for a moment as whoever's on the other end speaks to him before frowning, muttering more curses, and then holds the phone out to me.

"It's for you," He says simply.

I look at him curiously before taking the phone when he doesn't explain anything further. "Hello?" I say into the phone when I put it to my ear.

"Don't talk, just listen."

"Sarah?" I question as I hear her voice.

"I don't have a lot of time so I need to make this quick," She says. She says something else but I'm unable to catch it.

"What?" I ask as she continues to talk. "Sarah, I can't hear you."

This time I'm able to make out the curses she mutters. "The whole building's surrounded," She mumbles, but it seems more like she's talking to herself than me.

I feel my blood run cold at her words though. "Sarah," I repeat. "What's happening?"

"Volkov's here."

Panic begins to flood through my body. "Sarah get out of there."

"Shut up," Sarah says harshly. "I had to kill one of them just to call you. You know I don't carry a cellphone, but I needed to call you."

"Sarah," I say. "You need to run. Get off the phone and get out of there."

"Nicolette," She starts. "why do you think I called you?"

I know why, so I don't answer. She called to warn me because she won't be able to do it later. She takes my silence as my answer.

"You're going to get a call from this number shortly after I hang up. Do not answer it. Do not negotiate with him. Do not trade your life for mine. Do not come for me. Do you understand?"

"No," I whisper.

"I'm not going to go down easy," She says. "I'm going to be putting up a fight and taking out as many of them as possible, but there's still too many. Even for me."

"Sarah."

"No," She says. "Do not negotiate with him. I don't care what he says he'll do. I don't care what he'll actually do. You do not trade your life for mine. I'd rather you didn't answer the phone at all but I know you will anyway."

I hear her swear some more and her voice gets quieter as if she's trying not to be heard. "Listen to me Nicolette," She says, her voice softer, without the harsh edge that was there before. "This is not your fault. Do you hear me? Whatever happens to me is not your fault."

"Sarah," My voice breaks.

"Put Ryder back on the phone," Sarah orders firmly.

I find myself holding the phone out to him with shaking hands. He's removed his sunglasses and is staring at me with a mixture of fury and at the same time, concern.

He takes the phone from me. "Ryder," He says as a way of letting her know he's there.

I can't hear whatever Sarah tells him. I can only watch as a dark look covers his face and his teeth grind together, his grip on the phone making it look like he's going to break it. It seems like she's speaking to him for an eternity before I see his shoulders slump slightly and a look of resignation crosses his face.

"I'll take care of it," He finally says and then he's lowering the phone from his ear and it's clear she hung up. He blows out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

I, however, am on the verge of completely freaking out. This cannot be happening. This isn't happening.

"What did she say to you?" I question.

He looks at me and it seems as if his anger with me is gone, at least for the moment. Instead, he looks like he's in pain as he stares at me. "I think you know," He says softly, quietly as if saying it louder will cause me to break.

And I do know the answer I realize. She told him to make sure I didn't come for her. She took him and his job, his obligation and manipulated it to suit her. To keep him from letting me go after her. She put an immovable roadblock in my way. She made sure I wouldn't come to help her.

Do not trade your life for mine. Her words echo in my head. Because I would do it. I would do it in a heartbeat.

It feels as if hours pass before the phone rings again when in reality it's likely only ten minutes or so. Ryder stares down at the phone ringing in his hands. He looks torn. Like he wants to answer it and at the same time, he wants to just let it keep ringing until it goes to voicemail.

It's only when I go to reach for the phone that he makes any movement at all. "I'll answer it," He says. I go to protest and he holds up his hand. "I'll put it on speaker and I won't say a damn thing, but I'm not going anywhere."

I intend to protest since I don't want him listening in and potentially hearing something he shouldn't. But one more firm look from him and I find myself swallowing my protests.

He looks at me once more as if for confirmation and I just nod slowly. He answers the phone, putting an end to shrill ringing and switches it to speaker.

"I'm surprised you answered at all," Volkov's voice is smooth and controlled, giving hardly anything away, but there's an excitement in his tone. "I was almost certain you'd leave the phone to ring endlessly, what with the little bitch calling to warn you in advance."

"Leave her out of this," I say immediately, mildly surprised when my voice doesn't break and my tone sounds strong.

"What are you willing to do to ensure her safety?"

My answer is almost immediate. Anything. I'd do anything he wanted. Ryder, however, does not share in my thought process and his promise to remain silent flies out the window.

"Put a bullet in your head."

Volkov's dead silent and I stare at Ryder open-mouthed. His gaze is locked on the phone though. Totally focused and ignoring me.

"Personally, I believe that just solves everyone's problems. Sarah remains unharmed, Nicky's free to do whatever the hell she wants, I get rid of her, and you're too dead to do anything to anyone else."

I can practically sense Volkov's anger through the phone and find myself wishing Ryder had kept his mouth shut.

"I take it I'm speaking to the FBI agent with the unfortunate task of protecting dear Nicky," Volkov says dryly, barely contained anger hidden behind his words. "Tell me, how well do you know her?"

I feel my blood run cold at his words. My heart starts beating faster and dread sets in.

"This seems as if this would be the part where you'd reveal some big secret and cause me to turn on her," Ryder says flatly. "So with that in mind, I'm just going to hang up." He ends the call.

I stare at him completely appalled. His gaze goes to me. "He'll call back," Is all he says.

"Sarah," Is all I manage to say.

Ryder's face turns grave. "She told you what to do, or better, what not to do. And she made me promise I'd make sure you didn't do anything."

I stare at him. "I can't just not do anything," I tell him, panic beginning to set in. "I have to help her. This is my fault. I can-"

Ryder shakes his head. "You're not going to do anything."

"But-"

"No," He states firmly. His tone holds no room for argument. "I said you're not going to do anything. I, however, made no such promises for myself."

Hope begins to replace the panic and then dread replaces the hope. Ryder can't go up against Volkov. Volkov will kill him first chance he gets. Especially now that he went and pissed the guy off.

I open my mouth to tell him so. To beg him not to get involved and the phone begins ringing again. Both our gazes snap to the phone and I expect Ryder to answer it.

Only, he lets it go to voicemail.

"Ryder," I say in disbelief. I reach for the phone to call him back and Ryder takes it before I can. It starts ringing again and this time Ryder answers it, putting it on speaker once again.

And once again he fails at his promise to keep quiet.

"The number you've dialed is unavailable. Please leave your name, number, and preferred gravesite after the beep and I'll be sure to get back to you after I've finished burying you alive."

I stare at him in shock, wanting to scream at him, Are you trying to piss him off even more? Do you not realize who he's going to take his anger out on? Idiot!

"You're going to regret making threats against me," Volkov's voice is cold and hard.

"Do you think you could tell me when I'm going to be regretting this, I need to make sure I can fit in my schedule."

I hear laughing in the background. A female's laughter. Sarah.

"Oh man," She says. "You should not have put this on speaker, I'm enjoying this way too much."

There's the sound of skin hitting skin and I hear Sarah let out a gasp of breath.

"Leave her alone!" I shout.

"That all depends on you, Nicky," Volkov says, his voice smug.

"You come for me Nicky and so help me I'll kill you myself when you get here," Sarah growls and I'm shocked by the deadly tone. Sure I've heard it before but never directed at me.

I can hear him hit Sarah again.

"You speak again and I'll slit your throat," Volkov growls.

"Thank God," Sarah says.

I hear scuffling on the other end followed closely by swearing. I can't make out what the other sounds are . . . until the screaming starts. Except it's not Sarah screaming.

"If this wasn't such a horrifying ordeal," Ryder says. "I'd feel like cheering for her."

I don't have anything to say and continue to listen. I can't make out much out of the scuffling and banging noises. The noises of things slamming together and breaking. Judging by the screams I'm assuming the breaking things are bones. I'm also assuming since none of the screams are from a girl that means Sarah's the one breaking bones.

I hear the sound of something hitting something else and I hear Sarah's groan followed closely after.

"Hold her down," I hear Volkov say but his voice sounds much further away than before. I hear a strange sound I can't identify.

"You think you scare me?" I hear Sarah ask, her voice steady and confident.

"No," I hear Volkov reply. "But I will. I'll break you," He says threateningly.

I can practically hear the smile in Sarah's voice as she replies. "I'd like to see you try."

I notice Ryder's face pales as the strange sound get's louder, and it seems he knows what it is because he quickly lunges forward to end the call. To keep me from listening to anything else.

He doesn't end it fast enough, because the last thing I hear, is Sarah screaming out in pain.

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