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He gave out the orders even as he caressed my hair and face gently, I guess I wasn't the only one who needed conviction.

My eyes stung as I inhaled the intoxicating smell of his cologne.

I had thought I wouldn't see these eyes again, or hear the sound of his voice.

But here he was.

As he embraced me tightly, soon everything began to get distant.The shock of everything was beginning to wear down on me.

*

HAYDEN.

The moment we busted In on them, the bitter taste of fear that had burned my insides slowly died down, replaced by a zipping bolt of relief.

She was alive, I had feared that we were too late.

I allowed myself to inhale sharply, my gaze scanning every inch of her face, her gaze was slightly glazed, like a part of her was still in a state of shock.

I tilted her chin gently to mind , her features indicated shadows of bruises, new ones and old ones alike.

My chest constricted tight, it fueled something in me to think of how she came across such.

Sebastian's voice snapped half my attention away as he barked out orders, I didn't pull away from our close proximity, couldn't afford to.

"Where's Hazel ?"I asked her quietly, allowing my gaze to scan around the place that looked like a sort of store room.

She didn't respond for a moment , my heart pounded heavily as the sick taste of fear returned.

"Gracie, where is she?" I asked again, more slowly and less steady this time.

"She's safe, I will show you to her " a clear voice answered from behind us.

My gaze snapped towards her as she made her way towards us, My instincts flared up.

This was Melissa.

"Where did you keep my daughter!" I hissed , shoving Gracie behind me gently.

My gaze took a moment to scan her features, She looked like hell.

There were bruises all over her face and a slight limp in her walk, but that that wasn't my fucking business.I stared at Robert's form on the floor.He was barely alive, I wouldn't fucking hesitate to send his daughter along with him.

"Hayden , she's not a bad person, she is......She helped me and kept Hazel safe"

"What are you saying ?"my gaze narrowed in both confusion ,still suspicious, and even more alert.

Why was Gracie fucking defending her?

"I killed him Hayden " she whispered quietly snapping my attention back towards her, her voice came out inaudibly, I almost didn't hear her.

Her expression was somewhat distant and cold, I've never seen such a bitter look on her before, not even when.....Okay scratch that.

I clasped her fingers and walked over to Sebastian, a few feet away.

The bastard still wasn't dead yet, he was barely hanging on, but he was still breathing.

I had seen the look in her eyes , the way her body trembled even though she was trying to suppress it.