THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE.

AMELIA OR DAN?

Jace's P.O.V

I am driving Dan’s car back to him. I am still replaying what just happened in my head. I have seen violence, given that I was in the Special Forces.

My career was short-lived since I had a habit of shooting to injure instead of shooting to kill.

I get to Dan’s place. Normally, I wouldn’t want anything to do with the guy, but there's scotch on his table and I feel like I am losing my damn mind.

“What happened to you?” He asks me, holding his drink midair. “I am good,” I say, pouring myself a drink. I try to assume his stare.

I wouldn’t know where to start even if I was to tell him. Plus, he is a prosecutor; there is nothing I can tell him, without it going to court. “Well, you look like s**t,” he says with a smile.

I take a gulp of my drink, and try not to think of Amelia together with those killers. “Hey, talk to me,” he gives me a light nudge.

I remember our college days, before he betrayed me. I remember how easy it was to talk to him. I have never been someone who shared anything about his life, but with Dan it has always been easy.

“Why? So you can use it to advance your career like last time,” I say with more malice than I intended to. He gives me a remorseful look, but it doesn’t work on me.

Just then I get a call from an unknown number. “Hello, Sir,” the voice is familiar, but I can’t place it. “Yes, who is this?” I ask, before finishing the rest of my drink.

“It is your driver,” I had forgotten all about him. “I am at Overview apartments, call me when you get here,” I tell him before hanging up.

“What’s your name?” I ask the driver when I am inside the car. “Harold,” he says, giving me a quick look in the rear-view mirror.

I can’t stop thinking about Amelia. How do I get her out of there?

We agreed on three cases, but never of the duration. What if the next case is a month from now? I can’t wait that long while she is in the mansion with those guys going through God knows what.

August calls me immediately like he was reading my mind.

“You are hard to track,” it’s the first thing he says. “I had no idea you were trying to find me,” I say, sounding as relaxed as I can.

“Where are you?” he asks. “Almost at my place, why? Is Amelia okay?” I sit up when he doesn’t answer me.

“Is it too late or can you get here?” I have learned that most questions August asks are just his way of conveying fake politeness.

“I am on my way,” my eyes meet with Harold in the rearview mirror. Without saying anything, he takes the road going out of the city.

It seems further now that I am anxious. When we get there, the guards let us in. I get out of the car and run inside the house.I am only focused on getting to Amelia. I don’t see August standing at the top of the stairs watching me as I rush to the basement.

The door is locked. No matter how much I try to force it open, it won’t budge. “Amelia, are you there?” I ask, anxiously. There is no answer from the other side.

“Amelia! Amelia! Amelia!” I am calling her frantically, as I bang the steel door. “What do you think you’re doing?” August asks me.

He is standing behind me. As I look at him in his cashmere sweater and jeans, I can’t believe he is the guy I saw at the junkyard.

“What have you done with her?” I can feel my rage boiling over. He smiles smugly, and I lose my cool. I take him by his sweater and throw him against the wall. Guards I hadn’t even notice come out and start walking to where we are.

“Tell them to stop, or I will snap your neck and be done with it,” I don’t think he believes me, but he still tells his men to stand down.

He is still smiling. One day I will smack that smile off his face, but today is not that day. I need to find Amelia.

“Where is she?” I am a good enough lawyer to know once your emotions are involved, you lose. I am losing and I know it.

“She is behind the door,” he says finally. He looks at my hands where I am still holding him. “Then why won’t she answer me?” I ask, after letting him go.

“What can I say? She refuses to eat,” he says casually. “Look, I have made your girl almost everything since you left, but she just won’t eat,” I don’t believe him.

“Let me see her,” he shakes his head. “That was not the deal, Miller.” He says and starts walking away. “No, the deal was she could only be let free once I win three cases. There was nothing about me seeing her in the meantime,” I argue.

We are walking away from the basement. “Is that it?” he asks, so convincingly I almost believe that he would turn back and open the door for me.

“Well, then I guess I lost the key,” he says with a grin.

“Then why am I here?” I follow him to his office. “There is someone I need you to bring for me,” he walks across the table.

“Is this my second case?” I hope it is. “Depends on how good of a job you do. “You are saying I just need to find someone for you, right?” I need him to be clear.

“No, we know who he is, what I need is for you to bring him to me,” he explains. That sounds like kidnapping.

“Don’t you have people for that?” There is no way he thinks I can carry out a kidnapping better than his men.

“No, I cannot risk kidnapping this person. He is a prosecutor. I need you to make him come see me voluntarily,” he says. “Okay, who is he?” He gives me a picture of Dan’s car on it.

“Can I ask why you want to meet him?” I try to keep my face as neutral as I possibly can, but my pulse is racing.

“He saw something he shouldn’t have,” darkness takes over his face. “Oh, and Jace, I know he is your friend. Before you do something stupid, ask yourself between him and Amelia which are you willing to sacrifice?”