Prologue




"Please.....please don't...." he whimpered, the metal binding his wrists to the pole behind him as the footsteps echoed in the dark room.

"I'll give you whatever you want....just let me go....please..." he continued, tears streaming down his pale face. An unseen voice simply snickered in reply.

"I already have what I want, baby. You're all I need." she said, her voice sending chills down his spine.

"No...." he protested, shaking as she neared him, and he could feel her breath on his face. She touched his chin with her hand and kissed his cheek, tasting the tears on his pale face while he whimpered.

"Oh....you're sad....well don't worry. You won't need to be sad where you are going, sweetheart."

"You bitch...." he whispered through gritted teeth. In one fluid motion she kicked him across the face, her stiletto heel scratching him and bringing blood. He fell into an awkward position on the floor, sobbing as his wrists dangled from the metal pole he was handcuffed to.



"Please let me go..."


"You belong to me now, baby. Nobody will ever fall for that smile again, your lies have ended."

"I'm sorry....just let me go....I will do whatever you want...." he begged, trembling. She stood right in front of him and kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.


"I'm afraid I can't do that. The world already knows you're dead...." she whispered as he lay in front of her gasping for air, unable to catch breath. She kicked him across the face again and walked away, leaving his motionless body, smiling to herself as she went...her heels clicking on the ground as the door closed and locked behind her, leaving him alone in the darkness.

Chapter One



"Two more days!" Valerie squealed happily as she and her friend Kristen walked home one afternoon. They had been counting down the days until the Backstreet Boys came to their town....and had waited almost 5 years for a concert.


"Oh god, this will be EPIC. Can't believe you scored VIPs this tour." Kristen exclaimed as they went up to Valerie's room. Valerie Harrington had been a Backstreet Boys fan for 16 years. She owned almost all the collectibles she could get her hands on, and spent most of her money on BSB merchandise and concerts.

"My mom isn't too thrilled about it, she doesn't want me to go." Valerie replied as they neared her bedroom. There was a large poster of Nick Carter on it, his face smiling at them as they entered the room. More posters littered the wall, floor to ceiling.

"Your mom just doesn't understand. I mean, she had the Beatles." Kristen offered as they sat in front of the computer and logged into Twitter.


"Well, our boys are the Fab Four of our generation, Kris." Valerie said as Kristen laughed. "Anything new?" she asked Valerie, watching intently. When they got home from college, the girls typically would check to see if there was any news on Twitter, since the guys had taken to posting frequently.

"Ha ha, Nick said I love you to Lauren last night then deleted it." Valerie said, her voice tightening around the last words.

"Ugh, I wish he would get rid of her. We all know she is only with him for his money. I could make him just as happy." she added, shutting off the computer and scowling, her green eyes narrowed. "Val, I thought we talked about this.....Nick is happy, we should be happy for him. Remember?" Kristen said, watching with concern. Valerie had always liked Nick best but sometimes acted like he was her boyfriend, even though the two had never met. Valerie smiled as she looked at the calendar on the wall, a heart was drawn around Friday, the day she would finally meet Nick Carter.


"Val, you're zoning out again." Kristen commented. They heard Valerie's mother yelling up the stairs.
"What the hell does that bitch want now? Doesn't she know we are busy?" Valerie sneered, tossing back her black hair as she stormed out of the room.

"Here we go again," Kristen whispered to herself, waiting for Valerie to return. She was used to these fights between mother and daughter. This time it was about the money spent on Backstreet Boys tickets and the VIP package they had bought for the show on Friday, not to mention other things that Valerie had charged on the credit card her mother gave her for emergencies only.
Kristen had agreed with Valerie's mother that she was being self centered and obsessive over the boys, but kept this to herself. Valerie tended to have a bit of a temper when it came to things like that, when people disagreed with her. So she looked at the calendar again. Two more days and it would all be over.


Two more days.

Chapter Two




It had been a long day at work....too long...Valerie mused as she drove home on Thursday. She was off work for a whole week, had taken her vacation for the concerts she was attending. There were three shows she had tickets for, the first one she had VIP for with Kristen, the second and third were for concerts she would attend alone. Valerie was not expecting her mother to be home before her.


"What are you doing in my room?" she demanded when she saw her mother in her bedroom.

"Valerie, this is my house and I can do as I please.....and I believe that you're a little too old for this obsession of yours." Mrs Harrington said, waving her hand at the poster of Nick Carter hanging behind her bed.

"You don't understand!!!! I love him...." Valerie blurted out, her eyes watering.

"Young lady, this has gone far enough. I am going to get through to you, and if this doesn't do it, I don't know what will....." her mother shouted as she strode over to the wall. She grabbed a corner of the poster and tore it, the rip going through Nick's face until the paper was dangling off of the wall. Valerie shrieked as her mother tore up the posters, tears ran down her face as she watched in disbelief.

"STOP IT!!!!!" she screamed, her brown eyes burning with hatred.

"How can you love this man? Have you ever met him?" her mother yelled as more posters came down, the pieces falling on the floor. Mrs Harrington looked up to see her daughter wielding a baseball bat, a crazed look in her eye. She didn't have time to scream, the bat swung around and hit her across the face, knocking her to the floor. The bat swung again, and she lay motionless on the carpet as Valerie smiled, drops of blood on her face.


"I love him, Mom....nothing will stop me from getting what's mine." she whispered as she drug her mother's unconscious body downstairs, making sure she wore gloves just in case....she didn't bother checking for a pulse. After locking her in the basement, she went about packing for her trip with Kristen tomorrow. She finished, looking up at Nick and smiled contentedly. Nothing would stop her from meeting him, nothing. the concert was less than 24 hours away....and now she had nobody to stop her from claiming what was hers. She showered and changed, burning her clothes to get rid of the evidence before leaving to spend the night at Kristen's. Valerie didn't feel like walking, so she stole the car keys from her mother's purse.

"She won't need them anymore...." she singsonged as she pulled out of the driveway and drove off into the night.

Chapter Three




"Nick, I'm done fighting with you about this..." Nick rolled his eyes when Lauren wasn't looking, they were in the midst of yet another fight....they had been having some problems for nearly two months of being on the road together. He loved Lauren, he just was not ready to commit himself to marriage after seeing his parent's relationship fall apart. Nick Carter had been hurt too many times to let himself go to that place again. Lauren was practically giving him an ultimatum, she wanted commitment.

"Baby, I'm sorry...but I thought you understood my beliefs about this." he said, pushing his food aside. The salad sitting in front of him looked delicious, but he had lost his appetite.

"I know baby, but I can't just play girlfriend forever. I want to make it official." Lauren said, taking his hand in hers. Nick took it back, his eyes concentrating on the wall across the table. He found a spider crawling up it, and his eyes followed its path to the ceiling, not realizing he was tuning her out. Lauren snapped her fingers and he grinned apologetically.


"I can't do this anymore. I can't fight for your attention...." she said, her eyes watering. Nick knew it was coming, he felt the lump forming in his throat...the one that warned him of impending heartbreak.
"You're breaking up with me?!" he blurted out, his guard up almost instantaneously.

"I think we need to be apart for a while." Lauren said with a sigh.

"Look, I do not believe in marriage. I'm not changing who I am for anybody...if you loved me you would understand." he said, his eyes protesting. Yet at the same time, the whole thing had felt right. Maybe Lauren wasn't who he thought she was either.


"I do love you, sweetheart. Its just that I need a commitment, I thought you understood that too." Lauren said stiffly, sipping at her coffee cup that had long gone cold, she just wanted to occupy herself. Being in the public eye with Nick was just not what she had thought it would be. She was just too private of a person, too reserved to be with him. She was tired of the fans ripping her apart every single day, the death threats, and all she had done was date him.


"Please don't do this...I love you....we can make it work." Nick muttered, his eyes now busily occupied with the door to the hotel room, wondering if someone was on the other side listening. He knew that Brian would be by to collect him for sound check any moment.

"Baby, I just don't think we can anymore." she said softly, not able to look at him. The sudden knock on the door startled them and Brian's muffled voice stated that it was time to go.

"I have go go to sound check, we can talk about this later....ok?" Nick said with a optimistic grin.

"You can go, but I won't be here when you get back." Lauren stated coldly. Trying to keep calm, Nick ignored her. He picked up his jacket without a reply and headed out the door with Brian, her comment lingering in the air.



"You okay?" Brian asked, his eyes watching Nick as he stared out the window of the car.
"Yeah, I'm fine...just ducky." he said absentmindedly as it began to rain.

"What happened?"

"Lauren is on that marriage kick again." Nick replied.
"She was on that kick last time you two had a fight." Brian joked, but it fell flat. Nick seemed troubled. He hadn't seen him like this since they knew that Kevin was leaving the group. Nick hated being left behind by anyone...he always needed to know people were around.


"Frack, it will be ok...just cheer up. If it doesn't work out, its not your fault." Brian offered. Nick smiled slightly as the car came to a stop at the venue.


"You're right, but why do I feel like something bad is going to happen?" he said, opening the car door and getting out, the rain falling steadily over them in a downpour.

"You're just being paranoid. Talk to her after the show, she will come around. She always does." Brian said. He followed Nick inside, shaking the water off of himself like a wet dog.

"We have been dating two years, I figured that she knew I didn't want to get married." Nick said once they got backstage. They were letting fans inside, and AJ was already up on stage with Howie entertaining them until the other two arrived.


"Don't let the fans see you like this....they will have a field day." Brian admonished as he noticed Nick tearing up. Nick nodded and took a breath, clearing his face of emotion.

"You ready?"

"Ready."

"Good?"

"Yup." Nick answered, and they went out to meet the others.

Chapter Four



Valerie was excited as the fans were lined up to meet the Backstreet Boys. Kristen was talking about what she would say to them, but Valerie wasn't listening to her. All she could think about was that in mere moments, Nick Carter was going to be directly in front of her. Suddenly it hit her, what would she say to the man she was in love with? So many things ran through her mind. She didn't care about meeting the other three, all she wanted was Nick.

Valerie walked towards the metal barrier where the guys were standing, all ready to greet her. She met Brian first, Howie, then AJ....exchanging hellos. Nick was the last one in line. Valerie felt her heart skip a beat when he flashed a smile at her and greeted her. He leaned in to hug her, his long arms draped around her. Valerie responded by grabbing his butt and planting a kiss on his cheek. She heard Brian let out an awkward laugh and AJ followed suit.

"N....nice to meet you." he stammered, still smiling.

"I love you!" Valerie blurted out. Nick looked at the others and laughed nervously.


"I...I love you too..." he said without thinking. Valerie wanted to faint on the spot, Nick Carter was telling her he loved her. She practically squealed from happiness and the photographer made sure Nick stood next to her in the picture. Nick was grinning the whole time as if he didn't know what else to do. After the picture Valerie waited for Kristen, and the girls swapped stories.

"He said he loved you? Really?" Kristen asked in disbelief after Valerie had calmed down.

"He did, Kris! He did!!" Valerie said, grinning ear to ear. Kristen still looked doubtful.

"Are you sure that's what he said?" she asked again. Valerie looked angry this time.

"Yes, he DID. You're just jealous...." she replied coldly. Kristen looked hurt at the sudden anger she was being shown and kept quiet.


"Brian gave me a hug too. He is so sweet." she said meekly. Valerie ignored her and kept walking. Kristen couldn't help but worry for her friend, wonder if she was going to be all right. Valerie was so hard headed that once her mind was made up about something, there was no way of changing how she felt. Especially when it came to boys. Kristen was afraid for her friend, afraid that she was already planning on making Nick hers, and that he had no idea it was coming.

Chapter Five


"Nick are you an idiot?" Brian asked as he smacked him upside the head once they were backstage again. The fans had been let back outside so the boys could change into their stage clothes. Nick slipped his black pants on, sitting down on the couch near the door of their dressing room. He rubbed the back of his head and thought about what Brian was saying to him.

"You told that fan you loved her....is this registering at all how bad of a move that was?" Brian scolded. Nick sat in silence, his hand massaging the bruise forming on his head.

"Rok, I say stuff like that to fans all the time. It's harmless." Nick protested, his lips curved into a half-hearted smile.

"Look, you should know better. That girl gave me the creeps....I just don't want anything to happen to you." Brian replied with a sigh. He wondered how Kevin would have handled this, Nick was always getting himself into trouble...even at the age of 30. Sometimes Brian thought about if that was why Kevin left, because he was tired of playing daddy Kevin all the time.

"Dude, are you lecturing him about the ass-grabber?" AJ grinned as he walked past them. After sound check had ended, AJ referred to one of the fans as the "ass-grabber", to general amusement.

"Its not just that, Jay. Nick said that he has seen this girl before." Brian explained as Nick hung his head in silence.

"I just said she looked familiar! Look, she was probably just nervous, I wouldn't read into it too much." Nick protested. He was tired of the guys constantly chastising him for his actions. He was thirty years old, Nick felt that he did not need to be babysat anymore....that it was high time he made his own choices.

"Nick, just promise me you will be careful." Brian said, patting him on the back. Nick nodded and finished getting dressed. All he could think about was the girl from sound check that had kissed him. He was slightly put off by her behavior, not that he wasn't used to people grabbing at him before...but something about the girl sent up red flags. The concert began without a hitch, energy was high and the crowd was large. Nick looked to the side of the stage, expecting Lauren to be there, but she wasn't. This was the first time Lauren had not come to a show since they were dating, and Nick felt his heart breaking when he saw the other girls there watching. Nick and Brian walked over to the crowd of girls nearest the stage. It was her again...the girl from sound check. Before he could react, Nick felt her grabbing at his pants leg. She finally got hold of him and he tripped, falling into the crowd. The fans immediately descended on him, pulling at his clothes as he lay on the ground, his arms covering his face.

"NICK!" Brian screamed, the music cutting out as all attention was on the throng of girls attacking his bandmate. It took a few minutes, but security finally rushed over to help. When the whole ordeal was over, Nick was laying on the floor, his shirt and vest torn to pieces, exposing his bare chest. Paramedics rushed in and Nick was carried out to an ambulance waiting outside.

"I don't get it. How come he is always the one who gets mauled?" AJ commented as they went to the hospital, still in their concert clothes.

"AJ he could have been killed." Howie said in an annoyed tone.

"Well, I still wish it would happen to me. Why does Nick have all the fun?" AJ pouted.

"He is damn lucky he just has a concussion," Brian said as they walked down the hallway. Nick was only in the emergency room, and it was blocked off so he could have some privacy.
"You all right, Nick?" Brian asked once he reached his bed.

"I will be ok, mild concussion. No biggie." Nick grinned, tapping gently on the top of his head. Brian laughed, and pretty soon the two of them were giggling.

"Seriously, it could have been worse, those girls were tearing you apart back there."

"They always want a piece of me, those girls need to learn to share. Now hand me my pants, I'm feeling drafty back here." Nick chuckled. It had been a long night and he was looking forward to getting back to the hotel and being with Lauren. He was just worried if she would be there when he got back.

Chapter Six



Valerie removed the towel covering her hair and smiled at herself in the mirror. Her hair was finished, she looked like a whole new person.

"Wow you dyed your hair." Kristen said as she walked into the room. Valerie was spending the night at her apartment before driving to the next show on the tour alone.

"Don't you love it?" Valerie said, running a hand through her newly dyed hair. She had cut it and colored it herself, something she normally did to save money.

"Its....blonde." Kristen commented nervously. She noticed that it was the same shade of blonde Nick's hair was when he was younger, in the Millennium days. Valerie had never colorred her hair before, and the change in her appearance was drastic.

"Why did you color your hair?" Kristen asked, eyeing her friend curiously.

"Why is it any of your business, Kris? Maybe I just wanted a new look." Valerie said, her temper slowly rising. She hated when Kristen questioned what she did, it reminded her of her mother.

"Does this have to do with Nick again? You really need to cool it with this obsession you have....its scaring me. You almost hurt him at the show tonight tugging on his leg like that." Kristen said.

"He was okay, Kris. I got him to notice me at least." Valerie replied as if she didn't care. She flipped her hair out of her face and walked out of the bathroom, still smiling.

"I'm serious. He could have been really hurt..did you see him fall? Those girls almost tore him apart." Kristen insisted as she trailed behind her friend.

"Nick is fine. Just drop it, I'm tired and I want to sleep." Valerie snapped. Kristen was getting too nosy like her mother. She wondered if her mother really was dead....she couldn't have hit her that hard. Feeling remorseful, she almost told Kristen about her mother but thought better of it. She knew if she told her, Kristen would go to the police for sure...that was the type of persons he was. Kristen was a little do gooder and it annoyed Valerie. She wished her friend would have more of a backbone....but it looked like she was on her own this time. Nick was going to be a challenge to obtain, she could already tell.

"Did you tell your mom you were spending the night?" Kristen asked suddenly, jarring her out of her thoughts.

"I don't have to tell that bitch anything. I'm over 18, I can do what I want." Valerie said. Kristen backed away from her, her heart was beating faster.

"I'm sorry, Val. I like your mom, she would want to know where you were." she said shakily.

"My mom is on a trip, she already knows where I am." Valerie lied blankly, putting her Nick Carter shirt on to sleep in. She couldn't wait until the real Nick was there with her, holding her in his arms. She smiled at the thought.

"But you told me that she would be home all week..." Kristen said suddenly, her eyes narrowed. Valerie rose and slapped her across the face. The force of her hand sting Kristen's face and her eyes filled with tears.

"Keep asking questions and you will end up with her." Valerie warned, her finger against Kristen's nose. Kristen whimpered and nodded before Valerie finally backed away.

"If you tell anybody about this conversation, I will make sure you never speak again." Valerie said menacingly before laying down. Kristen sat in the dark, rubbing at her face and feeling scared.....afraid to go to sleep knowing her best friend was a murderer. She knew something had happened to Valerie's mother and now she was worried she would be next. Kristen looked at Valerie and watched her sleeping, wondering what she was planning for Nick Carter....and hoping to god he was smart enough to avoid it.

Chapter Seven





"Hey, you all right?" Howie asked as they got onto the tour bus in the morning. Nick walked with his head down, his face void of color.

"Lauren left him last night." Brian whispered into Howie's ear, and he nodded.

"Nicky, its gonna be okay. Sometimes it just doesn't work out." Howie offered, patting him on the back. Nick nodded slowly, his eyes watering. He felt like an idiot for wanting to cry...he had always been pegged as the emotional one of the group...the baby. Nick liked to express his feelings, both good and bad, but he didn't like how people reacted...like he was weak. Nick loved Lauren, he wasn't ready for the relationship to end. He had walked into the hotel room after returning from the hospital to find it empty. Lauren's luggage was gone and so was she, gone off into the night without a goodbye. Nick had tried to call her but she didn't answer his calls or texts.

"Nick, all you need is a night out with us. That will clear your head. Just have some fun." AJ offered as their limo pulled up to the nightclub where the after party was hosted. They all went inside, the place was packed with girls...all over 21. Nick smiled slightly. He liked the after parties after shows, but tonight he wasn't in the mood. As they sat down at a table in the VIP section, Nick spied a blonde girl across the room. She smiled at him and waved playfully, speaking only with her eyes.

"Nick....hello...Nick?" Brian said, waving his hand in front of Nick's face. Nick jumped a little, startled out of the trance he seemed to be in. Nick ordered his drink and looked back, the girl wasn't standing there anymore. He had felt a curious sensation when he looked at her, and wondered what it meant.
"You seem very distracted today, more than usual." AJ pointed out as their drinks came, both of them had ordered a beer. Nick knew he shouldn't be drinking at all and neither should AJ, but they did it once in a while. Nick had promised himself he would never go back to his old partying ways...it was behind him. Nick drank the beer and scanned the room, looking for the girl. He spotted her by the bar and walked over. She had blonde hair down to almost her waist, wearing a black dress. Nick finally managed to slip away from the guys and go up to her. As he got close, he had a funny feeling....something was telling him to stay away.

"Hi...." the girl said with a smile as she sipped her drink.

"I'm Nick....what's your name?" Nick said, then felt stupid. Of course she knew who he was, the club was packed with BSB fans. She didn't answer, she simply smiled at him. He moved closer to her, standing next to her. They talked for a long time, he found out she was from Tampa like he was. She wasn't like the others, so down to earth and shy. He had dated fans before...it rarely worked out. They always seemed to be with him simply because he was a Backstreet Boy. Nick heard AJ's voice calling him. He turned away for a moment and moved back to the girl, smiling.

"So you never did tell me your name....." Nick began, but she was gone. Disappinted, he moved back to the booth where the others were sitting.

"Where did you run off to?" Howie asked, almost sounding just like Kevin. Nick laughed, Howie was becoming more like him every day, no matter how much the man denied it.

"I was talking to someone." Nick said, finding himself unable to get her off of his mind.

"Was she hot?" AJ asked, smirking.

"I'm telling Rochelle..." Brian teased.

"She was amazing....I didn't catch her name." Nick said wistfully, looking for her in the crowd. There was something about the blonde that he couldn't put his finger on and he wanted to know more...he hoped he would see her again.

Chapter Eight




Nick lay awake in the bunk on the tour bus, the curtain drawn so he was in complete darkness. Feeling lonlier than ever, he scrolled through his BlackBerry and thought about calling Lauren again....but he knew that she wouldn't answer. She was long gone, probably home by now or wherever she had been headed without him.

Sighing, Nick closed his phone. It was about five in the morning. Today was a show day, and Nick felt himself wishing really hard for a day off to clear his head. Nothing was making sense, Lauren had broken up with him and now he had met a girl last night. This girl was on his mind all the way back from the after party and he couldn't explain why. She was captivating...something about her sent sparks through him and he couldn't figure out if they were good or bad, all he knew was that he wanted to know more about the mysterious blonde. He thought about calling the club and asking around...trying to find a name at least. Something about her had been familiar but she did not look all that familiar.

Sitting up, Nick ran a hand through his short hair. It was darker these days, he was trying to stay away from the blonde stereotype that had plagued him all these years. The fans complained every time he did something to his hair or his body. Nick had liked Lauren for this, she could have cared less how he looked or what color his hair was. Trying not to think about her, he rolled over and closed his eyes to go to sleep. The show the next night was packed, they were playing in Orlando tonight...there was something to be said about the energy of their hometown. The fans of Orlando knew how to show their support, that was a fact. It made Nick feel slightly better to be somewhat home. He couldn't really explain why, but for some reason the fans always cheered him up....no matter what kind of mood he was in.

"Feeling better tonight?" Howie asked once they finished the show for the night.

"A little....I just wish she was here." Nick whispered softly, looking at his feet.

"You gotta accept that she is gone...she won't come back..." Howie replied, his hand on Nick's shoulder.

"I tried calling her today, she didn't answer." he said wistfully. AJ and Rochelle came past him hand in hand and Nick felt a pang of jealousy. He wished he and Lauren could have been as well supported as those two. Nick often read comments on Twitter and LD, that they all wanted him and Lauren to break up....Nick chuckled as he thought about those fans getting their wish at his expense. He wondered why the fans never liked who he dated...they had always bashed his girlfriends, which lead to all of them leaving him or vise versa. Nick watched Leighanne and Brian as well, she was whispering something into his ear as his smile grew wider. Nick wanted to go back to the hotel....he didn't want to be around all of the happy couples and felt bad for feeling so glum. He had joined them again for the after party....Nick being the only one without a date for the night.

He sat at the table and ordered a beer, followed by another. As he was about to start the second beer, his breath caught in his throat....it was her. The girl from last night was across the room, standing at the bar and waving at him.



"Nick....what are you looking at?" Brian asked as he noticed the goofy grin etched on his face.

"Wh-what? Nothing..." Nick lied. When he looked back, she was gone. Nick got up out of his seat and wandered around the club aimlessly looking for her....until he bumped right into her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as her cocktail dropped to the ground. Nick bought her another and they sat down in a small booth in a corner of the nightclub.
"I can't believe you're here, I have been thinking about you..." Nick said softly with a smile. She giggled, batting her eyelashes at him seductively.

"Really now?" she practically whispered. She smelled like vanilla and strawberries...her lips painted a deep red. Nick felt a strange feeling wash over him...something was definitely telling him to stay away...but at the same time something called to him.

"You never did tell me your name." Nick said, flashing her his famous Carter grin, the one that usually made girls fall at his feet. It didn't affect her.....he was impressed.

"My name is Lucy...why don't we go somewhere and I can properly introduce myself to you." she whispered into his ear. He felt his blood rise as she spoke...her breath on his neck. Nick was about to speak but he heard Brian nearby calling for him.

"Your friends are looking for you..." Lucy said as Nick opened his mouth.

"I want to know more about you, Lucy...but we keep getting interrupted." he said quietly, trying to keep himself from being seen by Brian. His tall frame prevented this, he was never good at hiding. Lucy scribbled down a phone number on a napkin and stuffed it into his pants pocket, her hand wandering a bit. Brian was within two feet of the table before Lucy got up and started to walk away.

"Wait...." Nick half whispered, half shouted as he got up and practically knocked Brian over, falling on top of him in a questionable position.

"Well hello there Nick. I had no idea you felt that way about me...." Brian said, as Nick helped him up. Several girls nearby laughed, but Nick didn't.

"Sorry Brian, but I don't think Leighanne would approve of our relationship." Nick retorted, his eyes wandering.

"What is going on with you? It's like you're in another world lately." Brian asked as they met up with the others. Nick shrugged his shoulders, still looking to see if he saw her outside.

"I keep meeting this girl....she was at the last show too...there is something about her..." Nick explained.

"Hell, you might as well have dated the ass grabber, Kaos." AJ chuckled.

"No way....I hate desperate girls like that. If I ever date one of them please do the right thing." Nick said.

"Nick, I saw you with that girl at the club. Don't get mixed up with the fans...." Howie warned.

"Oh hello, Kevin. When did you come back?"

"Ha ha, very funny smartass. I am not Kevin!" Howie protested as the others laughed.

"Kevin, let me know when Howie comes back from 1999, okay?" Nick snapped.

"Nick...this is serious. Please be careful....the last thing we want is you at the mercy of some crazed fan that you decided to date." Howie said as Nick laughed in his face.

"Lucy is not like the other fans..she is really sweet." Nick began, and AJ immediately jumped on this information once they got back to the hotel.

"So you never answered my question....is she hot?" he demanded softly at the door to Nick's room. Nick looked up to see a pink envelope on it, and his name on the front in gold glitter.

"What's this?" he asked out loud. Nick opened the letter...it had a pink and white heart inside.

"Who sent you this?" AJ wondered. Nick opened the card.

"I'm coming for you..." he read softly, his heart beating fast....his chest growing tight. There was no name on the card, no way of identifying who had left it. He wondered who had left this at his room...who had known he would be there...and if they were watching him even now. Nick quickly went inside the hotel room and locked the door, hoping he wouldn't be bothered the rest of the night.

Chapter Nine



"Hello, Nick." He was startled to hear her voice in the hotel room as he closed the door, still clutching the envelope in his hand. As he wandered further into the hotel room, Nick saw her sitting on the couch.

"Lucy..." he breathed, his throat tightening. Nick's mind raced. How on earth had she gotten into the room?

"I've been waiting for you." she said seductively, playing with the zipper on her jacket. She sat up on the couch, crossing her legs as Nick slowly walked over and sat down.

"Lucy...but...how?" he began to ask, but her mouth had taken over his face. She began to kiss him....Nick was drawn to her, he kept it going even though a little voice in the back of his head told him to run away. They kissed, hands wandering everywhere they could reach.

"Wait...how did you get in here?" Nick gasped after a moment, pulling away as he reeled from the passion he felt so suddenly. Lucy nibbled on his ear and ran her hand through his hair, kissing his neck as she did so. Nick grinned, but his judgment got the better of him.

"You didn't answer me." he said.

"Are you complaining? You said you wanted to know me better..." Lucy responded bluntly. She began to remove his pants but he held onto him with his hand and it annoyed her. Nick wasn't too sure of this, she was being too aggressive. His body wanted him to keep up the momentum, but that voice in his head was still present. He continued to kiss her until a knock came on the door.

"Nick? Everything ok in there?" AJ's muffled voice came from the hallway. Annoyed, Nick continued to kiss Lucy as she proceeded to remove his shirt.

"Your friend is at the door." she commented. Nick ignored her and shoved his tongue into her mouth as she moaned. AJ knocked again, harder this time. Nick sighed and rolled his eyes at AJ's persistance. He left Lucy on the couch and walked to the door, stepping out into the hallway.

"Dude, what happened to you? You look like you were mauled again." AJ laughed.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Nick whispered in an annoyed tone. He wanted to get back to Lucy and figure out how she had gotten into the room. Now that he was away from her, things started to send up red flags. She was avoiding his question and definitely hiding something now.

"I was a little worried...you looked freaked out after that card." Honestly, Nick felt relieved that his friend had interrupted him...but that's not what came out of his mouth.

"I'm fine, Jay. What do you want...really?" he snapped. He knew he was taking too long already.

"Do ya got a condom? Monkee and I are having private time." AJ said, and it surprised Nick that he looked a little embarrassed.


"I only got one dude." Nick said. He had it in his pocket and was planning on using it tonight if things went well enough.

"Okay then...well, its not like you're using it." AJ said bluntly. Nick felt the sudden urge to hit him then, but thought better of it. AJ had always been tactless.

"Look, I'm busy. Go get your own." Nick told him before shutting the door in his face. When he returned to the room, Lucy had already put her shirt back on.

"Where are ya going?" Nick asked.

"Nick, I really like you but I can see its not a good time. Maybe we can get together another night when you're not so busy." Lucy said. Nick was put off by her sudden cold shoulder, and it surprised him...especially after how aggressive she was a few moments ago.

"Lucy, wait..." Nick began, following her to the door...but he met it with his face. He stood there in shock, looking at the closed door in front of him and wondering what the hell had just happened. He walked back over to the couch and picked up the pink envelope to read it once more.


"I'm coming for you..." Nick said softly, chills running down his back. He remembered a similar message a few weeks before, something he had seen on his twitter page. He went back to his door and locked it. Nick had debated telling the others about the threats, had thought about letting them know he might be in danger...but thought better of it. He was an adult. He could take care of himself, or so he thought....

Chapter Ten



Lucy walked down the hallway of the hotel towards the elevator, flipping her blonde hair out of her face with her hand and grinning with satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan, and she giggled at the thought. She had almost slept with Nick Carter....it had taken every ounce of strength in her to walk out of that room, she was going to go all the way if the tattooed freak hadn't shown up. Lucy chuckled as she stepped into the elevator and took it one floor down to her room. Her suitcase was almost packed, ready to catch her flight to Tampa in about two hours. Distracting Nick was easy, all a girl had to do was stroke his ego, (and a few other things) he would be all over her. Lucy had noticed after extensive research what would attract him, and it all worked. He had been drawn to her like a moth to a flame...unable to resist. She saw it in his eyes, or she liked to think she did.


"What now, Kris?" she muttered as she heard the tune Everybody wafting from her purse. She pulled out her BlackBerry...the same model Nick had. Lucy knew everything about him and it played to her advantage. She had gotten his phone number and kept him interested. Moving to Tampa was the next step, she found an apartment down the road from his house and had her things sent there.


"Hello?" Lucy answered the phone after the fourth ring, annoyed.

"Thank god. Val, you had me worried sick! I have been calling you for days....where are you?" Kristen asked in a worried tone. She was such a nosy do gooder.

"I'm with my new boyfriend...." Lucy said, cringing at her old name. Yes, the name that bitch had given her....Valerie. She hated her name, had made Kristen and her other friends call her Val for short.

"Boyfriend? Val, the police are at your house...your mom's body was found in the basement. They are looking for you..." Kristen whispered.

"I'm not coming home....I have everything I need here.....well, almost everything." Lucy replied with a small smile. She held a pink envelope in her hand....Nick would find it at his house. She loved playing with his emotions....it had become a game to her. Nick liked Lucy....and Valerie wanted to make sure that she stayed in character and kept up the charade as long as possible, he was hers for the taking now that Lauren was out of the picture. Lauren dumping Nick was a gift in itself, it saved Valerie the trouble of eliminating her herself. Valerie had always despised Lauren...most of Nick's fans didn't like her. Oh yes, she would definitely treat him better than that gold digging whore.

"Where are you? I will come and pick you up....then we can come home and forget all of this happened." Kristen begged. Valerie rolled her eyes again...she knew what would happen if she went back. The police would be tracking her down, she was sure of it. No, it was better to stay hidden...this new identity was working out.

"I don't think so, Kris. This is goodbye." Valerie said coldly.

"What? What do you mean? Val? Val?" Kristen said before Valerie hung up on her. She tossed the phone back into her purse and finished packing. The envelope tucked into her jacket, Valerie took a sweeping glance around the room before heading to the airport....Nick would be home tomorrow and the real games would begin....

Chapter Eleven



"See you in a few weeks, Nick." Brian said as they all stood in the airport about to go to their terminals. Brian was flying home to Georgia to be with his family during their time off.

"Bri? Can I tell you something before you go? In private?" Nick asked. The two of them sat down at a little coffee shop, and Nick reached into his bag.

"What's up? AJ told me you have been acting weird lately." Brian pointed out. Nick grinned, you could always count on AJ to not keep a secret.

"I found this outside of my room." Nick said, handing him the pink envelope. Brian read the note, mouthing the words.

"I'm coming for you....what does this mean? Who's coming?" Brian asked, his eyebrow raised. Nick shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno, but I was wondering if I should be worried about it." he replied. He had thought about keeping the whole thing to himself, but then decided it was better to tell at least one of the guys, just to ease his own feelings.

"Well, its probably just a over excited fan....is this the only one you have gotten?" Brian asked.

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't worry about it unless you get more. Is this what's been bothering you?"



"Rok...I wouldn't come to you if it didn't bother me. Something's off about it. I just got this bad feeling." Nick replied, frowning.

"Have you told anybody else about this?" Brian asked, sliding the envelope back across the small table.

"No, you're the first person I said anything to. To be honest, its got me freaked out...because I have seen this message before on my twitter." Nick said.

"So? You get weirdos on there all the time." Brian said. Nick was put off by his friend....if Kevin was here and he told him, Nick knew Kevin would have had a field day. Ever since the fan had stowed away on their tour bus, Nick was antsy about over enthusiastic fans. The ones that went the extra mile and over the edge just to meet him scared him. One of his fears was that someday one would take things a bit too far...it hadn't happened yet but he was sure it would. The envelope was one thing...but Lucy had been waiting in his hotel room and now that he was away from her it scared him.

"There's something else. This girl was in my hotel room last night." Nick said finally, taking a breath as he spoke.

"Okay...Nick...you have lots of girls in your hotel room. Well, you used to anyway, before Lauren." Brian stated. Nick laughed, Brian could be so blunt sometimes.

"There was something I liked about her, but at the same time my heart was telling me run away."

"Well, yeah! There was a weird girl in your room. What's not clicking, Nick? The crazy girls love you...and its finally starting to dawn on you that maybe its not so fun anymore?" Brian said, slamming his hand on the table.

"I....I...." Nick stammered, flinching at Brian's sudden outburst.

"Nick, you need to stop. Those girls are crazy. Remember what happened the other day? They tore you apart. You are gonna get yourself hurt. Please promise me you won't contact that girl again." Brian snapped.

"What do you mean..."

"You know damn well what I mean. I know all about the mystery girl from the nightclub. I saw you and her feeling each other up in the booth."

"Brian..."

"I don't want to hear it. That girl sounds like trouble. How did she get into your room?" Brian shouted.

"She....I asked...but.." Nick stammered, blushing. People were starting to stare.

"What the hell were you thinking? I don't want to hear anything of this girl being around you again. Promise me...." Brian said, his face within an inch of Nick's.



"I promise..." Nick said finally. Brian backed off...but Lucy was in the back of his mind as they said goodbye. Nick got onto the plane, staring at Lucy's phone number as he got into first class...thinking about calling her when he landed.

Chapter Twelve



Nick adjusted his jacket and looked at himself in the mirror one more time before he drove over to Lucy's place. He knew he was disobeying Brian, and this made it that much more appealing to pursue Lucy. She was wearing a red dress this time, her blonde hair tied back.



"Nick....nice to see you." Lucy said sweetly, grinning at him when he came to her door. He took her to a club downtown where they ate dinner first and then danced.

"Thanks for coming out with me, Lucy. I couldn't get my mind off you these last few days." Nick said softly as they ordered drinks.

"I have thought of you as well. You're wonderful." she answered, her hand stroking his thigh. Nick felt warm, that feeling was coming back again. He licked his lips and grinned, placing his hand on top of hers.

"We still need to be properly introduced," Lucy whispered in his ear before kissing his neck. Nick grinned wider, feeling his blood rise with her touch.

"I can arrange that," he whispered seductively. He took her back to his place and they began to kiss, slowly at first until it escalated. He let her remove his shirt, her hands moving across his back...her nails grazing his spine. Nick had a thing for nails, he loved how they felt on his body. She moved to his pants and that's when he heard Brian's voice in his head.



"I told you to stay away from her." Brian echoed angrily. Nick ignored him and kept kissing Lucy, his hands fumbling with the clasp on her dress.

"I warned you..." Brian said again, and Nick opened his eye to see Brian standing in the room. He wasn't really there, Nick knew he was a figment of his imagination.

"Go away." Nick whispered. Lucy didn't hear him, she was nibbling on his earlobe.

"She's trouble..."

"Stop it!" Nick muttered.



"Excuse me?" she had definitely heard him that time. Nick's eyes went wide and Brian disappeared.

"Lucy...uh..." he said, unable to explain himself. Talking to an imaginary version of his best friend didn't seem like a plausible excuse for interrupting a steamy makeout session, at least not to him anyway. She looked angry, her green eyes narrowed at him...clearly annoyed.

"Do you want me to leave?" Lucy asked. As much as he wanted to go further with her, there was no way he could bring himself to go all the way. What was he thinking?

"I'm getting a little tired of this game, Nick." Lucy scolded him as she got dressed. Nick wanted to kick himself for even taking her to his house, he should have thought about this better.

"Lucy, I really like you...but I think we are moving too fast?" Nick said, more of a question than a response. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he followed her to the door.


"I won't wait forever." Lucy said, kissing him gently before she left. Nick sat in his living room, trying to make sense of everything. The pink envelope caught his eye on the coffee table, the one he had found in the hotel a few nights ago.


"I'm coming for you..." he read. Nick still wondered what it meant. Who was coming for him....and when? Nick decided to go for a walk to clear his head....and that's when he found another envelope taped to his door. This one looked just like the other....pink with glitter. His hands shaking...he opened the note.


"I'm here..." he gasped. Nick dropped it and stepped back, his heart racing...looking around as if someone was going to attack him right now. He turned to go into the house, and that's when someone placed their hand on his shoulder. Nick screamed bloody murder, his body trembling.

"Nick...what's wrong?" a soft voice asked. Nick turned to face them, not opening his eyes. If they were going to kill him...Nick didn't want to see who it was.

"Look at me..." the voice said again. Nick finally opened his eyes and gasped.





"Lauren?"

Chapter Thirteen




"L-Lauren?" Nick stammered as he looked into a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. His body was shaking...she pulled him close and held him.

"Nicky...come inside.." she said softly, and she locked the door behind them.



"What are you doing here?" he asked in disbelief. She led him to the couch and they sat down. Nick thought she looked just as beautiful as she was the last time he had seen her nearly a week ago.


"Nick..." she began. Nick grinned, there was always something about the way she said his name that he liked, now that she was back...he realized everything he missed about her had been on his mind. Lucy didn't even exist, he was thinking about Lauren.


"I am so sorry for leaving in the way I did that night. I was frustrated and I should be supporting you like I have been for the past two years." Lauren said, holding his hand in hers and stroking it with her thumb gently. Nick felt a sense of calm wash over him.

"I was really hurt when I came back and saw your stuff was gone...but I understand why you did it. You deserve a commitment." Nick replied. He had been doing some thinking about his life lately...and wanted to make a change.

"Baby, I shouldn't have given you an ultimatum. It was wrong of me to even think you would change your views just for the sake of our relationship. I know you are thinking about what happened with your family...I promise you I am not like your mother." Lauren explained, her black hair falling in front of her face.


"It feels so good to see you again...I missed you so much." Nick said, and he embraced her. It really did feel good to hold her once more and feel her touch against his body. Nick's attraction to Lucy was purely sexual. He had no romantic chemistry with her like he did with Lauren, he couldn't see himself holding a long term relationship. Lucy was simply too aggressive for his tastes.



"I want to pick up where we left off...." Nick whispered into her ear, kissing her neck gently.

"So do I...would you like to grab a coffee with me?" Lauren asked. The two of them went to a Dunkin Donuts nearby and talked for a long time. Nick showed her the notes he had found and Lauren seemed worried.



"Nick, this sounds dangerous. Have you called the police?" she asked, handing him the envelopes back across the table. Nick kept eyeing the window, as if he were looking for something.

"No, I haven't. Brian said I shouldn't take anything seriously, its probably a fan screwing with my head."

"I would take this very serious! Someone is obviously out to get you. When I showed up tonight, you were screaming. Obviously something has you freaked out and I think if you're that scared you should not be staying in that house alone." Lauren scolded him.

"Heh. You sound just like Brian sometimes, you know that?"


"Well why don't you listen to him for once? I don't want you to end up dead in the gutter somewhere." Lauren said, her eyes watering at the thought.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. Just take me home, I will be okay tonight." Nick replied. He missed having that moral support she always gave him when the guys weren't around. Nick could always count on Lauren to be his rock when times were rough. She never seemed to get annoyed with him no matter what he did, and Nick loved her for this. She seemed to understand him better than he knew himself.



"You gonna be okay tonight by yourself?" Lauren asked as they kissed on his porch step. Nick seemed a bit scared but he told her again he would be fine and sent her on her way.

"I'm glad we're back together. Call me when you get home, maybe we can do lunch tomorrow or something?" Nick suggested happily as he kissed her back. He missed those soft lips against his own.



"Of course. Its a date." she giggled before heading to her car. Nick went back into the house, smiling as he went. He had Lauren back....everything was going perfectly, but a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he was not out of the woods yet. Lauren drove back to her apartment about a half hour away from Nick's house, smiling. She had missed Nick about as much as he missed her, if not more. He was showing her maturity by agreeing to give it another try, and she was impressed. Turning the ignition off, she locked the car and went into the house. Everything was dark, and it was very quiet. She turned on the light in her kitchen and saw a bright pink envelope on the counter with gold glitter on the front.



"I'm here." Lauren read aloud, and that's when she heard footsteps in the kitchen behind her.

Chapter Fourteen



Nick was feeling confident as he woke up the next morning and took a shower. He stood under the water, letting the heat run over his back and stomach. Nick loved to take baths usually, they relaxed him....but he felt today was a shower day. He heard his house phone ring after he got dressed and it was AJ.



"What's up, dude? Brian said I should check up on you..." AJ said almost instantaneously. Nick laughed.

"You're a dumbass, Jay. If Rok told you to check on me, you're not supposed to let me know. I'm fine, how are you?" he asked. He knew that Brian must have told the other guys about their conversation in the airport the other day, and asked them to keep an ear out.


"I'm okay, Bone." Nick added after AJ had felt the need to ask again.

"Okay, are you sure....because Brian was a little freaked out by the love letters." AJ said.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, the Lucy situation doesn't even exist because Lauren came back last night." Nick explained, sighing with content.

"Wow, that's awesome news! What made her change her mind?"

"I dunno, she said she did some thinking and decided that she was not being fair to me for leaving like that. She said she wanted to give it another shot, and I agreed." Nick said as his BlackBerry buzzed in his pocket. He had a new text message in the inbox.



"Meet me at my place tonight...I want to pick things up where we left off." Nick mouthed with a smile.


"AJ, I will call you later...looks like I got a date tonight." he chuckled. Nick felt like a million dollars that day as he went out to buy Lauren flowers, dressed up nice for her and drove over to her apartment that night. Whistling cheerfully, he walked up to the door and buzzed, but she didn't answer. He waited outside for a long time....and texted her again...tried calling her, but the phone was going to voicemail. Nick fished in his pocket for his keys, remembering he had a spare key to the place and let himself inside.



"Lauren?" he called out into the darkness. It was very dark in the apartment, and he found it odd that all the lights were off.



"L-Lauren?" he said, feeling a lump in his throat as he moved towards the kitchen, his hands starting to shake. The paper covering the roses rustled under his shaking hands.


"This isn't funny...." he whispered. He stumbled over something in the dark and fell flat on his face, banging his head on the coffee table and dropping the flowers. Nick crawled and groped in the dark until he felt something on the floor. It was cold as ice and gave him the shivers. Feeling a sense of dread washing over him, Nick finally made his way to a light switch and turned the kitchen lights on. A small scream escaped his lips...he had tripped over a body.


"L-Lauren...." he said shakily, crawling towards her. His eyes watered as he looked down at her sprawled on the floor, her face drained of color, her black hair laying haphazardly over her eyes. Nick whimpered as he knelt on the hardwood floor next to her, she was clearly dead. He shook his head repeatedly, not wanting to believe it.



"No....no.....please..." he whispered, shaking her gently, but Lauren was dead. She was wearing the outfit he had seen her in last night and appeared to have been dead for hours, he guessed since last night.


"Oh...oh god.....no....please, no..." Nick pleaded again, wiping his eyes while he looked her over, hoping there was some sign she might be alive. A pink envelope lay on the floor next to the kitchen counter.



"I'm here..." Nick read, his eyes wide. This person leaving him notes had gotten to Lauren. Nick slumped against the wall, his body shaking more still. He let the tears fall finally, sobbing into his knees. Lauren's body lay not far away from him, motionless. He shakily dialed 911 and sat there crying, his head buried in his hands as he did. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as paramedics showed up...police arrived. He felt his eyes water again as an officer walked over towards him and they asked him questions.



"Would you like us to call someone for you? Do you need a cab?" someone asked. Nick just stood there in disbelief. He had just seen her last night....she wanted to get back together...and now she was gone. Nothing he could do would bring her back. Nick was led to his car and he sat inside...too scared to turn on the ignition. It was then that he felt something on the seat underneath him, and he reached under his backside to pull it out. It was another envelope, as pink as the others. This time it was scented with perfume.






"You're next."

Chapter Fifteen





He didn't care where he ended up....he just punched the gas and sped as far away from Lauren's house as he humanly could. Nick wasn't sure if he wanted to go home or even if it was safe for him to be there with this stalker on the loose. Whoever they were, they had gotten to Lauren. Hot tears sprang to his eyes, stinging his skin as he drove, the wind whipping through his short hair. Lauren was dead, he had witnessed this as a fact. As he drove aimlessly around Tampa, he thought about the perfume.


It had smelled like....like vanilla and strawberries....Lucy. Lucy's perfume smelled just like it. Nick wracked his brain until a clear picture of her came into view. Lucy had killed Lauren. Nick wanted to kick himself for even letting Lucy get into his head, for letting himself be attracted to her. He was sure she had murdered his girlfriend, had killed her in cold blood. His dashboard lit up as a phone call came in. Nick's hands trembled as he pressed the green answer key.



"Lucy..." he breathed, trying not to sound afraid.

"Hi sweetheart." Lucy said cheerfully. Nick rolled his eyes. They were not dating and she was calling him pet names already.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"You. Come to my place." Lucy said seductively with a wry giggle.

"She did it, you know she did. Don't fall for it," Brian's voice rang out clear as a bell. Nick was having a hard time concentrating on the road, it was very dark on the backroads.

"Lucy, its not a good time for me right now." Nick said, wiping his eyes again as he rounded a corner. He still wasn't sure where he was headed.

"Hang up, don't talk to her." Brian said, appearing in the passenger seat next to him.

"Not now..." Nick muttered, trying to shake the hallucination away but it wouldn't leave.

"I need you. Come to me." Lucy repeated. She sounded impatient, being forceful.

"Lucy, I can't see you anymore....please understand." Nick said finally. He swerved to miss an animal that had run in front of the car and heard a THUMP noise before he got back onto the road. Lucy started to say something but his reception cut out.

"Boring conversation anyway." Nick muttered to himself as he punched the gas again. He was thinking about going home when a loud BOOM shook the car and almost made him drive off the road. Nick got out of the car, cursing himself under his breath.



"Fucking wonderful." he said once he saw the flattened tire. Nick got out of his car and reached into his trunk for the tire iron to change the flat. He hadn't changed a tire in a long time so it took a little effort. He tried to stay alert as it was pitch black, the road was deserted.


"Relax Nick. Nobody out here but that damn raccoon you almost ran over." Nick muttered, then thought he was crazy for talking to himself. The lug nut wasn't coming off, he had removed two so far but had a few more to go. It was a little chilly but he had left his jacket in the car and was having trouble holding the flashlight. As he moved to the third one, he felt a hand on his face. His heart beating rapidly, he tried to run but something had covered his mouth. It made him cough...some kind of chemical was seeping into his lungs and making him dizzy.

Nick struggled and tried to stand up, but his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out, the flashlight falling to the ground and coming to rest near the flattened tire.....then everything was still once more.

Chapter Sixteen




He was sleeping when the phone rang at one am....he thought about simply ignoring the call but decided to answer it.



"Hello?"

"Is this Brian Littrell?" a voice on the other end of the receiver asked.

"Yes it is, but do you realize how late you're calling me?" Brian replied in an annoyed tone. He had gone to sleep about midnight and had to catch a flight in the morning, so whoever this was had better have a damn good reason for calling at one am.



"This is Officer Jacobs with the Florida State Police." the man stated. Brian sat upright in bed, feeling a bit worried. He looked at the caller ID and it was Nick's phone number on the screen. His heart sank, expecting the worst.

"Did something happen?" Brian asked after a few moments of listening to the officer's questions.

"I'm not allowed to release much information, but we had found Mr. Carter's car and his BlackBerry. When was the last time you spoke with him?" Officer Jacobs asked.

"A few days ago at the airport when he went home. That was the last time we talked." Brian explained. He thought about what Nick had told him in their conversation and wondered if maybe the strange letters were the cause of this.

"Do you know if anybody else has spoken to him before tonight?" the officer repeated.

"AJ....I asked AJ to check on him. His number should be on the phone." Brian said shakily.

"We went through the numbers on his phone and there was no AJ on his contacts. That's how I found you." Officer Jacobs explained. Brian thought it was strange that Nick wouldn't have AJ in his phone book, but then laughed.

"Try Jizzle." he said softly, laughing.

"Jizzle?" the officer asked in a confused tone.

"Trust me on this. If anybody would know where Nick is, it would be AJ." Brian offered.

"Thank you, Mr. Littrell. For now, I suggest taking safety precautions in case you are a target as well." Officer Jacobs instructed. After he hung up, Brian went to check on Baylee then Leighanne and locked all the doors. He knew for a fact that he was not a target, but he hoped Nick was safe wherever he was.





AJ was sleeping, startled when his phone rang.



"Is this Alexander McLean?"

"Who?" he asked groggily, his face buried in the pillow and the phone pressed into his ear. He was not used to being called Alexander. Alex or AJ would have been fine.

"AJ?" the voice asked. AJ had just gotten home, it was about 1:45 in the morning.

"Depends on who is asking," AJ snapped. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed.

"This is Officer Jacobs with the Florida State Police."

"I didn't do it!" AJ said hurriedly. The man claiming to be an officer laughed.

"No, its not anything like that. We were wondering if you could tell us when you last spoke with Nick Carter."

"Oh, Nick? I talked to him yesterday." AJ replied. He wondered why the State Police was looking for Nick and what trouble he had gotten into this time.
"If you don't mind, what did you discuss with him?" Officer Jacobs asked. AJ rubbed his head, thinking.

"I asked him how he was doing." he answered. He tried to think about if Nick had sounded upset or acted funny, but he hadn't.

"Is there anything that was said in the conversation that would make you think something was wrong with Mr. Carter?"

"No, he sounded happy. Happier than I have heard him in a while. Nick said something about getting back together with his girlfriend." AJ explained.


"This girlfriend, is her name Lauren Kitt?" Officer Jacobs asked suddenly.

"Yeah....maybe you should ask-"

"I'm afraid that's impossible." the officer said.

"What do you mean? I'm sure Lauren saw Nick." AJ protested.

"Lauren Kitt was murdered tonight. Mr. Carter was at the scene of the crime and now he has gone missing.....we suspect foul play. Its very important that we find out every place he was and every person he talked to so we can find out what happened."

"Lauren was murdered?" AJ asked in shock. He had just talked to Nick...they were getting back together. Nick was so happy....and now he was missing. It all seemed so unreal that something could change so drastically.

"I wish I knew more, officer....but I don't. He just told me that he and Lauren were getting back together, and then he said he had a date tonight. That is the last time I heard from him." AJ replied, sighing. Officer Jacobs was silent for a few moments as he wrote something down.

"I will be in touch Mr. McLean. For now, I suggest you and your friends keep a low profile in case any of you are targets as well." he said finally before hanging up. AJ sat in bed, looking at the phone as the dial tone played and finally hung up. He locked all the doors and windows to his house and sat in the dark, holding a crowbar in his hand as he laid down in bed.



"I would just love to see those fuckers try and kidnap me." AJ muttered before he fell asleep.

Chapter Seventeen




He woke up feeling groggy and dizzy....his head hurt horribly from the migrane taking over him. Opening his eyes, he blinked...not having a clue where he was. It was a small room, and there were no windows...he couldn't tell what time of day it was as he didn't wear a watch. He was startled to find his hands in handcuffs behind his back, his body resting on the cold floor underneath. He shivered a little...the handcuffs were very tight and dug into his wrists.



"This has to be a dream. Please let this be a dream." he begged softly as he tried to move again, but his body was restricted.


"Ah, you're awake." a low voice commented as it entered the dark room.

"Where am I?" he asked as the sound of stiletto heels echoed on the cement floor. His question was answered by a cold laugh.

"You're mine now, Carter." the voice said. Nick kept praying silently this was a dream. It had to be a dream...

"You didn't answer my..." he began, but the only reply was a swift kick that landed in his side...sharp pain stabbed in his stomach and he fought off the urge to cry out.

"You will speak when I allow you to." the voice snapped. He felt his eyes water and blinked back tears. A pair of green eyes stared back at him, cold and unforgiving in the darkness.

"Lucy....." Nick gasped. Brian was right....she was right in front of him the whole time.

"What did you expect? You told me you loved me!" Valerie shouted. She raised her hand to slap him, but when she saw him flinch she thought better of it. It was time to claim her prize.

"I never said I loved you." Nick protested.



"SHUT UP!"


"But...."



SLAP. Her hand came across his face, her red nails scratching him.

"You told me you loved me." Valerie said calmly. Nick's heart raced...his eyes searching. He did not recall telling anybody but Lauren he loved them...but then it hit him. The girl at soundcheck, the one who said she loved him. Nick's face drained of color as he remembered. He had said the three magic words to a total stranger. Brian had warned him, they all had told him...but he didn't listen.

"You're name isn't Lucy is it?" he whispered. She kicked him again, and the handcuffs cut into his wrists.

"Well, you're not as dumb as you look." Ouch. Nick frowned at her, shaking his head slowly. This girl was the one leaving the notes. He was staring right at Lauren's murderer. She had killed her....left her body for him to find. He wondered if anybody knew he was missing...wondered if the police thought he had killed Lauren.



"You killed her." he whispered, the tears falling. He felt weak for crying in front of this girl, he wasn't sure if her name really was Lucy or what she even called herself. Everything was so confusing, he didn't know how he had even ended up here in this room. Lucy did not answer, she simply laughed....kneeling down and tried kissing his face. Nick moved his head away as far as he could.


"STOP MOVING!" she screamed as she grabbed his hair and held his face still. Nick whimpered softly as she kissed him. He did not enjoy it like last time. Her presence was very dominating but he managed to resist kissing her back. She had taken Lauren away, he knew this was not a good situation.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked once she had let go of his hair. His scalp stung but he couldn't reach it to rub his head. Lucy simply laughed again.

"You belong to me now, that's all you need to know." she told him with a satisfied smirk. Nick felt if he kept talking to her maybe he could convince her to let him out of the handcuffs at least, so when she left he would try to escape.

"Lucy..."

"Valerie." she corrected him, staring at him angrily. Now that he had figured out who she really was, there was no point in keeping up with her new name. Besides, he was never going to see anybody else again....not going to be able to blab about what she had done or was about to do to him.

"Valerie....why did you lie to me?" Nick asked. She sighed, it was a valid question. However, in her mind she was angry. He had told her he loved her but had dumped her for that bitch. A smile played at her lips, she had won. Lauren had put up a fight when she was strangling her, when she was begging for Nick to be left alone as her last breath.

"I love you, Nick....more than anything...we all do crazy things when we love someone." she said softly. Nick frowned at her.

"So killing my girlfriend was okay? Leaving her for dead was ok because you're in love with me?" he spat. She kicked him in the stomach and he did cry out this time. Good. He should feel the pain he's caused me. Valerie thought.


"I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" she screamed.

"I don't love you, you're crazy." Nick said. She smacked him again but he didn't seem to get the message. He would bend to her soon enough.

"We will see how you feel tomorrow." she said, walking out of the room. His stomach growled, he wished he knew what time it was....he had no idea when he ate last. The handcuffs were scratching again and his back hurt already, but he was sure he could keep resisting Valerie. He wondered again if anybody knew he was missing and hoped he would be out of this situation soon.

Chapter Eighteen





"Where in blazes is AJ?" Howie asked, looking at his watch. He and Brian sat in the living room, waiting on their bandmate to arrive. They were holding a meeting to decide what to do about the rest of the US tour. Nick had been missing for nearly two days now and nobody knew where he was. Management had put the meeting together even though Howie argued that Nick hadn't been missing that long, not to mention they still had two weeks before tour picked up again.


"I just think they are jumping the gun. Why would Nick run off like this? It doesn't make any sense!" Howie exclaimed as he and Brian sat in the conference room.

"He didn't run away, D. Nicky's 30. He's not 16 anymore....sometimes I even forget that." Brian said softly, feeling horrible.

"We just gotta be positive, He will come back." Howie said as they heard noise in the hallway. Moments later, AJ burst into the room carrying a laptop and looking excited.


"Guys, GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!" he screamed, setting the laptop down on the conference table.

"Jay, where's the fire?" Howie asked, raising an eyebrow. AJ opened it and jumped up and down excitedly, pointing at the screen.

"Look at our photos from last week at the meet and greet." he shouted. Brian logged into their fanclub and went to the gallery.

"What am I looking for?" he asked in confusion.


"Scroll down. Down...down...down.....THERE!" AJ said, pointing at a picture of a girl with black hair. Brian squinted at the screen then looked back at AJ and shook his head, shrugging.

"Ok. Now picture her blonde." AJ said, grinning. Brian closed his eyes and a gasp escaped his lips.



"Oh...my...god....its her!" he whispered.

"Who?" Howie asked, staring at the two of them.

"The ass-grabber!" AJ exclaimed, pointing.

"Who?" Howie repeated.

"I swear....D, sometimes you are as thick headed as Kevin." AJ commented, making Brian chuckle.



"I am NOT turning into him." Howie protested.

"How did you know it was her, AJ?" Brian asked. AJ laughed, feeling so proud of himself for solving this "mystery".

"The night after we saw her in the nightclub feeling him up under the table....Nick found a note on his door. The one he showed you at the airport...remember?"

"Well, yes...but...what's that got to do with her?" Brian asked.

"Where are you going with this, AJ?" Howie demanded.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, D. Well, a couple hours later I was going to his room for a condom and saw that girl in his room. What are the odds she would be waiting for him in his room after he gets a creepy love letter?" AJ snapped. A look of sudden realization washed over Brian and he gasped again.


"Her name was Lucy.....I told him to stay away from her! Why didn't he listen to me..." Brian muttered, shaking his head.

"I still don't get it." Howie said. AJ grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him slowly so his head bobbed like a bobblehead doll.

"She....was....a...stalker....she....left....him....those....notes!" he said angrily.


"Now who sounds like Kevin?" Howie teased.

"Bite me." AJ said, flipping him off.

"I think you're onto something, AJ. Do you think she had something to do with Nick disappearing?" Brian asked.

"Sounds like it. She was creepy as hell, remember? She told Nick she loved him."

"The one who said I love you and he told her he loved her?! That idiot! If I wasn't so worried about him I'd kill him." Brian shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

"Well, I think she had something to do with Lauren too," AJ commented, looking at his feet.

"Lauren?" Howie and Brian asked at the same time.



"She's dead." AJ replied sadly.

"Oh my god. How did that happen?" Howie asked. AJ shut the computer and sat down.

"She was murdered the other night. Nick told me he was on his way to see her, but something happened. He vanished and she ended up dead. The police told me he found her body. That's why they are looking for him, they think....they think he did it." he said, sighing.

"Nick would not kill Lauren. Not in a million years. Something is wrong with this picture. Have they any leads?" Howie said calmly.

"He left behind his BlackBerry, his jacket and his car in the middle of nowhere. Now you tell me that doesn't sound like something Nicky wouldn't do. That damn phone is attatched to his hand. He never goes anywhere without that fuckin' thing." AJ mused.

"So you think someone abducted him?" Brian asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. It was beginning to make sense to him at least. He remembered what the girl looked like, the blonde girl from the night club. Lucy, or whatever her name was.

"Well, I told the police what I thought. Of course they think I'm insane."

"Says the man who owns a flamethrower." Howie laughed.

"Hey, now. Like you have no use for a flamethrower." AJ retorted.



"Not really, no."

"It might come in handy."

"Those cops were right about you."

"Guys..." Brian started, but it fell flat. He felt that finding Nick as soon as possible was more important. However, as
Brian listened to the two of them arguing, and wondered where Nick could be and hoped he could hold out until they found him....or he escaped. Grinning, Brian knew Nick would find a way out of this, or at least he hoped he did.

Chapter Nineteen





Nick woke up sometime later with a splitting headache and his stomach growling like he had eaten a grizzly bear. His arms hurt and were sore from being chained to the pole behind his head...his legs were cramping too. He tried to lick his lips to moisten them, but his mouth felt like cotton. Nick didn't know how long he had been in the room, nor how long he had slept, but he felt hungry and had an incredible need to urinate. He felt his stomach yelling at him to eat but felt annoyed that he couldn't...and he was frustrated at his situation. Valerie had been gone for what seemed like days after their arguement, and Nick wondered what was going to happen to him now.

He wondered what the guys were doing, if they missed him...if they were trying to find him. He knew deep down they would definitely miss him. Nick wished he knew what day and what time it was. The room was bare with no furniture and no lights...not even windows. He sat on a cold floor, no carpeting and wondered briefly if he might be in a basement. Nick's body shivered and his stomach growled again.



"Quit that." he whispered hoarsely. He really wanted a hamburger....a big, juicy hamburger...with cheese and onions....


Bad idea.



Nick shook away the thought of cheeseburgers and sat alone in the dark, thinking. He thought about Lauren. Nick missed her a lot...but she would never come back. When he closed his eyes, he could smell her perfume and feel her touch, this made him tear up.



"Nicky..." a voice said in the darkness. A small light came on and he saw Valerie come through the door. Valerie smiled at him....looking pathetic and weak in front of her. Good. Let him suffer for what he did, she thought.

"What do you want?" he croaked. She laughed at him and knelt down. He smelled cheeseburgers...more specifically McDonald's. He could smell fries too...it made his mouth water. Valerie held up the red and white bag, he heard it crinkle and thought about the food inside. She giggled when she heard his stomach growl, his eyes staring hungrily at the bag. Valerie knew he had not eaten in nearly 48 hours and the smell of the hamburgers was now killing him.



"Oh....did you want this?" she said innocently, taking a cheeseburger out of the bag and holding it in the air. She waved it in front of him slowly so he could smell it but not reach it. Nick stared again, licking his lips as he whimpered softy.


"There's lots of good food in here." Valerie said, setting the burger down and reaching into the bag. Nick's eyes darted to the floor and watched it sitting there, the smell torturing his stomach as it growled harder than ever. He watched Valerie take out an apple pie...he smelled the cinnamon even though it was in a box...a large french fry...chicken nuggets...Nick closed his eyes so he didn't have to look any more. He knew she was up to something. McDonald's was something he didn't eat like he used to when he was younger. He loved it but usually leaned towards more healthy foods these days, but after not eating for so long...anything looked good. He would have eaten liver and onions if someone put it in front of him at this point.


"It looks good, doesn't it?" she teased, grinning like the devil himself. Nick wouldn't look at her, his eyes shut as if someone had sewed them together.


"I know you want it, Nick." Valerie whispered, her breath on his neck as she leaned into his ear. He shuddered as she talked. All of a sudden he felt his arms slump to his side. Nick opened his eyes, she had freed him from the handcuffs. His first instinct was to run for the door, but his body directed him to the bag of food. He lunged for it but she grabbed the bag and smiled.


"Uh, uh, uh....bad Nicky." Valerie said, wagging her finger at him. She took one of the cheeseburgers and handed it to him. Nick ripped the paper off and shoved it into his mouth, cheawing noisly. Food felt so good going into his stomach and he sighed with content, ketchup dripping down his chin. He sat against the floor, eating...not noticing Valerie kissing his neck. All Nick cared about was the food, he tore open the paper on another burger and ate, her lips on his shoulder...back to his neck again. He kept chewing as she slid down and began pulling on his jeans.



"Hey..." Nick said suddenly, backing away. He should have guessed she would do this, try to have sex with him while he was occupied. Valerie snatched the McDonald's bag away from his reach.

"You want the rest?" she asked, grinning. Nick thought about it...he had eaten two hamburgers and to him, that was all he needed to be satisfied. He wasn't about to let her have him over McDonald's. No way in hell.

"Hell no." he said, a little too quickly. She took the soda she had given him and threw it at his head, the ice and Coke spilling everywhere.

"You can try to resist me, Carter....but it won't last for long. You're mine now." Valerie said coldly before taking the food bag and leaving him in the dark once more. Nick still had to use the bathroom, but knew better than to ask after that display of defiance. Now that his stomach was satisfied, he could begin to think of ways to escape this....but first he needed to figure out where he was...and if he could even get out of it.

Chapter Twenty






"Get up..."




Nick's eyes fluttered open and he saw Valerie...her hair had black streaks in it now. She kicked him hard in his side and he winced.

"What do you want now?" Nick muttered. Even before he finished his sentence her hand came across his face.

"You said you needed to go to the bathroom, didn't you?" she snapped. She was wearing the tightest jeans he had ever seen, and a low cut tank top. It didn't affect him in the slightest, Nick would rather choke her.


"Yeah." he said softly, and she allowed him to stand, releasing him from the handcuffs. He found it hard to stand up, his legs stiff from sitting on the floor for two days now. Valerie pushed him along out of the room. There was a short, narrow hallway with a door at the end.

"Go." she said, pushing him hard in the side. Nick winced in pain, his stomach protesting. The bathroom was extremely small and didn't have a sink inside, it was just a toilet. He closed the door behind him but did not lock it. As he relieved himself, he sighed with content. Holding in his urine had been painful enough...he was surprised he had held out as long as he did. As he finished, his eyes looked up and noticed the window. His heart began racing...it was just big enough for him to fit through, at least he figured he would fit. He was definitely thin enough, Nick looked at it with a sense of quiet excitement, a grin spreading across his bruised face.


Nick zipped up his pants and put the toilet seat down. He climbed on top of it, his legs wobbly but he regained his balance quickly.



"Please let it be unlocked." Nick whispered, his throat sore and dry like cotton. He could feel dehydration beginning...his body already felt weak. Nick knew that if he didn't try to escape now...he might not have the strength later on. He pushed the window up and it stuck halfway. Nick sized it up, he was sure he would still fit. It was light outside, he guessed it was morning judging by the angle of the sun.



"Nick?" Valerie's voice came from the other side of the door. Nick's eyes widened and he scrambled into the window. He got stuck halfway through, his jeans getting caught on something. Nick was beginning to panic, his breathing got heavy with the effort of trying to free himself. Valerie pounded on the door and shouted again but he ignored her and kept pushing himself through the window. He could feel the heat from outside and it gave him motivation to keep trying.



"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Valerie screamed, the door flying open. Nick yelped, trying desperately to move. Valerie screamed and pulled on his legs, pulling his body into the house. Nick protested and tried to grab onto the window frame, panicking as he struggled.

"You think I would let you get away this easy, Carter?" Valerie shouted, pulling him to the floor. Nick banged his head on the toilet seat and did not get up.

"You piece of shit. I do something nice for you and this is how you repay me?" Valerie yelled, kicking him repeatedly. Nick covered his face with his arms and went into a fetal position, his body shaking. She grabbed him by his hair and brought his face to level with her own.

"You're going to regret this..." she said as he grunted in pain.

"Please....stop..." Nick begged softly, not even trying to stand.

"You lied to me....I'm going to make damn sure you feel the same pain you caused me if its the last thing I do."

"How can you do this to me? I thought you loved me." Nick whispered, leaning against the toilet. He hated himself for not fighting back, but he was so tired he didn't have the energy.

"You belong to me now. I can't let you leave." she said, ignoring his question. She handcuffed his wrists together and led him back to the room again before pushing him inside, letting him fall to the floor. His stomach growled again, feeling hunger once more.

"Maybe if you reconsidered my offer, you wouldn't need to be punished." she said, leaning into his ear as she cuffed him to the pole again. Nick smelled blood, he had cut his head when he fell.

"Never...I will never be with you." he whispered angrily. She simply laughed.

"Well, you might not have an option much longer. I always get what I want." Valerie sneered, her face an inch from his.
"Get the fuck away from me." Nick said, moving his leg up to push her off. Valerie fell backwards and Nick grinned, satisfied with himself.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" she shouted.

"You're a psycho bitch and you need your head examined. When I get out of here-" Nick started, but she had him by the throat. He gasped for air, her hand cutting off his windpipe.



"You....will...never....do...that..again. If you EVER talk to me like this again, you will never see the light of day." she said, tightening her grip. Nick gasped, choking on his own breath. Valerie finally let go and the color came back to his face. She smiled in triumph. Nick coughed forcefully, trying to catch breath as she walked out of the room, humming as she went. He would give in sooner or later....or she could make his life hell. Nick would have to make his own choice on that.

Chapter Twenty One




"We gotta do something, those cops aren't doing shit." AJ shouted as the meeting wound down. The boys were now deciding what to do as a group now that Nick had been gone for a few days.
"Jay, the police are doing all they can." Howie said calmly, mostly to make himself feel better. Despite the information they had given to Officer Jacobs, no leads had been found...Nick was still missing.

"This is bullshit. We shouldn't be sitting here on our asses." AJ said, sitting down.

"He's right, Howie. I think we should do some investigating on our own." Brian agreed. He had been planning to visit Nick's house and look for any hint as to where he could be. He knew Nick was kidnapped, they all did. However, the police was convinced that Nick was simply in hiding due to Lauren's murder.



"Brian, it's a bad idea for us to go snooping. Don't you watch mystery movies?" Howie said, shaking his head at them.

"Scooby Doo doesn't count, D." AJ snapped as Howie scowled.

"I don't care, Howie. Nick is in trouble...the police aren't doing anything and he could be hurt somewhere. We have to try. I can't just sit here and wait. AJ and I are going to see if we can find some clues at his house." Brian said. The next morning they drove to Nick's house, which was in Tampa.



"How are we gonna get in? He probably locked the doors before he left the other day. Won't the alarms go off?" AJ said, puffing on his third cigarette.

"You shouldn't be smoking." Brian scolded him as AJ blew smoke in his face by accident.

"It calms me down. I'm worried about him, B. That girl seemed like trouble. What the fuck was he thinking messing around like that?" AJ protested. He tossed the cigarette and stomped it out with his foot.

"He got his bad habits from you." Brian whispered, investigating the keypad on the door of Nick's house.

"How so? Nick's an adult. He screws up plenty without my help." AJ said. Brian shook his head and began punching in numbers.

"I don't see the point in this, Brian. What could he possibly have left behind here...."

"Bingo." Brian said happily as the keypad chimed. He opened the door and walked into the empty house.

"How do you do that?" AJ asked in amazement, following him inside...the chains on his pants rattling as he closed the door behind him.

"Nick is not very good at secrets, he never picks complicated passwords. He used his birthyear as the password." Brian chuckled. They searched the house, it was just as Nick had left it the day he went missing.

"I told you this was a waste of time." AJ said impatiently. It was then that they saw the light on Nick's answering machine beeping. Glancing over at each other, Brian walked over and pressed the play button.


"Nick....its Lucy. I don't know why you hung up on me before....but I can't let this go on anymore. You and I belong together. I'm gonna change your mind if its the last thing I do. I love you..."

"Shut it off...that girl makes me sick." AJ said, making a face.

"Wait. There is noise in the background. She was driving. Do you know where they found Nick's car?" Brian asked, an idea forming in his head.

"Somewhere in the woods." AJ shrugged. Brian played the recording again and they heard the sound of wind going through a car window.

"My guess is that she was following him to see if he would come back here." Brian said, crossing his arms as he thought.

"If she was following him, why would she leave the message?" AJ asked, feeling uneasy about being in the house.

"To scare him, probably. I fail to understand the female mind, its a scary place." Brian chuckled.

"This makes absolutely no sense. What kind of person does shit like this? She murdered Lauren...what if she murders Nick too?" AJ whispered shakily.

"AJ...I just thought of something. Remember we saw on the news about that lady who died in Orlando? They found a body in someones basement. What if this was connected?"

"That's a wild coincidence. Fucking hell. You think Lucy killed both of them?" AJ said, his eyes wide. He really wanted to leave, everything was giving him the shivers.

"They said the daughter went missing. It was big news because...she was a fan of ours! That's it, AJ! Her name was Valerie Harrington. It was all over our fanclub how the girl went missing just after she met us. I remember fans tweeting me about her." Brian exclaimed.

"Holy shit. Nick is in trouble....we gotta tell the police." AJ said as they ran out of the house with the tape from Nick's answering machine.

"AJ...I hate to say it but we might have to rescue him ourselves. You're right about the cops, they aren't doing crap." Brian told him. The two of them got into Brian's car, but he did not start it.



"Do you hear that?" AJ asked, raising a pierced eyebrow at him. He thought he heard faint screaming, but decided it was his imagination.

"No, I don't. Come on. We gotta tell Howie what we found out." Brian said as he put the car into drive and they sped off, wondering how this was going to play out now that they knew who had kidnapped Nick. They just had to figure out how to get him back before it was too late.

Chapter Twenty Two



He felt nauseous and dizzy when he woke up hours later...the bile coming up in his throat...his stomach ached and his whole body seemed to scream at him at once. He knew he was sick..and his energy was fading. He wanted to get out...



"Have you learned your lesson yet, Nicky?" Valerie asked, leaning over him. He wouldn't look at her, he wouldn't let her see the tears in his eyes that threatened to fall.

"Please...please let me go..." he whispered, hating himself for begging. He knew he was stronger than this....he knew he shouldn't have let any of this happen, but now he was trapped.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I always get what I want." Valerie said coldly, kneeling next to him, touching his face. He felt warm...his face was flushed and sweaty. She could tell that Nick had a fever.

"Why...why are you doing this?" he asked, shivering as she touched him. His chest hurt when he breathed, it was feeling heavy. Nick could feel himself getting worse as the hours passed.

"Don't be scared, baby. If you would just cooperate, everything would be fine." Valerie said, swinging her leg over him so that she sat in his lap, his legs underneath her.

"Get off of me." he snapped, wishing his hands were free to push her off as she started to kiss him. He tried to move his face, but she would move it back.

"Stop resisting, it would make things easier for you." she snapped as he struggled. She shoved her tongue in his mouth and ran her hand through his hair, but he pulled away again. Valerie's hand clamped around his throat. He gasped for breath...

"You're mine, Nicky....if I can't have you, nobody can." she whispered as she watched his face go pale. Nick couldn't do anything. Her body was on top of him, he couldn't move.

"Please..." he pleaded, tears falling. She simply smiled and squeezed tighter, her nails scratching his neck.

"Let me have you," Valerie sneered. As her hand tightened its grip, Nick thought about everything that had happened over the last few days. He wished he could go back in time...he wished he could just take everything back. Nick knew he was not going to see the guys again, he would die in this room. He could feel his chest tightening from the lack of oxygen.



"L-let go....of...me..." he gasped, his voice weakening with every word. She shook her head. His face was drained of color. She saw his eyes roll back into his head, and she let go. Nick's head hung there like a rag doll. The grin slid off her face as she saw him just hanging there, panic began to set in.

"Nicky?" she whispered, standing up. Tears sprang to her eyes, no....he couldn't be dead...there was no way. She didn't mean to kill him..she didn't mean for it go get this far.



"No...no...Nicky...please wake up baby...please." she whispered frantically, kissing his face as if he were a pet that was ill. She stroked his hair as she let his arms free of the handcuffs, her heart pounding in her chest. He fell to the floor in a heap, his arms falling limp to his side. Valerie whimpered, checking him over for a pulse....it was very faint.

"I'm sorry...please don't die Nick....I need you." she begged. How could she gave been so stupid? She didn't want to go to prison, she had murdered too many already, and now that Nick was in front of her, wasting away...she couldn't take it. She heard footsteps upstairs, and she scowled.

"You piece of shit, see what you made me do?!" she screeched, kicking him. Nick just lay in front of her, motionless. She sobbed, there was nowhere to go. Nick finally began to move, moaning slightly.

"Its all your fault!" she yelled, rushing to him. He tried to get up but she had him pinned down.

"Let me go..." Nick begged again when she got on top of him. She held his arms back with her hands and smiled.

"I always get what I want. Make no mistake about that." Valerie said. He opened his mouth but she slapped him and his eyes filled with tears again, it was now or never.

Chapter Twenty Three




Since Howie insisted on letting the police handle everything, AJ and Brian decided to investigate things on their own. Both of them knew Nick didn't have much time left...they knew that the longer they waited, the less likely Nick was to come back alive. Brian had suggested visiting the house where Valerie's mother was found, so the next day they drove to her house in Orlando.



"I got a bad feeling about this, Brian. We shouldn't be snooping here." AJ whispered as they pulled up. The house had yellow police tape around the porch. Brian ignored the tape and stepped over it, walking into the doorway of the house. AJ shook his head when Brian motioned him to follow, he wasn't happy about the idea at all.



"Why did I let you drag me out here?" AJ asked softly. Brian walked into the house with his flashlight and they saw blood on the floor by the stairs. Part of the stain had been cut away for evidence, but the blood was still visible.

"This is definitely giving me the creeps, Jay. See if you can find a switch." Brian whispered. AJ found the hall light and turned it on. The two of them walked upstairs, careful not to touch anything.

"Where do you suppose her room is?" AJ asked. He could feel his heart pounding. Brian shined the flashlight around and saw Nick's face on a door at the end of the hallway. He turned to AJ and smirked nervously.

"Lucky guess." AJ mumbled. The two of them walked into the room and Brian found the lightswitch.

"Oh...my...God..." Brian whispered. Posters of Nick covered the walls of the small room, from floor to ceiling. Not just pictures of magazines, but pictures downloaded off the internet, framed posters...she even had pillowcases with his face on them. A large throw blanket covered the bed with Nick on it, obviously custom made.

"Brian I don't like this....this isn't good...we shouldn't be here." AJ said frantically.

"Shut up, Jay. There's nobody else here...stop being so goddamn paranoid." Brian scolded him. He began to search the room...for anything that would help them find where Nick had been taken...any clues at all.

"Dude, she really was obsessed with Nicky..." AJ said, looking at all of the pictures.

"Well, duh." Brian snapped as he looked under the bed. He pulled out a box covered in hearts that he found there and sat cross-legged next to the bed. Inside were several photos of Nick, but Valerie had pasted her picture over the girl in each picture.



"This girl has issues." Brian said, placing them aside. He found a few love letters that she had written in a notebook inside the box. One of them stated she would do anything to make him hers.

"Brian, I still don't think we should be in here." AJ repeated as Brian stuffed the box back under the bed. They spotted a computer in the corner of the room that was not turned on.

"Maybe we can check and see if there is anything on here..I wish I had a password." Brian said softly, after he had gotten onto it. Valerie had her computer password protected.

"Lemme think, you're a Backstreet Boys fan...you're obsessed with Nick Carter...what would you put as your password?" AJ laughed.

"Very funny, Jay. Seriously, would she make it that easy? I don't think she would." Brian said. AJ walked over and typed something on the keyboard, then hit enter.

"How do you do that?" Brian asked, looking at him skeptically.

"You gotta think like the fans....its a scary place but it works." AJ laughed. Brian smiled, shaking his head at him as he looked through Valerie's files on the computer.

"She writes fanfiction. What the hell is fanfiction?" Brian asked, looking at him again.



"They like to write fluffy romances about us," AJ said. He had checked it out before because he was searching for something on the internet about zombies and came across a story about them. When he told Brian about it, he laughed.

"Really? Zombies?" Brian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah...its actually really good. Sometimes it scares me how they come up with these stories, honestly." AJ told him, sitting down on the bed.

"This girl is writing about kidnapping Nick and it looks like she is acting it out..." Brian said as he read the story.

"How crazy is this girl? She is really doing this stuff to him..."

"Well, she never finished it...but we gotta find him. Maybe we can talk to her friend and see if she knows something." Brian suggested.

"Let's get out of here." AJ laughed as Brian shut off the computer . The two of them headed for the door, but their hearts nearly jumped out of their chests when they heard a door shutting downstairs.

Chapter Twenty Four




"There's someone in the house..." AJ whispered frantically. Brian shut the lights off and grabbed AJ as they halfway dove into the open walk in closet nearby. He closed the door behind them as the footsteps came up the stairway and down the hall from the room.



"Hello?" a voice said...AJ opened his mouth but thought better of speaking.



"Be quiet..." Brian whispered. Whoever this was, he did not want to be discovered by them...good or bad.

"Is someone in here?" the voice asked...it belonged to a girl. She was right outside the closet door...Brian and AJ tried to be as quiet as possible.

"I swear I saw a light up here."



"ACHOO!!"


The closet door opened and they saw a girl standing there. She giggled and turned on the lights....the two men fell out in a heap, AJ was cursing and Brian wiped at his nose.

"Goddamn you, Brian!" AJ yelled angrily.

"Sorry, my allergies." Brian apologized. The girl laughed again and they noticed her looking at them. AJ backed away from her.

"Look...if you're gonna kill us...do it quick." he mumbled.

"AJ, its not her." Brian said as he shook his head.

"I'm Kristen......what are you doing here? Or did Valerie collect you too?" Kristen asked. At the mention of Valerie's name, Brian smiled.

"You know Valerie Harrington? I hope this is the same one you mean." he said.


"I'm not a snitch..." Kristen started, but AJ's anger got the better of him.

"Listen, our friend might be dying...I don't give a crap what you are, tell us what you know." he snapped. Brian glared at him and Kristen looked away.

"You know something, don't you..." Brian said, noticing her expression. He was hoping they could get some clue as to where Nick was. Nick didn't have much time....Brian hoped he was okay but something inside said he wasn't, and it worried him.

"Valerie loves Nick. I'm sure you know that by now...." Kristen said, waving her hand at the posters. Nick's face grinned at them from the walls.

"She told him she loved him at our meet and greet. Did she tell you about it?" Brian asked. Kristen nodded.

"She said he told her he loved her....and that she was meant to be with him. Valerie doesn't deal well with people who disagree or reject her. She and I had a fight when I saw her last." she continued, remembering when she had her sleep over.

"What happened? Did you tell her she's psycho?" AJ said.

"Jay...come on." Brian scolded him.

"Well she is," AJ shrugged. Brian rolled his eyes, he loved AJ....but sometimes he was just tactless.

"I agree with him, actually. Valerie is bipolar....she is a really nice person but say the wrong thing to her and she flips. I told her she should stop obsessing about Nick." Kristen confessed.

"How obsessed was she?" Brian asked, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"She talked about him constantly...what he wrote on twitter...his songs...his website...his music...his relationships...how she was going to meet him and they would end up married like those stories she reads online."

"Fanfiction," AJ said suddenly. It was making some sense but they had known all of this already, just not to this degree.

"She really hated Lauren. She told me this ridiculous plan of how she was gonna get them broken up," Kristen laughed.

"Not so funny now that Lauren's dead." AJ said, glaring at her.

"I liked Lauren. Val didn't. The last I talked to her she was moving to Tampa by Nick's house and had dyed her hair to match his." Kristen offered.

"She moved to Tampa?" Brian asked, realization hitting him.

"I don't know if she did or not. She said she had a new boyfriend too," Kristen told them.

"Dude....this proves Lucy is Valerie." AJ said, grinning.

"Lucy? Who is Lucy?" Kristen asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Valerie changed her name to Lucy and tricked Nick to go out with her. We have to find him." Brian explained. Kristen seemed somewhat surprised to hear this information.

"I really hope you find him....knowing her, she is putting him through hell by now. I know Nick won't give in." Kristen said once they all parted.

"Shit....this didn't help much....we aren't any closer to finding him now than when we got here, Brian!" AJ complained when they got into the car.

"You're wrong about that, Jay. There's something we overlooked." Brian said. He looked at AJ and grinned, before pulling out of the driveway and leaving Valerie's house...hopefully on the right trail.

Chapter Twenty Five




Howie smiled when he saw Brian and AJ pulling into his driveway the next day, he was already opening the door before they even buzzed at the gate.



"How did you know?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I figured you would come by today. What did you guys find out?" Howie asked, letting the two of them in.

"Well, Lucy and Valerie are the same person. Her friend Kristen told us quite a bit. We actually had an idea....Since she had a VIP..." Brian started.



"It was my idea, let me tell him!" AJ shouted.

"Okay.....FINE. You tell him then."



"If she had a VIP, she is in our fan club. Which means we could get her address off of our website!" AJ said, grinning.

"I told you that it wouldn't work, she moved....remember?" Brian argued.

"Yes it would..." AJ protested.

"No, it wouldn't."

"You're just jealous cause I thought of it."

The two of them argued until Howie cleared his throat.

"Guys..." he shouted, almost sounding like another person they knew. He glared at them so not one of them dared comparing him to anyone.

"Sorry." they said in unison. AJ sat down on the couch looking defeated.

"Now what are we going to do?" he sighed.

"AJ is on to something. I actually had thought of this after our meeting and took the liberty of searching for her myself with Jenn's help." Howie explained.

"Awesome. So she did change her address?" Brian asked. Howie held up a printout and gave it to Brian, smiling.

"She did. She lives in Tampa...We found out she changed the address right before Nick was kidnapped. He has to be there." he told them.

"Let's go kick her ass then and get Nick back!" AJ said, standing up.


"Jay, we have to have a plan first. We don't know what we're up against...." Brian protested. He wanted to go as much as AJ, but they didn't know what would be waiting for them when they got to Valerie's house, or even if Nick would be there. He was sure that's where Nick was...he had to be.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you think of checking the fan club?" Brian asked after they had discussed what to do next.

"Jay said that this Valerie girl was at our meet and greet for VIP at a show. Well, since only fan club members can order VIP packages..."

"She had to be registered at our website!" AJ interrupted excitedly.

"Basically, yes. I had Jenn help me look into it and we found her. She had changed her address, and I saw she lives right near Nick's house." Howie said with a knowing smile.

"Well, are we gonna go or not?" AJ asked, looking at the two of them expectantly.

"We don't know if he will be there..." Howie said. He was right, Valerie had left them a trail to find her, it could be a dead end...but again, it might not be.

"There's no harm in checking it out. I think all of us should go there...tonight." Brian suggested. He felt they were finally getting somewhere and Nick was as good as found...but it was the possibility it might be too late that kept clouding his mind...and he hated it.

Chapter Twenty Six





AJ drove this time...he and Brian were headed back towards Nick's house in Tampa. However, it was different this time. He and Brian, along with Howie decided to go to the address they found on their fan club website. Valerie lived in an apartment complex that wasn't far from Nick's house...it was just down the street.



"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Howie asked as they pulled up and sat in AJ's car, looking up at the building.

"Nick needs our help, this is the only way we will be able to find him. I have a good feeling about this place." Brian said, grinning.

"Funny, I get a 'stay away or you will end up like Nick' kind of vibe." AJ mumbled, turning off the engine.

"Yeah, I got the same feeling...." Howie admitted. Brian felt uneasy as well, but he was confident that Nick was inside or at least there would be some clue to where he could be. The three of them walked into the apartment building and found room number 128.
"Nick's birthday. She picked this apartment because its the same as his birth date." Brian noticed.



"She really is obsessed with him, isn't she?" Howie said, his eyes fearful...AJ nodded in reply. He did not want to go beyond the plain door in front of them...he didn't want to find out what was on the other side, but Brian looked for a way in.

"It's probably locked. Oh darn. I guess we will have to go home..." Howie said as AJ chuckled.

"Very funny, Howard. You two are so chicken...." Brian teased. He turned the doorknob and surprisingly it wasn't locked.



"You go first." AJ whispered, gently pushing Brian into the dark apartment. The lights were off and it was quiet.

"Nick?" Howie called, and AJ hit his arm with the back of his hand.

"You dumbass, he's not gonna answer you! She probably has him tied up somewhere." he snapped. Brian found a light switch and turned it on by the kitchen. There were pictures of Nick on the refrigerator.

"It doesn't look like anybody's been here for a while," Howie pointed out as he noticed the layer of dust on the kitchen table. Brian found her bedroom and it was relatively empty, a large poster of Nick on the wall near the bed and pictures of him covering the door. He noticed a stack of papers on the desk in a room nearby.




"Hey guys...I think I found something." Brian called as he read the papers. Howie and AJ came into the room looking disappointed.

"He's not here." AJ said, not looking at them. He and Howie had searched everywhere, Nick was not in the apartment.

"That sick bitch. She was watching him using Google Earth..." AJ said after he looked at the papers.

"She got his address after pretending to be Lucy and tricking him...then she used it to get pictures of his property." Brian guessed. They all looked at the printouts....little notes were added in the margins, she was planning on redecorating when she married Nick.

"Look what's circled here. I didn't know Nick had a guest house..." Howie pointed out. Nick hadn't been living in this house for long, it was fairly new and some of it wasn't finished yet.


"Why would she circle the guest house?" AJ asked. Brian looked at them, an expression of sudden horror appeared on his face. He wanted to kick himself, it had been right in front of their noses the whole time. Nick's guest house was circled...he was being held captive in his own house.

"THAT'S WHERE HE IS!" he shouted, gasping. It was all making sense now. Valerie had typed in Nick's address on Google Earth and used it to stalk him, watch his house....plan out her attack.



"This girl is sick....she has wedding dresses picked out and everything." Howie said, ignoring what Brian was saying.

"Howie, forget about that....Nick is at his own goddamn house. We were there, he was probably right under our fucking noses." AJ snapped, practically kicking himself. He remembered the scream the day they had gone to Nick's house....

"Oh my god. Brian.....what if he's in the guest house? I heard a scream that day we were there."

"I heard a scream too...I thought it was my imagination. This girl is crazy.....she killed Lauren, what if she kills Nick?" Brian asked fearfully.



"We have to hurry." Howie said, agreeing with the two of them. The three of them left Valerie's apartment, headed for the car. Now that they knew where he was, they were confident that could finally get their bandmate back. Nick's time was running out...and they hoped it wasn't too late.

Chapter Twenty Seven




Valerie grinned as she tied Nick's wrist to the bedpost...he struggled under her weight. Even though he was dehydrated and hungry, she was surprised at how much he tried to fight back.

"LET ME GO!" he screamed, tugging at the rope around his wrist. The headboard of the bed shifted.


"I told you, Nick...I always get what I want." Valerie grinned, her fingernails grazing his chest. He shuddered at her touch, his eyes watering.

"Please...." he begged as she climbed on top of him and began to remove his pants. He was breathing heavily, tears running down his face. He struggled again and she slapped him, his face turning red. She straddled him and climbed on top, despite his pleas.

"Keep struggling and I will make sure you never see the light of day again." she whispered cheerfully.



"You fucking bitch..."

"Well, you're right about one thing." Valerie grinned, touching his face. She tasted the tears on his cheek and smiled. Nick was afraid......weak and unable to protect himself, unable to stop her.


"Please....please don't." he begged as she kissed his neck, laying on top of him. He moved to push her off but it didn't faze her. Nick didn't want this to happen....he would never give himself to her, and she knew this. Valerie was in control. He screamed for help, but nobody knew where he was or even how to find him....he was on his own. Nick knew he had put himself into this situation and hated it, he would rather die than let Valerie sleep with him. Unfortunately, at this point he did not have a choice.

"Just relax, baby." she whispered seductively into his ear. Easy for you to say, he thought as he rolled his eyes. He felt sick to his stomach when he felt her on top of him. There was nothing he could do, no way to escape....she had him right where she wanted him.

"NICK!" a voice said suddenly. Nick knew it didn't belong to her...he felt his heart racing as she kept going, his chest feeling constricted. Valerie glared at him, her green eyes filled with anger. Nick was sobbing, shaking his head in protest.

"SHUT UP!" she shrieked, grabbing him by the throat again.

"Help....someone please..." he gasped, his face draining of color.



"Nick!" he heard someone calling his name again, Valerie's grip tightened and she hit him.

"They're not taking you away from me....they won't take you," she began to repeat over and over in barely a whisper. Nick gasped for breath and called for help again. She heard them upstairs....she heard footsteps. Valerie quickly untied Nick's arms and pulled him out of the bed as he sobbed, rubbing his bruised throat.

"Get up!" she screamed, kicking him as he cried out in pain.

"GET THE FUCK UP, NICK!" she yelled when he didn't move. Nick felt dizzy, his stomach was churning and he felt hot from the dehydration taking over his body. He felt sore, shooting pains in his stomach and chest. Another swift kick in the side gave him the motivation to slowly stand up on shaky legs. He managed to slip his pants back on as she pushed him down the hallway.

"Move it!" Valerie hissed. Nick fought off dizziness as she led him to the room where he had been in the first place...he stopped in the hallway, slumped against the wall for support. He held his side, coughing and blinking back tears.

"What are you doing? I said move!" Valerie shouted angrily, annoyed that he was just standing there. Suddenly his legs gave out underneath him and he fell to the floor, motionless. Horror washed over Valerie as she heard the voices in the stairwell down the hall...someone had found them. Thinking quickly, she grabbed Nick by his arms and dragged his body into the room nearby....they wouldn't take him from her. Nick belonged to her, she was not about to lose him...

"Nick...please wake up...I didn't mean to hurt you...please..." she whispered, stroking his hair. His head lay in her lap as she tried to wake him. Nick didn't move. She ignored the footsteps in the hallway, kissing Nick's face gently.


"Baby, I'm so sorry...I love you..." she said, holding him like a wounded animal. She didn't mean to hurt him...she didn't mean for things to get this far, but Nick had made her do it. He had made her hurt him...it was all his fault. She held him, his body limp in her arms as she began to cry.....her love for him stronger than ever, wishing he would wake up and realize how wrong he had been for causing this to happen.

Chapter Twenty Eight






"I heard him, he's down here!" Brian shouted as the three of them ran through Nick's guest house. His heart was racing when he heard Nick scream for help. That meant he was alive....this was all he cared about. Nick being able to yell was a good sign. However, when he ran into the room....Nick was in her lap...not moving.



"You're not taking him from me!" Valerie sobbed, cradling him like a baby. Nick lay there, his face pale and covered in bruises, a gash on his head. He looked very sick. Valerie was stroking his hair and whispering something to him.

"Put him down!" AJ shouted angrily, noticing Nick's condition. He definitely did not look well at all. AJ moved to grab Valerie and she stood up, Nick's head hitting the cement floor. She swung at him and AJ ducked, surprised at her strength. Brian rushed to Nick as they fought while Howie followed.



"Nick?" Brian said softly, touching his face. Nick's forehead was very hot, he had a bad fever. He lay motionless and unresponsive, his breathing was labored.

"What did you do to him, you fucking bitch?" AJ yelled.

"I love him....he loves me...you can't take him from me!" Valerie said crazily, her eyes wild and angry.

"How can he love you? Look what you've done to him!" AJ snapped. She took another swing and he stepped back, hitting the wall behind him. Brian and Howie were trying to get Nick to respond, but so far had no luck.

"Nick...please..." Brian begged, shaking him gently. Nick didn't move, his face flushed with fever, his hair plastered to his head with sweat.

"He needs medical attention." Howie pointed out. AJ was in the corner, Valerie advancing on him. He didn't want to hit her because she was a girl, but in this case he was willing to make an exception. He moved and grabbed her, pushing her against the wall with such force that she gasped in surprise. AJ pinned her wrists to the wall and held her there as she struggled.

"Not so tough now, are we?" he snickered, grinning at her. Valerie seemed unfazed....a smirk playing at her red lips.



"Let go of me, you freak!" she shouted, her blonde hair in her eyes as AJ held her against the wall. His grip was strong, she couldn't move.

"Freak? Me? Oh I think you have it mixed up. You are the psycho freak in this room, not I." AJ protested, his eyes narrowed at her. He heard Brian attempting to wake Nick up again. This moment of distraction was not in his favor. Valerie swung her leg forward and kneed AJ between the legs. He cried out in pain and released her, his hands cupping his balls as he fell over. Brian turned to look but an arm was wrapped around his neck and a gun pointed at his head. The barrel was cold, pressing into his temple as he heard it click.



"Ay dios mio," Howie mumbled as he saw AJ on the ground in a fetal position, whimpering.

"Back away from Nick, or I will shoot him!" another voice shouted. AJ sat up slowly, his eyes wide.

"Holy fucking shit...." he whispered, watching Brian being held by the neck, his stunned gasps for air breaking the silence. His captor held the trigger and pushed the gun again, making an indent in Brian's skin. Howie looked confused, he put his hands up and promptly backed away from Nick's body. Valerie stood up, giggling crazily.


"About time you showed up, Kris." she smirked. Kristen smiled in reply, still restraining Brian.

"You always were my favorite..." she whispered seductively in his ear. Brian's face went pale....Kristen and Valerie were in on it together. It all made sense.

"You helped her..." he said, grunting as she held him tighter. She had a strong grip for a woman.

"Of course, she is my best friend. She also promised me something I have been wanting for a while..." Kristen sneered. Brian closed his eyes, his heart racing. He now knew how Nick felt....this girl wanted him like Valerie wanted Nick. Kristen held onto him, restraining him with her arm. Howie was stunned, and AJ was nursing himself. Valerie's attention was back on Nick. She hovered over him, saying something. Howie took a step towards them but the gun clicked again, ready to shoot.



"Don't fucking move or you will be next." Kristen snapped. Howie backed up and nodded.

"Damn you Howie. Grow a backbone...." Brian thought, shooting an annoyed look. Kristen started to pull him away from the others, he struggled to get out of her grip.

"Kris, now is not the time. We have to get rid of the other two first..." Valerie said in a casual tone.

"Can't I just play with him a little? You had your time with Nicky." Kristen said, and angry tears sprung to Brian's face.

"Kristen...I know you don't want to do this...let me go..." he said, hoping maybe he could talk her out of it.


"Valerie said I could have you."

"I don't belong to anybody. Let me go and we can work something out..."

"He's lying! Don't listen to him, they are all a bunch of goddamn liars. Nick made that mistake when he told me he loved me." Valerie shouted, leaving Nick unattended.

"He never loved you, you fucking crazy ass psychotic bitch!" AJ protested. Valerie responded by punching him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.



"Why are you doing this to them?" Howie asked, staring at the two girls.

"Nick lies.....I'm making sure he feels the pain he caused me....making sure he never does it again...he belongs with me..." Valerie muttered crazily. Howie was thinking about how to get them all out of this when suddenly Valerie toppled to the floor, falling into Brian. The gun went off....

"NO!!!" he screamed, and everything went silent.

Chapter Twenty Nine







"NO!!!!" Howie screamed as the gun went off. Kristen was on the floor, Brian on top of her. She held onto him tighter as he went to stand up.
He was shocked to see Nick next to Valerie, face down. Valerie lay next to him, her chest covered in blood.

"Val?" Kristen whimpered, tears forming in her blue eyes as she ran to her. Valerie was not moving, her eyes open and staring back at her. Brian took advantage of his freedom to check on Nick. He rolled him over and saw a grin on Nick's pale face.

"'Bout time you showed up." Nick said. Brian cracked a smile, crying but laughing at the same time.


"You scared the crap out of me...you know that?" he whispered, wiping his eyes.

"It was not easy just laying here while that girl had you in a headlock. I wanted to strangle both of them." Nick commented. He had pretended to faint in the hall when he heard the guys coming so Valerie brought him into this room...had laid there as still as he could...waiting for the right moment to take her down...He knew that Kristen would show herself...his mind flashed back to the conversation he had heard between Valerie and Kristen...their plan to get the others to rescue him...now that they were there, Nick couldn't wait to get out of this basement of horrors.



"Get me the fuck out of here." Nick said, sitting up. The other boys came over and hugged him in turn.

"Val....No..." Kristen said between sobs. Valerie was drenched in her own blood, laying motionless on the floor.

"You....this is your fault..." she said, pointing shakily at Nick. Nick stared at her as she raised the gun again.

"Kristen, you don't want to do this. Is killing Nick going to make everything okay?" Brian asked, his hands out in front of him. Howie stepped in front of Nick as well as AJ, protecting him.

"She's dead....she's dead and I killed her." Kristen sobbed, the gun shaking in her hands as she cried. She didn't mean for any of this to happen....Valerie was dead, her best friend was dead. She had nobody. Kristen stared at her favorite band as they watched her with fear in their eyes. She felt horrible for everything, wondered what the hell she was doing going along with all of Valerie's plan...she had a turn with Nick...he stared at her, knowing all of it.


"You guys were such a big part of my life...Valerie and I loved you all....I never wanted any of this...but..." KrIsten sobbed, lifting the gun.

"Kristen, please don't do this! If you kill him you're no better than that crazy bitch!" AJ shouted, pointing at Valerie's body.

"I'm so sorry..." Kristen sniffed, the gun clicking as she got ready to fire.
Nick's eyes went wide and the other boys flinched as the gun went off. When they looked up, Kristen's body was on the floor, blood pouring from a hole in her head. Nick looked away, burying his face in Howie's leg.




"It's over...its all over." Howie said, rubbing Nick's back as he cried. They helped him up, police just now arriving and an ambulance waited for them. Nick blinked as the sunlight hit his face.

"You all right?" Brian asked as Nick sat in the ambulance. Nick thought about the last few days, shaking his head.

"What do you think?" he replied.

"Sorry, I guess that was a loaded question." Brian chuckled.

"How did you guys find me?" Nick wondered, his back bothering him as he laid on the stretcher.

"Long story...but AJ and I are thinking about opening up a detective agency," Brian said, grinning.

"That would be interesting to see." Nick smiled. He was so happy to be out of that basement...with his friends again. After nearly seven days of being tortured, even a trip to the hospital seemed like a vacation.

"So I guess you're going to be in the hospital for a little while. Jay and I are gonna follow you there." Brian explained once the paramedics finished prepping for transport.

"That's fine with me, I am sick of that house already. Only been living there a month, must be a new record." Nick said darkly.

"Well, Leighanne says you can stay with us for a while until you're back on your feet." Brian offered. Nick grinned at him, he could always count on Brian when he needed him most, whether he was a figment of his imagination or three in person.

"Thanks, I might just take you guys up on that offer."

"Love you, man." Brian said, putting a hand on hai shoulder.

"Brian? Do me a favor?" Nick asked as he was stepping off the back of the ambulance.

"What's that?" Brian said, looking back at him.
"I don't want to hear that word again."

"No problem. See you at the hospital." Brian grinned. The paramedics closed the door and the ambulance pulled away as the sun finally came over the horizon...it had been a long night but he was glad everything was finally over.