...Sienna POV...
The ground begins to shake and beams begin to fall all around us. My dad grabs onto me, pulling me closer as sparks shoot out from all around us. I feel him hold me firmly in his grasp as the lights begin to flicker. A bright light emits, throwing everything into chaos. I feel us being ripped apart from one another as the force pushes me away from my dad.
"DADDY!" I scream out as everything goes black.
I feel a weight on me, but it's too dark to figure out what's keeping me from moving. My hands slide around me as I attempt to gather my barrings, but nothing seems familiar. My hands slide over various sizes of rocks and concrete. I feel a slight prick as my hand protrudes into what feels like glass. My head is spinning and my eyes make it difficult to stay awake. The pain from my previous injuries finally became unbearable. The adrenaline rush wearing off, and I am no longer able to control the waves of pain that rack my body.
What's going on? Am I alive? I shouldn't be. I should be dead. I think to myself.
Is this the afterlife? Nothing but a paralyzing and endless black void? My head begins to spin as I raise my head. My ears are ringing from the impact, making it difficult to get my bearings.
No one has a bomb strapped to them and survives. So where am I? I wonder. I lie back down, closing my eyes as the pounding in my head increases. I don't know how long I've been lying there when I hear a faint noise in the distance. I can't distinguish the sound, instead choosing to lie back down in hopes that the pain in my head will vanish.
"Si!" I hear a faint sound from somewhere. I try to listen but the sound disappears.
Is this the afterlife? I sure hope not. I think once again, allowing my eyes to close. I had pictured picturesque lakes and mountains. Not sheer black and anguish.
"Si-enn!" I stiffen as I hear the sound once more. However, just like before, the sound disappears just as quickly as it came, making me think I must be hearing things.
I hear a slight shuffling sound, not sure if it's my mind playing with me or if someone is nearby.
"Si-enn-a!" I hear someone shout, but it sounds a bit muffled. I open my eyes slightly. However, the pain in my head only increases. I close my eyes once more in hopes that the pain will subside.
"SIENNA!" I hear the voice shout again.
My eyes flutter open in hopes of seeing where the voice is coming from, but everything around me is dark. I've never known dark as this existed. I've lived in the city all my life, so have never been exposed to true darkness. A realization I'm truly only understanding right at this moment. Even at the darkest of nights, there is still some light that manages to protrude. Whether that be from the moon or a streetlight. Light pollution is there. I always considered myself good with the dark. Never requiring the use of night lights or flashlights to make my way across a room at night.
But as I continue to look around me, I find no matter how hard I try to allow my eyes to adjust, my vision never changes. Almost as if someone had placed a dark cloth over my eyes. I find the darkness to be overwhelming as fear rushes through my veins. I close my eyes in an attempt to relax myself. However, the fear I feel continues to loom over me. Doubts begin to swarm my mind like an infestation. I feel tears prick at the side of my face as it becomes too much, from the pain to the pure darkness.
Right now, at this moment, the space around me is so dark that it's as if I'm staring into all black. I can't make anything out around me, no matter how hard I desperately try. I raise my hand up to my face but am unable to even see my hand. I touch my nose, making note of my bearings. But can't see at all.
Am I blind? I guess it's a possibility I can't rule out. Perhaps the force of the blast damaged one of my nerve endings and rendered me blind. I begin to think back to my medical training in hopes of figuring out what's going on and calming myself down. Dwelling on the intrusive thoughts is only causing me more harm than good. So to relax, I use my medical knowledge to distract myself from the unknown.
"SIENNA!" I hear the voice again.
I must've really hit my head because it would be impossible for anyone to get to me. I don't even know if I'm even alive. I sure don't feel like it. Rather, I feel like an anchovy in a tin can. Squished and unable to move.
"SIENNA!" The voice shouts once more. The voice seems to be getting louder. I'm sure it's just a figment of my imagination, but what else is there for me to do? I could try to ignore it, but something is telling me that I should respond.
"He-ll-o?" I meekly call out, coughing profusely, making it difficult to form a full word. My voice was quiet, even to my own ears, so I doubt anyone heard me.
I try again; however, the more I try, the worse my coughing becomes. I feel my lungs restrict, making it more and more difficult to breathe. Each time I try to talk, it's as though sand is being poured down my throat, making it more and more difficult to respond. I feel my mind immediately go on alert with each cough. I don't know what's going on, but my mind has already moved directly to the worst-case scenario, making me believe that I'm suffocating. If I don't get air into my lungs soon, I'm going to pass out.
"SIENNA!" The voice screams out. I want to respond, but that doesn't seem like an option. Instead, I shift my free hand around to find something of use. My hand comes in contact with a rock. It's not the best option, but at this moment, it's my only option. I pick it up and bang it on the surface below, creating a muffled noise.
"SIENNA!" I hear the voice shout out. However, my mind can't place it. I try banging the rock harder and harder in hopes that whoever is nearby can find me.
"Wait... I heard something..." I hear the voice call out.
I bang the rock harder and harder, using the remaining energy I have left to indicate where I am.
"I hear her!" The voice shouts out.
"SIENNA! We're coming!" The voice says as I hear muffled bangs in the distance.
The air around me becomes thick, making it more difficult to breathe. I close my eyes once more, allowing myself to relax. Soon the sounds around me become increasingly more muffled. Soon, the sounds dissipate altogether and everything fades into nothingness.
...Hunter POV...I was restless. Every moment that ticked by grew increasingly worse. The only thing keeping me calm was the constant beeping of the heart monitor. I look down at Sienna's lifeless body wrapped in more bandages than I've ever seen on one person. My heart shatters, knowing I'm to blame for many of the injuries she sustained, including the ones caused by Silvio and Kevin. If I hadn't brought her into my life, none of this would've happened. She would be safe and at home, living her life as she should. Not here in a medical centre injured and on the brink of death.The doctors are optimistic that she should make a full recovery. Her last words to me echo through my mind. As much as I don't want to leave her, I know it's for the best. I need to go to Tomás. If what she's saying is true, then Tomás may be in more danger. Silvio's plan didn't go as he had hoped. It's only a matter of time until he realizes that and comes after Sienna or Tomás. Now that Sienna is back with h
A nervous doctor steps forward."Puedo ayudar." I can help. He says. I raise my chin eyeing him suspiciously."Ni siquiera pienses en engañarme de nuevo, de lo contrario me aseguraré de que tu familia y amigos sean borrados de la faz de la tierra." Don't even think about tricking me again, otherwise I'll make sure your family and friends are wiped from the face of the earth. I seethe.The doctor nervously nods his head and walks over to the machine. He turns off some of the nearby machines."¿Qué estás haciendo?" What are you doing? I ask, not expecting him to do that."Esta máquina no es lo que parece. Si bien parece una máquina cardíaca normal, en realidad administra pequeñas dosis de propofol, pentobarbital y tiopental. Mantener a Tomás sostenido en un coma inducido por drogas. Al detener las máquinas, se detendrá la administración de medicamentos." This machine isn't what it seems. While it looks like a normal heart machine, it's actually administering small doses of propofol, pen
...Sienna POV...My head begins to pound, making me groan. I raise my hand to my head, only to find I can't move my hand. It feels as though I'm tied up or something. I try to think back, but nothing comes to mind. Suddenly, images of being tied up in a cell come flashing to my mind. I feel my body slouch from the realization that I must still be in Hunter's cell. A beeping sound interrupts my thoughts, making the pounding in my head increase. I hiss out in pain, wishing for the beeping to stop. "She's awake!" I hear someone yell out, making my head scream even further. "Shh!" I hiss out, needing whoever is nearby to shut up. It feels as though I've been hit by a truck. I can't remember what happened for me to feel like this. But I quickly realize that I must be suffering from some sort of blunt-force trauma to have no recollection as to what is going on."Sienna!" I hear a woman scream out, making my eyes pop open in surprise. The entire time I had been in Hunter's dungeons, not o
It's been nearly two months since the incident. I'm thankful to be alive and with my family. For a while, I didn't think I would ever get the opportunity to ever see them again. Yet at the same time, I couldn't ignore the void I felt within me. I had hoped that once I woke up that I would see Hunter. He was the first thing I asked about once my memory of the event came back to me. I was happy to know that both he and Ash had not only survived but were ok. I thought for sure that Hunter would come to visit me. So consider myself disappointed to hear that he hadn't. I could literally feel my heart rip from my chest, knowing that Hunter hadn't even come to check on me. Though after stewing about it for a couple of days, I realized that it was probably for the best. If Hunter hadn't come, then that could only mean one thing. He took me seriously and had gone after Tomás. I was able to relax knowing that Tomás would be ok. I was worried that something would happen to him now that we were
...Ash POV...From the moment I first laid eyes on Sienna, I knew she was special. I could see the trapped princess under the strong facade. While I may not know all the details, I am probably one of the few that know the true Sienna. The strong and capable warrior behind the princess that everyone else sees. To the outside world, she is your perfect and well-mannered rich girl. But that wasn't really who she truly was. Rather, that was only a small glimmer as to who the real Stone Princess really was. To the outside world, they see an entitled rich girl that does everything her parents ask of her. The princess that spends her free time volunteering to help the homeless and who gets straight A's in every subject. But Sienna was much more complicated than that. Jace had explained to me everything that had happened to Sienna when she was a kid. And yet, it felt as though I was only touching the surface of who she really was. I thought when Jace had assigned me to be her personal guard
...Sienna POV...I could feel a rush of emotions as I continued to explain how I first met Hunter. Just talking about it made me relive it. While it wasn't your classic meet cute that most girls swoon over, it was perfect. Perfect for us. I could feel my cheeks begin to heat up with the recollection."Yes.. so anyways... I managed to get in the ring with him. He held back at first, thinking that I just wanted his attention or something. It turns out that girls don't frequent that club at all. So Hunter grew curious as to why I was there in the first place. Which was perfect for me anyways. As it meant he stopped holding back. After years of training, I was finally fighting someone that wouldn't hesitate to give me their all. Though, admittedly, I think I may have been too cocky." I admit, looking away from Ash, unable to look him in the eyes from my confession.I could sense the worry in him as he reached out and pulled my attention back to him."What happened?" Ash asks."Hunter punc
...Ash POV...As I was listening to Sienna's explanation, it felt as though everything was beginning to click into place. I never understood why Hunter would go after Sienna. It didn't seem like something he would do. Especially since he never even attempted to claim ransom. He reached out to Damian once. But it was more informative than demanding. It was as though he was letting us know that he had her, which is weird for kidnappers. Normally they let their friends and family be aware because they want something in return. Most typically, money. So, when Hunter did none of this, it left us all confused. "What happened then?" I ask.Sienna turned white. It was clear in her expression that whatever happened wasn't good. I reached my hand out and gently grabbed her hand, stroking my thumb over the back of it once more in a comforting manner."It wasn't pleasant. But it was evident that they were limiting my interactions with Hunter. It was a few days before I even got to see Hunter. By
...Sienna POV..."Silvio? But why?" Jace asks, clearly confused. I realize I forgot some details in my explanation."Kevin was never the mastermind behind any of it. Silvio was. Silvio just allowed Kevin to believe that he was spearheading everything. But Silvio had his own goal in mind." I explain."Which is?" Jace asks, standing up to walk to the side of my bed. I can tell we got to the part he was most interested in. Up until now, he wasn't fully interested. But these were the details he had been looking for."To take over Los Calaveras and bring back the Cobras." I explain."Silvio would've been the next heir to the Cobras, but when the FBI disbanded them, it left him with nothing.""Wait... Silvio isn't the heir of the Cobras. Hunter is." Jace states."Actually, no. Silvio has more precedent than Hunter." I explain."How? The only one that could claim to be the heir would be Hunter. His dad was Chase Finch, after all - The Cobras' second in command." Jace counters."That's true.