Never Forget...

I woke up to a deathly quiet house, the radio was shut off and the heater was on at a nice temperature. I slowly rose from the bed with narrowed eyes, I didn't recall turning the radio off nor did I get in bed or even set the temperature of my apartment.

"Nick?" I called, but that wouldn't explain anything seeing as the chain is still attached to my door. I grabbed the house phone and dialed Nick's cell phone.

"Hmmm..." He mumbled as a greeting.

"Did you happen to drop by or send someone?" I casually asked without any panic in my voice as I kept my back against the wall and stared around the apartment.

"No, why? Did something happen? Need me over there?" He immediately flooded with questions.

"No, no it's all good. Just Tom and Fran stopped by last night and I was curious since I passed out." I lied, though part of me believed it was alright and the other skeptical part was afraid.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" He sighed and I could hear him slowly sit up from the bed, the squeaking of his mattress and the light groan in his voice.

"No babe, I'm good. I shall see you much later, okay? So heal quickly." I giggled and waited for him to reply then exchanged our 'love you' before hanging up. I placed the phone on it's hook and ran a hand through my hair before starting my day with a nice big bowl of breakfast.

Later on, there was a knock at the door as I sat on the floor in front of my couch and watched cartoons while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Who is it?" I lazily called when there was no reply. With narrowed eyes I stood up and opened the door, with the chain still attached. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to give you an invitation, personally." Damien stood there with his blue eyes shining.

"Well hand it over." I rudely demanded with my eyes still narrowed.

"Let me in first." He retorted with a cocky smile.

"Hmm. No." I groaned before starting to shut the door but he blocked it.

"Come on, Nikole. I'm sure your mom would hate it if you didn't get this invitation." He warned with a fake frown.

"Then have her come and deliver it." I spat causing him to chuckle.

"She's busy with all the preparations." He shrugged while holding the invitation between his fingers. "Now if you insist on me sending a message from you to her saying fuck off, I will. Unless you just want to let me in for about five minutes?"

"Fine." I growled and shut the door, undid the chain and reopened it.

"Thank you." He nodded while coming inside. I rolled my eyes before closing the door again with a hand on my hip.

"The invitation?" I stuck my hand our greedily. Damien passed the invitation but allowed his hand to linger over mine.

"It's to her wedding." He spoiled the surprise causing me to groan.

"Gee thanks." I mumbled and toss the invite on the counter. "Now out."

"Is this really what we've become Nikole?" He asked peeking down the hall and glancing around the room.

"He's sleeping in our room along with our vicious dog." I threatened even if it was a lie.

"Then I'll make this quick. Your mom would be very, very happy if you showed up and nothing can ruin her big day. So I hope to see you there, along with your boyfriend I assume will be present." He furiously nodded while grabbing the handle to the front door.

"I wont be told what to do." I spat with narrowed eyes, Damien stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I'm sure you know you'll go, no matter what you say you will and wont do. Don't forget what our family secret is, and remember you're immune but your precious boyfriend isn't. The one who really isn't sleeping in the other room." He snickered before opening the door.

"Leave Nicholas out of this!" I screamed while rushing up to Damien and shoved him out, he twirled around and grabbed my wrists shoving me in the wall.

"Nikole, there's so much I've done for you and you've taken advantage of it all." He randomly brought up causing me narrow my eyes.

"Like what?" I asked, narrowing my eyes more.

"If you've already forgotten..." He couldn't finish the sentence. But he didn't have to, I knew exactly what he was talking about. Slowly my eyes closed remembering...



“What’s the matter?” I asked with concerned eyes, I didn’t understand why Damien was acting so funny, how he was nervously tapping his fingers, and shifting in his seat while driving.

“Look I just don’t want to die.” Damien’s voice was squeaky, he was filled with terror and slowly that rubbed off on me.

“Don’t talk like that Damien, you’re not going to die. We’re going to get Stanley and then we’re leaving, okay?” I assured and he rolled his eyes, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and his locked eyes on the road.

“I appreciate you trying to sooth me, Nikole. But honestly think of our chances for survival, actually think of my chances of survival. This creep is in love with you, what am I to him? He obviously has money or else he wouldn’t have such great hide outs.” Damien complained, his eyes narrowing at the road. I returned my attention out my window and thought about it.

“That is a good point,” I whispered more to myself but loud enough for him to hear.

“I know, I’ll be dead in a quick snap of the fingers.” He shrieked, I simply rolled my eyes in his direction and shook my head.

“Not that,” I corrected causing him to shift his eyes in my direction.

“Then what the hell are you talking about?” He inquired with furrowed brows.

“How he has so much money, I mean he has shacks, land, hide outs, mansions, vehicles. How does one man have so much? Could it be from the high-jackings?” I elaborated, my eyes shifting back to the window and narrowed.

“I don’t know, personally I don’t give a damn as long as my white ass doesn’t die.” Damien selfishly snapped, again I rolled my eyes and closed them. I needed to think of some way to get Stanley back but I couldn’t think of anything, that’s when my phone went off. “Who is it?”

“I don’t know, it’s blocked. This blocked number called earlier but I left it on the boat when we jumped in the water,” I answered with furrowed brows.

“Well answer it! It could be our family, or worse my father.” He shuddered once he mentioned his dad, I closed my eyes and opened the phone causing it to immediately pick it up.

“Hmm… I’m glad you have your phone I was beginning to worry,” a smooth voice was on the other end and immediately recognized it to be Nikon‘s.

“N-Nikon,” I stuttered. Damien slammed on the breaks causing people behind us to slam on their horns and go around us, each and everyone flipping us off as they did.

“Love, please don’t say my name like that. Now, where was I? Oh yes, how’ve you been darling? I have someone you said I wouldn’t be able to get a hold of, pity.” Nikon was mocking me, and I hated it.

“Don’t hurt him,” I slowly plead. His laughter echoed and that’s when I knew Stanley wouldn’t have a chance, I heard him scream in the background causing me to wince in pain and then he quit.

“I think it’s a little too late for that one, love. I told you not to jump, I warned you of the consequences and maybe if you return to me my love, then he wont be hurt too bad.” Nikon negotiated, and I tightly closed my eyes thinking of the possibilities.

“No, that’s not good enough.” I sternly reply, a scoff came from the other end sounding more like a shocked gasp.

“Excuse me?” He hissed, obviously taken back.

“He better be alive and unharmed, or I don’t return.”

“Are you giving me an ultimatum?”

“Yes.”

“You see this is why I want you back, you’re so interesting with something new every time. Well, now. I’m not one who sticks to my promises so how would you know if I actually obey?”

“Well for one if you don’t then I’ll tell everyone your real name, if you hadn’t forgotten I still remember.”

“Tricky, tricky my love.” I had the upper hand, judging by his not-so-smooth response I really hit him low there. Damien gave me a betrayed look, a look that showed that he wanted to know this guy’s real name but wouldn’t ask for it.

“I’ll have people around, for the trade off. If Stanley looks horribly beaten or dead, I will scream your name out for all to hear.”

“Mm, I would love you to scream my name. But, could we keep that in the bedroom, please?”

“Now is no time for jokes, Nikon.”

“Fine then, Nikole. If you’d like everything to be serious, like it’s worked so well in the past for you, then that’s how we’ll do this.”

“No need for sarcasm neither.”

“Don’t make demands! You know how frustrated that gets me.”

“Oh yes I do, now where do we meet?”

“Don’t worry, my love. I’ll find you.” Click, he hung up and that’s when I knew he already tracked me from my phone.

"I know what you're talking about." I gasped back to reality, my eyes went wide then tightly closed.

"Then you remember how you betrayed me... You're not the only one who remembers things so clearly." He snarled with narrowed eyes and sadly my eyes started to glaze over again.



Damien didn’t say a word to me, he kept his eyes straight and pulled into a motel. Paying with cash, he walked to the room in silence and opened the door, not bothering to hold it for me.

“Damien-” I started but he cut me off by putting his hand up. “You can’t ignore me the whole time!”

“You knew his name the whole fucking time!” Damien screamed at me, his eyes glaring daggers.

“I’m sorry okay? There’s been so much that’s going around and-and you never asked!” I stammered, afraid of how pissed off he is.

“I shouldn’t have had to ask, I’m here risking my life for you, the girl who’s going to get her baby brother back and trade off herself. Why do I even bother? Why did I even come with you knowing the possibilities of dying! Yet still I find myself here with you!” He ranted, throwing his arms in the air and paced the room.

“Because we’re cousins remember?” I reminded and he immediately stopped to glare.

“Screw that, screw it all!” He screamed at me, and opened the door.

“Where are you going?” I question with fear, I didn’t want him to leave me and I felt bad for not telling him Nikon’s real name.

“I’m going for a walk, I’ll be back.” He answered, but for some reason I didn’t believe him. I looked around the hotel room and wrapped my arms across my chest with a shiver. My pants were still damp from earlier, and the temperature in the hotel room was freezing.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered with furrowed brows as I slowly drifted back to reality.

"Nikole, I loved you." He emphasized on the loved part to show that he's over me.

"I know." I agreed with a nod of my head.

"I don't want you hurting your mom, she's an amazing woman who has helped me a lot. If you hurt a member of my family, I will hurt you, in any way that will effect you the worst." He threatened causing me to glare again.

"I thought I was part of your family?" I growled.

"You disowned us, Nikole. That was your problem." He spat before pressing my wrists against the wall before releasing them.

"Don't harm anyone that has nothing to do with this, Damien." I demanded as he walked out, he turned around with an evil grin.

"Or what?" He tested. Instead of answering I did one thing that would get to him the most, I slammed the door without replying. A Demoncre hates to be ignored and I just did that. I locked the door, leaned against it and sighed.