 
Stalked

Copyright 2016 Reanna Minchinton

Smashwords Edition 2017

1. YET ANOTHER STRANGER IN BED....

2. VEGAS, BABY!

3. A STRANGER COMES KNOCKING

4. PRISONER IN HER OWN HOME

5. "YOU HAVE RESCUED ME FROM MY OWN

NIGHTMARES..."

6. CLEANSING THE SOUL

7. VINCENT

8. A NEW BEGINNING?

9. TAKEN

10. MISSING PERSON

11. SURVIVAL MODE

12. THE TRUTH ABOUT VINCENT

13. CAPTIVE

14. "I AM GOING TO KILL HIM"

15. AN OPPORTUNITY

16. FINALLY, A LEAD

17. AT PEACE WITH DEATH

18. THE HUNT IS ON

19. FIGHT TO THE DEATH

YET ANOTHER STRANGER IN BED...

"CHLOE! CHLOE!"

Chloe Stone stirred in response to the muffled sound of her name from the depths of a deep sleep, yet she could not muster enough energy to open her eyes. She didn't have to see to know who it was summoning for her to wake up. The voice of her personal assistant and close friend, Ana Sanders was instantly recognisable.

Instead of acknowledging her, Chloe groaned loudly and rolled over, facing her back to Ana who was hovering over her next to the bed. She pulled a large pillow on top of her head in protest to the disruption of her peaceful sleep.

"Chlo! Wake up!" Frustrated, Ana shoved Chloe's shoulder back and forth in a vain attempt to rouse her - although she knew from experience that this was never an easy feat.

"Go away, Ana," Chloe grumbled.

"Chlo, it's four o'clock in the afternoon! You have your appearance at Hash tonight, remember!? You were supposed to start getting ready an hour ago, why the Hell are you still in bed? Your flight is at seven!"

"Shit!" Chloe had completely forgotten that her booking with the popular Las Vegas nightclub was tonight. She was being paid a hundred thousand dollars just to show up, mingle with a few VIP guests and party. It was great publicity for the Red Rock Hotel, where Hash was situated. People came out in droves for the chance to party with the infamous pop star. The club's promoters were flying Chloe and her chosen entourage in a private jet and putting them up in their best suite.

The sheets fell away from her body as she reluctantly got out of bed, exposing her large, surgically enhanced breasts. Ana did not even flinch at the sight of them, she was more than used to seeing Chloe in all her naked glory - she had no shame in exposing her body. Chloe Stone did not have much shame about anything.

"Who is that?" Ana demanded, pointing to the tanned, male body that was lying beside Chloe in the bed, snoring softly.

"Huh?" Chloe mumbled in confusion, rubbing her eyes to see more clearly. Her head was spinning wildly and she was feeling groggy.

Possibly still drunk, she needed a few minutes to remember the events of the night before and where her mystery guest had come from. She had been on another one of her notorious bender's - which was nothing unusual for her, Chloe partied to excess nearly every night of the week.

Hazy snippets of the night slowly started to come back to her.

She had gone out with a couple of her girlfriends and the cast of the hit reality show, 'Living L.A' to their end of season wrap party.

They had ended up staying at the Galaxy night club until around five in the morning, when the staff had asked Chloe and her friends repeatedly to leave. The group had then come back to Chloe's Bel Air mansion to continue the party, bringing with them some random guys they had met at the club whom had taken their fancy.

After consuming even more alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy and anything else that had been going around, her guests had eventually left to go home in the later hours of the morning.

When the last of them had left, Chloe retreated upstairs to her bedroom with this man who she had asked to stay behind for a few rounds of drug-fuelled sex.

As she looked down at the mysterious body sleeping beside her, Chloe realised that she did not even know his name. She doubted she would have even asked him what it was.

Looking at Ana, she casually shrugged her shoulders, not the slightest bit embarrassed at her indiscretion.

"Sorry An, I couldn't tell ya," she laughed as she slipped on a white silk robe that had been previously tossed to the floor.

Ana shook her head in disgust, but did not say another word.

She was used to Chloe's 'live hard' lifestyle and it took a lot to faze her these days, having seen it all time and time again.

She followed Chloe as she stumbled into the bathroom, watching with concern as she took a few wobbly attempts to step into the marble shower big enough for eight people. (Chloe had actually had that many in there on one occasion during an orgy at one of her more wilder parties) and run the hot water whilst Ana put the toilet seat down and sat on it.

"You know, Chlo, when I got here, Marc, Karen and Lloyd had all been parked at your front gate on the street for over an hour, buzzing the intercom and calling your phone repeatedly.

They are all very angry that you had kept them waiting like

that. You're so lucky that they did not just give up on you and go home. I had to let them in," she informed her, referring to Chloe's hairstylist, makeup artist and stylist.

"So, what? They work for me and I pay them a shit load of money so they can wait until I'm ready," Chloe snapped, not at all bothered by her lack of respect for anybody else as she lathered her three hundred dollar a bottle body wash over her body. In the steam of the scolding hot water, her head spun wildly and the all too familiar nauseous feeling rose to the back of her throat.

From her many, many hung-over experiences - which were bordering on almost daily - Chloe knew that her only option to be able to function properly tonight was to start hitting the booze and cocaine again.

'The hair of the dog' as they say...

Or was it to just stay drunk and high that was the key to avoiding a hangover?

"I don't think that they see it that way. Their time is important too, it's not very professional of you."

Chloe ignored her, leaning her head back under the soothing water.

"Seriously... you need to be getting ready now," Ana urged her again, glancing at the small gold watch on her wrist.

"An! Just relax!" Chloe snapped.

She was irritated at being abruptly woken up and hurried along, but she obliged to Ana's wishes and slid out of the shower, wrapping a large white towel around her chest,

"Go and set them up downstairs and I will be there soon, just give me a minute to dry off. Make sure there is a large Bloody Mary waiting for me, and don't be stingy on the vodka," she

instructed.

"Fine," Ana sighed, seeming slightly happier and relieved now that Chloe was moving into action.

It was a very difficult and frustrating job being a personal assistant to a drunken, drug addicted and self-absorbed diva.

Trying to get Chloe motivated and doing her job proved to be very straining on their friendship at times. If they hadn't been friends before super stardom had found Chloe, Ana would have walked away a long time ago. It was only for the fact that she loved Chloe and had done so since they were children - before she had become the shell of a person that she was now - that Ana stayed and continued to helplessly watch the train wreck that was her best friend and employer as it slowly derailed.

"I mean it! Make it a strong one!" She barked at Ana as she left the room.

Chloe steadily made her way over to her large antique dressing table and took out the small, hand carved wooden box that was in the top drawer. She kept her hefty cocaine stash in there.

Separating and cutting big lines of the white powder with a credit card on a round hand mirror, she quickly snorted one back. Chloe had been battling serious drinking and drug addiction since she had first become a pop icon eight years ago, at the tender and vulnerable age of fifteen.

Her mother, a raging drunk herself had strongly pushed her only child into becoming a singer - and ultimately a wealthy celebrity - which had been her mother's main goal.

After many stressful years of her mother's intense and relentless pressure to go on audition after audition, Chloe had finally been 'discovered' when one of the dozens of music producers they had sent her demo tapes to had seen potential in her humble, girl next door looks and striking voice and finally taken a chance on her. Chloe Smith had been rebranded Chloe Stone and released her debut single, a catchy dance track called 'Only Me' which had exploded onto the scene, racing up the charts at record breaking speed. That first hit song had catapulted her into the celebrity stratosphere.

The young and previously unknown teenager from a small, quiet Midwestern town went from being a 'nobody', living with a single mom below the poverty line into a megastar literally overnight.

She had not been prepared for the lifestyle that came with that status at all. Copious amounts of free drugs had been everywhere that she went. Everybody that Chloe found herself surrounded by, including people that were employed by her record label to 'handle' her career and look after her - as she was still a minor - were constantly offering it to her and taking it themselves. No one seemed to bat an eyelid at the sight of a young teen doing drugs. In no time at all, Chloe was caught up in an addiction herself.

Having a mother who took to the partying and drug scene quickly and eagerly did little to help her situation. Donna Smith did not give her young daughter any of the support or guidance that she had desperately needed.

At a time when Chloe's life was changing at an alarming speed, Donna was more consumed with the large amounts of money that was coming their way and the doors that had opened up to them on the social scenes of Hollywood then helping a vulnerable Chloe navigate the stresses of suddenly leaving high school, her hometown, her friends and her 'normal' life. The dysfunctional dynamics of their relationship had turned sour and, after Donna had stolen a large percentage of Chloe's money - that she was supposed to be minding and putting away until Chloe turned eighteen - and blew it on drugs, shopping and partying, Chloe had to cut her out of her life.

She emancipated herself at seventeen, taking control of her own fortune and cutting Donna off completely.

Donna retaliated by publicly humiliating Chloe numerous times, selling stories and private photos of her childhood to the media and even releasing a seedy tell-all book.

After exhausting every financial avenue that she could, and blowing through the money as quickly as it came in, the disgraced and destitute woman eventually moved on to a tiny, downtrodden apartment in a shady neighbourhood in The Valley that was frequented by prostitutes and drug addicts. She seemed to fit right in to that lifestyle.

A desperate Donna had reappeared on Chloe's doorstep from time to time over the years, always with one lone agenda - to extort more money from her famous daughter. Chloe had often just handed it over to her, out of pity and disgust.

Once her mother had received the money that she demanded, she would disappear as quickly as she had returned, off on another drug bender.

Her destructive relationship with her only parent had been a bitter source of contempt for Chloe, but she had always known what Donna was like as she had consistently been that way since before Chloe was born.

She had never known who her father was. After years of hearing varying stories from her mother \- everything from that he was a soldier killed at war to that he was a sperm donor from a fertility bank - Donna had finally admitted that she did not know who he was as she had slept with many different men at the time Chloe was conceived, most of whom were random one night stands.

So, with no father, no siblings and no extended family - a result of Donna running away from home at thirteen and losing touch with her parents, whom she refused to speak about - Chloe had grown used to the fact that she was destined to be a lost soul with no real family structure or guidance.

Chloe often blamed her drug dependency on her tumultuous childhood and used it as an excuse to justify her addictions.

Over the years that had followed her big break, Chloe had released three hugely successful number one albums, but she had become more infamous for being a permanent fixture on the tabloid magazine covers, due to her hard partying lifestyle then for her successful music career. She had clocked up three very public and humiliating DUI's.

There was also an arrest for assault against a nightclub bouncer.

She had been extremely intoxicated and had thrown her drink over him and punched him repeatedly in the face when he had asked her to leave the premises.

Of course, the paparazzi had captured every moment on a video that went viral worldwide and amassed over twenty million views on You Tube. The bouncer had taken the lucrative opportunity to prosecute and sue her for a quick buck and fifteen minutes of fame in a court case that stretched out for nine months and resulted in Chloe having to pay him seventy thousand dollars for his 'pain and suffering'.

She had also been charged with theft after an incident with a popular LA clothing store.

Her extensive rap sheet had resulted in Chloe serving time in jail and one hundred hours of community service, cleaning graffiti from buildings as the paps watched on, documenting every demeaning second for the tabloids.

Another mandatory requirement of her probation was a court appointed thirty day rehab stint at Fresh Start - which she then had to repeat twice more after failing two random drug tests.

Chloe had a track record in the press to rival Lindsay Lohan's.

It seemed that every week there were photographs in the gossip magazines and websites of her falling out of nightclubs in the early hours of the mornings, blind drunk and high on various substances as the paps insisted on following her every move, eagerly awaiting the money shots that she so often delivered.

Chloe had long given up on trying to act in a responsible and respectable manner when out in public, which her publicist, manager and record company had been begging her to do for years.

Now, she willingly embraced the 'wild child' image that the media had bestowed upon her. After all, she was young, successful, beautiful, famous and rich.

Why should she care what anybody else thought about her?

She was here for a good time, not a long time as she repeatedly told herself and anybody else that would care to listen. If her music career had to suffer for it, Chloe no longer cared. She had tens of millions of dollars in the bank that would easily keep her going in the lifestyle that she was accustomed to for the rest of her life without ever having to release another single ever again.

Royalties from her hit songs continued to roll in, keeping her account plumped up and these regular Vegas appearances were nice little cherries on top.

Her career slump was disappointing but not a major concern.

However, she was hopelessly addicted to being a 'celebrity' and

did not want to give up her fame.

A psychiatrist would most likely inform her that her constant need for attention and reassurance from total strangers was a result of her turbulent childhood and the constant rejection and withheld affection from her own mother – but for now, she did not care and her need for infamy was so strong, that the fear of losing it and becoming irrelevant terrified her.

Chloe snorted another line of cocaine and threw her head back as the familiar, euphoric sensation swept through her brain and body. In the large mirror above the dresser's reflection, she noticed that her mystery guest was emerging from her bed, standing just a few feet away from her, in all his naked glory.

She was very relieved to see that he was a well built, muscular specimen. He had long, wavy dark curls that cascaded down to the nape of his neck and framed his handsome face. Tribal tattoos covered his large arms. Chloe was pleased with herself for choosing well last night.

Unfortunately, sometimes when she was in her drunken state she would take feral, less than desirable guys home who seemed good looking in the dark, seedy light of the nightclub with her thick 'beer goggles' on.

The next day she would wake up disgusted in herself. A few of her 'hook ups' would even go on to sell stories of their night of passion with the notorious party girl to the media outlets that were hungry for news of Chloe's sordid, kinky sex life.

Even worse - with the paparazzi permanently camped outside

of her front gates, most of the men were photographed leaving in the mornings.

Her yet to be identified conquest yawned loudly and stretched

his arms up into the air, elongating his defined torso.

Chloe smiled to herself in the mirror as she glanced down at his well-endowed manhood and saw that he had woken up ready for action.

Round two...

"Hi," she whispered seductively, overwhelmed with a sudden desire to ravish this stranger. Cocaine always fuelled her already high sex drive. She unhooked the towel that was tucked into her breasts and let it drop to the floor around her ankles, exposing herself to him. His face lit up at the sight of her body.

"Wow... uh, hi," he mumbled, grabbing her by her tiny waist.

Chloe giggled playfully, shoving him back onto the bed.

Climbing on top of him, she took his erection and forced him inside of her. He groaned softly, his hands gripping her hips and guiding her as she gently rode up and down, guiding him deeper and deeper inside of her. He sat up and grabbed her breasts, putting one into his mouth and sucking her nipple, gently biting down as Chloe gasped, riding him harder and faster.

They had ravenous, loud sex. She barely remembered being with him the first time, but he was definitely worth having the second time around.

When they both finally came, she collapsed into his sweaty arms, struggling to catch her breath with a satisfied smile plastered on her face.

Not a bad way to start the night...

"CHLOE!!!" Ana cried in frustration when Chloe finally made

her way down the stairs to the living room where her hairdresser, Lloyd and makeup artist, Karen had set up and were angrily awaiting her arrival.

"Sorry," Chloe blushed, aware that they had been left waiting

for another hour while she fucked the man upstairs - who's name she still had not bother to ask for.

"We could hear you!" Ana hissed under her breath as she roughly grabbed Chloe's arm and led her over to a chair.

"I said I was sorry," Chloe laughed, even though she couldn't have cared less. She sat down obediently next to where Karen's make up palettes were all set out,

"Where's my Bloody Mary?"

"I made it ages ago. The ice has melted now. I will have to make you another one," Ana sighed, rolling her eyes.

Poor Ana.

She had been friends with Chloe since they were eleven years old. Chloe had employed Ana as her personal assistant when Ana had moved to Los Angeles at eighteen years old in an effort to keep her friend close by and surround herself with 'normal people' in a town of fake 'hangers on' that were using her for their own gains.

Ana had always been a very sensible girl and was the only person who Chloe had any ounce of respect for. She trusted her wholeheartedly which was rare to find in Hollywood.

Although Ana liked to indulge in partying with Chloe, she restricted it to one or two nights a week. When she was working she took her job very seriously. Her main job was to keep Chloe on schedule and to make sure that the 'Chloe Stone Machine' ran as smoothly as possible.

After many serious warnings from Chloe's record company,

management and agents, Ana knew that she was the only one who could control Chloe to some extent and they all expected her to do so. She often turned a blind eye to the excessive drinking, partying, drugs and random sex, as long as Chloe was where she needed to be when she was required and she performed to an acceptable standard.

This was easier said than done.

However, Ana continued to be persistent with Chloe, despite the difficulties that presented themselves when trying to work with a narcissistic addict.

"Thanks honey," Chloe called out after her as Ana retreated to the kitchen, grumbling under her breath.

"Chloe Stone, you are finally gracing us with your presence," Lloyd said sarcastically in his over the top camp style, rolling his eyes dramatically.

As usual, the hairstylist was dressed flamboyantly. Today's look was red leather pants that were too tight and a crisp, buttoned to the neck white blouse. His bleached, white blonde hair was spiked up into a short mohawk, with the tips dyed green. Black eyeliner accentuated the look.

"You do know that you have been paying me three hundred dollars an hour to sit down here and listen to you getting off, don't you?" he teased.

"Sorry, Lloydy. You know how it is with me, I gotta get it in when and where I can. You know there will be a nice tip in it for you, as always for putting up with me and my crazy antics," she smiled sweetly at him.

"We deserve one, Chloe. A big one," Karen grumbled, obviously not as light hearted about the situation as Lloyd was, setting to work priming Chloe's bare face, "I swear, we would

not be putting up with any of this bullshit from anybody else."

Chloe just ignored her. She was not fazed by Karen being put out at all. They were working for her and if they had to wait, they had to wait.

It was Chloe's schedule that mattered.

Nobody else's.

Ana bought Chloe the very strong Bloody Mary she had requested which contained more vodka then tomato juice - just the way Chloe liked it. She downed it quickly and asked for another one immediately while her team set to work on her look.

"Where's Marc?" Chloe asked, looking around for her stylist.

"He had to leave, Chlo. He has four other clients to dress tonight – there is a big event on for Shining Stars Studios, you are lucky he did not leave with the dresses when he was left waiting out by the road for so long," Ana informed her as she browsed through notifications on her iPad, "He left them here for you to choose from and he will collect them back again in a few days. He said to tell you that he strongly suggests that you wear the black Gucci dress that you tried on last week. A seamstress made the necessary alterations that were needed. He also left a couple of different clutch, shoe and jewellery options that he had picked out for you."

"So, he is not here to put the whole look together?!" Chloe grimaced, not used to styling herself for events. She had not had to do so in years.

"Chlo! Are you serious!? You can't expect everybody to arrange themselves around when you feel like getting things done! You were not here. He waited for a long time and you didn't even bother to even get out of bed and greet him," Ana scorned.

"We can help you choose your accessories, it will be fun," Lloyd suggested, running the blow dryer through Chloe's long blonde locks.

Chloe shrugged, "Yeah, I guess," she agreed as she flicked through e-mails on her phone. There were several angry rants

from her publicist, Liza.

What the hell are you thinking, Chloe!? How many times have I asked you to be discreet!? I am getting really sick and tired of constantly seeing photos like these and having to defend you to the damn tabloids every morning! You really need to have a few quiet nights in!

Liza had attached a link to popular online celebrity gossip website, Stars and Scandals. Chloe clicked on them and saw various photos of herself from the last couple of nights, drunkenly leaving nightclub after nightclub. There was even some of her leaving with the guy that was currently occupying her bed last night.

The photo captioned him as 'yet another unidentified male companion'. Chloe did not bother to reply to her exasperated publicist. It was her job to deal with this crap, not Chloe's.

She liked to have a good time.

Why is that such a big fucking deal to everyone?!

She was interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps coming down her spiral staircase. All four pairs of eyes looked up and watched the poor guy do the walk of shame. His hair was wild and untamed and he looked worse for wear - tell tail signs of a long night followed by a hungover day of sleeping.

"Uh... hey," he said quietly to Chloe, unsure of what he should say or do.

Chloe was more than ready for him to leave. She was in no mood for small talk and had no desire to spend any more time with him. She had gotten what she wanted from him; therefore, he was no longer useful to her.

"Do you want a cab called for you?" She asked bluntly, not embarrassed by her crudeness at all. He seemed taken aback by her cold attitude. He was obviously not used to being treated like

this by a woman.

"Uh, that's alright, I called Rick, he is coming to pick me up," he said as if Chloe knew who Rick was. She didn't. He must have been one of the guests at her impromptu dawn party.

"O.K. Well, Ana will see you out then,"

He looked insulted and uncomfortable. In confusion, he leant down to kiss Chloe goodbye but she arrogantly brushed him off,

"Don't ruin my make up," she gestured to the concealer that Karen was applying on to her skin. He stumbled towards Ana who was waiting impatiently at the front door to kick him out, with her arms folded tightly and her lips pursed.

"Phone," she demanded, holding out her hand.

"What!?" He asked, surprised at her demand.

"Your phone, please," she repeated, "Now."

"Why?" He protested, clutching the back pocket where his cell was.

"You know why. You are not leaving here until you hand it over," Ana told him sternly.

Chloe watched them in surprise, unsure of what Ana was up to.

Why did she want this random guy's phone?!

He seemed to weigh up his options for a few moments, but realising that he was caught out, he handed his iPhone over to her. Ana went through it until she pulled up some photographs

that he had taken.

She marched over to Chloe and thrust the phone in her face to show her what was on the screen. Karen and Lloyd both gasped in shock as they saw the images over her shoulder. As Ana scrolled through, there was clear shot after shot of Chloe snorting cocaine and - even more shockingly - photos of Chloe naked, performing fellatio on this man and another of her asleep next to him. She had no idea that any of them had even been taken.

"Oh, my God!" Chloe cried out in horror, "What the fuck!?

What the Hell did you do this for!?" She screamed at the guy, jumping up out of her chair, ready to beat him wildly with her bare hands.

"Why do you think, Chloe!? To sell them and make a shitload of money!" Ana pointed out angrily as she deleted the evidence,

"You better not of sent these to anybody," she warned him as she went through the outgoing messages.

"You asshole!" Chloe stormed over to him and slapped him hard across the face. He just stood there and took it. He knew that he deserved it, "You are a filthy scumbag," she spat at him then turned to Ana, "Did he send them to anyone!?"

Ana shook her head, "No, it looks like he didn't get a chance.

Although he did write as his Facebook status, 'About to fuck Chloe Stone!'"

"Charming," Chloe grumbled, rolling her eyes, "You pig!"

He turned a deep shade of red and held his head in shame, not uttering a single word in his own defence.

"It's all deleted," Ana scowled at him as she handed the phone back.

"How did you know?" He asked her, sheepishly.

"One of Chloe's friends saw you taking photos last night and called me to warn me," Ana informed him matter-of-factly.

"Huh? Who?" Chloe asked in surprise.

"Helena," Ana said, pissed off.

"Why didn't she tell me!?"

"Because she knew that you were way too drunk and out of it last night, so she laid the burden to me. As usual."

"Thank you, An," Chloe grumbled, ever so grateful to have her friend watching out for her.

He started to leave but Chloe blocked him, "Hang on," she grabbed the phone from his hand. He watched as she stormed over to her fish tank and dropped the phone into the water. It slowly drifted to the bottom as the fish pecked at it, thinking it may be food.

"What the..." he objected.

"Karma's a bitch," she told him furiously through gritted teeth,

"And so am I. You can fuck off now."

Ana muttered something inaudible under her breath and stormed towards the front doors. Yanking one open, she motioned for the guy to leave. He hesitated for a second then quickly hurried outside as Ana slammed it behind him.

"An..." Chloe began to apologise but Ana just held her hand up to stop her and marched off out of the room, leaving Chloe alone to finish getting ready.

Two hours and five strong drinks later, Chloe was ready to go.

Her makeup was flawless. Heavy black eyeshadow was accentuated with two sets of false lashes and blood red lips finished the look. The chosen dress was very dramatic and daring, just the way she liked her fashion. A plunging neck line dropped down to just above her navel. Her large breasts were taped into it within an inch of their life, thanks to a begrudging Ana. The last thing that Chloe needed was to have a nip slip in front of hundreds of people with camera phones. The black, sequinned fabric hung to her infamous curves so perfectly that she had not been able to resist it. Ruby and diamond drop earrings that weighed a little too much and would undoubtedly give her a headache later, but were too beautiful not too wear were the chosen accessories that the four of them agreed looked the best. Sky-high silver Louboutin's and a matching diamante covered clutch completed the look and she was finally ready for the night ahead.

VEGAS, BABY!

Chloe had invited her friends Helena and Rosa, as well as Ana to accompany her to Vegas. Helena Redisha was a celebrity 'it' girl. Born to movie star parents, she had been raised in the spotlight her whole life. Being a permanent fixture on the Hollywood social scene had seen her and Chloe run in the same circles, becoming fast friends and bonding over their shared love of drugs and partying. Helena was a part time model, but she mostly funded her lifestyle through her parent's very generous allowances.

Rosa St Jermaine was a fellow pop star. She had asked Chloe to collaborate on one of her hit songs a few years ago. The video for their song, Fantasy mostly consisted of them both writhing around on a bed naked with only a flimsy silk sheet covering them, suggesting that they were being intimate together. It had become the most watched music video of the year and won plenty of trophies at the various awards shows.

The two of them had then toured the United States together and become close friends. Chloe was happy to have them both with her for the trip to Vegas, they were able to keep up with

her and she always had a great time with them.

Both girls were already waiting at the airport on board the private plane that the Red Rock had organised for Chloe to use.

They had been sending Chloe snap chats and text messages asking where she was and why she was so late as Ana had desperately navigated the busy traffic, commenting regularly about how late they were.

Chloe had ignored Ana's frantic stressing and outbursts every time a light turned red or somebody pulled out in front of them, as it would ruin her buzz and excitement for the night ahead.

Chloe didn't give a shit if they were late. People would wait for her. They always did.

On route to LAX she relaxed in the back of the car, smoking a joint, responding to her friend's snaps with silly ones of her own and telling Ana to calm down.

When they finally pulled the car into the airport parking lot, they were forty five minutes past their scheduled departure time. Two very disgruntled pilots were awaiting their arrival.

Ana went to offer her apologies to them and smooth the waters as Chloe boarded the plane.

She was greeted at the door by their steward, a busty blonde balancing glasses of champagne on a silver tray.

"Welcome, Miss Stone, it is a pleasure to have you on board with is this evening, my name is Heidi and I will be serving you on this flight," she smiled warmly, "would you like a glass of Veuve?"

"Of course! Thanks, Heidi!" Chloe laughed as she necked one glass straight down then grabbed another to take to her seat opposite Helena and Rosa, "Hi bitches!"

"Where have you been!?" Helena teased, waving her empty glass

at Heidi for a top up, "We have already downed a bottle of champers!"

"Sorry, hon. I got a bit distracted," she winked, teasing them, "I better catch up to you guys then," she took another big swig.

"You look stunning, Chlo!" Rosa commented, leaning over to give her a kiss hello.

"So do you guys!"

They were all suitably dressed for the flamboyant night life of Las Vegas. Helena was wearing tight, white lace shorts that barely covered her ass cheeks and a black silk halter top that was slit down to under her breasts, threatening to release one at any moment. Her body was tiny and toned, with ridiculously long, tanned legs and she looked catwalk ready. Rosa was sporting a daring red dress that had cut outs, exposing the top of both thighs - informing onlookers that she was not wearing any underwear - and the sides of her boobs. Trashy in normal circumstances, but not for Vegas standards.

The paparazzi were going to love these outfits.

After Ana had smoothed things over with the pilots, she boarded, looking dishevelled, stressed and exhausted. She shot the three of them a pissed off look and took her seat, burying herself into her book so she would not have to talk to them.

The plane finally took off into the balmy night sky for the short flight to Las Vegas.

As they were running so late, the minute they touched down in Vegas they had to head straight to the party. Ana had been fielding calls the whole trip from Chloe's manager, Paula Cole demanding to know why they were not there yet as the Hash promoters were freaking out.

Chloe, Rosa and Helena were all highly intoxicated. They had downed quite a few bottles of champagne despite the fact that the flight was so short. They were in party mode. A limousine was awaiting their arrival and they were soon driving down the strip towards the Red Rock.

Chloe loved Vegas. It had such an electric, theatrical atmosphere about it. The streets were always crowded with people of all ages, ranging from teenagers and college kids all the way to people in the sixties and seventies, wearing their shorts high and their fanny packs out front, cameras strapped around their necks and taking in all the neon sights as they walked along, excitedly pointing out the famous landmarks.

The majority of the younger ones were clutching yard glasses full of cocktails and beers, some of them dressed in crazy outfits, celebrating loudly as they bar hopped from casino to casino.

Women wore the most scantily clad outfits they could and tottered along drunkenly on towering heels.

Every night of the year, Vegas was bursting with happy tourists from all over the world. The limousine passed a giant billboard with Chloe's face adorned across it, advertising tonight's party at Hash.

"There you are, Chlo!" Rosa squealed excitedly, pointing it out.

Chloe chuckled and took a swig of the champagne bottle that Rosa had opened.

"Do you think we should touch up a bit before we get there?" Helena pouted as she studied her reflection in her Chanel compact and powdered her nose.

"Hell no, we look fabulous! We are some sexy bitches! Woohoo!" Rosa laughed, grabbing the bottle off Chloe.

Pulling up to the Red Rock Hotel, the entrance for Hash

nightclub could be seen from the street, and the large crowd waiting in line to get into the club was a sure sign that inside must be filled to capacity.

Chloe's face was everywhere, large banners lined the outside of the club, they had gone all out with their advertising of the event.

Large heaters were lined up from the driveway to the hotel's lobby entrance, spurting high, flickering flames into the sky.

"Check us in and sort our luggage out. OK, An?" Chloe instructed, finishing off her drink.

"You don't want me to go in with you?" Ana asked, concerned as she knew how inebriated Chloe was. Chloe just laughed and brushed her off.

"Oh yes, I need you to hold my hand to walk into a nightclub, Ana because I am fucking useless and can't do anything for myself."

"You know I didn't mean it like that..."

They were interrupted by a bell boy opening the door for them and offering his hand for them to climb out.

"Just meet us in there afterwards, it's all good. I will be on my best behaviour, I promise" Chloe told her as she got out of the limo, putting her hand on her heart,

"Michael!" she exclaimed as she saw the club's promoter, Michael King whom organised all of Hash's big events and

Chloe's appearances there. She greeted him with a warm hug and a kiss on both cheeks.

"Chloe Stone, you look amazing as always," he smirked as he took in her racy outfit, "Very late... but beautiful," he tapped the gold Rolex strapped to his wrist.

"I know... I know... there was lots of traffic in LA," she lied.

"Oh, really?" He looked at her, cockeyed as the girls giggled.

Chloe had a reputation of being late and unreliable, which Michael knew full well. But, she bought in big crowds which translated into big money so it was worth it for the casino to keep dealing with her, despite her diva-like antics.

"Well, the party is in full swing. We have a full house tonight.

We are at capacity with eighteen hundred people inside, all eagerly awaiting your arrival."

"Sounds good. Let's go," Chloe followed Michael into the hotel's grand foyer towards the nightclub's entrance, with Helena and Rosa by her side.

The crowd started to turn around as people saw the girls, recognising them instantly and calling out their names and pointing to them in excitement. Phones were whipped out and cameras clicked away wildly.

"Chloe! Can we have a selfie?!"

"Rosa!"

"Helena!"

"Can we have a photo?"

The fans shouted out to them.

Chloe stopped and took a few photos with them, as the other two girls carried on. She was obliged to meet and greet with the public as part of her appearance contract.

A large bodyguard approached her and helped to keep the people back as they tried to swarm Chloe. Hands grabbed her and phones were thrust into her face.

"Oh my God, I love you!"

"Can I have an autograph?"

"Can you take a selfie with me please, I am your biggest fan!"

"Chloe, can you get us in? We came here for you!"

She did as many as she could, as quickly as possible, not

stopping to chat to the fans, but thanking them for coming and moving along down the line rapidly.

Looking over at Michael, he nodded that she had done enough.

She approached the top of the line to the velvet ropes that stood in front of the large black doors that led through to the club. The music was pumping very loudly and vibrated through to the waiting area where she was stood. DJ Zee was Hash's resident track spinner.

Chloe had met him a few times at various events and he was always keen to party hard once his set was finished. She had attended one of his infamous after parties and there had been copious amounts of drugs available as a free for all, they had been displayed on silver platters and guests were free to help themselves. It had definitely been one of the most bizarre scenes she had witnessed, – and Chloe had thought she had seen it all.

She was looking forward to seeing him again.

Michael spoke into the small microphone attached to his suit collar, advising the staff inside that Chloe had arrived.

Turning to the excited crowd - who were still begging her for selfies and for her to get them into the club - she waved at them with both hands and smiled brightly, "Thank you everybody for coming to Hash tonight! I hope to see you inside to party with me!" She shouted over their loud chatter.

"Chloe..." Michael mentioned for her to approach the doors,

"They are ready for you."

She stood alongside Rosa and Helena and awaited her grand

entrance. She could hear the music inside die down and DJ Zee started talking into the microphone, "Ladies and Gentleman, the moment you have all been eagerly anticipating... the gorgeous, the sexy, the unbelievably beautiful Chloe Stone is in the hooooouuuuuuse!!!!"

A large roar of excitement erupted as the double doors opened wide and Chloe stepped into the club. Bright spotlights fell on her as two large men accompanied herself, Helena and Rosa through the swarm of people, up towards the DJ deck where they had a private VIP section and where everybody could see her. Hands reached out to try and grab at her and people called out her name, desperately trying to get her attention. Chloe smiled as she waved at them all and blew kisses, making her way up the stairs.

Zee greeted her with a big hug, "You look amazing," he admired, looking her up and down, focusing on her exposed breasts with a big grin on his face.

"Thanks, it's good to see you," she winked seductively, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Zee was a tall, muscular African American with a handsome, cheeky face and long black dreadlocks.

She definitely fancied a night in the sack with him.

"CHLOE STOOOOONE!!!!!" He playfully bowed down and handed her the microphone, motioning to the front podium and grabbing her ass as she approached it – much to the delight of the crowd.

Looking down upon the sea of adoring faces always gave Chloe a buzz. Whether it was at one of her concerts, an appearance like tonight or an award show, there was something about having hundreds of eyes on her, awaiting her every move and hanging onto every word she spoke that thrilled her. She felt a strong validation from the adoration that she received.

Being a much loved celebrity was a thrill.

"Hello, Vegas!" She waved at them to loud cheers and applause.

There were individual, private balconies on the second level,

spreading all the way around the club and they were packed with people cheering her and raising their drinks to toast her.

"Are you having a good night?! Well, let's get it on!" She squealed, as two scantily clad girls came next to her and sprayed the crowd with large bottles of champagne.

The nightclub was stunning and they had spared no expense to make it the hottest nightspot in Vegas - which was a very competitive market.

Silver poles stretched from the second level balconies to the ground floor. Beautiful dancers wearing shimmering gold swimsuits emblazed with the club's logo performed stunning acrobatics on them. One of them was a professional fire breather and blew large flames whilst hanging half way up the pole from one leg. Large golden art pieces that resembled a fire's flames framed the large dancefloor that was directly beneath the DJ booth.

It was crammed shoulder to shoulder with beautiful people (the bouncers were very selective about who they let in), dressed to the nines. Private tables, where guests had to spend five hundred dollars or more on bottle service for the privilege surrounded the dance area. Laser light shows with varying shades of reds, yellows and oranges skipped around the room and were synchronised to move to the beat of the music. Large chandeliers adorned with hundreds of thousands of crystals sparkled on the ceiling, the lights bounced off them so they lit up in a mesmerising show of colour.

Both male and female dancers were performing atop of podiums, and gorgeous hostesses navigated the crowd delicately, carrying trays of bottles and drinks to the tables.

Michael came up behind her and ushered her off to the VIP

area where she was usually seated, in full view of the patrons as Zee jumped back on the decks and resumed spinning his tracks.

Helena and Rosa had already got stuck into the drinks that were provided for them. Bottles lined the tables, all of Chloe's favourite's as per her request. They were not the only ones in the area, which was reserved for the rich and famous. Around three dozen people were up there, some whom Chloe knew.

Angus Peters was seated with Rosa and Helena, along with his entourage. The incredibly sexy singer of the very popular rock band, Addikt was a friend of Chloe's. The group shared the same record label as Chloe and they had seen each other at various industry events. She and Angus had hooked up a couple of times and had slept together once, after the Grammy awards two years earlier - which they had managed to keep quiet from the press and public.

They still enjoyed a flirty friendship whenever they saw each other, although Chloe had not seen him in a while. She had read in the tabloids that he was now engaged to busty reality star Lucy McKenny, whom he had been dating for just a couple of months.

"Angus!" She exclaimed, throwing herself onto his lap and embracing him.

"Chloe! How the fuck are ya, beautiful?" He laughed, kissing her on the cheek, his long dark hair brushing across her face.

He smelled of cigarettes, whisky and a musky cologne. She

could tell immediately that he was high, his green eyes were watery and the pupils enlarged. Yet, he still looked as gorgeous as ever, wearing his usual tight black jeans and a white tee.

"I'm good! How are you... I hear you have a fiancée, congratulations!" She teased him.

He laughed and squeezed her leg, "Is that a deal breaker for you?" He winked, popping a cigarette between his lips and lighting it up.

She shrugged with a cheeky grin, "I don't know... we'll see," she took the smoke from his mouth and had a couple of drags before giving it back, "Never thought you would be the type to get married."

"Hey, what can I say, she fucks like a porn star and have you seen the body on her? Titties the size of watermelons! I may have found my perfect woman. Although, I have to say, I still fancy the fuck out of you!"

He squeezed her leg again and nestled his head against her breasts.

Aware that a lot of eyes were on them, she climbed off his lap and sat with the girls opposite him, "Now, now Angus. Getting married means no more sleeping around. It's just one woman for you from now on."

He laughed and necked his glass of whiskey, "Now we know that's not going to happen, don't we?"

Chloe shook her head, "Naughty boy!"

An hour or so later, and after quite a few shots of tequila, Chloe was tired from dancing up a storm with her friends and retreated back to the seating area.

As soon as she sat down, Angus joined her. His foot started

caressing her leg under the table.

"ANGUS!" She squealed playfully.

He motioned with his eyes for her to look down at his hands.

When she did, he opened his closed fist to show her a large bag of cocaine. He raised his eyebrows up and down and smiled widely. Chloe smiled back and nodded. Angus got up and went towards the private bathroom area for VIP's.

She waited a few moments then followed him.

Nobody questioned where she was going; they were all too engrossed in their own conversations. Entering the bathroom, Chloe looked around to make sure all the stalls were empty.

The only one in there was Angus.

Her vision was blurred and she felt very drunk. Having the coke would help to sober her up a bit so she could keep drinking all night. She needed the cocaine to perk her up.

Chloe did not travel with drugs anymore, after a close scare a few months earlier.

She had flown to New York for an appearance on a morning television show and had taken two joints and a gram of cocaine with her. She had hitched a ride on the private jet of her friend, heiress Roxy Van Kershaw who had been returning home after partying with Chloe in Los Angeles all weekend. Thinking it was safe to take drugs on the jet because they were not flying commercial and going through the usual channels at the airport, Chloe didn't think much about the repercussions that this would bring. Leaving Los Angeles had been fine, and she had had a great time with Roxy and her friends, drinking and playing poker.

However, as they landed in New York, panic had set in amongst the girls when the pilot announced that police with drug sniffer drugs were targeting private planes and were about to board. Roxy didn't do drugs and Chloe had been humiliated when she had to admit to her friend in a flood of tears that, not only had she had snuck both coke and weed onto her plane, but as she was still on probation from her previous arrests, she would be arrested on the spot and sentenced to a mandatory six months in

jail for violating the conditions of her parole.

There was no way she wanted to go back there...

A quick decision had to be made.

Thankfully, one of Roxy's friends had agreed to hide the drugs and take responsibility if they were caught, but it would cost Chloe two hundred thousand dollars.

Chloe had agreed immediately; she would have paid any price to escape going back to jail. The poor girl had been caught, but as she had no previous offenses she was let off with thirty hours of community service.

Since that day Chloe had been very careful. She had managed to establish dealers in most cities so she could get what she needed upon arrival, however her Vegas dealer had not been answering her calls.

Although it was extremely easy to get pretty much anything you desired in Vegas, Chloe had to be very careful about who she trusted. If someone was to snap a photo of her buying, or set her up to the paps it would be a publicity disaster. So, Angus offering the coke to her was just what she needed.

Popping out of a stall, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in, closing the door behind her. He had already divided up some coke on a small hand mirror.

"Here you go, sexy," He offered Chloe a rolled up hundred dollar bill.

She quickly snorted back a big line, "Thank you."

He took one after her, then licked the residue, staring into her eyes as he did so. Chloe felt a flutter in her stomach as he pulled her in close to him and nuzzled her neck, his long hair brushing across her face. He was Chloe's type and she had always been wildly attracted to him.

Brushing her hair behind her shoulder, he planted soft kisses over her collar bone and down to her cleavage, sighing softly.

"Angus... you're engaged now, remember?" She gently reminded him.

"Do you really give a fuck?" he moaned, cupping her breast through the side of the dress and pushing his body against hers, so she was pinned against the door.

She didn't care. She was single, it wasn't her problem. If he wanted to cheat, then that was on him. Chloe had never met his fiancée, but on her reality TV Show, Fake It 'Til You Make It Lucy came across as an entitled, spoilt bitch. She was extremely nasty to her co-stars and was infamous for starting fights with them.

"Not really..." she gasped as he lifted her skirt and started rubbing between her legs with his fingers.

He bought his face up to hers and kissed her passionately, his tongue darting in her mouth gently, swirling around hers. She kissed him back, groaning in pleasure as his fingers darted inside of her.

Fumbling around for the button on his jeans, she slid his fly down and slid her hand down his pants, gripping him tightly and massaging him. He pushed himself up against her harder, both of them getting swept up in pleasure when they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening up, the music becoming louder as it did so. They froze in place, listening to the excited chatter of at least three girls entering. They were talking about a guy one of them had hooked up with in the club.

"Ssshhhh..." Angus whispered into her ear, his fingers still inside of her.

She didn't dare move, as being exposed in a bathroom stall with

Angus would give these girls a massive pay day for their story if they were to sell it to the tabloids.

And God forbid if they were to snap a photo of the two of them. It would be a huge scandal.

The stalls on either side of them opened as the girls went to the toilet, still talking loudly and laughing. Angus quietly lifted Chloe up with his free arm and she carefully wrapped her legs around him, resting her feet on the closed toilet seat so they girls would not see two pairs of feet in the stall if they were to look.

She expected him to stop what he was doing, but instead of pulling out, he grinned at her, a glint of mischief sparkling in his chocolate eyes, then he continued to pleasure her as he kissed her neck and gently sucked on her ear lobe.

The euphoria was too much for Chloe and she writhed uncomfortably as she tried desperately not to release the moans that were surging up in her throat.

"Ssshhhhh..." he told her quietly again.

The more he told her to be quiet the more she struggled with it.

The risk of getting caught was turning her on.

After what seemed like an eternity, the women left the bathroom.

"Fuck, you're so sexy" he laughed.

"Angus, we have to stop... if we get caught..."

He looked at her with disappointment, his bottom lip pouting,

"Aww..."

After a few seconds of mulling over what she was telling him, he seemingly agreed that it was the wrong place at the wrong time and released her. Chloe straightened her dress and watched him do his pants up,

"Another time, yeah?"

"Yeah, for sure," he smiled at her, "Wanna do some more blow?"

"Oh, Hell yes."

Several lines later, they left the bathroom separately, slinking back to their table as if nothing had happened. Ana had now joined them. She looked exhausted and was curled up on the couch with her feet tucked in next to her, nursing a bottle of beer.

Watching Angus join his friends, she shot Chloe an accusing, angry look.

"Where have you two been, hey?" Rosa asked slyly, knowing full well what they had been up too.

"None of your fucking business!" Chloe laughed, pouring herself a strong vodka, "Come on you boring bitches! Let's dance!"

She grabbed Rosa and Helena by their arms and pulled them up.

Ana, however refused to move. Chloe let her be. If she wanted to sit and scowl all night, then that was up to her.

Chloe was determined to have a good time. The girls went up to the balcony next to Zee and started dancing wildly. The crowd went wild when they saw her and she lapped up the attention, playing up to them and blowing kisses. A sea of phones aimed at her flashed wildly. She took some photos for Instagram and snapchat, promoting the event as per her contract with the club.

At four am, the club closed and Chloe was ready to head back to her room, exhausted and completely out of it. She could barely see properly, everything was doubled and blurry as her

vision struggled to focus. Her legs were giving way from

underneath her. She had ditched the heels and Ana was now carrying them, along with her clutch.

A security guard escorted an unsteady Chloe down the steps, holding her under the arm so she did not fall down. As they made their way to the back exit, where the public would not be waiting for her, a hand grabbed Chloe's wrist and pulled her into a dark corner under the stairwell. Caught off guard, she stumbled and nearly fell.

Her mystery captor caught her and wrapped their arms around her waist, holding her up. A familiar face grinned drunkenly at her.

Angus.

"Hey..." Chloe did not get another word out as he pushed his mouth onto hers, engaging her in a passionate kiss and holding her against him tightly.

Swept up in the moment, Chloe temporarily forgot that people could still see them. Oblivious to the world around them, she kissed him back, sliding her hands through his long hair and gripping the back of his head. He finally pulled away, winked at her cheekily and released his grip on her.

"'Til next time, sexy!" He laughed, then took off after his boys.

Chloe smiled giddily to herself, before the realisation of all the eyes upon her set in.

"Chloe! What the fuck!? Angus! Really?" Ana hissed, grabbing her arm and marching her out of the club's back exit, "Isn't he engaged now?!"

Chloe struggled to keep up with Ana as her feet stumbled along awkwardly and she tried to keep her balance, "An! Slow down!"

"We need to get out of here, people saw you! Shit, what is

wrong with you! God, I hope nobody got a photo. How could you be so stupid?"

Chloe pulled her arm back and escaped the iron grip of her angry friend, "Stop fucking lecturing me! It's not my fault, he came on to me... He's in a relationship, not me. I didn't do anything wrong."

Ana glared at her angrily and stormed towards the elevators at the back of the hotel's grand lobby. Rosa and Helena caught up to Chloe.

"Hey girl! Holy shit, you and Angus, huh? Where'd he go?"

Helena asked, looking around for him.

"He left."

"Aww! You should have bought him back to your room and fucked his brains out, he is so hot!"

Chloe laughed and the three of them followed Ana. Once she was safely back in the luxury suite, an exhausted Chloe went straight to bed and passed out cold.

Hours later, after a well needed sleep, Chloe stumbled into the

lounge area of the suite where room service had already delivered a wide selection of lunch options.

There was no sign of Rosa and Helena, but Ana was sat at the dining table, eating a club sandwich and looking at her iPad.

She scowled at Chloe as she poured herself a coffee. Chloe knew straight away that Ana was in a shitty mood, but was too hungover to care.

Angus had given her some coke to take back and when she had woken up, she immediately had a big line.

"What were you thinking last night!? Look at these!" She thrust the iPad under Chloe's nose as she sat down. It was a variety of grainy photos taken from last night. Most of them were of her straddling Angus and sucking his face, as he cupped her ass in both hands.

Chloe groaned and dropped her pounding head, "Somebody got photos?!"

"Of course they did – there were people around when you did it, you weren't exactly hiding it! This is going to be very bad press, he is engaged! Are you crazy, Chloe!? Reporters have not stopped calling Liza this morning... she is so furious that she has been taking it out on me, saying it's my fault that I can't fucking control you! How on Earth is she supposed to explain this!? She is too angry to even speak to you."

Chloe willed herself to care more. She knew that she should, but she honestly could not give a damn.

Who gives a fuck?

Angus was the one in the relationship, not her. It was up to him to be faithful, it had nothing to do with Chloe. She felt bad for Ana, but that was what Liza was paid to do and she would just have to deal with it. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"It's all good, An. Angus can sort this out himself. Tell Liza to

issue a statement saying it was just a drunken joke between friends. Nothing more."

Ana rolled her eyes, "Oh, because that doesn't sound bad at all, does it!?"

"It's hardly going to be a huge surprise to people, is it? It's a known fact that Angus is a major player, being engaged is not gonna stop him from sleeping around. This isn't exactly the worst thing I have done lately. It will blow over," Chloe brushed it off.

"Chloe! I cannot believe how blasé you are about this! Well, for your information, that was not the only thing you did last night," she flicked through the photos and zoomed in on one that was on Exposed's website. It showed a shoeless, dishevelled Chloe stumbling through the hotel's lobby with Helena and Rosa.

There was a close up of Chloe's nose where the very visible outline of cocaine was circled.

The caption of 'Chloe Stone Coked up Again and Caught Kissing Angus Peters' was written under it. Chloe shoved the iPad away and nibbled on a piece of toast. Her stomach ached at the thought of food. It had been a long time between meals - as it usually was since Chloe usually skipped them entirely or binge ate until she was ready to burst then would purge it all up again.

Bulimia had taken its toll on her appetite and how much food she could digest.

"Ana, I'm too hungover for this shit. Can we deal with it later?"

Ana sighed in disappointment.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, she took Chloe's hand in hers and looked her in the eyes,

"Chlo, I need to talk to you seriously," her eyes were deadly

serious and she had genuine worry etched all over her face.

Chloe knew what was coming.

They had had this talk numerous times before, every time she had fucked up and pushed Ana too far.

"I think you should go back into rehab. Give it a real go this time. You cannot go on like this, it is destroying your career and it is destroying you. You do not care about anything but getting wasted and partying. You haven't recorded any new music for ages. You used to love it so much. Now you just don't care at all."

Chloe zoned out as Ana continued talking.

She had no interest in going into rehab. She had tried it a couple

of times before and it was a huge waste of time and extremely boring.

Besides, she had managed to get hold of drugs inside of the rehab facility and had just spent the whole time getting high and sleeping with the other patients. She had only gone then because it had been court ordered and her alternative had been jail, so there was no way she was voluntarily going in.

"Dr Ray's people from Star's In Rehab have been calling for a while now to get you on board for the next season. Liza and I originally thought that it might be bad for your image if you went on it - but now we think it could do you a world of good.

It could be your chance to turn your career around and show the public that you are serious about getting sober..."

Chloe stood up and dramatically threw the china plate holding her toast to the ground. It shattered at Ana's feet and flew across the room in dozens of tiny shards, "I am not going to fucking rehab and I am definitely not going on God Damn Star's In Rehab! I do not have a fucking problem!

Leave me the Hell alone!" She stormed out of the room, furious at Ana for bringing this up and Liza for putting it into her head,

"And tell Liza to back the fuck off as well."

It might just be time to replace her meddling publicist.

Ana spent most of the day tiptoeing around Chloe, desperately trying not to spark up another fight.

Chloe did not apologise for her outburst. She never did. She knew that she had overreacted and that there was no need for her to fly off the handle at Ana who was just trying to look out for her, but she was not prepared to confront her drug issues and she certainly was not ready to stop.

Ana had gotten the point to leave it alone.

Chloe remained in bed until it was time for them to head back to the airport and fly back to Los Angeles.

Chloe and Ana ignored each other for the entire trip.

A STRANGER COMES KNOCKING

Chloe spent the next couple of days holed up in her house.

The paparazzi had been relentless, camped outside of her gates, shouting out questions about Angus since the moment she had arrived back from Vegas. Their kiss was the number one news story on the entertainment chat shows and websites.

Hollywood Daily did an interview with Lucy McKenny, Angus' fiancée. She had gone on and on about how Chloe had thrown herself on an intoxicated Angus and had taken advantage of him.

She had explained through a flood of crocodile tears that she had fully forgiven him and was still planning their wedding.

Chloe had watched in the show with amusement as Angus sat quietly by Lucy's side, his head down in shame and obviously very embarrassed about being there.

If only they knew about the bathroom...

She was surprised that Angus had gotten away with his bullshit story and had turned it around on Chloe, making her the instigator and bad guy.

However, she wasn't mad. She knew how the publicity machine worked and Angus had one of the most ball breaking

publicists in the industry on his team. The two of them would have been coached on what to say and how to act.

Besides, there was no way that Lucy would have ended it with him. She had been a D-List celebrity until she had met Angus.

The publicity of their relationship and whirlwind engagement had thrown her into the spotlight, and on to the cover of many, many tabloids. She was going to be holding onto her golden ticket for fame, whether he cheated or not.

But, she had to save face to the public, hence why Chloe was taking the blame. Chloe's publicist, Liza Van Viers had been trying to contact her for days, bombarding her with phone calls and emails begging for Chloe to fight back, but Chloe had ignored both her and Ana, she was not interested in even addressing this nonsense.

In a few days, another celebrity would do something even stupider and the focus would shift onto them. It happened all the time in Hollywood, Chloe just had to ride it out until she was old news.

Even though she was holed up at home, that did not mean Chloe was staying sober. She spent her days drinking and smoking pot whilst watching marathons of her favourite TV shows on Netflix. Surviving on some leftover Chinese food that she had ordered a few days ago, she was quite content having a few days away from the clubs.

She had been partying nonstop for as long as she could remember so a break was well needed.

However, after five days of hibernation, it was time to face the world again.

She had a meeting with her agent, Tony Pierce whom had sent a dozen emails demanding that she go into his office. Since he was the one who booked her gigs and organised jobs for her, she could not blow him off. She was not in the mood to deal with the paps who would be out in full force. The price of photos and video footage of her would be worth a lot more at the moment since she was in the midst of a 'scandal'. If she commented on camera about the incident, it could potentially net the paparazzo tens of thousands of dollars. Hence, they would be on her like white on rice.

She threw on a cream Ralph Lauren tracksuit and put the hood up over her head, tucking her long hair under it, finishing her attempt at a disguise with her largest pair of dark sunglasses.

She knew it would be near impossible to avoid the leeches, but at least their photos would not be very appealing for publishing if you could barely recognise her.

She jumped into her white BMW convertible and headed down her long, winding driveway.

As she expected, five paparazzi cars were waiting for her to emerge. She swore under her breath as she watched them spring into action.

She had been meaning to move to a gated, private community for a long time, but she loved her area and the house and had not ever bothered to move. At times like this though, it would have been handy if they couldn't even get near her property.

She sighed and pressed the remote to open her gate. As handful of paparazzo's jumped out from behind her hedge and started snapping away.

As she slowly pulled out onto the street, they held the cameras up to her car windows and shouted questions at her, asking her about her kiss with Angus, asking if they were having an affair and questioning her spiralling drug use. Chloe ignored them and sped up, nearly knocking one down. As she took off down the road, she saw in her rear view mirrors that they were pursuing her in their cars, travelling dangerously close behind her, weaving in and out of the lanes.

"Fucking idiots," she muttered under her breath.

Trying to negotiate the roads while being chased by crazed men who had no regard for the laws or the public's safety when it came between them and landing a good photo to sell was always going to be a dangerous situation.

Frustratingly, Chloe was followed all the way to the offices of Thomas & Pierce. She pulled her car into the underground parking lot and watched in satisfaction as the security officers employed by the building prevented the paps from following her in there.

Taking the elevator up to Tony's office on the fifth floor, she sauntered past his receptionist, totally ignoring the young, busty blonde who tried to stop her,

"Miss Stone, please let me tell him you are here. He is on the phone; you can't just go in..."

She threw herself down onto one of the oversized orange chairs in his office.

Tony looked up from his computer screen and glared at her, holding a finger up to her to wait as he finished his phone conversation. In his sixties, Tony was a well-respected talent agent who had been managing celebrities for close to forty years.

A balding, overweight man of around five foot seven, he did not look very intimidating, but he had proved over the years that he was not to be messed with. He was the best in the business and had taken his clients from struggling actors to superstars. He had been handling Chloe's career since she had first made it big, however he was not shy on sharing his disappointments over the way her career had been nosediving the past couple of years due to her wild behaviour. He was a tough man.

"You are an hour late, Chloe. I have other appointments today," he scowled, hanging up the phone.

She shrugged her shoulders and swung around on the chair nonchalantly.

"Sorry, Tony" she said, without meaning it at all.

She stared at her fingernails and tried to think of when the last time she had been for a manicure was.

Tony tapped his fingers on his desk for a few moments as he glared at her intensely.

Chloe could tell that he was bursting at the seams to reprimand her, but since he earnt a very sweet ten percent of her earnings, he begrudgingly pursed his lips.

"Well? What was so important that you had to see me?" She demanded, getting agitated with him.

He took a deep breath and sat back, "Where do I start, Chloe?"

He dropped a pile of papers onto the desk in front of her.

They were print outs of the recent online tabloid stories.

Chloe laughed, "Not this crap again, are you serious?"

Tony's plump face turned red in anger, "Liza has been swamped with calls asking for a statement regarding all of this and has been bombarded with questions. She has been trying to reach you for days to sort this out and issue a statement and do some damage control for Christ's sake."

"That's what she is paid to do. She is a publicist."

"So, you think it is fair that she has to put up with all of your

constant bullshit?! She has been chewing my ear off over this all week!"

"Well, that is not my problem, and it's not your problem. You are my agent. Let Liza deal with all this publicity shit and you need to focus on getting me more work. And not just club appearances, I have told you over and over again, I want to be in a movie."

He sighed and buried his head in his hands.

After a few moments of gripping at his balding hair, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes,

"What is going on with you, Chloe? When I first met you, you were a force to be reckoned with in this town. You had the drive and motivation to produce album after album, loaded with number one hits. You toured and promoted your music - and you loved every moment of it. You were such a pleasure to work for. You went out of your way to be nice to your team and you were appreciative of everything that we did for you. And now, you have not performed or produced anything in years. You do not give a shit anymore. I am at my wit's end now, as is everybody else around you. Your attitude to the people around you is horrendous and nobody wants to work with you anymore.

How am I supposed to manage your career if you are hell bent on not having one? You have sabotaged everything that I worked so hard to build for you.

You are not working and you have not worked in over a year.

I'm not talking about these ridiculous paid gigs in Vegas, which is all I can get for you these days, I am talking about your music career – which is what I signed on for all those years ago when I saw the massive potential that you had. I know you have money in the bank, but if you keep blowing it on partying and don't bring anything substantial in to sustain it, then obviously it is going to run out eventually. Especially as you are spending... what - a few thousand a week on this shit alone?!"

He gestured to the photo of her with the cocaine caked around her nose.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want, Tony. I'm pretty sure what I spend my money on is none of your business. How much have you made off me over the years, huh?"

He shook his head in frustration,

"I really, genuinely care about you, Chloe. I honestly do. But I can't do this anymore. I can't watch you destroy your career and slowly kill yourself. If you have no intention of going to rehab, getting back on the straight and narrow and reigniting your career – sober – then I am going to have to resign as your agent."

Chloe could not believe what she was hearing,

"So, you're quitting if I don't go to rehab!?"

"I have to. I cannot stand by and ignore what is going on and not do anything to help you. And, since you do not want any help, then it is my only option."

"Fuck off, Tony. You're quitting because I am not currently making millions for you to get your grubby fucking hands on.

Just be a man and admit it."

Tony sighed in frustration, "I'm sorry, Chloe but you are on your own. I wish you luck and hope you get the help that you desperately need."

She jumped up out of her seat and stormed towards the door,

"Fuck you!" She shouted loudly as she slammed it hard behind

her.

She ignored the shocked stares from Tony's receptionist and

staff as she stomped towards the elevator, rage boiling up inside of her.

Who the fuck did he think he is?!

She was still furious when she arrived back home.

The paparazzi had continued to follow her and bombard her with questions but she was not in the mood for their bullshit.

She had also received numerous text messages from Angus, begging her to call him so he could explain the interview, but Chloe could not be bothered dealing with that either.

It was his problem, not hers.

She angrily stormed up to her bedroom and snorted multiple lines of cocaine, but they did nothing to dwell her anger.

Grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels and a joint, she headed down to the hot tub that was in her outdoor entertaining area and sat in there for three hours, watching TV on the large screen she had outside and drinking nearly three quarters of the bottle straight.

She was very drunk and stoned when she heard the doorbell go off. In her inebriated haze, it took her a few moments to realise what the sound was.

It continued to ring as she stumbled out of the hot tub and fell hard to the floor.

"Shit!" She swore as she climbed back up to her feet, inspecting her knees which had landed hard on the wooden patio.

They were scraped and bloodied, but the alcohol numbed the pain.

Absent-mindedly, she wiped the blood with her palm, spreading it across her legs.

Grabbing the towel that was slung over the chair she draped it loosely around her skimpy bikini, not bothering to dry herself properly as she steadily stumbled across her marble foyer, trying not to slip over and making her way to front door. She didn't bother to check the multiple security screens that were connected to her outside cameras first as nobody could get onto her property without the gate code.

She presumed it must be Ana or Liza.

The doorbell rang again. Angrily, she threw the large oak door open, prepared to yell at whomever it was that had disturbed her peace and was continuously ringing her bell in an extremely annoying fashion.

She stopped short of her tirade when she saw who was standing on her doorstep.

She did not know this overweight, balding man who was around six foot three with scraggily brown hair and a creepy look about him. Chloe had never seen him before in her life.

He was wearing stained, baggy grey sweat pants and a torn black t-shirt. He looked to be in his late thirties.

She was taken aback at first - his crazed stare took her off guard.

His eyes were very dark, almost black, as if his pupils were dilated so large the iris' had disappeared.

"Uh... can I help you?" She stammered, confused.

She had not had anybody that hadn't been invited just show up at her door since she had moved into this house four years ago.

It was a very upmarket and secure, rich neighbourhood and the large gates around her sprawling estate kept unwanted people out.

Or so she had thought.

She had not at all been prepared to open the door to an

unfamiliar face. Especially one that looked like he hadn't showered in days and seemed like he was high on something.

He grinned at her, exposing yellowing, crooked teeth,

"Chloe! It's really you..." he leaned forward, taking a step towards her with his arms out wide as if he was going to hug her.

Chloe instinctively took a few steps backwards, grabbing the door's edge, ready to slam it shut in his face, as well as clinging desperately to the towel with her other hand to stop it from falling to the floor,

"Do, do I... know you?" She stuttered, panicking that this stranger was at her door when she was too drunk and incapacitated to deal with this situation.

A look of confusion and hurt spread across his face,

"Chloe, it's me! Your biggest fan."

Her mind raced as she scanned her brain trying to figure out who he was.

Did she know him?

Had she met him somewhere and couldn't remember where from?

"I'm sorry... I can't quite remember where I know you from?"

She felt guilty as he clearly looked wounded that she was not responding to him warmly.

"It's me, Vincent..."

She racked her brain...

Vincent?

She didn't know of any Vincent's.

"I'm your biggest fan... I have sent you hundreds of letters and gifts, I have been to every single event and concert you have done in California," he said in an angrier tone, attempting to push past her and enter the house, "I am madly in love with

you."

She instinctively blocked him from entering and attempted to close the door.

This guy was obviously crazy.

She knew she had spent a few years battling drug and alcohol addiction and there were many, many nights that were black outs where she could not remember a single thing about what she had done - but she was a hundred percent sure that she had never seen this guy before.

Her heart started beating rapidly in her chest and she felt sick as panic pulsated through her.

"Chloe, what the is wrong with you? It's me. Let me in," he demanded.

"Uh... I'm sorry but you are mistake. I don't know you. All the fan mail goes to a post office box and my assistant answers them... it's not actually me responding to you. I am sorry if you thought that I was writing to you, but it wasn't."

He glared at her, his dark eyes growing wider,

"What are you playing at? Have you got another man in here? Is that why you are stopping me from entering!?" He reached out and grabbed her neck, his large hand easily wrapping around half of her shoulder too, "ARE YOU FUCKING SOMEONE ELSE!?" He shouted.

Chloe screamed as loud as she could and stumbled backwards, the towel dropped to the floor as she tried to pry his fingers off her and with the other hand attempted to close the door on him.

She was terrified and sobering up quickly as adrenaline overcame her and her fight or flight instinct kicked in.

He was a large man and she struggled to grip onto his fingers

to pry them off with only one hand. She had no choice but to let go of the door and use both hands.

He took the opportunity to push past her and enter her house, shoving her backwards by the throat before finally releasing her.

"Who is he, Chloe? Who are you screwing!?" he demanded, looking around her foyer.

She stood in the doorway, panicking.

He was in her house!

She had no way of physically getting him out by herself and he was obviously crazy, as he started to check the rooms, shouting for the 'other guy' to come out and show himself.

She had to get out of there before he attacked her – or worse.

Without hesitating, she ran out of the door and down the long driveway as fast as she could, cursing at the fact that she was so drunk and vulnerable. The sharp gravel rocks pierced her bare feet.

She ignored the pain as she felt them start to become wet with blood. The sound of him shouting after her was terrifying and spurred her on.

Looking back quickly, she saw that he was quickly approaching and in pursuit of her.

The bright sun shone down in her eyes, she had to squint to see where she was going. She willed herself to make it down to the gate before he caught up to her, where she knew the paparazzi were still camped out.

Ironically, the people she had despised the most would be her saviours from this nutcase. She had never wanted to see them so badly.

But the gate was still a hundred metres away, and her driveway

wound through large bushes and trees which blocked anybody's view. It was designed that way to give the occupants maximum privacy from the street, but that was also extremely dangerous for her right now.

She could hear him gaining on her.

Fear gripped her as she prayed for safety.

What he would do if he caught up to her?

What was his intentions?

To rape her?

Kill her?

She tried to scream out for help but she was winded and struggled to run and scream at the same time.

She suddenly felt herself flying forward, having received a hard shove from behind. She went sprawling onto the gravel, instantly cutting her hands, arms and knees deeply as her flimsy bikini did little to protect her. His strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her backwards. Chloe desperately kicked out and punched at him, scratching his arms and trying to bite any exposed flesh that she could, struggling to get away.

She did not feel the pain from her injuries, even though she was aware she was bleeding badly all over.

She was fighting for her life.

Vincent struggled against her writhing body, trying to get a tight grasp on her and lift her up from the ground.

"Chloe, what are you doing! Stop it, I believe you, I know there's no one else here," he started stroking her hair, pulling her head into his chest and humming softly in an extremely disturbing manner,"Sssshhhh, baby, it's OK. Just calm down. I love you..."

Her heart sank into her stomach as he rocked her back and

forth, cradling her in his arms as she continued to tirelessly struggle against his strong grip. His body odour was almost overwhelming and smelt vile which, along with his bad breath was stinging her nostrils.

"Please... please let me go... please..." she struggled to

remember his name so that she could try and reason with him, as

crazy as he was - if she could at least go along with it he might let

her go.

"Uh... Victor,"

"VINCENT!" He shouted at her loudly, suddenly furious at her mistake.

"Sorry... Vincent..."

"You fucking bitch! How dare you call me another name! Is that who you are fucking!? Victor?!"

He pushed her back to the ground, but grabbed her arm tightly so she could not flee. The ground was hot from the sun and hurt the bare skin of her thighs.

Chloe's head was spinning wildly, this guy was certifiably crazy and she was petrified about what he was going to do to her.

She had to get away from him.

Thinking fast, she tried to reason with him again, "No... no...

You misheard me, I said Vincent, not Victor. Of course I know your name," her voice cracked under the strain and panic that she was trying so hard to disguise, but she could tell by his crazed expression that he wasn't too coherent.

His grasp on her softened a little as he listened curiously to what she was saying.

"Please let me go, we can go back inside," she whimpered, desperately hoping that he was buying it, "We can talk..."

Releasing her and hesitating for a moment, he opened his

mouth to say something in return. But, before he had a chance, Chloe took advantage of the moment of weakness and kicked out at him hard, aiming for his balls but connecting with his inner thigh instead. Even though the blow missed the intended target, it was still hard enough to surprise him and give Chloe a few valuable seconds to get up and run again. He stumbled after her but slipped on the gravel and fell onto his knees with a loud groan.

"CHLOE!!! STOP!" He bellowed after her.

Chloe ran to save her life.

The pain from her feet pulsated through her, but she ignored it as she raced around the last lot of the tall hedges and finally came into full view of the five paparazzo's who were still permanently camped outside of her gate the past few days. Two of them were leaning up against the gate, having a chat and smoking cigarettes.

Another sat on his cars bonnet, eating a sandwich and two more were sat in their cars, seemingly waiting to go at a moment's notice. They all had large lensed cameras strapped around their necks and shoulders.

The guy with the sandwich saw her first. Dropping his lunch to the ground; he jumped up to his feet in shock, his mouth gaped wide open. Instinctively grabbing his camera to start taking photos, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the state that Chloe was in.

The others all turned to see what he was looking at. The two in the car jumped out and started taking photos immediately.

Chloe realised that they must presume that she had been on a massive bender that had gone wrong. Witnessing Chloe Stone running down her driveway in a bikini, covered in cuts and bruises with blood streaming down her knees and elbows, with her hair wet and ravaged, screaming like a banshee must have looked like all their pay days had come at once. These pictures would sell for a fortune.

"HELP! HELP ME!!" She screamed at them as she approached

the gate, her lungs felt like they would explode under the

pressure, "I'm being attacked! He's coming!"

That got their attention.

Snapping out of their surprise, they all ran to the gate.

"What!? Attacked? By who!?" The one who had been eating the sandwich asked.

"Help me, please!" She reached the gate and raced to the security key pad on the brick wall, desperately punching her pin code in to open it up as her hands shook uncontrollably, whilst constantly turning around to see if Vincent was still in pursuit of her.

"Call the police!" She begged them as she squeezed through the gate as soon as it was open enough for her to get through.

"Are you OK? What happened?" A short, stocky Latino pap asked, removing his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders, guiding her to the back seat of his car,

"Ricardo, call the cops, quick!" he ordered, "Are you OK?" He repeated, gently sliding her into the back seat.

"NO! This guy just attacked me at my front door! He tried to hurt me, he was fucking crazy!" Chloe was shaking so hard that the jacket kept slipping down her back.

The kindly pap adjusted it again, "It's OK, we will protect you. My name is Luis."

"Thank you," she mumbled, trying to regain her breath and slow her heart rate down.

"The cops are on their way," Ricardo came over to the vehicle and informed them.

Chloe noticed that two of the other paparazzo's were snapping away at her, one had even pulled a video camera out.

"Stop filming me!" she screamed, hysterically, "What is wrong

with you!?"

"Mike, put it away," Luis instructed him.

Ricardo and another pap slowly walked up her driveway, bravely looking for her assailant, and no doubt hoping to catch a photo of him.

"I can't see anybody," he called back to them.

Chloe couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. Feeling protected amongst the strangers that were this morning her arch enemies, she started crying uncontrollably.

The shock of the situation was wearing off as the adrenalin subsided and the reality of the attack she had been subjected to set in.

She had dramatically sobered up.

Police sirens screamed loudly as three marked vehicles sped up her street and approached the house, screeching into the driveway and slamming on their brakes. Six officers jumped out, surrounding the car where a distraught Chloe sat and the front of the gate.

"What happened?" A large, blonde haired officer with the name tag 'Johnson' demanded, leaning into the car.

Chloe could see her reflection in his mirrored aviator sunglasses.

She looked a mess, her mascara had run down her cheeks and her eyes were swollen and red. Some of her hair was stuck in blood that was smeared on her cheek. It was a confronting image that rendered her speechless. She felt the tears stinging her eyes again.

Thankfully, Luis stepped in,

"She just came running down the driveway, screaming... covered in blood. She said she got attacked."

"What happened, Miss?" Johnson asked Chloe.

She attempted to compose herself and took her time as she

struggled to get the words out, "I was in my hot tub. I heard the doorbell... I... uh... I opened the door and he was just standing there..." She took a few more deep breaths and continued to explain what happened.

The other police officers cautiously made their way up her driveway, peering into the bushes and behind the trees, their guns drawn out in front of them.

Chloe gave a description of Vincent to Johnson who was noting down everything she said in his notebook.

The paparazzos all gave statements of what they had witnessed and showed the cops what photos they had taken.

Much to Chloe's disgust, they continued to take sneaky photos of the police scouring her grounds, despite the officers insisting that they stop.

Johnson and his partner took Chloe back to the police station to write out an incident report and make a formal statement.

She was informed that, after a very thorough search, Vincent was no longer on the premises and detectives had started looking for evidence of who her attacker may have been.

Other than that, there was not much more that they could do.

PRISONER IN HER OWN HOME

By that night, the attack on Chloe Stone by a crazed fan at her own house was the number one news story all over the country.

Her phone had not stopped ringing with friends leaving messages asking if she was alright and what had happened.

Unable to deal with their questions and face the reality of what had happened to her, Chloe chose to ignore the outside world and turned it off.

Once the three hours of questioning at the police station was finally over, she was escorted back home, wearing an LAPD tracksuit one of the officers had kindly donated to her.

Ana had been waiting for her at the house. She had begged Chloe to come in and stay with her, offering her support but Chloe had denied her entry.

She couldn't face being around anybody at the moment, even her best friend. Chloe was still in shock, and the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it anymore and keep reliving what had happened. She was not an emotional, share your feelings kind of girl. She dealt with hard times by shutting out the world and closing herself off, which is why she enjoyed drugs so

much as they offered her that escape from reality.

All she wanted was to be on her own and forget it had ever happened.

Comforted by the fact that three police cars were parked out the front of her house and that they had inspected the grounds from top to bottom, she retreated straight to her bedroom, with the door firmly locked.

Clutching a bottle of white wine in one hand and a joint in the other, Chloe tried her best to keep herself from falling completely apart and having a mental breakdown.

Instead, she zoned out the best way she knew how - getting drunk and watching reruns of Breaking Bad.

She had broken down in tears a couple of times since returning home from the police station, but every time the tears welled up, she had quickly forced herself to snap out of it - she hated dwelling on it and become a victim. As much as she tried to be strong though, the incident had really shaken her and she involuntarily relived it over and over again in her head.

Who was this guy?

She had done her best to describe Vincent to the sketch artist, but the picture had turned out pretty vague. Considering that the whole thing had happened so quickly and that she had been heavily intoxicated when it happened, Chloe could not accurately describe the finer details of his face.

Even though the composite portrait was not an exact match of Vincent, every time it had flashed up on to her TV in a news bulletin, it had sent shivers down her spine and freaked her out all over again.

So, bottle after bottle of wine got drunk and joint after joint

got smoked until she could barely string a thought together, let

alone think about Vincent.

One thing that did keep popping into her head however, was that the police officers had advised her that her best option was to seriously overhaul her security.

She had been far too complacent up until this point.

It had to change.

The next few weeks went by with Chloe losing herself in her drugs and drinking. She found herself in an unhealthy and dangerous routine of clubbing and partying every night so that she would not have to be at home by herself, where the paranoia and fear overwhelmed her. She could not sleep or function properly after the police had stopped monitoring her home a couple of days after the incident. Hollywood was a place where every night of the week there was some sort of an event going on.

With endless parties being hosted and Chloe's star status, finding somewhere to go was not hard at all. Neither was finding company. In fact, it she was spoiled for choice. Chloe was constantly surrounded by hangers on and wannabes. She just had to rock up somewhere and dozens of people would swarm around her. They were desperate just to be close to her and would become extremely excited when she extended an offer for them to hang out with her for the night.

Chloe didn't let too many girls close to her. Instead, she chose to bring along girlfriends that she already trusted with her.

Once at the event, they would invite any hot guys that they fancied over to join them. The women she chose to share her company with also had a huge appetite for cocaine, and they were more than happy to sponge off Chloe and snort away her stash. She wasn't fazed that they were using her for free drugs though, she just needed people around her constantly and if she had to feed them coke to keep them nearby then so be it. It also made her feel less guilty if everybody else was doing it too.

Being a celebrity, Chloe would always be guaranteed a VIP booth or private area of the clubs she attended, as the publicity she bought made them more than accommodating to her. They were even quite happy to shower her table with a lot of free booze.

Chloe continued to bring everybody back to her house when the clubs had all shut down and party on at her house, well into the next morning.

More often than not she would sleep with one of the random men, then pass out alongside him for the day. She felt safer with a man sleeping beside her in bed - and since the attack, it was the only way she could get any sleep.

Her paranoia about being home alone escalated with the more drugs she took and the more sleep deprived she became.

She went on like this for three weeks, until Ana finally had enough and stepped in.

One Wednesday afternoon, Chloe was lying in her bed, smoking a joint and flicking through the channels on television, which was how she now passed the time until she could go out again.

A man she had been sleeping with for the past couple of nights, Jake something was asleep next to her in bed. She had sought him out at a nightclub because he was built like a truck.

At six foot three and around two hundred and forty pounds of

muscle, steroid abuser Jake was just the kind of man that Chloe

wanted around her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin in fright when her bedroom door burst open.

"What the fuck!?" She cried out as Ana stormed in, "Holy shit, An," she grasped her chest, "You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack! I told you that you don't have permission to just walk into my house! I don't want to be disturbed!"

Ana glared at her angrily which caught Chloe off guard.

Something was seriously up with her. Chloe had only seen Ana twice during her self-induced drug and partying binge. She was never normally intimidated by her mousy, timid friend, but today Ana looked like she meant business. Usually dressed nicely and always making an effort to apply makeup and do her hair, the person standing over her bed today looked a dishevelled mess.

Her greasy, faded brown hair hung limply around her face and looked like she hadn't washed it in a while.

Her hazel eyes were blood shot and swollen. She looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Chloe couldn't remember the last time she had seen Ana leave the house in sweat pants.

It took Chloe off guard, was Ana OK?

She had seriously neglected her lately as Ana was always the voice of reason and Chloe knew that she would have disapproved of her recent actions. Tears welled in her eyes and her lip trembled. She looked as though she was gathering the strength for what she was about to say,

"I have had enough, Chloe. Enough. I am not going to continue to stand by and watch you destroy your life. If you insist on carrying on the way that you are going then I am going to walk away from you. Not only as your assistant, but as your friend as

well."

Chloe couldn't help but laugh. She knew it was a crappy reaction to her friend's vulnerability but she couldn't help it.

She had never seen Ana act like this and it was comical for Chloe to watch her try and assert her authority and put her foot down.

"What are you talking about?" Chloe sighed, trying not to smirk.

Jake stirred awake next to her. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at Ana, then up at Chloe, "You all good, babe?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Ana glared at Jake then grabbed Chloe by her arm, attempting to drag her out of the bed.

"What the fuck, Ana!" She protested, trying to yank her arm back, "What are you doing? Get off me!"

"Come with me. We need to talk. Now," Ana snarled through gritted teeth.

She scooped Chloe's bath robe off the floor and threw it at her.

Confused at Ana's sudden abrasiveness, which was completely out of her character, Chloe decided to show some respect and hear her friend out.

She climbed out of bed, reassuring Jake that she was fine and threw the robe on, stumbling along after Ana who had stormed out.

"Where are we going? What is all this about?!" Chloe asked, following her down the stairs.

Storming through the house, Ana shook her head in disgust as she climbed over the mess that was now taking over every square inch of Chloe's once immaculately designed mansion.

"Look at this shit! This is shocking, Chlo! What is all this crap?!

Night after night of partying and nobody cleaning up after you because you fired the housekeepers out of frigging paranoia – your house looks like a fucking crackhead's drug den! How many empty bottles of alcohol are here!" She picked up four empty vodka bottles that were on a side table to prove her point,

"There's garbage and food containers just thrown everywhere, and oh, look - drugs just laying around for anyone to see," she picked up a bag of weed and a bong.

The two maids whom had regularly cleaned the house and kept it immaculate had been let go by Chloe as they had often walked in on many awkward situations whist Chloe was hanging out with her friends and she was sick of being judged in her own home by the help. Having never cleaned up after herself before, it had not taken long for the house to look like a dump. A couple of Chloe's party companions were still fast asleep on the couch.

"I cannot understand why you insist on having all of your so called 'friends' stay here? They could easily take photos of you taking drugs - or of the state of this house and sell them to the tabloids. They could also steal pretty much anything that they wanted you wouldn't even notice!"

Ana stomped towards the sliding glass doors that led out to the garden, "Outside, I need to talk to you. Away from your... guests," she sarcastically motioned towards the bodies on the couch.

Ana's tone and demeanour were deadly serious, so Chloe continued following her in silence as they made their way outside and down the garden path to the cabana by the pool.

Ana took a seat in one of the oversized lounge chairs and

motioned for Chloe to sit down opposite her. Chloe begrudgingly flopped down and cuddled her legs up to her chest.

"What's going on, An?" She sighed, her head pounding as her

hangover started to sneak up on her.

Ana took a deep breath and composed herself, "This is the hardest conversation that I have ever had to have with you – or anybody else for that matter. Even though I have practised in my head over and over again exactly what I wanted to say, I am at a loss for words, now that I am sitting here looking at you and the state that you are in."

"What are you talking about?!" Chloe demanded, curious as to what Ana was trying to say and wishing she would just get to the point so Chloe could go back to bed.

"Chloe, you look shocking. You have lost so much weight, you look skeletal! Your collar bones are jutting out from under your skin, and look at how thin your arms are now. Your skin is grey, your eyes are sunken in and you look like you have not had a proper night's sleep in forever! Your hair is oily and knotty..."

Chloe was stunned at what she was hearing,

"Woah! What the Hell? You come into my house and just start abusing me and insulting the way I look?! Who do you think you are!? And by the way, you look shit yourself!"

"I am your best friend! And I look like shit because I have been worried sick about you! I am trying to get you to wake up to what you are doing to yourself!" She took Chloe's hand in hers and looked her directly in the eyes, "This is it. I have had enough of standing by and doing nothing. I love you too much to continue on like this. Your constant drug stupor, your wild

partying. I mean, for God's sake, you look like a frigging junkie!

I am so worried about you, that I lie awake all night, every night just waiting for a phone call telling me that you have died, or that something terrible has happened to you. I can't do it anymore. I want to help you, I want to save you," she paused to let her words sink in. The tension in the air was thick to cut with a knife, yet Chloe let her continue and get it off her chest.

"So, I am here today to give you an ultimatum. I want you to clean up your act and get off the drugs. I want you to stop partying. For a while, anyway. You need to get yourself together and you are not going to be able to do that by continuing to do what you are doing. I understand that after the attack you are scared to be alone and that you don't want to be at home much - but we need to snap you out of that. We can increase security, hire you a bodyguard and get you a huge, vicious guard dog. I am prepared to move in here with you as well, and help you through this time. I think once you start sobering up, you will start feeling better and thinking more clearly. If you stay on the path that you are taking, you are going to end up dead."

Chloe did not react to a word of it. She just sat there with a pissed off expression etched on her face.

Ana continued on anyway, "If you decide that you do not want to take this help that I am offering you, then I am walking away.

Because I cannot go on like this. I will quit as your assistant, and cease being friends with you. I really, really don't want to do that because I love you desperately and I care so much about your wellbeing,"

Ana stopped what she was saying, held her head in her hands and waited for a response.

"You will cease being friends with me? Wow, it really is a rehearsed speech, isn't it, An?"

"I'm deadly serious, Chloe," she told her, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

"Sounds eerily similar to what Tony gave to me, did he tell you to say this to me? Or is it Liza pulling the strings?"

"Chloe..." Ana couldn't keep it together any longer.

She burst into tears and started sobbing hysterically, turning away from Chloe so that she couldn't see her in that state.

She had tried to be strong for too long and she just couldn't do it any longer.

Seeing her longest and closest friend – whom Chloe regularly treated like shit and took advantage of – distraught absolutely broke her stone cold heart. Ana was literally the only person in the world that Chloe genuinely loved. Even though she had never showed her any appreciation, or expressed how much she cared, Chloe would be lost without her.

She surprised both herself and Ana when an intense amount of emotion bubbled up to the surface and she too broke down into a flood of tears.

"Chlo, I am so sorry," Ana squeezed her hand, "I really, really don't want to leave you..."

"No, no, you're right," Chloe interrupted her, feeling like a light had suddenly switched on in her brain.

A strange, calming sensation swept over her. Deep down, as much as she had always denied it, she had known for a long time that she didn't want to carry on the way that she was.

She was desperately unhappy.

Maybe this was the kick up the ass she so desperately needed.

"You're right. You are so, so right. I can't go on like this anymore. I hate it. I want to stop, I really do. I have been so lost and feeling so destroyed. I don't want to keep doing what I'm doing. I feel like crap every single day. I keep drinking and doing drugs so that I won't have to go through the withdrawals and hangovers and to block out all my feelings, It's a vicious cycle. I am so terrified of being attacked again and I feel so vulnerable – being high is an escape for me, but I feel like shit and can't continue going on this way. I just don't know how to stop."

Chloe's tears flowed as she finally opened up, struggling to get her words out through hyperventilating breaths.

Years of supressed emotions came bubbling up to the surface now that an escape valve had been released.

This was the first time ever that she had admitted that she had a problem. Ana embraced her in a warm hug and held her tightly as Chloe sobbed hysterically into her shoulder.

"You're offering me a life line, An. I see that, I truly do. I am so grateful. It's what I have desperately been waiting for but didn't know that I wanted; a chance to stop and sort out this mess that my life is in."

Ana continued to comfort her, stroking her hair and squeezing her in close, "We're going to sort you out, honey. You will get your life back, I promise," Ana whispered in her ear.

Ana did not waste any time in keeping her word to her best friend. She was going to do everything that she possibly could to not only protect Chloe, but to help her help herself and get her life back on track.

Chloe was accepting Ana's offer to help for the first time since she had slipped into severe drug addiction and Ana wanted to act fast - before Chloe had a chance to change her mind. Chloe blatantly refused to go into a rehab facility.

The attention and press would be too much for her to handle in such a fragile and vulnerable state, and she knew from past experience that rehab did not work for her. She wanted to white knuckle it in the comfort and privacy of her own home and do it

at her own pace.

The first thing Ana did was kick out all the losers hanging around Chloe's house, using her for everything that they could.

She then disposed of all the drugs that Chloe handed over to her, flushing thousands of dollars' worth of speed, cocaine and pills down the toilet.

Chloe had negotiated with Ana that she could still have a couple of drinks every now and then, as detoxing from drugs was going to be difficult enough without going cold turkey from alcohol as well. She could also still smoke a little pot if she was struggling to relax and sleep at night. Ana had agreed that it was a reasonable compromise.

Chloe stayed locked up in her room for six days straight following the breakthrough with Ana. She knew that coming off the drugs was going to be hard, but she wasn't prepared for just how sick she would feel and how hard it would be on her body.

Chloe slept most of that time so the days passed by quicker. It had been years since she had regularly slept long periods of time.

Her body desperately needed the rest to recuperate and heal.

When she was awake, she watched TV in bed and looked at her social media pages online, answering a few fans questions and posting positive quotes and inspirational memes.

Ana only interrupted Chloe's self-sentenced solitary confinement to bring her food and check up on her. She knew that Chloe was suffering from serious withdrawals.

The meals were courtesy of private chef, Jacob Holmes whom

had come highly recommended from other health conscious celebrities. Jacob cooked nutritious, low fat and carb, high protein healthy meals from scratch and didn't use any added sugar or additives. His vegetables were grown organically on his own farm. Ana had hired him to come to the house every couple of days and prep healthy meals in advance for them both.

Ana also organised for a professional cleaning crew to come in and scrub the house from top to bottom. She had finally managed to transform Chloe's house into a home again – rather than a filthy drug den. Having a clean, tidy environment would be crucial to keeping Chloe's mindset the same way.

Ana moved her personal belongings in and took residence in one of the many bedrooms down the hall from Chloe's. She wanted to be close for whenever Chloe needed her and to make sure that she stayed on the straight and narrow. All of her efforts would be in vain if Chloe was left up to her own devices and relapsed.

Chloe also felt much safer having Ana in the house. Having that psychopath, Vincent running free was nerve racking for everybody involved.

Security had to be stepped up dramatically. The current system

was just not sufficient enough to protect the occupants of the

house. The team from A1 Protection Services had arrived that morning to set up the top of the range security devices that Ana had ordered. Tradesmen went to work replacing the video surveillance cameras, the alarms, the viewing screens and panic buttons.

All the noise that they were making was driving Chloe mad.

She had decided that morning that it was time to end her exile in her bedroom and re-emerge back into the world.

She was feeling so much better and was no longer in any pain or craving drugs every second of every minute. Chloe needed to learn how to function like a normal person again – sober.

She opened the large curtains in her bedroom and the beautiful sunlight showered and lit up the entire room. After being in the dark for so long, the warmth on her skin was very invigorating.

Hopping into the scolding hot shower for the first time in days felt almost like a rebirthing ritual. Some fresh air would do her the world of good and retail therapy was just what she needed.

She had arranged to meet Rosa and Helena on Rodeo Drive to hit the shops hard.

Emerging from her bedroom for the first time in what seemed like forever, Ana got a shock when she saw Chloe stroll casually into the kitchen, where Ana was instructing the security system installation crew.

Dressed casually in faded denim jeans and a white tee, Chloe looked healthy for the first time in a long time. She was still thin, but had definitely gained a few well needed kilos now that she was eating regular, healthy meals. As part of her recovery, she had also been determined to get her bulimia under control and had not purged her food since the start of her detox.

She was pleasantly surprised at how much better she was feeling now that she was eating, sleeping and not abusing drugs and alcohol. Her energy was renewed and she was excited about getting her life and career back on track.

"Chlo!" Ana nearly dropped her coffee mug when she saw her,

"You're up! You look amazing! Was the noise bothering you?

I'm sorry, but it couldn't be helped, the new system is going in today."

"No, no it's fine. I have been wanting to get up and go out. I

need to become a part of the world again," Chloe poured herself a strong coffee from the espresso machine.

Ana looked at her with concern,

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry, An. I am fine, honestly. I am just going to go and do some shopping with Rosa and Helena and then go out to lunch somewhere. I need to escape this house and get some sanity back."

"Rosa and Helena..." Ana looked wary.

"They won't have anything around me, trust me. I have explained to them that I need to be clean and they totally respect that. It's just an innocent shopping trip, that's all.

Maybe a wine or two with lunch but that's about as rebellious as I am going to be."

"Well, if you think that you are ready then I agree that it is a good idea."

Speeding through the streets of Los Angeles in her white convertible with the top down, the wind in her hair and the sun on her face with the radio blaring, Chloe felt free. Nothing could bother her, not even the paparazzi that had been waiting outside her property for her and were now following in pursuit.

Having once despised the persistent paps with every bone in her body, she now felt comforted by their presence.

God only knows what would have happened to her if they had not been at the gates that day. She had stopped to say hello to them all and personally thanked Luis and Ricardo for their help when she had been attacked, much to their delight.

Pulling up to the valet parking at Soba, the newest 'it' restaurant in Hollywood, where you cooked your own meat on hot stones that were bought to your table, she happily posed for photos

with fans on the street as she handed her keys over.

"Oh my God, I love you so much! You are so beautiful! I love your music – I am obsessed!" A teenage girl gushed as Chloe posed for a snapchat selfie with her.

"Aw, thank you, that's so sweet."

"Seriously, I have grown up with your music – I am obsessed with all of your songs! When are you going to do another album?"

Chloe smiled at her warmly as she signed a couple of autographs for others that were waiting, "You know what? I am thinking about it."

The girl squealed in excitement, "Arrggh, Oh my God, please, please do it!"

"Watch this space," Chloe winked, "Sorry guys, I have friends inside waiting for me. Have a good day," she waved at the crowd of people who had gathered around, snapping photos on their phones.

Making her way through the modern, extravagantly designed restaurant behind the waitress that was seating her, Chloe saw that Rosa and Helena were already at the table waiting for her.

They seemed uncomfortable as they looked up from their

phones and greeted her, unusually quiet, they wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Hey girls," Chloe took a seat opposite them and poured herself a water.

"Hey," they both mumbled back, texting away.

"What's up?" Chloe asked becoming frustrated with them not putting the phones down.

They would usually jump to their feet and hug her whenever they saw Chloe, they would always gush over her so this was

strange behaviour for them.

"Huh?" Rosa asked, sipping on a glass of white wine.

"Why are you guys acting so weird?"

"We're not acting weird," Helena snapped defensively, fidgeting with her glass of vodka.

"Uh, yes you are. Come on, what's going on?"

They both looked away.

Chloe was growing increasingly agitated, "What's wrong?!" She persisted.

"Um, we don't know what we are supposed to say," Helena admitted, looking down at her lap.

"About what?"

"Well, we haven't spoken to you since... you know," Rosa seemed to struggle with how to word what she wanted to say,

"Since that psychopath attacked you. We have texted you but we both feel really guilty that we haven't been around to your house, or made more of an effort to be with you. We feel so bad, we are so, so sorry. We are bad friends."

Chloe laughed, relieved to finally know what was up with them,

"Guys! Don't be ridiculous, I haven't seen or spoken to

anybody besides Ana. I have literally been locked away in my room since it happened. I wouldn't have come out even if you had come by, I needed to be alone."

"We didn't know whether you wanted to talk about it or not," Helena admitted.

Chloe looked over the menu,
"Seriously, it's all good. Your texts meant the world to me, and your snapchats made me laugh, which is what I desperately needed. I really don't want to talk about what happened, I just want to block it all out. I am in a much better place now, believe me. I am off the drugs and I have decided I am going to start working on a new album and concentrate on getting my career back on track. You guys have no reason to feel bad, believe me. I would have ignored you anyway, I have not been in a good place at all. But, I am good now, I am moving on and I want to talk about anything else but that, honestly. Shoes, bags, guys who's fucking who... that's what I need you guys for, light, refreshing gossip to take my mind off things."

They both looked relieved that they had been let off the hook.

"Fancy a champagne then?" Helena suggested.

"Fuck yeah, let's do it!" Chloe giggled, signalling to the waitress to grab them a bottle,

"So, what have I missed? What'd been happening?"

"Rosa fucked a seventeen year old," Helena laughed.

Rosa's face dropped in horror and she playfully punched Rosa in the arm, "I did not you lying bi-atch! He was nineteen."

"Uh, no he wasn't! His friends told me they were all seventeen," Helena teased her, pouring them all champers when it arrived at the table.

"Fuck off, they were not!" Rosa's flawlessly made up face blushed a deep shade of red.

"Where the hell did you meet seventeen year olds!?" Chloe asked in shock, she could believe her twenty five year old friend would sleep with a high schooler.

"At a party," Helena continued to taunt, "The party was thrown by the older brother of one of them, which is why they were there."

Rosa glared at her, "Why didn't you fucking tell me!?"

Helena laughed, "I thought you knew!"

Rosa buried her head into her hands, "Oh my God, that is so

fucked up."

Chloe patted her arm, "Don't stress hon, you didn't know.

Besides, you made that kid's dream come true! He can now brag to everybody he knows that he fucked Rosa St Jermaine, you have made him a bloody legend!"

Rosa just groaned. Helena slapped her on the back, laughing hysterically,

"Maybe you should check their ID's before you jump into bed with a guy from now on."

"Fuck off," Rosa knocked back her champagne, "I hate you."

Gossiping with her girlfriends was exactly what Chloe needed to heal her soul. Listening to Helena recount her horrifying dates from Tinder and Rosa bitching about some girls that she was friends with may have seemed like trivial conversation, but it was exactly the kind of thing Chloe wanted to talk about.

Nothing heavy, nothing serious, no judgement, just a light hearted laugh between girlfriends.

"I need to go to the little girl's room," Chloe laughed as Helena showed them some of the more shocking profiles on the infamous dating app.

Excusing herself from the table, she made her way through the busy restaurant, stopping to take a few photos with fans that asked her. Making her way to the bathroom, Chloe felt better than she had in a long time.

Life was finally falling back into place.

It may have come out of darkness, but for the first time in a long time, she was thinking with a clear head, getting healthy and working on a brighter future. Touching up her lipstick in the mirror, she gave herself a mental pat on the back as she admired her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks had colour in them, her

eyes were not glassy and she had a glow about her.

Humming happily to herself, the loud bang of the door behind her startled her.

Expecting another woman to just go straight into one of the toilet stalls, Chloe was not at all prepared for what she saw in the mirror behind her.

Vincent...

His dark eyes glared angrily at her as he stood directly behind her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

Before she had a chance to scream, run, or react in anyway whatsoever, his large hand gripped her mouth and nose and he pulled her back, holding her up against him, trapping her arms to her body beneath his.

"Do not fucking move..." he whispered menacingly in her ear.

His breath smelt putrid.

She shook uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face and she struggled to breathe. She was beyond terrified, her heart beat so rapidly she worried she would have a heart attack.

He was dressed up like a waiter.

Had he been following her?

Watching her the whole time?

The first time she leaves her house in over a week and he knows exactly where she is?!

Struggling to breathe, she shook her head violently back and forth to try and get free, but his hold on her was too strong.

"Listen to me, Chloe. I have been waiting for a very long time to be with you. We are meant to be together, I am in love with you, and in time you will learn to love me too."

She desperately watched the door in the mirror's reflection,

praying for it to open and for somebody to walk into the

bathroom and save her.

"I am going to take you away from this life. I am going to save you. We are going to go away together and be married and have a life together," he ran his other hand over stomach, "You are going to be the mother of my babies."

She tried to protest but her words were mumbled against his hand.

He was going to kidnap her!

"I am going to make you so happy, Chloe. I promise."

As her eyes darted around frantically for something for her to kick over and make some noise, he released her.

Taking in large breaths, she stumbled into the sink as her legs buckled underneath her. She tried to scream, but she could barely breathe. Vincent spun around and quickly ran out of the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind him.

Falling to the floor, Chloe broke down, hugging her legs to her chest, rocking back and forth and crying uncontrollably.

What seemed like a lifetime later, but in real time was only a few minutes, the bathroom door swung open again.

Chloe jumped in fright and screamed loudly, thinking Vincent had come back to grab her.

Much to her relief, Helena entered.

When she looked down and saw the state of Chloe, she ran over to her and dropped down to the cold tiles beside her, "Chloe!

Oh my God, are you alright? What happened?!"

Chloe couldn't stop the tears and was still gasping back the air she had been deprived of. Helena wrapped her up in her arms and held her close as Chloe cried into her shoulder.

"What's going on? Have you hurt yourself? Talk to me."

Chloe shook her head and tried to compose herself, she took deep breaths in, then exhaled them all the way out, attempting to regain control of her breathing.

Her heart felt as if it would burst out of her chest and she was still shaking. She sat back up, off Helena and wiped the tears and snot from her face,

"It was him... he was here."

Helena looked at her in confusion, "Huh? Who?"

Chloe shuddered as his name escaped her lips, "Vincent..."

Helena's eyes widened as the realisation of what had just happened sunk in,

"What!? The asshole who attacked you at your house?!"

Chloe slumped her head and nodded sadly.

"Where is he?" Helena looked around the bathroom in a panic.

"He left..." Chloe sobbed, "He said he is going to take me away, and that he wants me to have his children. He is going to kidnap me!" She could not hold herself together, she was terrified. She started crying again. Helena got up to her feet, and helped Chloe to stand up.

"Come on, we have to get you to the police station. You are going to be OK, they are gonna catch this fucking creep and lock him up. He won't get to you Chloe, nobody is going to let that happen."

Helena wrapped her arm around Chloe's waist and walked her out of the bathroom. Leaning on her friend, Chloe was limp and weak, feeling defeated and vulnerable.

Entering the busy restaurant, dozens of curious eyes turned to watch Chloe. A waiter approached them, concern etched on his handsome face.

"Are you OK, Miss Stone?"

Chloe couldn't respond, she was doing everything that she could to not have a complete mental breakdown in front of a hundred strangers.

"What happened? What's wrong with her?" He demanded, glaring at Helena.

"She has been attacked in the bathroom, I need you to call the police and get them down here immediately. Is there somewhere we can wait in private for them?" She whispered to him.

He looked confused, "Attacked? By who?"

"A man who attacked her at her home recently. He's like a stalker. We think he has gone now, though. Please, just call the police."

"I saw that on the news! Come with me," he lead them to the staff room out the back of the restaurant and instructed a confused waitress eating her lunch to go and call the cops whilst he got some water for Chloe.

Rosa had been told what had happened and came running into the room, "Chloe! What the fuck!? Are you OK?" She wrapped her up in a bear hug and squeezed her tightly.

Chloe nodded weakly, clutching the glass of water so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

She was still in shock and the words that he had said to her just kept playing in her head on repeat.

He was going to come for her.

"That stalker who was at her house just grabbed her in the bathroom," Helena explained to Rosa.

"WHAT!?" Rosa shouted loudly in Chloe's ear. She pulled back and looked at Chloe's face, "Did he hurt you?!"

"She's OK, she's really shook up though," Helena jumped in for

her again.

Two police officers and two men in dark suits followed the waiter that had been doting over them into the staff room. Chloe recognised one of the men in suits as Detective Matt Park.

When she had been interviewed at the police station after the first incident, Matt had been the main investigator.

"Matt..." she murmured as he took a seat next to her.

The two uniformed policeman took Helena, Rosa and the waiter aside to get their statements.

She felt safe with Matt Park. He looked to be in his late fifties, his once dark hair was now turning grey but was still thick and lustrous. His chiselled face had a lot of fine lines, but he was still a handsome man and he had a gentle air about him, although Chloe had no doubt that he would be a force to be reckoned with when up against some serious criminals.

"Chloe, are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded weakly.

"This is my partner, Detective Ken Levingston," Matt introduced the other man.

"Chloe," Ken acknowledged her, nodding his head.

Ken seemed to be the more serious of the two. He was the polar opposite of his good looking partner, a short, overweight bald man with a sweating problem and he had the disgruntled attitude to match.

"What happened? This Vincent was here?" Matt asked her.

Chloe took a deep breath and looked at him through her tears,

"Yes! I was in the bathroom and he just barged in. He was dressed like a waiter. I have no idea if he was following me or how he even knew I was here..."

"Did you post anything on social media?" Ken grumbled.

Then, it clicked.

"Uh, yeah, I posted a photo with Helena and Rosa on Instagram and tagged the restaurant. I didn't even think..."

"That was a very stupid thing to do, especially when you have an obsessed fan stalking you," Ken shook his head in disbelief.

Matt stepped in, "You will need to stop posting on social media where you are in real time. If you need to upload a photo or give publicity to an event, wait until you are no longer there.

It is going to be hard to keep your whereabouts off the internet until we catch him, seeing as other people can expose where you are and certain events are advertising your appearance, but if you can change a few things then it will be harder for him to follow you," he informed her gently,

"Unfortunately, in this day and age of technology, it is easier than ever for people to stalk celebrities."

Chloe nodded in agreement, kicking herself that she had been so stupid and hadn't thought of that. She was advertising to forty million followers where she was.

"Take us through what happened."

Chloe told them both exactly what he had done – and more terrifyingly what he had said. They listened intently and took notes.

"Chloe, we are doing everything that we can to identify who he is. We are going to catch him, he is not going to get a chance to kidnap you, we will find him and lock him away."

"Have you had any leads?" She asked hopefully.

"We didn't get a lot of evidence from your property, unfortunately. There were some footprints in the garden where he has scaled the wall and we are following up with shoe companies to find out what brand they are and which store they could have been purchased from. We didn't get any viable fingerprints or DNA. There wasn't much to go on from the recent fan mail held at your post office box. Ana informed us that she destroys the mail you get as soon as it is replied to and that most replies are just a standard letter and photograph of you. There were no letters from Vincent left, and since you receive such a large quantity, they are not often read.

We have our cyber team going through your Instagram, facebook and twitter accounts to see if he pops up anywhere on there, but as you can imagine there are tens of millions of people to sift through and he could be using a fake profile, or even many different profiles. The main lead we have right now is the composite sketch. We have had tens of thousands of calls, but most are prank callers or people wanting information about you.

We have gone through both yours and the neighbour's security footage looking for any images of him but, nothing of any value came up, it was just too grainy and not clear. We will not stop, though and we will follow every lead."

Chloe's heart sunk into her stomach.

They had no idea who he was or where to find him.

She felt so vulnerable.

"In the meantime, we need you to up your security and be smart about your movements until we do bring him into custody," Ken advised.

"My assistant, Ana has moved in and she is with a security company at the house right now upgrading the cameras and alarms at the house. She was talking about getting a live-in bodyguard and a guard dog."

"That's a very good idea, having a trained and armed security guard with you at all times is very important. Get onto that as soon as possible. I am pleased to hear you are upgrading the cameras, God forbid if he tries to get near your property again we should get some good footage of him," Matt told her.

Chloe nodded glumly.

"Did he touch anything in the bathroom besides the door?" Ken asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Well, hopefully we can get some prints off there, we have the bathroom blocked off and forensics are on their way. Come on, let's get you home," Matt offered.

Saying her goodbyes to her upset friends, Chloe promised she would call them later and that she would be OK at home.

Matt and Ken escorted her put of the restaurant.

As it always does in Hollywood, word about what happened had spread fast.

Dozens of paps and even more fans had gathered in a large crowd on the street. They were greeted with chaos, cameras were shoved in their faces and questions were being yelled loudly, trying to be heard over the top of each other.

Chloe put her head down and allowed Matt and the two uniformed officers to guide her towards the police car and help her in, keeping the crowd at bay. Ken would drive her vehicle home for her.

Once they arrived back at Chloe's mansion, Matt filled a shocked Ana in on what had happened.

Chloe went straight up to her room, locked the door, dived into her bed and slid straight back into the depression that she had finally been breaking free of.

She felt like she was back to square one, with the urge to drown her sorrows in alcohol and drugs overwhelming her.

After the incident at the restaurant, it became clear to everybody that the attack at the house was not a one off and that there was a predatory stalker hunting Chloe. Not only was he dangerous but there was a very real threat that he was going to try and follow through with his threat and abduct her.

Chloe had once again become a self-exiled captive in her bedroom, despite Ana's constant insistence that she should not let this psychopath distract her from getting her life and career on track.

Her security at the house was not going to protect her whilst she was out in public. Determined to save Chloe's sanity and keep her protected at all times so she could go back out into the world and feel safe, Ana interviewed half a dozen private security guards at the house.

One of them stood out above all the others.

Luc DeSilva was thirty two years old. He had been in the Marine Corps for eight years and although he had been proud to fight for his country, serving three tours of duty abroad, the time had come for him to return home to the United States and pursue a less stressful career. At six foot two and two hundred and ten pounds, he was a very well built, fit and healthy specimen of a man who led a very healthy lifestyle and looked after himself.

He was expertly trained in both combat and weapons and knew how to handle himself in high intensity and dangerous situations.

He was the perfect fit.

However, he was also very attractive. Ana had thought long and hard when making her decision about whether or not this would prove to be a distraction to Chloe, as she could not help herself around men at the best of times, let alone having one as handsome as Luc under her roof.

After much debate, she decided that he was the most qualified and Ana had a really good feeling about him.

Luc moved in immediately, taking the bedroom closest to Chloe's so that he could be close to her if she was in danger.

The final step in their security plan was acquiring Rocky, a huge hundred and twenty pound Rottweiler who was specifically trained to be a powerful and vicious guard dog. The association where they had acquired Rocky from had bought him to the house and worked with both Luc and Ana on how to control and train him, including how to get him to attack on demand. Ana was incredibly nervous around the large dog and didn't trust him. She was petrified that he would turn on her in a split second if she made a false move.

However, Luc seemed at ease with the animal and took on the responsibility of looking after him, much to Ana's relief.

Everything was now in place to protect Chloe.

Finally feeling like she could relax after weeks of stress, Ana slumped down onto the oversized sofa in the lounge room with a big glass of red wine and the latest gossip magazines – half of which had Chloe on the front cover - with her feet curled up underneath her.

Flipping mindlessly through the pages, she looked up to see Luc entering the room.

She couldn't help but sneakily check him out. Fresh out of the shower after his workout in the home gym, he was wearing a tight black tee and jeans, he looked really good.

"Hi," he smiled warmly at her.

"Hey."

"Do you mind if I join you? There is a game on tonight I was hoping to watch it, if you're not watching anything?"

"Of course!" She motioned to the sofa opposite her, "Please, sit down. We want you to feel at home here."

"Thank you," he sat down, looking uncomfortable as he turned the TV on and flipped through the stations until he came across the football game.

"Thank you so much for coming on board with us, Luc. I really do appreciate it. Chloe is going to feel a whole lot safer with you around, I know I do!"

"It's no problem at all, it's my job. I have to say though, for somebody as famous and wealthy as Chloe, I was surprised that her security system was so lacklustre before. There wasn't much in place to prevent what happened, it was only a matter of time before a crazy fan scaled those walls. Nobody would get away with encroaching on the grounds uninvited now," he unscrewed a bottle of water and took a swig.

"I know, but nothing like this has ever even come close to happening before, even though she gets swarmed everywhere she goes by paparazzi and fans, nobody has ever made her feel unsafe or that she could be in danger. It was just something we never really thought much of before."

"Well, she has been very lucky so far that she wasn't seriously hurt. With me around, nobody is going to even get close to her.

Speaking of Chloe, when will I get to meet her? This is an

unusual situation for me to be in - protecting somebody that I have never even spoken to. I have never lived with a client before either, so it would make me feel a lot more comfortable to meet the person whose house I am staying in, you know?"

Ana felt her cheeks flush. She was so embarrassed about Chloe's elusive behaviour.

Frustratingly, after what had happened at Soba, Chloe had refused to leave her bedroom again and had holed herself up away from the world for the second time, refusing to emerge from her room to meet their new guest.

Thankfully, this time around she didn't have to come down off drugs, although Ana could frequently smell pot coming from her room. If that's what Chloe needed to do to cope with the trauma that she had been exposed to, then Ana was happy to let her be.

A little pot was not going to do much damage, if anything it would help her relax, sleep and cope with her anxiety. It was the harder stuff that was a worry.

"Oh, I totally understand that, but Chloe just isn't up for much at the moment. She is still very shaken up about what happened to her, as I'm sure you can understand. She has also made the decision to get off the hard drugs, which has had its fair share of difficulties. She would do them every day and night and go out constantly, partying way too hard. It's been a huge adjustment for her to stop," she poured herself another wine, "Chloe was living a very destructive lifestyle before all of this happened, and to be honest, as fucked up as it is that she has been attacked by a nutcase, it has given her the wakeup call that she desperately needed. This is her chance to get her shit together, and once this guy is behind bars, that's exactly what she is going to do. When she feels up to it, she will come down and introduce herself to you."

Luc nodded understandingly, "I look forward to it."

"YOU HAVE RESCUED ME FROM MY OWN

NIGHTMARES..."

By the time Chloe started feeling better enough to venture out of her bedroom, everything had already been arranged by Ana.

Heading downstairs, she didn't even know what day it was.

After spending days in hibernation, she had cried every tear that she had left in her.

It had been a rollercoaster of emotions as she dealt with the very real threat to her life that was still looming over her.

Most of the time she was upset, scared and victimised, she had started to feel angry that a stranger was forcing her to become a victim in her own home. The anger had summoned a new strength inside of her and she became stronger, determined that she was not going to let this man ruin her life.

The more she had thought about it, the more determined she became to drag herself out of bed, stop feeling so sorry for herself and kick her ass into action.

Ana had informed her that there was now a former marine living in the house, and although she was yet to meet him, the comfort she felt knowing an armed soldier was just a few rooms away and would be by her side when they were out in public made her feel invincible.

She was ready to meet Luc.

Making her way through the house, she entered the living room to see Ana and a very good looking, muscular guy sitting on the couch, looking over dozens of photographs that were spread out over the large marble coffee table in front of them.

The images were of vehicles, their license plates and close up profiles of a few different men – some that Chloe recognised.

The two of them looked up from what they were doing when they saw that Chloe entered the room. The gorgeous man immediately jumped up to his feet and approached her with his arm outstretched,

"Ma'am, my name is Luc DeSilva. I am your personal security, so pleased to meet you."

Uncharacteristically for Chloe, she felt incredibly shy as she took his large hand and shook it gently.

For a moment, she was rendered speechless. Silently berating herself for acting so awkward, she forced herself to speak,

"Nice to meet you, Luc. You don't have to call me Ma'am, call me Chloe."

Bright blue eyes shone down at her beneath thick, dark lashes.

Her heart skipped a beat – she was instantly very attracted to him.

"Ana has informed me of your situation and I have put every measure in place to make sure that you are protected. New security devices have been installed with top of the range cameras all over the grounds, including on the street. Sensors are also around the entire perimeter of the property, they are motion detectors; if anybody tries to climb the walls, then they will set off the alarm.

There are also screens that stream the live footage from the cameras in the office, kitchen and front entrance. I will go with you wherever you need to go and I will be at your beck and call twenty four, seven," he started to roll off all his qualifications and his training, as well as how he planned to protect Chloe in public but she zoned out as she stared at him.

Butterflies danced around in her stomach. This was the first time in a very, very long time that she had had an instant crush on somebody. She was not only attracted to him; she wanted desperately to be intimate with him.

"I have taken photographs of the vehicles that sit outside on the street, including their license plates and the drivers," he continued on, motioning to the coffee table,

"Ana is helping me to identify as many paparazzi as we can. If this Vincent guy is parking on your street, watching the house, then he will stand out from the regulars that have already been identified."

The more he talked, the more lost in his eyes Chloe became.

She felt like a giddy, love-struck teenager every time he looked at her. Chloe mentally cursed herself for not making an effort to doll up before she had come downstairs. In the flannel pyjamas she had been wearing for days, her un-brushed, greasy messy hair and not a smear of make up on her face, she was not looking very appealing.

She had not been expecting Luc to be this attractive, that's for sure.

Dying to run upstairs and get her shit together so he could see her looking her best, she excused herself as soon as he finished

his security run down and ran back upstairs.

In the shower, she caught herself in the mirror, smiling giddily.

Whistling away joyfully as she scrubbed her body, she felt a spark inside of her that she had not experienced in a long time.

Ana walked into the bathroom and smiled when she saw how happy Chloe was. She was relieved that the fog of darkness had lifted away from her friend.

"It's good to see you back, Chlo," she grinned, playing with the bottles of perfume on the vanity.

"Oh my God, An! You could have warned me that Luc was gorgeous!" She squealed, hopping out of the shower and drying herself off.

"Sorry," Ana giggled, "I didn't realise that I had too."

"I looked like shit! I was expecting some way older guy or something. He's so young!"

"Calm down, Chlo. We haven't hired him to be your play thing, he is strictly here to protect you. He is very professional, so please, please do not try and sleep with him."

Chloe shot Ana a hurt look, "I don't try and fuck everything that moves, contrary to popular belief!" She hissed, although she was seething inside that Ana was telling her that she could not pursue this perfect man who would be around her full time.

"I mean it; he is off limits!" Ana warned her.

Two weeks later, Chloe was in a fantastic frame of mind.

She was so proud of herself for the way she was now living her life.

For the first time in years, she could think and function

properly. Most excitedly, she had felt inspired to start writing new music, determined to return to doing what she used to enjoy most in the world, singing and performing. Drawing from experiences in her own life, she found that the songs came surprisingly easily.

Once she had put pen to paper, the words flowed out into deeply profound, raw and truthful lyrics that expressed how she had been feeling and what she had gone through.

Releasing these songs to the world would expose her private life in a very public way, but she truly felt that it was a truth that needed to be told so she could heal her soul.

Keeping everything hidden away inside of her had proved to be destructive and she was determined to go down a different path.

Not only was she hoping to overhaul her career, she wanted to get every aspect of her life in the healthiest place possible.

A major change that she had adopted was that she was now working out regularly in her private home gym.

Previously, she had not stepped foot in there since the day she had moved in.

All the equipment had come with the house.

Her svelte figure had always been the result of cocaine abuse, not eating regularly and bulimia. The reason she had initially started exercising was because Luc trained in there nearly every day and it had just been an excuse for her to watch him lifting heavy weights in a tight singlet with sweat glistening on his tanned, broad muscles.

Hell, if she wasn't allowed to hit on him, then she could still have a perve on him.

A girl can look, can't she?

The first time Chloe had purposely gone to the gym at the same

time as Luc, he had tried to leave immediately, citing that it was a conflict of interest for them to work out together as he was her employee; but she had convinced him to stay - and had even managed to talk him into training her as well.

Having the one on one time with him as he instructed her on what to do and held her close to get her posture correct was very intense for her; each touch had been like an electric shock through her body.

The fact that she could not fulfil her overwhelming desire to be with him turned her on even more.

You always want you can't have...

Even though she had had an ulterior motive as to why she had started working out in the first place, she started feeling better for it almost immediately. Not only was she becoming healthier and physically stronger, it was also highly beneficial to her mentality.

The affect he had on her had caught her off guard, Luc made her feel very shy and vulnerable; completely against her usual very forward personality. She had never been nervous around a man before. A plus side to not jumping straight into bed with him was that she was able to get to know him properly.

Having been reserved and quiet at first, he had started to let his guard down a little around her as they spent more time together, opening up to her more and more, talking about his childhood – he was an only child to military parents – and his years in the Marines.

Day and night, he was always close by which gave them many chances to talk.

Chloe opened up to him as well, pouring her heart out about anything and everything. It had been a long time since she had experienced meaningful, deep conversations with somebody and Luc was such a great listener he made it so easy. He had been such a source of incredible strength for Chloe.

When she had finally worked up the courage to start going out in public again, he accompanied her everywhere. Party invites had been pouring in, however she was very selective of the events she attended now. Avoiding the parties that she knew would provide temptation to spiral out of control again, she mainly now focused on the quieter, tamer events where there was adequate security.

Prior to Chloe accepting, Luc would do research on the venue, guest lists, whether or not it was easily accessible to the public, what the security was like and every little variable that could compromise Chloe's safety if Vincent was to try and gain access to her. He was very impressive with the detail that he went to.

He would always drive her to and from the location and they would take a different car each time. Even though Chloe had four cars on the property, they would often take Luc's vehicle, or Ana's car to throw not only Vincent off the scent, but the paparazzi as well when she hid under coats in the back.

Not having the paparazzi chasing her in their cars not only hid Chloe from Vincent and prevent her location from being given away, but she was thoroughly enjoying the freedom that this entitled her too.

One Sunday afternoon, when she had wanted to get out of the house, she and Luc had snuck out in his car and just driven freely along the coast for hours. She didn't have a destination in mind, or a schedule to stick too or people following her. She just wanted to drive and escape the craziness of her life.

They had ended up at a small, quiet restaurant overlooking the ocean in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

Hidden with a baseball cap and large sunglasses, Chloe had gone unrecognised in the barely occupied Seaside Siesta. The two of them had spent the whole afternoon there, enjoying a seafood lunch and a couple of beers, laughing as they shared stories and watched the waves crashing down on the beach.

Luc had not let Chloe reach for her wallet at all, insisting on paying for everything which was a refreshing change for Chloe, who was usually expected to pick up the bill. He was being a true gentleman, pulling out her chair for her, opening doors, fetching her drinks.

It was without a doubt the best afternoon Chloe had ever had.

The fact that it was not officially a date had allowed them both to just relax and chat like old friends.

For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like a famous celebrity, with everybody staring at her or asking for photos or autographs.

She could just be herself, like a normal human being.

Around Luc, she was Chloe Smith, the shy, quiet girl from a small town, not Chloe Stone, the washed up pop star infamous for going off the rails. Luc was bringing out something magical inside of her, she felt inspired and motivated.

Even though she was enjoying a couple of glasses with dinner a couple for nights a week, and the occasional joint, she was as sober as she had been in years and, to her surprise, she wasn't craving the hard drugs or binge drinking any longer. She didn't need it.

It took her a while to realise that the reason she didn't crave it

was because she was so happy being around Luc.

She couldn't recall a time in her life when she was genuinely this content and at peace. It took even longer to admit to herself that she was falling madly in love with him and that he was making her life complete. Having never been in love before meant it was quite daunting – especially since it was unrequited and forbidden love – but she was so overjoyed, she was fine with the fact she had to hide her feelings.

In true Hollywood fashion, being photographed with the same man over and over again was going to raise immediate questions.

The paparazzi and news outlets demanded to know who he was and if they were dating. Chloe sensed that Luc struggled with the constant attention that came with being around someone as famous as she was.

The paps drove him crazy and he was horrified to see how far they were prepared to go to get a photo. They would literally do anything, driving dangerously in their vehicles in pursuit of her, knocking into each other and innocent bystanders who got in their way. They had even witnessed one nearly knock over a baby's pram and another narrowly miss getting hit by a car. It was not only the paparazzi pushing his patience though, the fans trying to get close to Chloe at any cost and take photos proved to be a challenge at times.

Chloe was now meeting with music genius, Lil Weez at his recording studio nearly every day. The two of them had started laying down some of the tracks Chloe had been writing. Luc would sit with Lil Weez and watch her in the sound booth as she sung the lyrics whilst Weez mixed the beats.

Singing again, for the first time in a long time felt so liberating; she had forgotten how much she genuinely enjoyed it.

Somewhere along the way she had lost her passion for performing but now the fire was well and truly lit and burning brightly.

She was going to release the tracks on her 'comeback' album.

On her previous albums, professional song writers penned the hits for her that were then handpicked by the record label. She had co-written a handful but had never really been given free reign before.

As she was no longer under contract with her extremely controlling record label, she had the freedom to do what she liked with this one for the first time in her career.

Chloe was writing and funding it all herself and Lil Weez was going to release and promote it with his powerful connections within the industry. She wrote feverously every night, staying up late in bed with her laptop balanced on her lap and a glass of wine by her side. She found that most of her inspiration came from her troubled childhood. She wrote a song about her mother never being there for her and exposing a young Chloe to an unsafe environment which was the result of her drinking and drug dependency – a destructive path that she had then followed herself.

Writing about the pain of not knowing who her father was or any of her extended family dug into some deep wounds that she had harboured from as early as she could remember.

Lil Weez was brilliant at what he did and he took Chloe's lyrics and mixed the beat and melody to go along with them. Between the two of them, they were coming up with some really catchy tunes that were sure to be hits.

Proud of what she was doing and feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment really inspired Chloe to work hard.

The plan was to release the album as soon as possible, doing as much promotional work for it as she could, then to go on a world tour; something she had not done in a very long time.

She had always loved travelling and exploring the many wonderful countries she had been blessed enough to visit.

Touring sober would be like seeing the world again in a whole new light.

And doing it with Luc would be a dream come true...

Chloe had also made amends with her publicist Liza, who was ecstatic that her days no longer had to revolve around defending Chloe's destructive exploits. Liza was excited to see Chloe turning her life back around and concentrating on her career instead of partying.

She was already preparing to bring the new and improved Chloe Stone back into the limelight and was working on a game plan that included a raw, 'warts and all' tell all interview to explain what had caused her downfall and prove to the world that she was well and truly recovered now.

Chloe was embracing all the plans that Liza and her manager, Paula were looking into as ways to handle her 'comeback'.

Other than her recording sessions with Weez and the occasional shopping trips or business meetings with Paula and Liza, Chloe was now leading a relatively quiet life. It was a stark contrast to clubbing and partying every day and night, she now thoroughly enjoyed staying in and watching movies or trashy TV with Ana and Luc.

With Luc and Rocky around; not only did Chloe feel protected,

but there had not been another appearance from Vincent and she was desperately hoping that he had backed off and moved on.

She was still holding out hope that the police would catch him and he would be locked away so that she was not constantly looking over her shoulders, but a small part of her didn't want the threat eliminated, so that Luc would continue to stay by her side and protect her.

Would he leave if Vincent was caught?

He was under her roof because of Vincent and she didn't want him to leave. Chloe was starting to get her confidence back and life was looking positive for her. She truly believed that Luc had been the main influence. He had traits that she deeply admired, loyalty, kindness, empathy, ambitious. She wanted to be as good a person as he was.

Mending broken bridges with her team – with the exception of Tony Pierce whom had abruptly answered her email begging for his forgiveness with a very short 'good luck but no thank you' – had been hard, especially with a sceptical Liza, but she had sworn that she was healthy and ready to go back to work and if they put their faith and trust in her that she would continue on that path.

Chloe used any excuse that she could to spend time with Luc outside of a professional employee / employer environment, which he insisted upon every time they were out in the public eye. He had started to become more comfortable around her when they were in the privacy of her home and had significantly relaxed his 'all business, all the time' attitude. Not only was Luc a great looking guy, but he was so sweet and patient with her and incredibly polite. He was a true gentleman and was the polar opposite to any of the guys Chloe had ever been with before. He

barely drank alcohol, ate right, exercised and looked after himself.

He was very regimented with his routine, and he kept his room spotless; Chloe presumed that it was from his years in the military.

Usually, if Chloe liked a guy she would just approach him and he would make a move. She had never had any problem getting a man's attention before; she was Chloe Stone after all, she could get whomever she wanted. However, she was stumped when it came to how to act around Luc. He was nonchalant towards her, as if he was not interested in a romantic relationship at all. Chloe didn't know if he was genuinely not attracted to her, or if he was suppressing his feelings to remain professional. She had caught him checking her out a few times, and each time he would quickly look away with his cheeks burning a deep red. He always made a conscious effort not to get too close to her, unless he had to when they were out and fans got overzealous.

The sexual tension was driving Chloe crazy, she desperately just wanted to grab him and kiss him. It wasn't even sex that she desperately desired - which was a big surprise to her; she was craving just to be held in his large arms, to cuddle, to lay down next to him and just be close to each other.

Chloe had never been in love before, it was so hard for her to constantly suppress her feelings but she was petrified that if he found out, he would reject her and quit as her bodyguard.

Mixed signals played in her head every time they were around each other, they were getting along so well and he had a dry, sarcastic sense of humour just like Chloe.

Could she take the risk and make a move?

If she gambled and had hedged the wrong bet, she could lose it

all.

However, the alternative of being around him every day and not being able to be with him would be torture.

Could she live like that?

Serving in the Marine Corps and completing two tours of duties in war torn Baghdad and Afghanistan, Luc thought that he had seen it all and was prepared for anything, but being around a high profile celebrity was such a surreal and strange experience for him. He had done private bodyguard and security work for the past year, from the time he had been discharged with honour.

Since then he had worked for politicians and foreign dignitaries that had visited the United States from their respective countries.

Chloe Stone was the first 'celebrity' he had protected. The only reason he had signed on to protect her was because of the frightening attacks she had endured from a crazed fan. He had felt sorry for her and had admittedly been intrigued by her. The fact that she was now off drugs and not partying like she used too was something that he had checked with Ana before agreeing to take on the job. It would have been a nightmare for him to try and protect someone who was stumbling in and out of clubs every night, and living that kind of lifestyle.

Chloe had holed herself up in her room for the first few days after he had arrived, terrified after being attacked and threatened for a second time, but it had not been an issue as it had given him the opportunity to settle in to the fact that he would be living on the premises – a first for him – and to upgrade the security at the house and train the guard dog.

Residing there was a strange concept to him but he was determined to be around for as long as Chloe needed him or until this guy was caught.

When she had finally emerged from her self-imposed exile, he had found himself immediately taken aback by her natural beauty. He had seen her on TV and in magazines – her music videos were on constant rotation with his fellow Marines whilst they were stationed overseas, but in person, without all of the makeup and show biz sparkle, she was breathtaking.

Having gotten to know her, he had discovered that she was actually a really sweet and kind hearted woman who had a great sense of humour. He had expected her to be a bratty, self-entitled diva, but she was now the total opposite and he truly admired that she had completely turned her life around. He did not know her when she was the drug-addled party girl, but she often spoke about how ashamed she was about her behaviour in recent years and that she was determined to be a better person.

Luc had been strangely drawn to her and was constantly wanting to learn more about her. The conversations they had were the best he had ever had with anybody. He normally had a wall up around him, but with her, it came crumbling down immediately.

For some reason, he felt so comfortable with her, despite the fact he was working for her and she was his employee.

One thing that had been bothering him immensely though, was his attraction to her. Luc had always fancied her when he had seen her in the raunchy videos, but she was even more beautiful in real life, not just looks but in personality too.

She knew how to taunt him as well, parading around in little outfits in the gym, brushing past him gently, playing with her hair, biting her lower lip when she was deep in thought.

These little things were driving him crazy on a daily basis.

He fantasised about being with her when he was alone in his room at night. He even stopped outside of her bedroom door and watched her sleep when he did his nightly security check.

He yearned to be with her but fought it with every fibre of his being.

He would not cross that line.

He was too professional and he did not want to muddy the waters and sabotage this job. It was the highest paying gig he had ever had and Chloe was talking about doing a world tour to promote her new album when she released it; that would be a dream come true for him to travel and he didn't want to blow it with some unwanted advances or a short lived fling. So, with great difficulty, Luc restrained himself.

This afternoon was going to prove to be a challenge to do that.

Chloe had decided to have a quiet day in, watching movies. Luc had been contemplating going out; there was a few personal items that he had needed to purchase.

There had not been any incidents at the house and he was feeling confident enough to leave Chloe at home with the upgraded security and Rocky parading the grounds.

However, when he had bought it up to Chloe, she had insisted that she didn't quite feel safe without him there and that she wanted him to stay in and watch a movie with her. Luc had to admit, the thought of being alone with her was extremely tempting. Ana was out for the rest of the day and evening.

Now, here he was, stood in the doorway of the theatre room

watching Chloe curled up on the large sofa which was wide enough to be a bed. She was wearing cute, white cotton shorts that barely covered her perfect, tanned ass and a small tank top which exposed a bit of her midriff and a lot of cleavage. She had a dark brown mink blanket draped over her legs and a bowl of popcorn balanced next to her.

She looked up at him, her eyes widened as she smiled sweetly at him, "Luc... come and join me... I don't want to be on my own.

Please..."

She deliberately pulled the cutest 'sad' face, pouting her bottom lip and patting the seat next to her. He felt himself becoming aroused at the thought of just taking there and then, ravishing her beautiful body. How was he going to just sit next to her for an entire movie and not touch her?

It would be torture...

"It's Die Hard..." she waved the DVD boxset cover around to show him.

"You like Die Hard?" He asked, surprised.

He had been expecting her to want to watch a corny chick flick.

"I love all of them! Wanna do a marathon with me? I haven't watched them in ages," she laughed.

"Yeah, that actually sounds good," he agreed, relieved.

There was nothing romantic about the Die Hard movies.

Hopefully it would take his mind off wanting to kiss her.

Taking a seat next to her, trying to keep some distance between them, he sat awkwardly upright, his hands rested on his knees.

Chloe pressed play and used the remote next to her to dim the lights. The theatre room went dark. He could smell her perfume, and her soft breathing next to him made his stomach flutter.

He yearned to grab her...

What was he doing!?

He should not be putting himself in this situation...

Chloe scooted over to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

He went hard immediately, uncomfortable in his jeans and the way he was sitting, he tried to shift himself without disturbing her. He knew he should move away, tell her it was inappropriate and they should act professionally, but his heart was pounding wildly. He couldn't concentrate on the movie that was playing on the large projector screen in front of him.

God help me...

Lying on the couch next to Luc, there was no place Chloe would rather be. After weeks of resisting temptation, she could not do it any longer. Having him sat so close to her was the last straw. She could not continue on like this. If he was not going to make a move, then she had decided that it was up to her. She had weighed up the risks and decided that she would be very discreet and see if he responded. If he didn't, she could back off and somehow refrain herself from doing it again.

After psyching herself up, she took a deep breath, cuddled up to him and nuzzled her head into his shoulder. The wool from his sweater was so soft against her skin and his musky aftershave pierced her nostrils. He was sat so stiffly and did not move a muscle or react to her at all.

After twenty minutes of this unbearably awkward tension, Chloe could not take it anymore. Bruce Willis was not much of a distraction.

She had to know...

Did he like her too?

Chloe placed her hand on his leg. She could feel his body tense

up at her touch, yet he did not move away or push her hand off.

She didn't know what to do next. He wasn't rejecting her but he wasn't making a move either.

Be brave...

Just kiss him!

She was terrified that he was going to reject her, that he was going to quit his job, storm out of the house and she would never see him again. The thought of losing him terrified her, but not being with him was too much to bear.

She had to know...

Straightening up on the sofa, Chloe turned and faced him. He turned his head to return her gaze, his eyes softening as she looked at him intently. Her stomach did somersaults as she leaned in and placed her lips gently on his. She expected him to pull away, although she desperately hoped that he wouldn't.

After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her in closer, kissing her back hard.

His tongue darted into her mouth and curled around hers.

Excitement overwhelmed Chloe. Feeling more confident now that she knew he was into it, she climbed up onto his lap and continued to kiss him passionately as she grinded against his crotch. Luc grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her in close to him. Shifting his body, he pulled her by the waist so that she was lying down on the couch, then he climbed on top of her, continuing to kiss her and pushing his body into hers.

His hand darted up her top and grabbed her bare breast, squeezing it hard as he moaned softly between kisses. Chloe fumbled with his belt, finally unhooking and undoing his button and fly. She slipped her hand into his underwear and grabbed his hard dick. She was pleasantly surprised by how big it was. He groaned again, tugging her top off over her head and nuzzling his head into her chest, he started kissing one of her nipples, sucking it gently as she stroked his groin. Luc then pulled back and sat up, pulling his t-shirt off and throwing it to the floor. His body was perfectly sculpted, large pecs sat above a six pack and were framed by his broad shoulders. Chloe was surprised to see that he had two large tattoos; one was a large Chinese dragon that wrapped around his left shoulder and spread all the way down his torso to his ribs. On the right side of his chest was a beautiful tribute to the Marines; an American Flag with a bald eagle above it and United States Marine Corp written in a banner underneath. Chloe had always loved tattoos, and these large ones splayed across tanned muscles were very attractive. She pulled her hand out of his jeans and ran them both over his body, feeling every inch of his chest and abs.

Without saying a word, Luc tugged her shorts and panties off, leaving her lying naked and exposed in front of him. He looked at her up and down, admiring her body. His hands gently glided over her skin, from her neck down to her thighs. Chloe's body tingled at his touch like electricity.

She had never responded to a man like this before, she had never been so turned on and aroused... She yearned for him to be inside her.

She tugged at his jeans and he stood up, letting them and his underwear fall to the floor. Stepping out of them, she admired his dick as he lay down next to her and kissed her again,

"You are so beautiful," he whispered gently as he continued to run his hands up and down her soft skin.

"I have wanted you for so long..." she sighed wistfully, stroking his hair.

"Oh God, I have thought about doing this a thousand times," he groaned between kisses.

He pried her thighs apart and teased her by running his fingers between her thighs. She grabbed his dick again and stroked him as he pushed his fingers inside of her.

"Oh... fuck," she moaned, arching her back and allowing herself to be swept up by the euphoric sensation. He thrusted his fingers deeper into her and kissed her breasts at the same time.

A few minutes later, she couldn't take it anymore.

"I want you... I want you so bad... Fuck me..." she grabbed his butt with both hands.

"Oh Chloe," he climbed on top of her.

As he looked into her eyes she noticed that they were glazed over with lust. Pulling her legs apart further, he plunged inside of her. Chloe sighed in pleasure. Luc wrapped his hands around the small of her back and pulled her in closer to him as he drove harder and deeper inside of her.

Chloe moaned loudly, clutching the blanket underneath her between her fingers, swept up in how good he felt.

After being in that position for a while, he groaned loudly in response, then suddenly pulled out of her, flipped her round on her stomach and took her from behind in one swift movement.

It felt so intense and her body quivered. He leant down and rubbed her with his fingers as he penetrated her. Her face was shoved into the cushions which muffled her screams as she orgasmed. He continued to pound her, not letting up.

A few minutes later, she came again. It was the most invigorating sex she had ever experienced, her head was swimming.

After what seemed like an eternity, he let out a loud growl and came, gripping her tightly and then releasing her.

Exhausted and satisfied, Luc collapsed down next to her, breathing heavily with sweat beading on his brow. He smiled sweetly at Chloe and kissed her on the forehead gently, brushing the back of his hand on her cheek. She bit her lip, overwhelmed with love for him, doing everything that she possibly could to stop herself from blurting the words 'I love you' out loud; despite the fact that she had madly fallen for him.

She did not want to scare him off...

Chloe still didn't know if this was just sex for him; or if he cared for her too.

"You have saved my life," she whispered to him, brushing his hair off his forehead and kissing him gently.

"What?" He looked up at her, confused, pulling the mink blanket over them.

"You have bought me back to life. I feel so safe with you; I feel free to be me again.

The real me. I haven't been this happy in a very, very long time.

If ever..."

He kissed her gently on the lips and whispered back, "You know what; I think you have done the same for me,"

"Really?!" Now it was her turn to be confused.

"Really. I have been so, so lost. I have seen things that nobody should ever have to see, I have experienced the most horrifying things and they don't ever leave me. They would plague my every thought as I lay in bed at night, causing me to have nightmare after nightmare. But, since I have met you, all I have thought about is you. You have rescued me from my own nightmares. I feel like I have a purpose in life again. To protect

you."

Chloe could not believe what she was hearing, "I had no idea that you felt about me like that,"

He smiled and kissed her again, "From the moment I first saw you."

He really cared about her..."I don't know what I would have done without you," she murmured, snuggling her head into his shoulder.

Her ecstatic bliss was interrupted by the sound of Rocky's manic barking coming from outside. He had never barked like that before.

Shivers immediately ran down Chloe's spine and the hairs on the back of Chloe's neck stood up at the sound of the dog's frantic howling. She knew that this was not a false alarm, this bark was different; it had a purpose.

Was Vincent here?

"If that psychopath is out there I am going to really fucking hurt him..." Luc jumped up off the couch, pulling his jeans on in record speed and racing out of the theatre and through to the kitchen with Chloe frantically following behind him.

The large television screen that was mounted on the wall displayed all the images from the outside security cameras. There were eight squares, one for each camera. Two of them were black. Someone had either disconnected or damaged them. Luc pressed the panic alarm that alerted the local police station, it also set off the house alarm. It rang out in a deafening shrill.

Luc had hidden guns both upstairs and downstairs for easy access. One was in a draw at the end of the kitchen benchtop.

Retrieving the pistol and holding it down by his side, Luc approached the large arched windows that led from the kitchen to the back garden and carefully stood against the wall beside them, peering outside quickly before pulling back behind the long curtains again.

"Luc, no. Don't go out there..." Chloe pleaded, terrified.

She pulled her clothes back on as she slowly entered the kitchen.

Rocky continued barking frantically and the house's alarm pierced their ears. Luc raised his finger to his lips indicating for her to be quiet.

"Get down!" He whispered loudly, barely audible over the loud noises.

Chloe started sobbing and ducked down behind the furniture, she was petrified that something was going to happen to Luc.

"Let's just wait for the police..." she urged, peering over the sofa in time to watch Luc slowly opening the sliding door, "Luc!

Please!"

Ignoring Chloe's desperate plea's and taking a deep breath, Luc slowly opened the glass sliding doors and ducked outside quickly, closing the door behind him.

The sun was shining brightly and he had to squint until his eyes adjusted without his sunglasses. With the gun drawn out in front of him, he carefully made his way to the garden and started peering behind the large bushes and trees that lined the path down to the driveway checking each one thoroughly – reverting back to his training instincts.

A few birds flew out of the tree in front of him, causing him to jump and spin around, pointing the gun at them.

Watching them fly off into the sky, Luc forced himself to focus on his breathing to keep his heart rate at a slower pace.

He had to be calm and focused to keep a clear head. As he approached the direction where Rocky's frantic barking and growling was coming from at the front of the house, Luc's heart pounded wildly in his chest, despite his best efforts to keep it under control.

He was normally cool, calm and collected in the most stressful of circumstances, but this time it was different. He realised that it was because he was worried for Chloe's safety. He would die if anything happened to her. It was his job to watch over her and the fact that he had fallen for her made him more protective then he could have ever imagined.

He was unsure of what this psychopath was capable of. He had dealt with terrorists and suicide bombers in Baghdad, so if he followed the same protocol, he could stay safe and apprehend the man whom had attacked his beloved Chloe.

Taking a few more careful steps, he proceeded around the front of the house with caution, looking all around him as he did so for any sign of the intruder. Suddenly, Rocky made a blood curdling screeching sound - then, he went deathly quiet.

Luc held his breath, trying to hear anything more from the dog.

What had happened?

Slowly but cautiously, Luc came around the corner to where the driveway met the front entrance of the house. There was a large, three tiered marble water fountain that spurted water a few feet into the air in the middle of the roundabout for vehicles to drive around. The sound of the water splashing down and the house alarm was the only thing Luc could hear as he tiptoed closer to get a better look down the driveway. That's when he saw Rocky.

The large, black dog was lying down next to the fountain; a pool of dark red blood surrounded the animal.

Shit...

Luc swallowed the lump in his throat. Still cautiously looking

around, he approached the body. Flies buzzed around, landing on the fur that was matted with blood. Crouching down, Luc rolled the dog over for a better look.

He had been decapitated.

Blood was still pouring from the neck, the circle of blood growing wider around him. Rocky's head was gone. Looking around frantically, Luc was bewildered by what this guy was capable of and wandering how on Earth he had managed to not only get close to the highly trained guard dog, but had been able to behead him.

He spotted the head a few feet away, resting on the edge of the fountain. Blood had dripped down the concrete edge, pooling around the head and flowing down onto the driveway. The dogs jaw was wide apart, his teeth bared and his yellow eyes were open. In the blood on the driveway, a word had been scrawled out;

SOON

Luc had seen many dead bodies before, so it did not make his stomach turn the way it would most people, but it disturbed him greatly. If this was Vincent – which he had little doubt that it was – then he had a large knife and was prepared to kill to get to Chloe.

And she was alone in the house...

Luc backed off back towards the way he had come from, keeping his gun drawn out in front.

He had to get back to Chloe...

A loud scream erupted from behind him. He jumped in shock, spinning around to see Chloe standing outside; just a few feet away from the sliding door. Her eyes were wide in fright as she stared at the dog's body, then at the head. She screamed again and stumbled backwards. Luc panicked and ran to her, looking around to make sure Vincent was not near her.

He had no idea where the psychopath was and he didn't want to draw attention to where they were.

"Sssshhh," he grabbed her arm and jogged back to the house, dragging her along with him while she cried hysterically.

Police car sirens sounded loudly down the road and pulled up out the front of the gates. Four cars pulled up and two police officers immediately scaled over the high fence and ran up the driveway towards them, closely followed by four more. They were armed, with their pistols raised high. They made their way up towards them, stopping short of the mangled corpse that used to be a Rottweiler.

One officer raised his gun at Luc, "Drop the gun! Hands in the hair! On the floor! Now!" He ordered, sternly.

Confused, Chloe protectively stood in front of Luc, "No! Wait, there's a mistake!"

More officers approached and drew their guns out, "Drop the gun! Drop it now!"

Luc obediently placed the gun on the ground and slowly took a few steps back from it, raising his hands in the air.

"On the ground, NOW!" They shouted, all guns aimed at him.

He did as they said, dropping to his knees and lying down,

"Officers, I am a personal security officer, I have a license for that gun, I was hired to protect Miss Stone,"

"He's my security!" Chloe backed him up, "It wasn't him that killed the dog, it was the guy who attacked me last time; he is insane!"

"You saw the guy who did this?" One of them asked, signalling

for the others to lower their weapons, "You can get up," he told

Luc.

"No, we heard the dog barking. I grabbed my weapon and came outside to investigate. The dog was still barking when I was searching the perimeter of the house, then I heard it cry out. I then found the body a few minutes later. Vincent was nowhere to be seen."

"Vincent?" The officers exchanged glances.

"He identified himself as Vincent when he attacked Chloe here previously. It has to be him. He has assaulted her twice now and is actively stalking her."

"Do you always do your security work half undressed?" The officer questioned, raising his eyebrow as he looked him up and down.

"I, uh... got food on my shirt. I was in the middle of changing when we heard the dog barking," Luc thought quickly on his feet.

"Please, he murdered my guard dog... he has been stalking me and he is trying to kidnap me! Detectives Park and Levingston are leading the search, trying to find him. He might still be here somewhere... please find him and arrest him!" Chloe begged them through a flood of tears.

"My colleagues are searching the grounds right now, Miss Stone."

The officers searched the property thoroughly but there was no sign of Vincent.

Once again, he had vanished into thin air.

CLEANSING THE SOUL

The story of Rocky's murder had become the number one news topic in the country, everybody was fascinated with the escalating attacks that Chloe was being subjected to by a crazed fan and even more reporters had camped out the front of her house, it was now a full blown media circus on her street, with them all vying for an interview or any snippet of information that they could use.

Once again holed up in her house, hiding away from the world, Chloe became a nervous wreck.

She no longer felt safe. It had been a false sense of security that she had allowed herself to fall into being with Luc – she was not going to make that mistake again. This maniac had not given up on his quest to get to Chloe, and now it was made very clear that he was not going to any time soon.

She was truly terrified.

The police had camped outside of her property on the street again, trying in vain to keep the press at bay and to be on the lookout for Vincent. Luc had hired two more security guards that he knew personally and trusted. They patrolled the grounds

around the house in shifts.

However, that did not give Chloe much comfort. She had no idea what this psychopath was capable of and how far he would go to get to her. Would he hurt other people that stood in their way? Would he hurt Luc? She couldn't live with herself if somebody wound up in danger because of her.

Her developing relationship with Luc had been her saving grace and kept her from going completely insane. Since the day they had finally hooked up and Rocky had been killed, Chloe spent every waking moment with him and slept beside him in her bedroom every night. She had been worried that he might get annoyed with her for being so clingy and needy, but he had been so understanding and kind towards her.

Although Chloe had been drinking to calm her nerves and smoking pot to help her sleep at night, she had refrained from falling back into her old habits of drowning her sorrows in a sea of drugs which is how she would have handled her stress a few months ago. If there was ever a reason for her to spiral out of control again and self-medicate for the horror of what she had been subjected too, then these events' definitely qualified.

Yet, she had shown enormous self-control, despite the fact that she was still new to sobriety.

For that, she was extremely proud of herself. Luc had not said a word about the drinking or the pot, whether he disapproved or not, he never once scolded her. He seemed to understand that she was doing the best she could under the circumstances.

Lying in his arms, curled up on the couch together one lazy afternoon, Chloe felt at peace.

They had become so close in such a short amount of time, but it felt so right. She would have been an absolute mess if he wasn't in her life. He stroked her hair gently and kissed her forehead as she absent-mindedly flicked through the channels on TV.

Chloe squeezed him tight and looked up into his eyes, her head rested in his lap, "Thank you for being my hero," she smiled sweetly at him.

This was something that she said to him multiple times a day.

It made him smile every single time.

"Thank you for being my angel," he responded the same way every time.

She stopped on an entertainment show when she saw a photo of herself flash on the screen. Luc went to take the remote off her to change the channel but she held it away from him, "No, I want to watch it."

"Are you sure?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes,"

Chloe had deliberately stayed away from all the news stories about her, but she was curious as to what they were saying.

The young redhead reporter was stood outside of Chloe's front gates, the words Chloe Stone's Stalker Nightmare was written on the screen underneath, "Chloe Stone is still holed up in her sprawling mansion with her rumoured love interest, bodyguard Luc DeSilva. She is yet to make a statement or address the media after the recent horrific murder of her guard dog, literally on her front doorstep. Chloe has rarely been seen in public since she became the target of a crazed fan who has repeatedly attacked her, which is a huge turnaround from the Chloe Stone that we used to know - who was out partying every night. Chloe is believed to be staying away from the drugs and leading a healthier lifestyle these days and it is said to be thanks to the influence of her alleged new boyfriend. Not much is known about DeSilva, apart from the fact he was in the Marines for a few years before becoming a personal security guard.

The two of them have been inseparable since he was hired to protect her, and there has been sparks flying between the two according to those closest to them."

"Oh my God, turn off this crap," Luc sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Are you upset that they know about us?" Chloe asked, concerned that the pressure of the spotlight would be too much for him.

"They don't know about us... they are speculating."

"What if they did?"

He looked down at her, his face softening, "Chloe, I am falling you. I genuinely love being around you and want to continue our relationship and see where it goes, but I am not a celebrity. I don't want to be famous and have every aspect of my life analysed by these assholes," he pointed to the television where the reporter was still babbling on about them, "I honestly don't know if I could handle being recognised every I go, and have the paparazzi stalking my every move like you do."

"You know; you are the first person I have ever been with that has not wanted to be with me for fame or money. You don't have to be in the spotlight, I can protect you from that."

"How? They literally follow you everywhere, we can't just go out for dinner, or to the movies like a normal couple. They are relentless."

"I would move for you. Anywhere in the world that you like, somewhere we can be anonymous," Chloe surprised herself as the words spilled out of her mouth.

But she meant it.

She would do anything to be with Luc.

"I don't think that there is anywhere in the world that you could go and not be recognised."

"We could find somewhere, a secluded island maybe."

He kissed her gently on the lips, "I would love that,"

They were interrupted by Chloe's phone buzzing. Groaning, she leaned over to get it from the coffee table and saw that it was Liza.

She had been calling Chloe multiple times a day, checking in on her and making sure she was alright.

She was obviously worried Chloe was going to go off the rails again.

She answered, "Hi, Liza."

"Hi Chloe, how are you today?"

"I'm fine."

"That's good, you keep staying strong. I need to talk to you

about something important."

"Ok....:

"I understand that what has happened to you has been extremely upsetting, but as an ironic result of that, you are the top trending story for every entertainment show, radio station and news outlet around the world,"

"I am very well aware of that, Liza. You should see how much press are in my street. It's ridiculous."

"Well, I'm thinking that it's the perfect time for you to capitalise on the publicity and release your new music. Instead of being famous for being a drug addicted train wreck, people now sympathise with you and feel sorry for you. It's a turn around that is born out of horror, but could be used to your benefit.

Through tragedy comes triumph... the public will eat that up!"

Chloe sat upright, shocked at what she was hearing from her

own publicist, "A drug addicted train wreck?!"

"I'm sorry Chloe, but that's the truth. You know it is. All your press up until now had been negative, now the world is rooting for you and are worried about you. We have to act upon that and strike while the iron is hot. It will be the comeback of the century."

Liza had been sympathetic to everything that Chloe was going through, but at the same time she was encouraging her to go ahead with the new music and take advantage of her new found popularity.

Chloe could see where she was coming from.

"I'm listening..."

"I think you should do an honest, tell all interview with Joanne Waters."

Joanne was the host of Uncovered, which was a very popular news show in the United States.

"Joanne is known for her in depth, raw interviews with high profile people, including celebrities, politician's and even famous criminals and serial killers. She is very highly respected and it would be the perfect platform for you to speak out from.

Joanne's people had jumped at the chance for an exclusive with you. This is your chance to tell the world your side of the story and explain why you had gone down the dark path that you did.

It's also the perfect opportunity to tell the world that you are now sober and cleaning up your act and that you are determined to get your career back on track, release a new album and concentrate on your music. It's important for you to let the world understand that."

Chloe looked at Luc who nodded his head in agreement to what Liza was saying.

"OK, I'll do it."

"Excellent! I will arrange it all," Liza hung up.

Chloe snuggled back into Luc's arms, "You know, if I am going to do a tell all, honest interview, then I think we should tell the world about us."

Luc shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know..."

"Are you embarrassed to be with me?" She asked, fearing her heart would shatter if he said yes.

"Of course not, I am insanely proud of you. I didn't know you before, when you were the party girl, but I know the person you have become and you are the strongest, most driven, independent and beautiful woman I have ever met. I would love to shout it from the rooftops that you are my girlfriend..."

"Girlfriend?" Chloe interrupted him, giggling.

It was the first time he had called her that.

"Yes, girlfriend," he smiled sweetly, his eyes sparkling, "But, like I said before, it's the whole fame thing..."

"I know that it looks crazy with the paparazzi and the fans... and the press, but we can control it. There are ways to remain out of the public eye if we wish to. Besides, if we become a boring old couple who don't give them anything interesting to write about, they will soon move on to the next. They are used to getting very fat pay days from the party girl, drug addicted, causing a scene everywhere she goes, Chloe. But, unfortunately for them, she's gone forever."

Luc took a deep breath and mulled it over for a few moments.

He knew that if he agreed to this his whole life would change forever.

Was he prepared for that?

Was it worth it?

"OK, let's do it," he sighed, "Let's come out to the world."

Chloe squealed and jumped into his lap, covering his face and head with kisses,

"Yay!"

After plenty of negotiation between Chloe's team and the production crew for Uncovered, the day had now arrived and she was doing the big interview with Joanne.

They had been incredibly excited at the prospect of having the infamous popstar on their show and had fast tracked the interview to be ready within the week of Chloe agreeing to it.

Chloe was incredibly nervous as she made her way to the production lot as it was the first time she had left the house since Rocky's murder.

Karen and Lloyd had come to her house that morning and done her hair and makeup in a demure, understated and soft fashion.

Her hair was in loose curls that cascaded around her shoulders.

Chloe didn't want her look to be over the top, she wanted to look as natural and down to Earth as she could. She had chosen to wear a black pencil skirt and white blouse with black heels.

She looked a bit like a secretary but she wanted to be taken seriously and this was as far removed from her usual provocative look as she could get.

Luc had driven her there and was supporting her every step of the way. They entered the lobby of the building of Channel 44 studios, where the show was filmed.

Ignoring the stares of the people that were coming in and out of the building, Luc guided her to the reception's desk. A young, busty blonde in a tight blue dress greeted them excitedly,

"Welcome to Channel 44 Studios."

"Morning, Miss Stone is here to meet with the Uncovered crew and Joanne Waters," Luc informed her.

She looked him up and down, a slight smile on her face indicating that she was obviously checking him out, "Of course, they are expecting you. I will take you to them, follow me," she sashayed down the hallway, her heels clicking as she went.

Nerves took a hold of Chloe. She had done a hundred interviews in her career, all over the world but they were always just fluffy, fun and work related.

This is the first time she would delve into all aspects of her personal life. She had been plagued by so many demons that she had supressed for so long, and now they were all about to be dragged up and discussed in length for the world to watch and to judge.

Luc sensed her unease and took her hand. Squeezing it tightly, he smiled at her warmly, "You got this, babe. I will be here for you every step of the way. Think of it as cleansing your soul of all your sins so you can start the next chapter of your life."

"Thank you," she took a deep breath and followed the secretary, gripping onto Luc's hand for strength.

The bubbly blonde stopped in front of a studio door, "Here we are," she informed them, her eyes widening as she looked down at their entwined hands.

"Thank you," Chloe said.

After a few moments of watching them inquisitively, she made her way back down the hall.

"Are you OK?" Luc asked her tenderly, brushing her cheek with his spare hand.

"Yes, I will be. I need to do this." She buried her head into his

chest and took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of his cologne.

Besides Ana, nobody knew that she and Luc were actually together and it was not just another tabloid story.

Keeping it a secret had been relatively easy since they had not been in public together since becoming a couple. Now, she was about to catapult him into the spotlight and subject him to public judgement.

"I'm here, you know that."

She nodded, "I know."

"Come one then, let's do this," he opened the door for her and they entered the studio.

The area was quite small, a small stage was in the centre of the room, surrounded by lights and large cameras. Two were focused on the chair that Chloe was to sit on and the others were facing Joanne's chair. There was also another camera a bit further away that could film them both at the same time.

Fluffy sound booms hung overhead and portable bright lights lit up the two chairs. It looked very intimidating - but, she had done many interviews in the prime of her career so she knew how it would all go down. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Chloe Stone, it's a pleasure to meet you," a tall, lean brunette woman greeted her as she walked into the room. Chloe recognised her immediately, taking Joanne's outstretched hand and shaking it firmly.

"I am Joanne Waters and I will be conducting the interview with you today," she smiled sweetly, her kind, warm brown eyes putting Chloe's nerves at ease, "I would like to say thank you for allowing us the opportunity to speak with you. I think that it is incredibly brave of you to do this and that I'm sure it will be highly beneficial for you too," she was dressed smartly, in a dark navy suit with pants and a matching jacket which was buttoned all the way up to.

"Thank you so much, Joanne. It's nice to meet you, and thank you for agreeing to do this."

"Of course, it is my pleasure."

Chloe had heard all about Joanne from a few of her famous friends that had been interviewed by her before. She was a genuine and honest woman who was not interested in spinning lies to get ratings – she didn't need to; she was a hard hitting journalist who often got down to the nitty gritty truths of her subject - but she never embellished or fudged the facts.

She would show only what is said and how it was said – refusing to do any fancy editing to spin it in another direction.

Chloe knew this was going to be difficult but she had been mentally preparing herself for this all week and she knew it was the best option available to her to start again, afresh.

She felt an overwhelming urge to cleanse herself of all the negativity and what better way to do it then to bare all to the world?

She just prayed that her fans could forgive her, that they would appreciate her honesty and that she could have some sort of a chance at not only getting her career back, but that she could have a genuine shot at having a life for herself – a real life – not the miserable, drug addled existence she had been living.

A happy ever after with Luc...

"Please, have a seat," Joanne motioned to the large chair that was seated in front of her, "Are you ready?" she asked, sitting down herself.

Chloe looked over at Luc for some reassurance, he could see that she needed him and gave her a cheeky wink. She smiled warmly back at him. It was a huge comfort to her that he was with her.

Here it goes...

"There is water here for you. Can we get you a coffee, tea?"

Joanne pointed out the small table next to Chloe.

Chloe shook her head, "No thank you, I am fine."

An assistant touched up Joanne's make up and another adjusted the lights to make it perfect. Even though Chloe had already had her make up done at home before she left, the young girl touched hers up as well with more powder so that she wasn't shiny under the hot lights.

"Well, I am ready to jump right in and start, is that OK with you? I prefer to get to know the people while I am interviewing them instead of beforehand, it feels more natural that way,"

Joanne asked, taking a sip of water.

Chloe nodded, "Yes, that's fine."

She was ready to just get it over with. Joanne cleared her throat and looked directly into the camera focused on her, confidence oozed out of her as she had done this a hundred times before,

"Chloe Stone. A name that has become infamous and synonymous with hard partying, drug taking, fast living and reckless abandonment. From teenage superstar to prison inmate.

She is a tabloid fixture whom the world cannot get enough of.

She dominates the covers of tabloid magazines, is all over entertainment shows worldwide, and seems to be the story that keeps on giving and continues to surprise us. The scandals are many, but so are the successes. It is easy to forget amidst all the drama that only a few years ago, Chloe Stone was a very successful pop star who had three multiplatinum albums that have sold in the tens of millions. She dominated the charts and was an idol for tweens and teens all over the world. Her raw talent and beauty achieved her more success than any wannabe musician could ever ask for. So, what happened? What is the real truth? Is she truly ready to change her life and turn herself around like she has been recently proclaiming? She has certainly been keeping a low profile lately, after a series of horrifying attacks by a crazed stalker. Well, tonight, we are going to delve deep into the enigma that is Chloe Stone, as she sits down with me to bare it all on tonight's edition of Uncovered," She turned to face Chloe, "Chloe, welcome."

"Thank you for having me, Joanne. I am so glad to be here."

"Well, it's hard to know where to start with you. For somebody so young, you have lived quite a life already."

Chloe laughed, "Yeah, that introduction was quite confronting,"

Joanne smiled warmly, "It must be weird to hear somebody talk about your life like that and sum it up in one paragraph.

But then again, you have had people talking about you from a very young age. Judging you, photographing every move that you make, documenting every mistake for the world to see.

Stalking your life. It must be hard to live that way, especially as you suffer from the inner demons that seem to have plagued you so publicly for such a long time. So, I guess the best place to start would be the beginning. Tell us about your childhood."

Still extremely nervous, but feeling at ease around Joanne, Chloe decided to bare it all and hope for the best.

"Wow, where do I even start? I didn't have a happy childhood.

I didn't know my father growing up, and I still don't know who he is. My mother doesn't even know who he is. She ran away from home at a young age and she has refused to speak about her parents so I do not know who they are either, or whether or not I have Aunties and Uncles or cousins. So, it was just the two of us."

"That must have been hard, not having a father or any extended family."

"It was what it was; thousands of kids grow up without their fathers. I didn't know any different. I was always jealous of my friends at school who seemed to have the perfect life, the white picket fence, the loving dad who goes to work to provide them with nice things, the mother who was waiting at home for them after school with freshly baked cookies, eagerly waiting to hear all about their day. But in reality, nobody's family is perfect and the more I looked behind the façade of the quote – unquote perfect family, the more it became apparent that there was no such thing. My life was fucked up, but so were a lot of other people's. At least mine wasn't fake."

Joanne nodded, "Your mother has certainly not held anything back. Her biography and tell all about your life was no holds barred. You had an infamous and very public falling out over it, was what she wrote about in the book accurate? Did you feel betrayed, and is that why you lashed out at her?"

Chloe took a deep breath, "I was deeply hurt when my mother wrote that book about me, calling me out for being a bad daughter, saying how she had been a struggling single parent, but had done the best that she could to raise me with what little she had. That she sacrificed things for herself to support me in achieving my wishes to become a pop star and famous. In her opinion, when I achieved that goal, thanks to her, I coldly cut her off financially and left her to become destitute and broke.

She claimed that I was selfish and ungrateful. The truth could not have been further from that bullshit story. She is a self-centred, mean drunk and raging drug addict. She abused me mentally and physically my entire younger life. She deeply despised the fact that she had fallen pregnant with me and was lumbered with a child that she didn't want and whom she had to support and raise alone. I was left to fend for myself, learning to feed myself, dress myself, get ready for school by myself and get there by myself while she slept off a hangover until the afternoon. Once she woke up, she would start drinking again immediately so she was always smashed by the time I got home.

Most days I would go to my friend's houses', staying away for as long as I possibly could so I wouldn't have to go home and listen to her berate me and tell me how shit her life was. We were surviving on welfare and food stamps, but she never went to the supermarket, that was up to me to do.

There was never much food in the house and she never, ever cooked meals. I would gorge myself silly at friend's houses - I'm sure their parents were fed up with me being there all the time, raiding their cupboards and eventually being forced to go home at night time - but they didn't have the heart to tell me that I wasn't welcome. They knew my mum and they knew my situation and I am sure that they felt sorry for me."

"Wow, that's heavy stuff for a young child to go through," Joanne shook her head gently in disgust.

Chloe shrugged nonchalantly, "Like I said, it was what it was. I learnt to adapt, I became very independent - I had to be. My only escape was music. I would turn my radio up in my room and sing my heart out. MTV was my only company on the weekend mornings and I would watch it religiously, copying the dance moves, learning the lyrics. It became my passion. When my mother realised that I could really sing, she had the idea that if I was to become famous, I could be her meal ticket. She channelled all her energy into making me a star. It actually pulled her out of her funk and gave her a dream, and I was just grateful for the fact that she was paying attention to me and it was something that we could bond over. And despite the fact she took it to the extreme – like she did everything else in her life - making me practice for hours and hours a day, I performed relentlessly, desperate to please her."

Chloe took a sip of water, steeling herself from letting the tears building up in her eyes stream down her face. She was determined not to cry.

Joanne nodded sympathetically, "Your mother was ultimately the one who made you what you became, she says in her book how she contacted music producers, record labels, DJ's, radio stations, anybody that she could think of continuously until somebody finally listened to you and gave you a chance. It's music folklore that Rodd Redd discovered you as a young child and signed you to his label."

"Yes, as a young, impressionable thirteen year old. By the time I was fourteen, the first album was released and I was an overnight success."

"That kind of fame and fortune at a young age has said to be a contributing reason why you have uh..." Joanne seemed to struggle to find the right words to not offend Chloe whilst still getting the point across.

"Gone off the rails?" Chloe helped her out.

"Well, yes."

"Oh, it definitely was. After the way I had grown up, to suddenly be surrounded by people who bent over backwards to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, combined with suddenly having a lot of money and access to all the parties, and drugs and drinking... the Hollywood lifestyle, it was overwhelming. But not just for me, for my mum as well, as everybody knows."

"Yes, your mother not only syphoned hundreds of thousands of dollars from you, but she then proceeded to blow it all on partying..."

"Yep, on drugs, shopping, supporting all of the younger men that she seemed to rotate through her life quite quickly."

"It's not surprising that you went down the wrong path under those circumstances.

Having no decent role model in your life, then being around that lifestyle is a recipe for disaster. It's well documented how you emancipated yourself from your mother at seventeen. A move that you surely must have felt necessary."

Chloe nodded, "Absolutely, I didn't want to at first - I felt that I owed her. After all, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have had all that money in the first place. But, after my accountant and manager sat me down and went through exactly what was going on and how much she was stealing from me, I felt like I was left with no choice. I had been giving her quite a substantial amount of money every week, more than enough for her to live a very comfortable lifestyle, but she couldn't help herself from taking more and more. She was in charge of my money because of my age and she was bleeding me dry."

"That must have been very hard for you to do," Joanne took Chloe's hand in hers and smiled warmly at her.

Chloe took a deep breath, she despised talking about her mother. She knew that she would be baring her soul today, but talking about the past - as much as she was being very matter of fact about it - still cut her deeply. She had never wanted to be estranged from her mother who was literally her only family, but Donna had done everything that she could to destroy Chloe when she had been cut off financially and that was unforgivable.

A lot of this drama Chloe had been supressing for years, masking the pain with her drug addiction and live fast lifestyle.

Now that she was clean and sober, talking about all of this was reopening all the old wounds. Joanne sensed that Chloe was uncomfortable, "Moving on from your childhood and the early years for now; can you talk to us a bit about your numerous brushes with the law, you have quite an extensive rap sheet.

From theft, to the assault on the nightclub bouncer to numerous drink driving charges, the last one resulting in a prison sentence..."

Chloe nodded in agreement, "I have made a lot of stupid decisions. The drink driving I regret deeply, not only was I endangering myself, but also others."

The memories of that time in her life were a blur. Those embarrassing incidents had happened when she was at her worst with her drug use and unfortunately, the public had followed every sordid detail through the media. The tabloids had a field day with it.

"You were sentenced to sixty days in jail after your third driving offence. You were drunk and high on cocaine, driving the wrong way down the street and crashed into two parked cars. You only served twenty two days due to overcrowding, but still; that must have been terrifying time for you. What was it like for you in jail?"

Chloe closed her eyes. That had been the lowest point of her life. Being incarcerated with violent, unpredictable criminals had been a nightmare, but she had also had to endure painful withdrawals from the drugs and alcohol whilst in there for the first week and she had been incredibly sick. Thankfully, she had been given crack and OxyContin by a fellow prisoner who was a big fan and Chloe's and had spent the last two weeks high in her cell, avoiding going anywhere near the other inmates.

"That was a very dark time for me. It should have been my rock bottom, but unfortunately it was not. Being in prison was shocking and deeply disturbing. I can't even describe how it felt to be locked up and have all your freedoms taken away from you, and then be subjected to the madness that occurs behind those walls. Unless you have experienced it, you cannot understand. It was dirty, cold and stank terribly. The women were from all walks of life, but the ones who were in there for a long time ruled the rest, there was definitely a hierarchy and you had to respect that or you would be risking a beating. I witnessed some shocking scenes, multiple inmates bashing one woman, throwing cups of their urine on each other, I saw a young girl stabbed in the yard repeatedly with a pen because she had been flirting with the wrong woman, lesbian sex for everyone to see...

It was a different world. I was very lucky that I had a few allies on my side and they protected me from the dangers. Paying off fellow prisoners also helped to secure my safety. All I could think about in there was what if I had killed somebody else whilst driving intoxicated, not only would I be responsible for killing another human being, but I could potentially spend my life behind those walls and that was a terrifying thought."

"It should have been a wake-up call for you, as it would have been for anybody else. However, you did not use that opportunity to turn your life around. You were charged with theft mere months after leaving prison and sued for stealing over five thousand dollars' worth of merchandise."

"That was a misunderstanding that got out of control. The store had delivered a bunch of clothes and bags to my house, intending for me to shop from home and return what I didn't want. Unfortunately, being in the wrong head space that I was in at the time – well, honestly, I was high on drugs - I just presumed that I could keep the merchandise free of charge and I never returned anything or paid for it. I was always being sent free clothes and accessories to wear from a variety of companies so I didn't think twice about it. They tried to contact me to return it but I was uncontactable at the time. Then, when I was photographed wearing the clothes, the store decided to press charges."

Joanne understandingly nodded her head and took a deep breath, "You were very lucky as your lawyer managed to keep you from returning to jail. The judge accepted that it could have been a misunderstanding and settled for a longer probationary period instead."

Chloe nodded, "I know, I was very, very lucky."

"How about a lighter subject. What about your love life? We haven't really ever seen you with a serious boyfriend, yet you have certainly dated a fair few people over the years, quite a few of them were very famous faces. Have you given much thought to meeting Mr Right? Or is that the furthest thing from your mind at the moment?"

Chloe shuffled in her seat nervously and looked over at Luc for reassurance. He looked hesitant at the prospect that he was about to be outed as Chloe Stone's boyfriend to the world and thrown headfirst into the celebrity stratosphere. His life was about to change forever, yet Chloe was confidant if anybody could handle it, it was Luc.

"I do actually have something that I would like to say about that, Joanne."

"You do?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yes, I have found somebody who I have fallen in love with.

He is not only my protector and keeping me safe, but he is the most genuine person I have ever known."

"Who is he? Please tell..."

Chloe motioned with her hands for Luc to come over. He hesitated for a moment, a concerned look on his face – they hadn't discussed him talking on camera so Chloe was putting him on the spot. He shot her a look as if to say 'Are you serious?!' then went and joined Chloe's side. Joanne's eyes grew wide in shock as Luc strolled over, her mouth dropping open as she looked him up and down.

"Uh, wow! I was not expecting this..."

"This is Luc DeSilva. He is my bodyguard - and now, my partner," Chloe didn't want to use the word boyfriend, it sounded so childish.

Luc held his hand out and Joanne shook it, "Nice to meet you, Miss Waters."

"Very nice to meet you too, Luc," she smiled widely, "Well, congratulations to you both, please tell me how you two got together."

"I hired Luc to protect me after the stalker attacks. We spent so much time together and we slowly developed feelings for each other. It's still early stages but I am extremely happy."

"Well, there you go. Chloe Stone is in a relationship. Luc, can

you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Luc shifted uncomfortably as a production assistant placed a chair next to him to sit down on, "Uh, what would you like to know?"

"How long have you been a bodyguard?"

"Only for around a year, I was in the Marine Corps for years before that. After returning back to the United States, I started working in private protection."

"Well, may I just say thank you so much for your service,"

"Uh, thank you."

"Have you represented any other celebrities?"

"No, Chloe is the first...."

"Was it love at first sight?"

Luc looked at Chloe, his usually calm composure was under threat as he felt extremely out of his comfort zone, "Uh, the feelings developed when I got to know her. Of course, she is incredibly beautiful but her personality is what I am the most attracted too."

"Are you still employed as the bodyguard?"

Chloe could see that Luc had had enough and she felt as though that question was extremely inappropriate. It could come across as though she was paying him to date her, or that he may have been after her money by dating her so quickly.

"Luc is my hero, I feel so safe around him," Chloe jumped in, saving him and not directly answering the question.

Sensing Luc was a man of few words, Joanne turned her attention back to Chloe, "I am so happy for the two of you. It is so fantastic seeing you so healthy and happy and getting your life back on track. It can be a difficult move to make, but it looks like you are on the right road."

"Thank you. I feel so good. It has taken me a while to get here but I received a much needed wakeup call that kicked me into action."

"Yes, you certainly did. May we talk about the 'attacks' that have happened recently?"

Chloe shifted uneasily.

Luc sensed her tension and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Yes, of course," she took a deep breath and a sip of water, steeling herself to relive those traumatic events.

"It's been well documented that a crazed fan has been stalking you and violently attacked you. What happened the first time he appeared at your house?"

"I was at home alone, having a few drinks in the hot tub and unwinding when the doorbell rang. That is unusual, because nobody can get onto my property – except for a select few people and they have keys. If somebody uninvited wants to come onto the property, they can't even buzz the house from the gate as you need a code to do that, something we set up when I got harassed by fans on the celebrity home tour buses.

People wanting to gain access to the grounds need to go through my assistant, Ana."

Chloe went on to retell the horrific details of the initial incident; then went through the restaurant assault and then when Rocky had been killed.

Joanne and the crew listened in stunned silence.

A lot of the information had been kept out of the press. After she had explained the incidents, Joanne asked a couple of questions, about whether the police had any leads, but Chloe didn't have much to tell her.

All she could say was that she desperately hoped that her stalker

would be caught and imprisoned very soon.

The atmosphere in the room had grown so dark after the morbid conversation, that Joanne's producer had decided it would be a good time for a short break.

Luc led Chloe to the corner of the room, out of ear shot of the crew, "Are you OK?" He asked, running his hand through her hair and stroking her cheek.

She nodded, "Yeah – it's just so terrifying thinking about all of this. It is emotionally exhausting talking about my fucked up childhood, jail, all of the shit that I have done wrong in my life – and then reliving the attacks by that nut case..."

Luc pulled her in close and rubbed her back gently, kissing the top of her head, "I know. You are doing so well, honey. I am so incredibly proud of you. You are the strongest person I know, and I have met some tough bastards in my time."

"Thanks, babe. It's because of you."

They cuddled for a few moments and Chloe snuggled into his broad chest. He made her feel so safe. She felt like she could conquer anything with him by her side.

"Are you ready, Chloe?" Joanne called out as she resumed her seat.

"Yeah, let's get it done," she kissed Luc and went to sit back down.

As the cameras rolled again, Joanne smiled warmly, "How about something a bit more positive and upbeat, you are working on a new album. Can you tell us much about it?"

"This is the first time I have written my own lyrics. It has been so therapeutic to me to pour my heart and soul into these tracks.

I truly believe it will be my greatest album yet. I am approaching the process in a completely different way this time around. I can't wait for it to be released. To say I am proud of it is an understatement."

"You are working with Lil Weez, correct?"

"Yep, he is such a legend at what he does and having him by my side as I work on this project has been so inspiring."

"Is the music going to be a similar vibe as your last albums?"

"There is actually quite a mash up happening on this one. I have a few emotional ballads on there. 'Mother, Please' speaks from a child's point of view about growing up in an unstable and loveless home. There is another yet to be named song about the reality of a young teen thrust into the spotlight and exposed to the dangers of drugs and predators. Then of course, there are a few catchy dance, club tunes which is what my fans expect from me. I have poured everything into this and I cannot wait for everybody to hear it."

"That's fantastic. Well, it certainly looks like this year is shaping up to be Chloe Stone's year – you are in a happy relationship with a man that obviously cares a lot about you a lot, your career is looking at taking a very positive turn and – most importantly, you are sober. I cannot tell you how excited I am for you and for your future. I also have every faith in our police department that they will catch this man that has been harassing you and that he is taken off the streets as soon as possible."

"Thank you so much," Chloe looked directly into the camera,

"And can I just say, if anybody out there knows who this Vincent guy is – I don't know if that is actually his real name or not – but please, please call the police and let them know. Any information whatsoever is going to be greatly appreciated. And Vincent - or whoever you are - if you are watching this, please turn yourself in. You obviously need a lot of help and I really

want to see you get better and receive the proper treatment."

"Well said. It has been an absolute pleasure talking to you, Chloe. Thank you so much."

"No, thank you, Joanne for giving me this opportunity to express to the world just how much I am trying to turn my life around. I am asking my fans for forgiveness for all of the mistakes I have made in my life and I am doing my best to become a better person that everybody in my life can be proud of."

"I think that is a beautiful and very positive note to end this interview on. Thank you very much for being so candid and honest with me today, I know the viewers are very excited to hear your side of the story."

"My pleasure, thank you."

VINCENT

"VINCENT!!"

Vincent swore under his breath at the sound of his mother's shrill voice calling out for him. The old bag that he despised so deeply was constantly demanding him to run around after her.

He couldn't wait to escape with Chloe and live far away from the Hell that was his miserable life.

His mother, Edith was a seventy five year old invalid who had started to show signs of dementia. Vincent was the primary care giver for her and it was exhausting. All she did during her days was lay in bed in her dark, filthy room and watch her soap operas. Vincent had to bathe her, cook her meals and clean up after her when she did not make it to the bathroom and soiled herself – something he had a feeling that she did on purpose just to punish him. To add insult to injury, Edith was a miserable old woman who revelled in constantly reminding her son of what a disappointment he was to her and how much she regretted ever having him. Berating her only child every chance she got was a sick enjoyment for the twisted Edith McVeigh.

She had severely beaten Vincent throughout his childhood,

teenage years and even into adulthood. She still thought nothing of whacking him with her heavy walking stick or throwing heavy objects at him.

She hated her son and made no secret of it. Vincent deeply loathed her too - but she was his mother and he felt that it was his duty to care for her until she died. He was eagerly awaiting that day and had many fantasies about killing her.

Receiving a carer's allowance and her pension was how they survived, but it also prevented him from going out and getting a job so he was stuck in the tiny derelict house that they had lived in his whole life, just the two of them. She barely allowed him to leave the house, unless it was to buy groceries.

Deep depression had plagued him for many years, until he had first laid eyes upon the gorgeous Chloe Stone. Her music videos had turned him on in a way that he had not experienced since he had been a teenager.

Vincent had only slept with two women in his life, a forty nine year old friend of his mothers' had seduced him when he was a vulnerable, young fourteen year old virgin. He had not wanted to sleep with the drunk, overweight housewife with the large saggy breasts and a few missing teeth, but she had molested him whenever they were alone. When his body had involuntarily responded to her advances and he had gotten an erection - despite not being attracted to her at all – she had taken that as an invitation to go ahead and have sex with him.

She took advantage of him multiple times until his mother had walked in on them one afternoon. Instead of blaming her friend for sexually abusing her child, she had accused Vincent of being a horny out of control, disgusting teenager that couldn't keep his dick in his pants. Edith had punished Vincent by forcing him to take his pants down and hitting him repeatedly on his penis with a wooden ruler as he screamed in pain and begged for mercy every single day for a month.

That incident had put him off sexual intimacy with a woman until he was in his mid-twenties.

At that time, his mother had forced him to quit high school and work at a local McBurger's full time to support them both from the age of sixteen because – in her words – she didn't want to pay for his freeloading, lazy ass and he owed it to her to step up and be a man. He had been there for nine years and had advanced to assistant manager when a seventeen year old girl named Amy Henderson had started working there after school.

The moment he had laid eyes upon her, a sexual urge rose up inside of him for the first time in years. Amy was a petite brunette who stood at five foot one, a stark difference to his six foot three, lanky self.

He had been attracted to her immediately and had taken it upon himself to train her personally. Vincent had always been very socially awkward around people at the best of times, he had no friends and didn't go anywhere but work and home, so trying to flirt with this young girl was very difficult for him.

To his initial surprise, she had flirted back. Amy took full advantage of his crush on her and used Vincent for whatever she could - going home early, arriving late, borrowing money from him which she never paid back, using his car, taking days off and just generally leading him on.

Over time, Vincent convinced himself that Amy wanted him too and was just playing hard to get. He showered her with presents which she happily accepted, and she even started to ask for particular items, including expensive shoes which had wiped

him of his savings.

He fell madly in love with her and believed that they would be together soon - like she continued to lead him to believe.

However, Amy constantly refused his invitations to join him for dinner or a coffee, making up lame excuses to brush him off.

Becoming more and more obsessed with her, Vincent had begun following her home, leaving love notes on her car and flowers at her doorstep.

After repeated rejections from Amy, Vincent had grown more and more frustrated with her. The final straw had come one night when they had both been working late.

Vincent had been stacking burger patties in the large walk in freezer when he overheard Amy talking to two other male employees in the kitchen, mocking him and making fun of the fact that he was constantly buying her gifts and giving her money.

They obviously did not know he was in there.

She called him a disgusting, fat loser and said she would not touch him if he was the last man on Earth. A rage had overwhelmed Vincent as he had stood amongst the shelves of frozen produce. After everything that he had done for her, she had played him for a fool and was laughing about it with other people, embarrassing him. He had hidden in the freezer, too humiliated to walk out and expose that he had heard them talking about him. He came close to getting hypothermia before they had finally left the kitchen and allowed him to exit, the hairs on his body frozen and icicles forming in his clothes.

When her shift had ended that night, Vincent followed Amy into the dark carpark and approached her as she was getting into her car.

He tried talking to her about what he had overheard, but she had lashed out instead, furious at being confronted and caught out and told him to fuck off and that he was an ugly creep who was an idiot to ever think that she would go out with a guy like him.

Enraged, Vincent grabbed her by her hair and forced her into the backseat of her car. Amy had tried to scream but he had covered her mouth with his hand, overpowering her. She had been wearing a skirt which he had lifted up and ripped off her underwear.

He forced himself inside of her, brutally raping her right there in the back of her car in the empty lot, repeatedly telling her that she 'owed him'.

When he was done with her, he casually zipped his pants back up and had gone back into work, leaving her crying hysterically in the vehicle.

He truly believed that she deserved it for everything that he had done for her. She could not just lead him on and use him and not give him anything in return.

An hour later, much to the shock of the customers and the staff on duty, the cops had come in to the McBurgers restaurant and arrested him for rape.

Vincent had pleaded not guilty, telling them that Amy had wanted to have sex. It went to court but due to the lack of evidence because Amy had refused to testify against him out of fear, he had been let go with severe warnings from the judge.

Vincent had been fired from his job and became a social outcast in his area, with word spreading quickly that he was a sexual predator.

He became a recluse at home with his mother, barely leaving the

house.

He had not slept with anyone since.

Spending his days watching television and gaming online, he had come across Chloe Stone's music videos and become instantly consumed with her. She quickly became his obsession and he watched the videos, her interviews and anything else he could find of her online for hours and hours a day. He wrote to her every week, pouring his heart out to her and confessing his undying love to her and she would send back thank you cards and signed photographs of herself. He bought every item of merchandise that he came across and created a virtual shrine to her in his bedroom, with posters of her adorning every inch of wall space. He masturbated over them constantly, dreaming of the day he would get to make love to her in real life.

He wanted more than anything to be intimate with Chloe Stone.

He didn't just want to fuck her though, he wanted to be in a relationship with her and make a life for them both. He was in love with her.

Vincent just had to make Chloe understand his intentions, she needed to let him explain that he wanted to save her from herself and take her away from the seedy, destructive life she was living in Hollywood. According to the magazines and internet gossip sites, she had become a drug addict and slept with so many random men that she was disgracing herself.

Vincent could take her away from it all and they could live a nice, quiet life together.

Forever...

She would be reluctant at first – after all she did not know him properly yet - but he knew that she would fall in love with him if he could just get her away from the bad influences in her life and

start afresh.

They were meant to be together; he was sure of it. Nobody would love her like he loved her.

He knew that he had to take her by force but he was prepared to do that to save her and give them the life they both deserved.

Vincent had become increasingly frustrated the past couple of weeks as his attempts to take Chloe away had failed. He had found the perfect place for them to be alone after weeks of scouting the Death Valley desert where they could live together and where nobody would find them. It was perfect, an old abandoned town that sat in the middle of nowhere and was not easy to locate or get to. He had looked long and hard for a place that ideal.

Once he had found their future home, Vincent had started moving supplies out there and getting one of the remaining hundred year old houses comfortable enough for them both to live in. The dwelling had taken a beating over the years, abandoned and left to rot in the harsh elements but with a little work, it would be liveable.

He had made two trips out there, the first was to scout out the location and the second was to stock it with tinned foods, flour to make bread, hundreds of bottles of water, medical supplies, toiletries and other necessities.

He was ready to go.

Yet, he had not been able to get close to Chloe. She had been in hiding at her mansion for nearly a month, only leaving a handful of times.

Despite his best efforts to get close, he had been put off by the

vicious guard dog and bodyguard that she had hired. Vincent had also watched the security company install a high tech system around the house from his car across the street.

When the bodyguard had come out onto the street and started noting down all the number plates of the cars parked there and taking photos of them, Vincent had hastily taken off and had to find other means of getting close, which was not easy since his image had been splashed all over the news in a police sketch.

Vincent had made an attempt to disguise his appearance, wearing a black wig underneath a baseball cap and dark glasses, but it was still very risky that he could be caught.

He did not need anybody getting in the way of his plans, especially the pretty boy so called bodyguard that had been acting like he owned the joint.

He was taking Chloe and that was all that he could think about.

It consumed him every minute of every hour. He would not stop until he had her.

Vincent had attempted to reach out to her, sending flowers and gifts to her house so that she knew he was still thinking of her and was going to take her away from this insane life, but the bodyguard and her assistant intercepted them from being delivered and refused to let them onto the grounds. The police had collected each gift. Vincent had become increasingly frustrated with each passing day. He was ready to go and yet he could not figure out a way to get to Chloe.

The dog and the guard had to go.

He concluded that if he could get them out of the way, he had a decent chance of getting to her.

So, he had then turned his attentions on how to achieve this and had come up with a plan to destroy the dog. Vincent had shot at two security cameras mounted at the front of her house using his rifle with the homemade silencer attached whilst he was hidden in the bushes on the street. He had then scaled the wall the same way he had the first time, in a spot that was not visible from the gate or the road thanks to large trees that hid him. The mangy mutt had seen him and had tried to attack, barking ferociously and relentlessly.

Vincent had his machete ready and had managed to stab the dog a few times from the safety of the wall until it was finally dead.

Seeing the guard come out of the house with no shirt on and his pants unbuttoned, followed by a flustered Chloe had been a big shock.

He had been fucking Chloe...

The rage inside Vincent had exploded. He hacked at the bloodied head of the dead dog until it came off and displayed it on the water fountain, writing SOON in blood on the driveway to let Chloe that he would be taking her the first chance he got.

He would worry about revenge on the bodyguard later.

"VINCENT!!! GET YOUR LAZY, WORTHLESS ASS IN HERE NOW!"

The shrill of his mother's voice interrupted his thoughts. His evil, putrid excuse for a mother. Vincent absolutely despised the woman who had degraded him his entire life.

He had come up with a plan for her too.

Edith relied entirely upon Vincent for her own survival, he literally did everything for her, she could not even eat without him.

There was no way he could just leave with Chloe and let her fend for herself as she was completely incapable of that and they had no money for a live-in care facility plus there was no chance in hell she would ever let him take her to one.

After thinking it through for a while, Vincent had concluded that the only option was to kill her.

That way, he would be done with his Mother forever and could live care free knowing that she was gone.

As much as the thought of leaving her home alone to slowly rot to death in the bed that she couldn't leave was a very tempting thought, a nagging guilt kept creeping over him that he could not do that to the woman who had birthed and raised him - no matter how much her suffering that brutal death would have been justified for the depraved life she had bestowed upon him.

Edith made the decision easier for him to live with every time she barked an order at him and called him a useless little faggot.

Every time he had to bathe her wrinkly, putrid body or wipe her ass after she had done a shit, the images of strangling her to death turned him on.

The more time that went by since he had made the gruesome decision, the more he looked forward to ending her life.

At first, his plan had included leaving her body in the house to rot away, but after much thought he realised his plan was flawed.

The body would eventually start to smell and alert the neighbours. Once her body was found murdered, the police would more than likely name his as their main suspect.

The fact that he would be wanted for the murder of his mother, and that his name is Vincent and he resembles the man in the police sketch and he was missing would surely set off alarm bells for them as Chloe would also be missing and the man hunt for her would be huge. He could not give away that he was the one that had her. He would be covering his tracks as best as he possibly could, but if the police knew that it was him who kidnapped Chloe, they would thoroughly investigate Vincent's life and something that might have been overlooked by him could give away where he was hiding out with her.

His only option would be to dispose of Edith's body.

"VINCENT! GET THE FUCK IN HERE YOU FAT LOSER!!"

A shudder went down Vincent's spine as he anxiously paced around the small living room.

He had decided that tonight was the night. The sooner that he got rid of her the sooner he could concentrate on grabbing Chloe.

Earlier that afternoon, with excitement and adrenalin brimming inside of him, he had visited his local hardware store and purchased a bone saw, a large plastic drop sheet, large heavy duty bin bags, a shovel and duct tape. The young girl at the counter eyed him off strangely, obviously disturbed at his purchases.

"I hunt deer," he smiled warmly at her, attempting to laugh off the situation and kicking himself for purchasing everything in one place at the same time. The cashier had forced an uncomfortable smile, but did not look at him or say anything as she quietly scanned the items, "That's a hundred and forty nine dollars," she informed him.

Panic overcame Vincent.

He had wanted to pay with cash, to not leave any evidence of his purchases. He did not want to pay on a card, but he only had a hundred and thirty dollars on him.

"Uhhh, I might have to put something back..." he mumbled, aware that the three people standing impatiently in line behind him were staring at him intently. The large man directly beside him cleared his throat dramatically, implying that he was growing increasingly agitated with waiting.

Frazzled, Vincent took the shovel and shoved it to one side, "I won't buy this." He threw the money at the stunned girl, grabbed his supplies and ran out the door.

So much for going unnoticed.

He had driven home slowly, constantly checking his rear view mirror, paranoid that police cars would be behind him at any moment.

As desperate as he was to race home, he could not risk getting pulled over by police with his suspicious purchases in the boot.

An agonising fifteen minutes later, he had pulled into his driveway. Looking around cautiously, there wasn't many people on the street. An elderly man three houses away was hunched over, watering his lawn in a stained white singlet and baggy grey sweatpants. A young woman walked her Jack Russell puppy as she chatted away on her phone, heading in the opposite direction.

Neither of them acknowledged Vincent. Unloading his loot from the trunk, he quickly retreated inside. His heart was racing a mile a minute, the reality of what he was about to do made him nervous but also strangely excited. He had wanted to kill the old bag for as long as he could remember.

Now that the day was finally upon him, he felt relieved.

"VINCENT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!

WANKING OFF AGAIN!?"

Ignoring her, Vincent went about setting up his 'kill room'. He had watched the TV show 'Dexter' many times and had taken away some good tips about how to not leave a trace of the murder behind. If there is no 'crime scene', then there would be no crime to investigate.

He set about moving the mouldy old couches back against the walls, giving him ample room in the living room. They had not been moved in years and large amounts of dust and rubbish were underneath them. Vincent kicked it all off to one side. Rolling up the musty, tattered old rug, he ignored his mother's stream of angry abuse and whistled quietly to himself, becoming more excited and energised. Unfolding the drop sheet, he shook it out and placed it on the wooden floor boards. He was hoping that it would be thick enough to do the job of holding the blood, and keeping it off the floor.

Next, he took the bone saw, garbage bags and duct tape and lined them up on the edge of the drop cloth. He had been weighing up the different options of how to dispose of her body, and he came to the conclusion that doing it like Dexter was the best option.

He would chop her body into small parts, wrapping them in garbage bags and securing them with duct tape.

He originally planned to bury them in the garden, but after having to leave the shovel behind, he had to change his plan.

Now, he had decided he would drive a fair way out of town and dump the limbs in different bins, far away from each other.

He looked around at his work, his kill room was complete.

Smiling, he made himself a polony and cheese sandwich and sat

down, listening to his mother's tirade becoming increasingly

more vile and louder.

As he ate, he contemplated what he was about to do and was not in the slightest bit apprehensive. He had fantasised about doing this, playing different scenarios out in his head. Now, it was about to become a reality. He was going to kill her, be free, take Chloe and live out the rest of his life in pure happiness.

The way he had always wanted it to be.

Standing up, he washed and put away his plate, then whistling quietly to himself, he walked into his mother's bedroom. The putrid stench hit him as soon as he entered the small, filthy room like a smack in the face. Gagging, he covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Edith glared at him angrily from her bed, "I fucking shat myself because of you, you disgusting piece of shit!"

She spat viciously at him. It wasn't the first time she had done this, but it would definitely be the last. She had no idea that she was living out the final moments of her sorry excuse for a life.

Her trashy soaps were playing on the old television in the corner, her plate of half eaten food from the morning sat on the bedside table next to her. As usual, the blinds were drawn shut, leaving the room dark – just the way she liked it.

"Well, what are you waiting for?! Put me in the fucking shower.

How dare you just stand there like a loser when I am covered in my own crap!"

Vincent stared at her, his mind racing. He had intended to come in and smother her with a pillow, then drag her body out to the living room where he could dissect her, but the thought of dealing with her body while it was covered in disgusting faeces was too much for him to bare.

He had no choice. He would have to bathe her.

Then, a thought popped into his head, he would bathe her and

he would drown her. It would be so easy as she was so frail.

"How about a bath, Mother?" He asked, as he gathered up her blankets and sheets to put them into the washing basket.

"Why would I want a bloody bath? Put me in the shower, I am comfortable in there!" She growled, referring to the plastic chair she had in the shower for her to sit on.

"Aw, come on, Mother it will be nice,"

"What!? Are you some kind of fucking pervert? Do you want to fuck your own mother, you sick, twisted little cunt?"

She continued to argue with him and hurl vicious insults his way, but Vincent ignored her, going to the small bathroom and running the bath. Once it was half full, he went back into the bedroom. Doing his best to avoid the excrement smeared up her back, he helped her off the bed and she leaned on him as he walked her to the bathroom, the whole time with her protesting loudly that she did not want a bath.

Resisting the urge to just shove her under the water as she put up a fight, he carefully undressed her, trying not to throw up from the overpowering smell as he gagged profusely. He lowered her naked, sagging, shit covered body into the bath.

"You are a huge disappointment in my life, you know that don't you," she sighed angrily, "I should have aborted you the first chance I got. I never wanted you."

"I know, I know. You tell me that every day, Mother," he answered, trying to build up the courage to do what he was about to do. Her belittling him and awful insults actually helped make the fact he was about to end her life easier, "You have hated me my whole life, I have been nothing but a burden to you..."

"Damn straight, you worthless piece of shit. Ugly, fat loser."

He leant over the bath's edge, so he was just inches away from her face. The smell of her bad breath pierced his nostrils, but he stayed there, looking directly into her soulless black eyes. He wanted to savour every moment of this.

"Well, it's time you knew that I hate you too. I hate you more than any person I have ever known. You are a miserable, vile old bitch and I am going to break the hold you have over me.

Forever. No longer will I have to look after you, help you on the toilet and shower, wipe your disgusting ass, feed you, listen to your constant abuse. I am not going to be a slave to your demands anymore. It ends here. Today."

"What are you talking about you fucking creep? Shut the hell up and get me out of this goddamn tub and stop looking at my body."

"Chloe Stone and I are going to live happily ever after together," he looked away wistfully, a smile spreading across his face at the thought, "We are going to be so happy together.

Without you."

Edith cackled, laughing in his face, "Chloe Stone? The slutty pop star that you wank off to in your room? You are bat shit crazy. No girl is ever going to love you, especially not a famous one. You are an ugly loser. The only way you can get your dick wet is to rape a woman! And you know all about that now, don't you!"
With that last jab, Vincent saw red.

It was time.

"Good bye, Mother. Rot in hell, you evil, disturbed bitch. I am going to kill you and then I am going to chop you up into little pieces and throw your body parts into the garbage. Nobody is even going to notice that you are gone. You will not be missed."

Her eyes grew wide in shock as he held onto her shoulders and pushed her head down into the dirty water. She grabbed at his arms and dug her nails in deeply, scratching him as she desperately tried to get him off her. Her kicking and thrashing around caused water to spray up onto the wall and gush all over the floor.

Vincent was soaked, but he kept his tight grip on her despite the fact that she was so slippery. Watching her eyes bulge in fear through the murky water, he was overcome with a strange euphoria. He couldn't believe that he was actually doing it, he was watching the life leave her body. Her limbs thrashed weakly for another minute, then she started to slow down, her movements became less panicked.

Her eyes started to stare off behind him, instead of piercing into his. He kept his hold as she went limp, holding her head under the water, afraid to let her up in case she wasn't quite dead.

An eerie silence swept over the bathroom.

Vincent patiently waited a few more minutes until there was no way she could still be alive. He was now certain that she was dead.

As he pulled her lifeless body from the murky water, her eyes stared back at him, frozen in terror. Relief overwhelmed him and he sank down, sitting cross legged on the flooded tiled floor with her body laying over his knees. He had finally done what he had been dreaming of for a lifetime. She was finally gone, out of his life forever.

Looking at her body felt surreal. He was fascinated by the sight of his mother as a dead corpse.

Wrapping her torso in a towel so he didn't have to look at her

deflated breasts and vagina, he picked her up and carried her into

the lounge room.

Excited and nervous, he paced the room, staring at the body, psyching himself up for the dismemberment. He didn't have a strong stomach at the best of times, and he wasn't sure about how much blood there was going to be. He didn't know the best way to approach it, would there be a massive mess if he just started hacking at her limbs? Where was he supposed to cut?

Would it be easy or would he have to hack at her? Sitting down on the sofa, he rocked back and forth with his head in his hands.

Then, it came to him, like a lightbulb moment. He remembered reading about one of the infamous serial killers draining their victims' blood in bathtubs before chopping them up. He couldn't remember which one, but either way, it was an idea he was very happy with.

Picking up her body again, he took her back into the bathroom.

He drained the dirty water out and placed her body back into the tub. Retrieving the bone saw, he studied her body, trying to decide where to cut to drain her blood. Her wrists were an obvious choice as people used that method to kill themselves, so he picked up her limp arm and taking the blade, he pressed down where her vein was visible. Blood started seeping down her arm.

Excited, he pressed the blade harder and slid it down the length of her arm to her elbow. Taking her other arm, he did the same again. Dark red blood was slowly dripping into the tub, but it didn't seem like it was coming out fast enough. To hurry things along, he decided to slit her throat as well. Tilting her head back, he pushed the saw into her skin, dragging it across her exposed flesh. He went as deep as he could. This large cut was much more satisfying, blood poured down her chest and soaked into

the pale blue towel that was still draped around her.

Vincent sat and watched the deep red liquid flow from the wounds. He was mesmerised by the sight of it.

Fifteen minutes later, he realised it would take a while to drain all the blood from her body. He retreated to the lounge room and turned the television on, flicking through the channels mindlessly and waiting.

An hour later, he went into the bathroom to check on the progress. Congealed blood had stained the sides of the white porcelain tub and a thick puddle lay around the body. It was all over her. The bathroom resembled something out of a horror movie.

Turning on the tap, he started to rub water over the sticky mess, washing it away down the drain. Red water swirled around Edith as Vincent got to work scrubbing all her body with his hands. It took him another hour, but he had finally scrubbed all of it off the body and the sides of the bath.

He would still need to give the tub a good scrub with bleach, but he could do that later.

Now, here she lay. Clean and ready for dismemberment.

A NEW BEGINNING?

Joanne's interview with Chloe was not due to air for another week, as it needed to be edited and publicised, yet by the time they had left the Channel 44 building that afternoon, the paparazzi had already known all about it and were eagerly waiting for them to emerge. Somebody working at the studio must have tipped the paps off that Luc and Chloe had announced that they were officially a couple as they had been met by a barrage of questions and camera flashes from the waiting photographers and a large group of fans who had gathered there for the chance to meet her.

"Follow me," Luc instructed, taking Chloe's hand and guiding her through the crowd.

She waved at her fans and blew them kisses, but refusing to answer any of the questions as they rushed to their car, Luc shielding her the whole way and keeping her safe. He bundled her into the vehicle and hopped into the driver's side, warning the photogs to back away as they continued to snap photo's.

As Luc pulled out of the lot and tore off down the road, Chloe took a sigh of relief, "Wow, that interview was so intense. I feel

so drained."

Luc reached across and took her hand in his, "You did a fantastic job, I am so proud of you."

"Really? You don't think I went into too much of my childhood drama? I feel like it's so depressing talking about all that crap."

"Absolutely not, you spoke honestly and openly about your life which is what you went there to do. Your fans are going to appreciate you for doing that, they would know how hard it is for you to talk about."

"My Mom is going to have something to say about it. She will not miss an opportunity to fight back at me publicly and make some money at the same time."

"You really think she would do that?" He asked, getting frustrated as the paparazzi's vehicle's sped along beside them and weaved in and out of traffic to keep up.

"Absolutely," Chloe sighed in disappointment.

"Don't worry about her, she has said everything that she needed to say in her book, what more could she possibly have left? She has done all of the damage that she can already."

"That's true," Chloe turned and smiled warmly at him, "Thank you so much for being there with me today. I know it was hard for you to watch me out us as a couple to the world. Are you sure you don't have any regrets? The fact that the paps know already means it will be everywhere by tomorrow."

He smiled back and squeezed her hand, "I love you, Chloe.

Anything is worth it if it means I get to be with you."

"I love you too," she turned and looked out of the window as tears welled up in her eyes, "I have never truly loved anybody in my life before. Not like this, not true love. I know it sounds so corny, and I haven't even known you that long, but it just feels

right, you know?"

"I feel the same way, I honestly do. I will never hurt you, Chlo.

You know that don't you? I would do anything for you, I would die for you."

"I know you would, but it's not going to come to that," she giggled, "Thank you, though. I feel so safe with you."

Looking up at the bright sun in the cloudless, blue sky, she felt truly content. She was finally at peace with herself and with the direction in which her life was headed.

She wanted to be with Luc forever.

As Chloe had predicted, the internet went into meltdown as news of their relationship spread all around the world.

Rather than commenting on it themselves, Chloe and Luc let Liza handle all the press and chose instead to stay holed up in the house for the following couple of days to just enjoy being with each other. Neither of them particularly wanted to face the swarm of paparazzi that were camped out the front of the house.

However, as annoying as the paps were, their constant presence at her front gates whilst they waited for the couple to emerge had worked in their favour. It was a deterrent for Vincent to stay away, he would not be able to get close to the property or to Chloe without being spotted with that many people out there.

Those days alone, hibernating away from the world with Luc had been magical for Chloe. Ana had gone back to her own house so that they could be alone.

Chloe and Luc spent their time talking about anything and everything, opening up about their lives and their dreams. They lounged by and swam in the pool, had champagne in the hot tub, had sex in every room of the house, worked out regularly in the gym and Luc even taught her how to cook a few healthy, delicious meals.

They watched movies in her theatre room, played card games and just generally enjoyed each other's company. It was magical and Chloe fell more in love with him every day. Luc was like no man she had ever known before, he was so kind and considerate and thoughtful of her needs. He picked her beautiful bunches of flowers from the garden and bought her breakfast in bed every morning. It was like something straight out of a corny romance novel.

Chloe could not be happier or more content in this relationship.

It was what she had always wanted but had never known what she was missing.

However, as nice and satisfying as this quality time was, they could not stay hidden away from the world forever.

Chloe's confidence had grown significantly thanks to Luc and she was ready to start enjoying life again, outside.

Chloe received offers to various industry events every day and most of them she had just ignored but tonight was the premiere of the latest blockbuster movie, 'Hunt and Kill' and when Chloe had received the invitation, she had excitedly suggested to Luc that it was the perfect opportunity for them to go out and be photographed as an official couple. She knew the star of the movie and it was tipped to be the biggest film of the year, so why not see it in style? Luc had been unsure at first, but he too was starting to feel a bit of cabin fever and thought a night out sounded good. He was willing to do anything for Chloe so he agreed to go out and be paraded around as Chloe's boyfriend.

Chloe was beyond excited about having a night out with Luc.

Karen and Lloyd had come to the house to doll her up and she was loving the look they had gone with for her first big public appearance in what seemed like forever, a bold smoky eye with maroon lips for her makeup and her hair was teased high in wild, blonde curls. Chloe had dug through her wardrobe and picked out a short sexy, sparkly red dress that she had never worn before and sky high silver heels that were covered in hundreds of diamantes. She was dressed to impress.

When she had finally emerged out of her room, Luc was already in the foyer, dressed in a black suit with a black crisp shirt unbuttoned at the top, waiting for her to come down.

"Wow, you look stunning!" He gasped, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss when she descended down the staircase.

"Thank you, so do you," she grinned, "Watch my lipstick!" She gave him an air kiss and pulled back to admire him, "You seriously look so handsome, I love this suit! Are you sure you are ready for this? Announcing to the world that you are Chloe Stone's boyfriend?"

"You mean partner? You hate the word boyfriend," he laughed and playfully smacked her ass, "I couldn't be prouder."

"Yes, you are my partner," she drawled out in a snobby accent, laughing.

They shared a cuddle and a couple of kisses, just enjoying being in each other's arms. Luc smelled amazing, wearing the new fragrance Chloe had given him as a gift. She breathed in deeply, inhaling him and feeling her heart flutter.

She was interrupted from her love haze when Ana came

sashaying in the front door, dressed to the nines in a silver

vintage Chanel dress that she had raided from Chloe's wardrobe.

"Wow, look at the power couple! You both look amazing! I'll get a photo," she whipped out her iPhone and snapped a few pics of them as they cuddled up together, "I never thought I would see the day when Chloe would be settled down with a nice man, I love it! Your whole life is about to change Luc, you are going to be famous," she giggled.

"I know, but it's so worth it," he kissed Chloe gently on the top of her head, "She's so worth it."

"OK lovebirds," Ana laughed, a big smile on her face as she watched the two of them,

"Well the limousine is waiting for us out the front, are you ready?" she asked, checking her clutch and making sure she had everything she needed.

"Yes, we will meet you out there," Chloe told her, nestling her head into Luc's chest, being careful not to rub make up on him.

"Okay, woohoo – party time!" Ana laughed, grabbing a bottle of champagne to drink on the way.

Once she had left and gone outside, Chloe looked up into Luc's eyes, "I know I keep asking, but I need to be sure, are you a thousand percent positive that you want to do this?"

He laughed and gently kissed her on the head, "One hundred, thousand, million percent. I love you, Chloe. I know it's going to be a massive adjustment being in the public eye but I can live with that. Besides, they are not really interested in me, it is only because I am dating you that they will acknowledge me. I am sure that they will get bored of me very soon, I am not that exciting."

Chloe sighed. He really had no idea what he was getting himself into. He thought he did, but nobody could truly understand

fame until they had lived through it.

Being under a microscope for the world to pick you apart, to make up whatever they like and judge you on every move you make could be a very uneasy situation to be in. The public feel like they know you personally when they see you in public because they know so much about you and see your pictures everywhere.

Chloe had people grab her on the street, complete strangers grope at her inappropriately and hug and kiss her when they see her. Everybody expects a selfie and if you refuse, they carry on and on about how rude you are and how you don't appreciate the fans that got you to where you are in your career and made you famous in the first place. It is exhausting. She had to try and get through to Luc how hard it would be, what he had seen when he had gone out in public with Chloe was just the tip of the iceberg as to what she deals with on a daily basis.

There were no days off from being a celebrity.

"The press will make up stories about us, saying that we are breaking up every second weekend or that we have been cheating on each other. They will take random photos of us next to other people then make up stories to go along with them.

They will dig through your past for anything interesting that they can use. They will literally scoop to the lowest of the low to sell their magazines. They do not care about the truth. I just want you to really understand how hard it is going to be on us and on our relationship, being a celebrity couple."

"Honey, you're the celebrity, not me, I have no intentions whatsoever of being famous. Let them sell their bullshit stories, it is not going to affect me – or us in any way. We know the truth, and that is all that matters. I trust you and I love you.

And yes, I am fine with it all. I promise you. I wouldn't do this if I wasn't."

Chloe felt relieved. She didn't know what she would do if he changed his mind about being with her. Dating Chloe Stone was not going to be an easy feat and she loved him so much more for taking it on, "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met you. You have made me so unbelievably happy," she whispered, "I love you so much."

"I love you, Chloe. More than you will ever know."

They arrived at the beautiful old theatre in downtown Hollywood which was screening the premiere of 'Hunt and Kill'.

Having had a few glasses of champagne on the way over, Chloe was feeling alive and excited. She had always loved red carpet events, they were always so much fun and there were a lot of people she knew going tonight. The main star of the film, Morgan Montague was a friend of Chloe's, she had met him at many other events over the past couple of years and was so happy for him landing his first big action blockbuster role. The movie was tipped to be huge and there were already rumours of two sequels in the works.

Pulling up to the bottom of the steps, Luc got out and helped Chloe exit the limousine. They were immediately faced with a flurry of camera flashes and fans calling out to Chloe. He put his arm around her waist and stood there awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

Chloe sensed that he was uncomfortable so she took the lead, making their way up to the step and repeat, where other celebrities were taking it in turns to get their photo taken and do interviews.

"What do we do here?" He bent over and asked softly in her ear, his handsome face twisting in confusion at the manic swarm of people.

"This is where the press get all of their shots of the celebrities attending. If you are invited, you are required to take photos.

All the sponsors of the event have their logos behind us so the published photos gain a lot of exposure for them. I will take a couple on my own first, as they will demand that the second we step out there anyway. As soon as they are satisfied, I will grab you and we will pose together. Just stand there as comfortably as you can, don't get freaked out by the questions and demands that they will be shouting at you, I will handle it all. Then, we will go over and do the interviews. We keep them very short, you answer one or two questions then move on to the next one. Any questions you are uncomfortable with, just politely brush them off or say that you will not be speaking about that. But, don't worry I will be there by your side and I have done this a thousand times," she held his hand softly and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"O.K," he looked around nervously, overwhelmed with the sheer volume of people.

They were being shoved along by the PR people who were making sure the flow of celebrities ran along smoothly. A few reality stars that had been milking their time up there for far too long were being asked to move along and a young assistant with a tight blonde bun and dark, a headset and thick rimmed glasses approached Chloe, "Chloe Stone, it's your turn to go out there now," she told her, "Your staff can wait off to the side," she waved her hand dismissively to Ana and Luc.

"Actually, this is my boyfriend, Luc DeSilva," Chloe corrected

her, putting her arm around him protectively.

This girl obviously hadn't seen the news reports or tabloids, her eyebrows raised, she looked Luc up and down, "Really? O.K, he can go up with you once you have done all of your solo shots,"

Chloe kissed Luc on the cheek then stepped out in front of the waiting paparazzi and media outlets and struck a few different poses. As she had expected, she was met with a barrage of questions and comments,

"Are you still sober?"

"Is the rumours of your new boyfriend true?"

"Are you really dating your bodyguard?"

"Are you recording new music?"

"Did you sleep with Angus?"

"Any news about your stalker?"

"Have the police had any leads on who he is?"

"You look fantastic, what have you been doing?"

She smiled, ignoring the questions for as long as she could and changed her poses around so they got her from every angle.

Then she excitedly skipped over to where Luc was waiting and grabbed his hand, pulling him out onto the step and repeat,

"Come on," she urged, "It's OK."

Luc took a deep breath; his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the world. The flashes from the dozens of cameras went into overdrive as he stood beside Chloe, as did the questions,

"Are things serious between you two?"

"Are you planning on getting married?"

"Does he still work for you as your bodyguard?"

"How long have you been together?"

"Are you in love?"

Still holding onto his hand tightly, Chloe bought Luc over to a couple of the reporters that she knew and trusted and answered a few of their questions for the awaiting TV cameras,

"His name is Luc DeSilva and he was a US Marine whom has bravely served our country for years. He was put in charge of my security after I was attacked at my home. He has been protecting me since then and we fell in love. He is the kindest, most genuine man I have ever met and I am extremely happy with him and proud to call him my partner," she pretty much repeated to everyone as she went along the line.

Luc let Chloe answer most of the questions, she was used to this kind of attention and the interviewers seemed a lot more interested in her then him anyway.

"How is your sobriety going? Have you had any setbacks?"

One reporter changed the subject.

"I am healthy and sober. Luc has been a great asset in my recovery and I have my life back on track. I have been recording new songs with Lil Weez and hope to have my new album out by the end of the year. I am back and better than ever!"

Chloe had to be careful as to how much information that she gave away as her interview with Joanne had not aired yet and the producers of the show would not be happy if Chloe gave too much away beforehand. It would lessen the exclusiveness of the 'bombshell' interview.

They continued down the line for a few more minutes, giving more interviews, with Luc being pretty much being ignored. He gathered that since he was not a celebrity they were not really that interested in him.

Finally done with the interviews, Chloe lead him by the hand

away from the media people and headed up the stairs into the theatre.

"You did a great job!" She gushed to him.

"I didn't really say much," he smiled down at her.

"It doesn't matter, you did so good, they loved you."

Ana came up behind them, "That was so cute! You guys looked adorable together," she gushed, "Well done, Luc."

He chuckled, "Thanks An."

Luc helped Chloe ascend the staircase in her heels. Inside was breathtaking, it was a beautiful old building built in the early 1920's. The vintage feel had been maintained throughout the decades and Chloe could feel the history that had occurred there over the many years as she stepped into the foyer.

Stunning deep red and gold carpet covered every inch of the floor and framed posters of all the most famous movies screened there adorned the walls under glimmering candle light from the candelabras above each picture. It was breathtaking, classic old Hollywood.

"Well, that's it. By tomorrow morning, everybody will officially know who you are," Chloe smiled up at him.

"Holy crap," he frowned jokingly and gave her a hug, nuzzling his face into her neck, he whispered in her ear, "I have fallen in love with you, Chloe. I will protect you and be by your side for as long as you will have me,"

She would never get sick of hearing that.

"I love you too. And I want you around forever," she whispered back.

Chloe was aware that hundreds of eyes in the foyer were on them, but she felt as if they were the only two people on Earth.

Morgan Montague, the star of the movie and his stunning model girlfriend, Erika Van approached them. Morgan was smiling from ear to ear, obviously thrilled at all the fuss over the movie. Erika however looked miserable, like she would prefer to be anywhere else but there.

"Chloe Stone!" Morgan swept her up in a big bear hug and kissed her on the cheek,

"How are you? I'm so happy to see you, it's been forever!"

Chloe laughed and when he finally placed her down again, she told him, "I'm good, really, really good! Congratulations! You are the star of the next big blockbuster! I am so happy for you.

This is my partner, Luc DeSilva."

Luc extended his hand out to Morgan, who laughed and pushed it aside, grabbing Luc for a big hug as well, "Hey! Chloe has a boyfriend! I never thought I would see the day; you are a lucky bastard."

"Uh, thank you. Congratulations on the movie, I can't wait to see it," Luc awkwardly patted Morgan's back.

"Aw thanks you guys; I am so stoked!" He laughed, putting his arm around his sullen girlfriend, "This is Erika,"

She smiled at them awkwardly, "Hello."

Luc and Chloe both shook her hand.

"Well, I gotta go in, we are doing a bit of a Q&A with the director before the screening, but we will catch up at the after party, yeah? You are both coming right? It's going to be epic!"

"Yes, we will be there," Chloe told him, kissing his cheek goodbye.

"Nice to meet you," Luc told him, watching as they walked away.

A few other people came up and greeted the couple, Chloe introduced them all to Luc. He was gracious with every one of them, shaking their hands, making small conversation and laughing at their jokes. He fit in so easily with everybody that he met, whether they were famous or not. Ana had gone to mingle around the room.

Once they were finally left alone, Luc and Chloe stood off to the side of the foyer, enjoying a cuddle with each other for a few minutes before the ushers came in to announce that it was time for everybody to go in.

"I'm just going to go to the ladies' room before we sit down," Chloe told him, champagne always went straight through her, "I don't want to have to go during the movie."

"I'll come with you," he told her.

"No, don't be silly I will be fine. The toilets are just there," she motioned to them,

"This is a Hollywood premiere, there is security everywhere.

You go and get some snacks and drinks and I will meet you back here," she told him.

"Are you sure?" He looked around cautiously.

"Positive. Get me some chocolate," she kissed him gently.

"OK," he agreed and headed over to the concession stand.

Chloe smiled to herself giddily as she went to the bathroom.

Her life was well and truly better than she could have ever imagined. Meeting and falling in love with Luc was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

The irony was not lost on her that the only reason she had had the chance to meet Luc was because she had been attacked and stalked by a deranged lunatic, but it almost felt worth it for the events that were set in motion after that. Not only had she met somebody that she could truly see herself spending the rest of her life with, but she had come off the drugs that would have

surely killed her had she continued on that path.

She had also been given a chance to get her career back on track, something she had never thought possible while in her drug stupor. The idea of touring and performing again ignited an ambition in her that she thought had fizzled long ago.

Chloe actually saw a bright future for herself now, no more sleeping around, clubbing every night, squandering away her millions and living a lonely, unfulfilling existence.

Entering the bathroom, she was pleased to see how they had kept the vintage feel of the building in there as well, although it was all new amenities marble raised bowl sinks and new toilets there was two chandeliers hanging from the ceiling providing the glowing, soft light and the mirrors were original, framed by carved gold patterns. There were only four stalls inside, however they were all empty.

After relieving herself, Chloe washed her hands and touched her make up in the mirror, admiring how much better she looked now. Her skin was now a rosy, peachy tone instead of a sickly grey, the dark bags under her eyes were gone and she looked far less gaunt now that her cheekbones weren't jutting out so far.

She had gained a desperately needed seven pounds since she had become clean. The healthy, home cooked meals prepared by Luc had done wanders and since her appetite had returned she had made healthy eating a priority. She had not felt the need to binge and purge since she had been on this path either, which was a huge step in her recovery from bulimia.

Closing her Chanel clutch, she turned to leave the bathroom when she stopped suddenly, surprised by the large figure standing in front of the door, blocking her exit.

Noticing the uniform and the cart full of cleaning supplies, at

first glance Chloe had thought it was a custodian.

Then she saw his menacing face.

It was him.

Vincent.

He was wearing a janitor's uniform which was obviously how he had managed to get by all the security. It was too small for him, whomever he had stolen it from was not as overweight as Vincent. His hairy stomach pushed the buttons to their limit.

Chloe's heart stopped and sunk down into her stomach as fear gripped her entire body, freezing her to the spot. She tried to scream but her throat was closed, panic had overwhelmed her.

Why was he here?!

What should she do?

How could she run?!

She looked around desperately for help but there was nobody else in there with them.

She was alone with this psycho.

The only other escape besides the door was a large window but it was bolted shut.

She didn't know what to do, her brain was in overdrive trying to figure out how she could save herself.

Then she saw the knife. Clutched in his fist tightly was a large, shiny blade, at least six inches long. The steel glistened under the light which reflected in the mirror.

Her head started to swim,

Was he going to kill her here?

Stab her to death in the bathroom?!

Her legs felt as though they would give way underneath her, they were shaking so hard. She gripped the basin to keep her upright as her knees buckled under her weight, threatening to

drop her to the floor.

"Please... please don't kill me," she murmured, weakly.

He took a step towards her, his eyes were wild with rage and his pupils so enlarged, they looked entirely black. Chloe stumbled backwards, wandering if Luc would be concerned as to why she wasn't out of the bathroom by now, would he come and look for her?

Vincent took another step forward, the knife outstretched in front of him.

"Please..." Chloe begged, tears streaming down her face, "You don't have to do this..."

"You are sleeping with your bodyguard?" He asked through gritted teeth, with an undertone in his voice suggesting that he was very angry.

"What..." she was taken off guard by the question.

"You are fucking your bodyguard," he said again, however this time it was not a question, it was a fact.

"I... um... no..." her mind was racing at the best way to tackle this, she thought denial and playing along may be the best bet.

"Yes you are. I have been watching you. You have been sleeping with him for weeks."

He took another step forward. He was now only two feet away from her. The knife was even closer.

Images of her bright red blood splashed all over the white marble floors and walls entered her mind. She could see the headlines now, Infamous pop star Chloe Stone stabbed to death in public bathroom by crazed fan.

She wandered if she would die quickly or if she would suffer and slowly bleed to death.

Would it hurt...

Would she feel everything?

"Vincent... no," she stammered, her heart racing loudly as she staggered backwards until she was pressed up against the cold, hard wall.

He followed her.

"You just announced to the whole world that he is your boyfriend."

He pressed the tip of the blade against her chest, just above her left breast. The cold edge felt hard against her soft skin.

"Please... don't kill me... I'm so sorry..." she begged, tears stinging her eyes as they fell down her cheeks.

"I am not going to kill you, Chloe. You are coming with me, far away from here," he told her calmly as he ran the blade over her breasts, "I have been madly in love with you for many, many years and you and I are meant to be together. Forever."

Chloe's head was spinning. She was so confused, she had no idea how to react. All she knew for sure was that she had to go along with this crazy lunatic until she could get around him and run to freedom.

"Uhhh, I understand you're upset, Vincent..."

"Of course I am, you sleep around and act like a slut! A whore!

But don't worry, those days are behind you now, I will teach you how to behave appropriately," he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, the other still held the knife firmly against her skin, "From now on, you will only be with me for the rest of our lives."

She shuddered at his touch.

He leaned in and whispered so close to her ear that his lips touched her skin, "We are going to be very happy together."

Chloe sank down against the wall, "Please... no. Vincent, please

just let me go..."

He pulled a white cloth out of his pocket and thrust it under her nose, pressing it hard against her face. She struggled to breathe, it was cold and damp, the smell was so strong and pungent that it stung her eyes and nostrils.

Chloe tried to push him off her, but he grabbed the back of her head and held it tightly, ignoring the kicks and punches she threw his way.

Desperately trying to fight him off, she quickly realised that there was something on the cloth that was meant to knock her out as she saw black spots form in front of her eyes and her vision went fuzzy. Her limbs felt as if they weighed a tonne and her movements slowed right down.

She went weak at the knees and faded into darkness.

TAKEN

One week earlier Vincent had been trying to find the perfect place to take Chloe once he had her, where they could be alone and where nobody would find them.

He had googled abandoned towns near Los Angeles and was surprised to find that there was actually quite a few to choose from. He had finally found the perfect location to hideout, the town of Garlock. Driving bumper to bumper through the hustle and bustle of the Los Angeles traffic, he had finally turned out of the city and set out onto the open highway, driving deep into the desert. Losing cell and internet phone service ninety minutes out of the Los Angeles, he relied on some old maps that he had printed off the internet.

Hours later, and after a couple of turns into the barren Death Valley, he was starting to get disorientated. It all looked the same out there and Garlock really was in the middle of nowhere.

After seeing nothing but dirt and a handful of bushes for the past two hundred miles, and driving down multiple dead end dirt roads, he was relieved when he finally saw the dusty, bullet ridden old wooden sign reading 'Welcome to Garlock' in faded

paint.

Vincent pulled his old, beat up Toyota over and went for a walk around the tiny, abandoned town. In the middle of the day, the dry, desert heat was intense and hit him hard. Taking a cloth from his pocket and wiping the sweat from his brow, he found it suffocating to breathe in the stifling air. There was not much he could do about the temperature out there. It was just something that they would both have to learn to tolerate.

Garlock had a very creepy vibe about it, having been abandoned for over a hundred years, there was not much left of the derelict old buildings and it truly represented what a ghost town would be. Dating back to the late 1880′s the town was built to house the workers of the multiple mills that processed iron ore, which was mined in an area nine miles away. In its peak period, around a hundred residents lived in Garlock, however there were not too many buildings left standing in the town. A school-house that had doubled as a church and meeting place for social groups, a post office and a dozen houses were all that remained today.

Abandoned since 1903 when the mine ran dry, it was the perfect place for them to hide out. Farming and mining equipment were left to rust in the dirt in front of the buildings.

Walking down what would have been the main road, Vincent noticed the troughs and poles where horses would have been tied up to as they waited for their owners. A few horse carts were rotting away alongside what remained of two corroded car bodies. One looked as old as the town, however the other was a later, more modern car body, something from the sixties perhaps – somebody must have visited the town and broken down there.

That was many years ago, judging by the state of the vehicle. A handful of trees lined the streets and native bushes had grown wild, overrunning buildings and the farm equipment. Inspecting the old buildings, Vincent had been disappointed to see how much they had fallen apart. The shop and school house were completely missing their roofs and the walls had crumbled away.

The homesteads were also in shocking condition, however one house that sat directly behind the church was in better condition than the rest. The large building of the church must have protected it from the wind a little better than the structures exposed directly to the elements.

The best option of the lot, Vincent had a good look around the small home. There was not much to it. A small living room housed a fireplace alongside one wall. An old wooden table sat in the middle of the room, under an inch of dust. The floor was in surprisingly good condition. Made out of concrete, there was a few large chunks that had crumbled away but the rest of it seemed to be OK. Leading off the lounge room was a tiny kitchen. Cupboards hung off their hinges or were missing completely, the bench tops had rotted away and only the steel frame remained intact. An old cook stove was the only appliance. Vincent inspected it to see if it could still work, but it was falling apart. The cupboards were full of old pots and pans as well as crockery, plates and cups. All were covered in a blanket of cobwebs and dust.

Continuing his tour, Vincent saw there was one small bedroom with a bathroom attached. The roof was the worst in the bathroom, with a large hole in one corner, but compared to the other properties, it was the least damaged. A rusted bed frame sat alongside a large wooden cabinet with rotting drawers and a blackened mirror. Although it was in bad condition, the beautifully hand crafted woodwork was still intact. Vincent ran his finger through the dust, exposing the lovely colour of the mahogany wood. The window in the bedroom was broken except for one glass pane, but it was easily fixable. The bathroom had an old bath, a small sink and a toilet, however the plumbing did not work. Not much of the furniture remained in usable pieces. Vincent had made a list of what he would need, a mattress, blankets and pillows, cooking equipment and some general maintenance building supplies. He would buy a camping toilet and shower and put them outside as there was no way of fixing the plumbing.

Excited that he had found the perfect place, he had headed back to Los Angeles, thinking of everything that he needed to store there before he bought Chloe back.

Once he had gathered everything he had needed, he had made two more trips out there and set the house up so Chloe and himself could be comfortable.

Now, Vincent finally had Chloe and they were on their way to their future life. Looking at her in the rear view mirror as she lying in the backseat, he was elated. She looked so peaceful. He had gagged her, tied her hands behind her back and her feet together as he was not expecting a warm reaction from her when she finally woke up.

Earlier, he had knocked out the elderly janitor whilst he was cleaning the men's bathroom with a heavy fire extinguisher. He had tied the man up and gagged him, then locked him in a cubicle.

Vincent changed into his uniform, pulled his cap down over his

face and took the cart. He had watched Chloe closely, then had seized his opportunity when she had gone into the bathroom.

After knocking her out with chloroform that he had soaked on a rag he had had bundled her into the janitor's cart where the rubbish was emptied into then covered her with cleaning rags and paper towels.

Luckily, Chloe was so slim, she fit in easily. Transporting an unconscious Chloe from the bathroom of the theatre to his vehicle had been easier than Vincent had anticipated. He had simply walked out into the foyer and down to the service entrance. He had followed that through to an emergency exit which opened up onto a back street alley, where he had parked his vehicle earlier. He had then quickly bundled her into the backseat and taken off, completely unnoticed.

Not one person stopped him, or even gave him a second look.

Now, he finally had what he had dreamed about for so long.

Chloe Stone was now all his.

The intense Californian sun's bright rays pierced through Chloe's eyelids, turning them a glowing shade of fluorescent orange as she slowly stirred back into a state of consciousness.

A sharp shooting pain pulsated through her forehead down to the back of her neck, causing her to groan in pain. Struggling to open her heavy eyelids, her head felt like it weighed ten times more than usual and she was feeling so groggy that every movement she made took an extraordinary amount of effort.

A cloth like material was bound tightly in her mouth and around

to the back of her head. Chloe immediately felt nauseated from

the foreign fabric that was wedged between the back of her teeth and causing her to gag. Her jaw ached badly from the pressure of being pried open for a prolonged amount of time and her throat was coarse and unbearably dry as she was unable to swallow.

She slowly started to become aware of her surroundings as her eyes started to adjust and focus more clearly. She was lying down on her right side and, after a few confused moments she realised that she was in the back seat of a sedan that was travelling at a very fast speed. The old vehicle was bouncing up and down violently as it sped over each bump and pothole in the road.

Each time it did so, her whole body lifted a few inches off the ripped leather seat and back down again with a hard thud. She was being tossed around like a defenceless rag doll.

With a panic, Chloe started to become aware of what a truly terrifying predicament she was in as she realised that her hands were both tightly bound together at her wrists behind her lower back and her feet were also tied together at her ankles with the same fabric that was binding her mouth. She twisted them around, trying to free them but it was to no avail as they were too secure. She tried to scream out through her gagged mouth but it came out muffled.

Where was she!?

What the Hell was going on!?

Her watery, glazed eyes started to clear and she could see around the inside of the vehicle. Her heart began to race wildly in her chest as she took in the stained, yellowed cream leather of the car's seats in front of her and she struggled to make out the figure in the driver's seat.

Dazed and still groggy, Chloe could only make out the blurry image of the back of a man's head. His hair blew wildly from the wind that was gushing in through the open driver's side window next to him. She could see that he was wearing silver wraparound sunglasses and had dark, patchy stubble framing his jaw and cheeks.

Then, she recognised him and everything that had happened which had led her to this situation suddenly came rushing back to Chloe's memory in an overwhelming wave of horror.

Vincent!

Oh God – he had kidnapped her!

The terrifying, true realisation of what had happened dawned upon Chloe in a distressing wave of reality.

He had captured her!

What was he going to do to her?!

A rush of intense nausea overwhelmed Chloe and she could do nothing to prevent the vomit from rising up in the back of her throat and escaping through the gaps at the side of her mouth, around the bandage that was gagging her. Some of it could not get past the restricting cloth and sank back down her throat in large lumps, Chloe started to choke on it as her gag reflex tried to expel it from obstructing her wind pipe.

She desperately threw her head over the seat so that she was hanging down, facing the floor and tried her best to regurgitate the vile tasting fluid out of her oesophagus but it was proving futile against the cloth binding her mouth and she violently choked and coughed on it again.

The commotion she was causing as she tried frantically to save her own life alerted Vincent who spun around in surprise to see what was going on in the back seat. He slammed his foot onto the vehicle's breaks and stopped the car so suddenly that the brakes screeched loudly and the tyres swerved the Toyota around into a fishtail on the dirt road, causing a red dust cloud to envelope them.

The abrupt stop catapulted Chloe from the back seat onto the floor of the car with a sharp jolt. The harsh texture of the soiled carpet grinded her knees and elbows like sandpaper.

She continued to cough and choke on her vomit through the gag in her mouth as Vincent got out of the driver's side door, stormed around the car to Chloe's side and yanked the car door next to her head open.

As she struggled to cough up her stomach's contents she felt his large hands grab her shoulders and pull her from the vehicle. She landed on the hard, dirt road with a thud.

Feeling light headed and like she could possibly pass out, she continued to desperately splutter and cough with her face pressed hard against the warm, red dirt.

Bending down, Vincent untied the knot at the back of her skull and yanked the cloth free from its tight grasp around her mouth.

He lifted her head up off the ground so that her face was now hovering just inches above it.

To Chloe's relief, the persistent vomit finally escaped from her mouth and sprayed out onto the red dirt beneath her, staining it a dark shade of brown. As the retched liquid pooled beneath her, she coughed a couple more times, her throat burning.

The momentary second of relief that came with excreting the disgusting bile from her throat was only short-lived, however, as it was quickly replaced by the fear of the situation that she was in. Chloe had been abducted by a mad man.

She slowly raised her head - despite the fact that she was feeling so weak - to face him. He removed his sunglasses and glared down as he stood over her. He was still wearing the too-tight janitor's uniform. Chloe felt a chill run through her body for the split second that eye contact passed between them.

"Please..." she started to plea with him softly, "Vincent..." Her voice sounded incredibly desperate and vulnerable - exactly how she was feeling.

She was completely at his mercy. Fear paralysed her as she got her first good look around at her surroundings.

They were literally in the middle of the Californian desert. The dry heat was intense. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious for and how long they had been driving out into the wilderness. They were obviously miles away from any kind of civilisation.

She only had a few seconds to look around and take it all in as her captor pulled her up and shoved her back into the brown, rusted sedan with brutal force. All that she could see for miles around was dirt. A handful of sad looking trees that were truly on deaths door were scattered around. The only sign of life was a few large birds flying high above them in the sky.

Chloe knocked her head hard on the car's door frame as Vincent violently forced her back in. Seizing the opportunity before she was trapped in the vehicle again, Chloe screamed as loud as her sore, hoarse throat would possibly allow. She screamed over and over again,

"HELP ME! PLEEEEEAASEE SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

He coldly ignored her cries for help and forced the door shut on her as she desperately kicked out her bound legs to try and stop him from keeping her in there again. She was still shouting and kicking as he slid back into the driver's seat in front of her.

Seemingly unfazed by the ear piercing screams, he turned around and looked at her intensely,

"Nobody can hear you out here, Chloe," he told her in a very matter of fact way with no emotion or sympathy toward her fear or frightening predicament. She shuffled her body around in the seat until she was sitting upright - which was extremely uncomfortable and awkward with both of her hands and ankles bound together.

Her heart was racing uncontrollably now and she was overcome with fear and panic as the car started up again with a spluttering roar.

"Please let me go..." she started to plea with him, "I swear I will not tell anybody about what has happened – you can still get away..."

Vincent chuckled to himself in twisted amusement and continued driving down the dirt road at an alarming speed.

"Please!" She continued to beg, refusing to give up, "Please let me go."

Chloe could not hold back the tears that were stinging the back of her eyes and nose any longer.

She started to sob uncontrollably, "PLEASE!"

He turned around and faced her, not slowing down the slightest bit even though he was not facing the road,

"Chloe, you do not need to be afraid. If you behave yourself, and do everything that I ask of you then I am not going to hurt you."

Chloe was confused and not sure of how to take what he was saying.

What did he mean he was not going to hurt her!?

He had just kidnapped her!

He was holding her hostage, bound and gagged against her will.

"Please, let me go! I will pay you whatever you want! Just name

your price.... Please," she begged again.

He sighed and dropped his head as he turned back around to watch the road again, "I am afraid that that is not going to happen," he said softly.

"What do you want from me!? What are you going to do!?"

She asked through a flood of tears. The silence was deafening.

Although it was only a few moments before he answered her, the tension in the air was suffocating Chloe as she stared out of the front windscreen at the never changing landscape. They were driving deeper and deeper into the desert.

He finally broke the awful silence, "We are meant to be together, Chloe," he said softly, "It is our destiny. I am going to save you."

"What!?" She whispered, terror gripping her so tightly she struggled to breath.

"We have been destined to be together for a very long time now. It is now finally the time that we can."

"I... don't..." Chloe tried to choke out her words, "I don't understand... what do you mean?"

He turned back around to face her again, "We are going to be man and wife for the rest of our lives."

Chloe was stunned.

Was he joking?

Was he just messing with her?

She was so confused her head was spinning wildly.

She could not even reply to this level of madness. He was obviously deranged.

"You want to marry me?" She choked.

He turned back around to face the front and continued to drive

without saying another word. Chloe's head was swimming as she

desperately tried to think all of this through.

Maybe she could talk her way out of it?

She could try and convince him to let her go if she tried to befriend him and be compassionate towards him.

"Vincent... please, I promise that nothing will happen to you if you let me go. I will not report you to the police – I will not tell anybody. You can just drop me off here... I will walk back..."

Vincent shocked Chloe by suddenly bursting out into a sick, twisted laughter. He chuckled to himself for a few moments before abruptly stopping and responding in a very serious tone,

"Walk back? That would take you days - in this heat you would die before you made it even halfway."

Chloe's heart sank into the pit of her stomach.

She decided to try a different approach, "Do you think you could please untie me? If I am in the middle of nowhere then there is not much that I can do to escape and I am extremely uncomfortable," she moaned. He glanced back at her in the rear view mirror, eyed her up and down and then looked away again,

"You will be O.K, we will be there soon."

"What?! Where?!"

Chloe hadn't considered the fact that he actually had a destination in mind. She had just naively presumed that he did not have a plan. The fact that he had one all along made Chloe feel even sicker. What was he talking about \- getting married?! He must be totally insane!

"Where are you taking me!?" She demanded, feeling herself getting a little braver as the shock of being abducted began to wear off and her survival instincts started to kick in. She had to fight if she was going to escape. He didn't answer her. Chloe struggled against her bindings, slowly rubbing her wrists up and down, trying to see if she could possibly loosen them enough to get them off. There was no give - he had tied them tight.

She attempted to do the same with her feet, managing to slide her big toe into the cloth but her efforts were fruitless as she could not budge the bindings at all. She had no idea where her shoes were, they must have come off in the abduction. She was sweating profusely from the intense heat, it dripped down her cleavage, turning her dark red dress a maroon colour where the damp patches were forming.

They continued to drive along the dirt road and Chloe could see that the sun was slowly starting to drop down lower in the sky, heading down towards the horizon. Night time was approaching.

Feeling desperate at the hopelessness of the situation, she found herself wandering if the police were out looking for her. She knew that Luc would be. Chloe's heart dropped as she thought about him. He would be devastated that she was missing.

"VINCENT!" She shouted loudly, hoping to get him to answer her, "Where are you taking me!?"

"Have a look," he said and pointed out of the front windscreen.

Chloe shuffled her body around so that she could see what he was motioning to. In the distance, just a few hundred yards to her right was what looked to be a very old, abandoned town.

As they turned off the 'main' road - if it could be referred to as that - onto a smaller fork road, Chloe could see two dozen run down old buildings in the distance that looked like they were a hundred years old. The old, rotting wood boards and stones that formed the walls had started to part, resulting in large gaping holes. Most of them had completely caved in. The ones that were still standing had large openings, leaving the inside open to the elements.

As they got closer, she could see that the few windows that still remained were cracked and broken. A small road ran down the middle of what used to be the town.

All that remained now was the rusted, decaying bodies of a handful of very old cars that were basically just hollowed out shells now. An old well sat in front of one of the buildings and a few old pieces of machinery, but apart from that there was not much else there.

"What is this place?" Chloe asked in astonishment - she could not believe this old ghost town was literally just left to rot in the middle of nowhere.

"This is Garlock, our new home," Vincent smiled happily to himself as he slowly drove past the old buildings.

A shudder ran down Chloe's spine as she looked around at the ruins.

"What?!" She whispered, unspeakable horrors passing through her mind.

How on Earth was anybody going to find her out here!?

Vincent pulled the car around to the side of one of the homesteads.

"I don't understand..." Chloe spluttered as Vincent turned the engine off and exited the car. Her adrenalin set in as he opened her door and pulled her out, she was determined that she had to get away.

She had to fight.

MISSING PERSON

Chloe had been missing for six hours now and Luc was going insane with worry. The police had combed the theatre and had concluded that she had been taken in the bathroom as her shoes and bag were located in there. They had watched the video surveillance cameras from the lobby of the theatre and had seen Vincent enter the bathroom shortly after Chloe dressed as a janitor. The janitor who's uniform it was had been found bound and gagged in his underwear in the men's toilet.

Unfortunately, he could not give them much information on his attacker as he had not even seen the man, he had taken a hard blow to the head with the fire extinguisher and did not see who had done it. Luc had never seen Vincent, but the man in the footage matched Chloe's description of him perfectly, despite the fact he had a baseball cap pulled down low.

It had to be him.

What was he doing to her?

Was he raping her?

Hurting her?

Would he kill her?

Luc was now pacing back and forth frantically in the police station, feeling helpless. The abduction was on every news station and they had released the video footage of Vincent in the lobby, hoping that someone would identify him.

They had set up a task force and had a dozen officers dedicated to answering calls from a tip line they had set up. Every time one of the phones rang, Luc raced over to the officer picking up, standing over them as they talked, hoping for it to be the information he so desperately prayed for.

So far, it had just been pranksters giving phony information and tabloids trying to get information. Forensics had dusted for fingerprints in the bathroom and they had managed to get some that were usable, which they were running through the system now.

However, with hundreds of thousands of comparisons to go through, it was going to take a long time. Each minute that passed by was agonisingly slow.

Ana was with Luc at the station and she was a complete mess.

He was doing his best to try and console her as well as keeping himself together, but the thoughts of what could possibly be happening to Chloe played over and over in his head. They were deeply disturbing and distracting him from thinking clearly.

Detectives Park and Livingstone had been spearheading the task force and liaising with Luc and keeping him informed of the progress they were making – which was not much at the present time.

Clutching two Styrofoam cups of coffee, Matt Park approached Luc and handed one to him.

"Thank you, have they got anything?" Luc asked anxiously,

taking a big gulp of the caffeine and continuing his restless

pacing.

"The FBI are taking over, there are a couple of agents on their way here now. They have the best resources to handle a case like this," Park informed him, "But, to answer your question, no there is nothing yet. The theatre did not have any CCTV around the back so we could not get his vehicle on camera. No witnesses saw anything of any use, in fact nobody even noticed the janitor. Typical Hollywood I guess, too involved in themselves to notice the cleaners. We are still waiting for the fingerprints."

Luc slumped down into one of the plastic chairs and buried his head in his hands. He felt so helpless just sitting there. He couldn't believe that he had let this happen.

He should have been watching the bathroom, he should have stood right outside the door, not been in the line to get some fucking chocolate.

He had let Chloe down, and now...

God only knew what she was being subjected too. His heart was shattered into a hundred pieces.

Ana came over to sit with him. She had been crying nonstop since she had learned about what happened. She had been outside of the theatre, taking a phone call from Liza when Luc and Chloe had gone in. She was now blaming herself for Chloe's abduction. If she had gone in with them, she would have accompanied Chloe into the toilet and this bastard wouldn't have had the opportunity to grab her. Her face was ashen and her eyes were swollen and red. Luc was defiantly trying to keep it together and had been fighting a complete emotional breakdown ever since the initial shock had worn off.

He was determined to stay strong until they found her.

No matter what the outcome.

He had to prepare himself for the fact that she may be dead. It would be his worst nightmare come true, and it would absolutely destroy him but he had been around enough psychopaths in life to know what they were capable of. In his heart, as much as he didn't want to acknowledge it, he knew that it was a very real possibility. Vincent had already shown he was very capable of violence.

"Where is she, Luc?" Ana sobbed, blowing her nose into a crumpled up tissue that she had clutched tightly in her hand.

Her nose was red raw.

"I don't know, An," he sighed, "I feel so helpless just sitting here, not doing anything."

"Me too. And I can't get hold of Donna which is not helping."

"Donna?" Luc hadn't even thought to call Chloe's mother.

They were not close at all, Chloe despised her and they didn't speak anymore so it had not crossed his mind.

"I've tried all the numbers that I have for her, her email, everything. I mean, it's all over the news, you think she would know by now, surely? Why hasn't she contacted me?!"

Luc was confused. Although he had never met Donna before and had only ever heard about the negative experiences that Chloe had with her mother, he knew it would mean the world to Chloe if her mother was there for her when she was found.

It would prove that her mother did genuinely love and care for her. Luc didn't want Donna left out of the search, and she deserved to be involved.

"Where does she live? Chloe said that she was in The Valley somewhere, do you have her address? I can go with Detective Park to tell her and bring her back here?" He thought it would be better to go with a detective since he had never met Donna

before and she didn't know him.

He felt like he needed to be the one to tell her, and he also wanted to leave the busy police station for a bit and take a breath, he felt suffocated in the small building and needed to do something useful.

"Yes, I have an address for her, who knows if she is still there, Donna moves around a lot but it's the most recent one I have.

Chloe sent her a cheque last year in a moment of weakness and feeling guilty. Do you want me to come?"

"No, you stay here. I will do it, I'm sure that Chloe would appreciate it. You call me straight away if anything happens."

"I will," Ana gave him the address along with a big bear hug.

Forty minutes later, Luc and Detective Park were deep in The Valley, standing outside of a derelict, run down, multi-story apartment building which looked like it was a crack den housing multiple drug addicts. Windows were boarded up, graffiti was sprayed over most of the walls and doors and litter was strewn everywhere.

Did Chloe's mother really live here?!

Luc knew that Chloe had given her mother hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, and Donna had siphoned a substantial amount herself as well - how on Earth could she be living in a place like this?

Had she really been abusing drugs to this extent?

To the point where she had to live amongst junkies, prostitutes and gang members?

Two dishevelled men sharing a bottle of alcohol wrapped in a brown paper bag were watching Luc and Park intently. After whispering amongst themselves, they turned around and walked back the other way at a very brisk pace. An unkempt blonde woman wearing a short black skirt and lime green crop top - which struggled to contain her braless, sagging breasts – and had her flabby stomach hanging out, despite the fact it was very chilly was smoking a cigarette near the stairwell that led to the upper levels of the apartment complex. A flickering fluorescent light illuminated her gaunt, haggard face. She looked like she hadn't slept or showered for days and dark scabs covered her grey skin. She was obviously a crack head, and no doubt a prostitute. She too turned and walked away.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Luc asked Park, shock etched on his face.

"Yes sir, this is the address Ana gave us, and we ran it through the system. This is the definitely the address of Donna Smith."

"Wow," Luc muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

He followed Park up the rotting staircase to the second storey.

They stopped outside the apartment of 2C. Knocking on the pale pink door, they waited and waited. Trying again, there was still no answer.

"Donna Smith," Park called out, "Ma'am, are you in there?"

Still nothing.

"Maybe she isn't home," Luc suggested.

"We will have to come back later, we can send another officer down to wait for her to return," Park told him.

As they turned to leave, the door to the apartment next door squeaked open and an elderly Asian woman in a blue dressing gown, matching slippers and her hair in rollers stepped out onto the landing, a cigarette hanging from her lips.

"Are you here about her screaming?" She asked, squinting at

them through her thick glasses.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Park asked, "What screaming?"

The woman pointed at Donna's apartment, "There was a lot of screaming coming from that junkie bitch's apartment two days ago. I thought that's why you were here?"

"Screaming? No ma'am, did you call the police?" Park asked, giving Luc a curious look.

"Oh no, I don't like to get involved in anything around here," she gestured down to the carpark where a few of the local residents were watching what they were up to,

"It's not a good idea to call the police on these deadbeats. I presumed somebody else did, and that's why you were here.

You are the police aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I am Detective Matt Park, can you tell me exactly what you heard?"

"Not much to tell. Thursday night, about eight o'clock, she started screaming like a bloody mad woman. She's always causing a ruckus, arguing with her multiple boyfriends and scum bag drug dealers. She's bad news, that bloody woman.

She's a fucking crackhead."

"Did you hear anything else?"

"No, I banged on the wall and yelled at her to shut the fuck up, then she stopped. It went completely quiet. Haven't heard from her or seen her since."

"Thank you, Ma'am, I will get a statement off you later, please return to your apartment."

"She's no good, that woman, no good at all. She is a drug addict and an alcoholic, she's always off her head! You know, she would bang on and on to anyone who would listen about how her daughter was rich and famous, can you believe that?

Why would she be living in a shit hole like this if that was true?

She's crazy. Do you think something happened to her? I wouldn't be surprised, you know. She always has different men coming and going. Up to no good, I tell you!"

"Please, just stay in your apartment," Park ushered her back inside and closed the door on her whilst she continued to ramble.

Luc was starting to panic; why had Donna been screaming?

"We have to get in there...." He pleaded, grabbing Park's arm.

Park nodded in agreement and stood in front of Luc, "Please stand back,"

He charged into the door with his hip and shoulders, as if he had done it a hundred times before. It gave way with a thud and swung wide open. An overwhelming stench smacked them in the face as soon as they entered the tiny, dark apartment.

"Stay here," Park held an arm out to block Luc going any further.

He disappeared from view as he entered to check around the apartment. From what Luc could see, it was in a state of chaos.

Old, tattered and worn furniture was knocked over, there were personal items all over the ground and smashed glass. It looked like a serious struggle had taken place.

Park re-emerged a few minutes later, his cell phone pressed to his ear, "We have a 187 at 2374 Walcott Avenue, we need immediate assistance," he was saying.

Luc watched him intently, trying to judge the situation from his expression, "What's a 187?" he asked as soon as Park hung up,

"Is she dead?"

The look on Park's face, as well as the pungent smell which had

forced him to put his hand over his mouth and nose confirmed

Luc's fear.

"Yes, I am so sorry, but she is deceased."

"How?" Luc's head was spinning.

What the Hell was going on?

Chloe's Mother was dead?

"She's been murdered. Stabbed multiple times," he ushered Luc back onto the landing, "This is a crime scene Mr DeSilva, you are going to have to step out so that we can preserve the evidence."

The room spun as his head swam with the information he had just received. Vincent must have done it; it would be too much of a coincidence that Chloe's mother was murdered just before she is kidnapped.

But why?

Why did he need to get rid of Donna?

She didn't have anything to do with Chloe, she was no longer in her life and she was no threat to Vincent.

Ignoring the curious stares of the complex's residents, Luc descended down the staircase and ran into the parking lot, breathing heavily as he tried not to think about the fact that Chloe could have possibly met the same fate as her mother. He had to believe that she was still alive somewhere.

He had to find her.

Grabbing his cell from his pants pocket, he quickly dialled Ana's number.

"Luc? What's happening, did you find Donna?" She answered.

"An, I am at Donna's apartment, she's dead!" He blurted out in distress.

"What?! Donna's dead? What do you mean she's dead?" Ana stammered, "When? How?!"

"She's dead! It's happened very recently, according to the neighbour she heard screaming on Thursday. She's been murdered, An - stabbed to death."

"What!?"

"Park broke into her apartment after the neighbour told us about her screaming. There's mess everywhere, the place is trashed... it has to be Vincent."

"Oh my God..." Ana's voice trailed off, "I can't believe it. He killed her? What if he has killed Chloe as well?"

"We can't think that way, An. We have to keep faith that she is still alive..."

Ana started sobbing down the phone.

"Is there any news at the station? Have they heard anything?" Luc persisted.

"No... Nothing."

"Let me know if there is, I will come back as soon as I can," he hung up the phone and paced back and forth in the carpark.

He felt sick to the stomach but he was determined he would not give up until he knew what had happened to Chloe.

SURVIVAL MODE

"PLEASE, PLEASE! You do not have to do this!!" Chloe screamed as loud as she possibly could, kicking her bound legs out at him and struggling to break free as she fell from the vehicle to the hard ground, "HELP ME! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!"

Vincent did not say a word as he lifted her up and scooped her into his arms, cradling her like a baby. She tried to squirm out of his grip but as her hands were still tied behind her back, there was nothing much she could do.

Ignoring her protests and her desperate struggles, he continued to march her towards one of the derelict buildings as she burst into tears and begged him to let her go, "Please, Vincent! Please!

Let me go..."

"I can't do that, Chloe," he said calmly as they strolled down the tiny path way of what was once, a long time ago a front garden.

A rusted old wire fence that once surrounded the property lay tangled on the ground. Dead bushes and overgrown shrubbery littered what was once somebody's pride and joy. A pile of rusted gardening tools were next to the old letterbox which was

now lying flat on the ground.

"Please..." she sobbed hysterically, "Please... please... please..."

Vincent kicked the old wooden door open with his foot and led her inside to the dark, disgusting, house that smelled of putrid mould and dust. It was like a scene out of an old horror movie.

The front room was what used to be a living room. The light from the huge holes in the decaying roof cast shadows over the ancient, decomposing furniture that had been left behind. There was an old couch that sat next to a matching sofa but the once floral fabric was nearly all eaten away. All that remained of the musty old set was a few springs surrounding some yellowed, rat eaten foam. A solid wooden coffee table sat in the centre of the room and that seemed to have weathered the time a little better as it still seemed relatively in one piece, albeit with a layer of dust half an inch thick coating it. Spider webs clung from every crevice and corner of the small room – most of all they blanketed the fireplace that would of once upon a time been used to heat the now cold and lifeless home.

Vincent stood Chloe up on the floor but it was hard for her to gain her balance as her feet were still bound.

"What are we doing here!?" Chloe cried out in protest, taking in her dismal surroundings with horror.

"This is our new home, darling," he told her proudly as he helped her to sit down on one of the rotting armchairs. The rusty springs were sticking out of the cushion and Chloe cried out as one of them poked her when he lowered her down.

"Oh, right," he acknowledged the potential danger, "Hang on a moment, I'll be right back," he placed her down on to the floor next to the chair and walked to the back of the house, into another room.

What was he talking about – this is their home?

Was he actually certifiably insane?

Was she in the hands of a bona fide nutcase?!

Chloe's heart started to race wildly, this was the first time he had left her alone since he had abducted her.

She had to make a run for it.

It was her chance.

She may not get another one...

Chloe looked over at the front door and saw that Vincent had left it open. It was only a few tantalising feet away from her.

She decided to go for it, she had to give it a try. She shuffled awkwardly along the hard floor, using her knees to squirm along like a disabled caterpillar. Large splinters protruded from what remained of some rotten wooden boards on the floor.

They stabbed at Chloe's knees and her arms, slicing them and causing them to bleed. Despite the pain and the warm blood that was soaking through her dress, she continued towards the fading light that was outside. It was going to be night soon – her plan was that she could hide from him in the darkness as she tried to make her way back to a town or a road or civilisation of some kind. She just had to figure out how to get these bindings off.

There were plenty of rusty, sharp vehicles, tools and farming machinery outside, if she could shuffle up to one of these then she may be able to rub her wrists against them and cut the bindings.

The realisation that she could be spending the night in the pitch black wilderness of the cold, harsh desert with God only knows what predatory animals stalking her panicked her momentarily and she hesitated for a split second.

But what was her other option?

Staying in this creepy old house with a mad man who was more than likely going to rape her and possibly murder or torture her!?

Chloe had no idea what Vincent had planned for her and she knew that out in the wild was a better option then staying where she was. She pushed the fears to the back of her mind, told herself to toughen up and continued shuffling to the threshold of the door.

She was only inches away, yet she was not quick enough. Her heart dropped as she saw Vincent come back into the room and witness her attempting to escape from him. In desperation, she shuffled quicker, determined to just go for it. She knew that it was futile but she could not just lie there and give up. Too much adrenaline and bravery were surging through her. Her fight or flight instincts had kicked in.

She heard him come stomping up behind her and turned to see him standing a foot behind her, a strange, sick and twisted smile of amusement spread across his face. It was like he was enjoying watching her pathetic attempt to flee from him.

"Where are you going?" He asked, trying to contain his laughter.

"Please... please just let me go. We can end this now, Vincent.

You haven't hurt me; you can still walk away from this. I will find my own way back home, you can leave me here and go wherever you want... I won't tell anybody! I promise!" She burst into tears again as she pleaded in vain for her release.

"You still don't get it, do you, darling?" He asked, placing a large black cushion that he was holding down onto the armchair and then bent down to scoop her up off the floor,

"We are going to be married. We are going to be man and wife.

This is our new home now. I know it is not like the flamboyant luxury that you are accustomed to but I will fix it up and make it a decent home for us. You can add some womanly touches to it, decorate it however you like," he motioned around the decrepit old place, "What better place to raise our children then far away from all the sick and twisted dangers that exist in the world these days? In your world, especially. They will have a fantastic life out here, with us – as a happy family."

"Our children?" Chloe spluttered in disgust as he placed her down onto the cushion on the armchair.

"Oh, yes! As many as the Lord will bless us with. They will be raised properly out here – away from all of the terrible influences that have corrupted you," he sat down in the sofa opposite her,

"Hollywood..." he scoffed under his breath.

Chloe's head was spinning wildly, the whole room started to go blurry and she felt as if she was going to pass out. She could not believe what he was hearing.

He planned for them to live here!?

Forever!?

And have children!?

"You see, Chloe," he continued, "You were corrupted by the riches and spoils of material things. Objects that do not matter and are not the measure of happiness that God intended. You have had more money than you could ever need yet you never found true contentment or fulfilment. Did you really believe that living all alone in that huge mansion filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of furniture and things was gratifying?

No. A home – a true home – is filled with love. With family. With children. With laughter. Not monetary gains. That is the true meaning of happiness. Did you really believe that wearing all those ridiculous designer clothes – which are worth a disgusting amount of money just because they have a certain person's name on them - made you a better person? When you refuse to wear the same stupidly expensive dress twice – yet the amount of money that piece of fabric was worth could feed a starving family?" He paced around the room as he ranted, becoming increasingly passionate about what he was saying, "What about the jewellery!? Or the handbags? The cars? My God, Chloe!

What could ever possess you to spend so much on such frivolous things?! You have blown literally millions of dollars on things that you do not need."

Chloe blinked her eyes a few times, trying to regain her focus and wrap her mind around what he was saying, "I... I know, I have been so selfish and stupid, I completely understand what you are saying. I will sell everything. If you let me go home I will donate all the money I have to the less fortunate and to charities.

I see the error of my ways – you have helped me to see..." she was desperately grasping at straws but she was thinking that maybe she could bargain with him, negotiate her freedom if she said what he wanted to hear,

"I can talk about it publicly – on T.V, I can get all of my rich friends to do the same thing. I will change my whole life and help out so many others."

He watched her for a moment, contemplating what she was saying, "So you agree with me that the way you were living your life was wrong and that the material things in life are not important?"

Chloe nodded her head like crazy.

He was actually buying it!

Maybe she really could talk her way out of this.

She decided to try and get him to sympathise with her. If she

pulled out the sob stories and tugged at his heartstrings, he may

feel some empathy for her and let her go,

"Oh absolutely, Vincent! I have always known that what I was doing was wrong but I let the people around me convince me to do it. I got caught up in the whole celebrity lifestyle and that was so superficial and stupid. I had a bad childhood growing up and I never had nice things so I think I overcompensated when I started earning money. I have never known who my father is and my mother was a raging alcoholic and drug addict who slept around with so many different men and moved us from place to place my whole life! She was the one that pushed me into performing – she was the one who wanted me to be a celebrity, I never wanted any of it. She used all the money I earnt as a child star to fund her lifestyle – she never gave a shit about me. It was all about her, she always wanted to be famous so she made me become a star and then revelled in the limelight herself. It's not my fault that I turned out the way I did but I am deeply sorry for it."

"And what about your drug use? You have abused narcotics for an extremely long time. You have let them eat away at your brain as well as your soul. You are a drug addict and an alcoholic, just like your vile mother. You are destroying the healthy body that God so kindly blessed you with. There are people out there inflicted with horrible, debilitating diseases.

Dying of something they did not cause to themselves, like cancer and you are deliberately poisoning yourself with these chemicals. Do you know what these people would give to be healthy and you are just spitting in their face," he continued to rant.

"I know... I know... but I am clean now – I promise..."

"It disgusts me that you feel the need to be dependent on such

damaging substances," he leaned over and stroked Chloe's hair softly, causing her to shudder in repulsion, "But, do not worry my darling, you will get clean and sober out here. There is nothing for you to destroy yourself with out here. I will help you to get through it."

"But I am off drugs!"

He didn't seem to be listening to what she was saying. It was like he had been waiting to say all of this to her for a while and now he had verbal vomit as it all came spilling out.

"I know all about your childhood, Chloe. I know absolutely everything that there is to know about you. And I do blame your mother for the way you turned out," Vincent told her very matter-of-factly as he walked around the room, attempting to tidy up – which seemed pretty fruitless. The place was a filthy dump, "But, you do not have to worry about her anymore. She has been punished for her sins," he continued, quietly, "The way that she bought you up was sordid and I could not let her continue on with her miserable excuse for a life without any consequences," his eyes slowly raising up from the floor to look her in the eyes.

Chloe stared at him in shock, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

"What!?" She could not fully comprehend what he was saying to her, "What are you talking about?"

The feeling of true horror overwhelmed every bone in her body.

What had he done?!

"You mother has been taken care of," Vincent told her vaguely as he paced back and forth in front of her, his voice was soft but had no trace of any real emotion. His cold demeanour suggested that he was not willing to give her any further information.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Chloe screamed at him, startling him with her loud outburst.

"I thought you would be happy. You have despised her for years. That evil bitch was never a true mother to you and did not deserve that title. She was a horrendous woman who chose drugs, sex with random men and alcohol over her precious daughter. She deserved what she got."

"What did you do you sick son of a bitch!?" Chloe hissed at him through grinded teeth, rage pulsating through her veins.

If her hands were not bound she would have them around his neck right now, strangling the life out of him and enjoying every second of it.

"I killed her," Vincent finally told her, coldly.

The room around Chloe started to spin out of control.

"What?" She asked meekly, not sure she had heard him correctly.

"I killed her, Chloe. Donna is dead. I stabbed her multiple times with a large knife. She died right there on the floor in that disgusting drug den that she was living in."

Chloe felt her body go weak and her knees trembled. She fell from the couch onto the ground. The familiar taste of nausea rose up in her throat and she threw up on the floor next to her.

Chloe did despise the way Donna had treated her, but at the end of the day she was her Mom. She would always be her Mom. She was literally the only family that Chloe had and Vincent had now robbed her of that. She had always held on to hope that one day, Donna would get her life together and the two of them could reconcile and be together again. Now, she would never have the chance.

She was truly alone in the world.

Vincent didn't react as Chloe cried hysterically on the floor.

Completely void of any emotion, he just stood over her and watched her anguish.

"Why?" She spluttered through her tears, "Why would you do that? Why would you kill my Mom?"

Vincent looked at her as if the question took him by surprise.

As if it was obvious why he had done what he had done.

"I did it for you, Chloe. Do you not understand that? I thought you would be relieved that she was gone. She was an evil woman who poisoned your life. She used her only child for her monetary gain to fuel her sordid lifestyle of drugs, sex and alcoholism.

What do you think she would have done once she had found out that you were missing? She would have demanded to have everything. After a while you would be presumed dead and as your only living relative, she would have inherited everything that you owned and all your money. Is that what you really want?

Donna Smith living in your mansion, spending your cash? She was a disgusting excuse for a human being and as long as she was alive you would never, ever be able to move on. I did it so that you could be free. Free to start your new life with me. A life that does not include any of the demons from your past life. A new life with me and with our children to be."

Chloe's mind could not wrap itself around the news that she had just received. Her mother was dead and it was all her fault.

If this psychopath had not become obsessed with her, Donna never would have been brutally murdered. It was all too much for her to fathom and her brain literally shut down as her body went into shock.

A black veil cloaked her eyes and she fell into unconsciousness.

A loud bang awoke Chloe from her drowsy slumber. Her eyes shot open with a jolt as she adjusted to her surroundings for the second time that day.

Well, actually now it was night time. The room around her was pitch black apart from a handful of tea light candles that were scattered around and a gas camping light that was perched on the coffee table just inches away from where she lay. Her nostrils stung and her eyes started to water as thick pungent smoke surrounded her face. Vincent was lighting the old, derelict fireplace and rotten logs cracked loudly as he fed more of them into the smouldering fire. As another one made a loud bang, she realised that that was the noise that had woken her up.

Vincent had not noticed that she was awake, he was too preoccupied with getting the fire to light properly and had his back turned to her.

Chloe was disorientated and famished, realising that she had not eaten anything since breakfast as hunger pangs churned in her stomach. Looking at the back of Vincent's head, the horrific reminder that he had murdered her mother overcame her.

She had to escape.

Chloe turned to see that the broken front door was still wide open and only a few feet away from where she lay. If she snuck away quietly and quickly could she make it outside before he noticed? She knew that her chances of escape were remote even if she did make it outside as she was bound so tightly, but she was willing to stick to the plan that she had earlier and cut the ropes on the old farming equipment that was outside, then she would run like the wind. Twisting her body as quietly as possible until she was on her knees, she shuffled along the floor again, ignoring the pain as her already bloodied and bruised limbs were

subjected to more cuts and pain.

Watching his back the whole time, she finally made it to the doorway. He had not turned around; the fire was proving to be hard to light. It was freezing outside and the draft flowing through the gap of the door hit her hard, as she was still only wearing the flimsy dress. A shiver went through her body, but the cold air revitalised her and woke her up immediately from the fog surrounding her mind. She crawled over the doorway, wincing in pain as the sharp, rusted metal cut her flesh as she did so. Holding her breath, she dragged her whole body outside.

Elated that she had made it that far, she was inspired to continue on. The remains of an old Ford truck was the closest to the house. The metal frame was lit up by the large moon directly above her. She frantically scurried herself along the cold, sharp rocks and gravel as fast as she could.

The night sky was so clear out in the desert, thousands of stars twinkled brightly above her.

Without a single cloud in the sky, or the smog and pollution of Los Angeles obstructing the view, it was quite breathtaking. If she wasn't currently in a living nightmare, being held captive by a lunatic who had murdered her mother, then Chloe would have really admired the scenery, but right now she had no interest in taking in the beauty of the universe.

All that mattered right now was escaping and saving her life.

She knew that she had limited time, it would not take Vincent much longer to light the fire, and when he did he would turn around and notice that she was not where he had left her. She probably only had minutes to spare.

Reaching what was left of the old vehicle, Chloe looked around to see if Vincent was pursuing her, but she could not see or hear him anywhere. Taking the chance, she began rubbing her wrist bindings against the remains of the door that was hanging on by one hinge. The large metal frame was sharp and cut her hands badly but she continued on, ignoring the pain and the sticky, wet blood.

Her heart beat wildly, she knew that he would notice any second, she was already on borrowed time.

It was eerily silent in the desert, no cars, horns, police sirens or any general signs of life. She had never realised just how loud Los Angeles was until now. Even in her neighbourhood, there was always people around, dogs barking, birds chirping, lawnmowers running. Out here there was nothing but a couple of crickets chirping in the distance. Hacking away at her bindings and using her surging adrenalin to give her an energy boost, she almost shouted out in joy when she felt the material snap and give way, her hands falling apart with the force. She caught herself and held her breath, immediately getting to work on freeing her ankles. Once her feet were free, she used the car door to pull herself up to her feet. She had just regained her balance when she heard a twig snap behind her. Chloe jumped in fright, swinging around just in time to see Vincent running straight at her, his eyes were large and wild, he looked manic.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" He bellowed at her, "You are not going anywhere!"

She ran to the other side of the old Ford, he chased her around it, but she kept going in the opposite direction that he was, keeping the vehicle between them. They couldn't just keep doing this though, she had to find a way to escape.

Looking around for any ideas, she spotted a large plank of wood leaning against a stone wall that had toppled over just a few metres away. If she could get to it and give him a hard enough blow to the head, she could knock him out. Her fight mode had kicked in and she was going to do everything she could to get away from him.

Taking a deep breath, she sprinted towards the wall.

Vincent pursued her.

Chloe reached the wall, scooped up the wooden plank which was surprisingly heavy and turned to face him. His eyes widened in shock as he saw what she was holding but he could not slow down quick enough. Chloe swung her whole body with the weapon, using all her strength to bring it as hard as she could into the side of Vincent's face.

There was a loud cracking sound as the wood connected with his cheekbone, blood immediately spurted from his mouth. He stumbled back a few steps, gripping his face. He was startled, his eyes rolling back as he struggled to keep his balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Chloe ran at him and struck him again as hard as she could, this time bringing the full weight of it down on the top of his head. He dropped straight to the ground, face first. He didn't move.

Without hesitating, she began to run out into the wilderness.

She had no idea where to go, or which way the nearest road would be. She had watched many survival shows over the years as they were Ana's favourite and she struggled to remember any tips that she could about which direction to go in, something about the stars pointing North but none of it had sunken in as she was usually drunk or high when she was watching them.

Not that it mattered anyway, even if she knew which way was North, how would she know that was the direction she was supposed to go in? She knew that finding a road would be her

best bet.

She ran as fast as her legs would allow her.

A disturbing thought entered her head as she raced along,

Wouldn't that be the first place that Vincent would head?

To the road?

She was on foot and he had a vehicle.

Ideally, she would have loved to of been able to drive the car away to freedom but there was no chance of that because she knew Vincent had hidden the keys in the house somewhere, she had seen him take them with him when they had arrived at the homestead and with hundreds of possible hiding spots, including on his person, she did not have the time to risk searching for them.

She realised that the only way to really have a decent chance of escape would be to immobilise the vehicle so that he couldn't pursue her. It would mean taking a massive risk, something she really didn't want to do; but she would have to turn back around and head back to where the car was. She had to slash his tyres or disable it somehow. If she could prevent him from driving after it would give her a huge head start.

She stopped, turned and jogged back in the direction she had come from, her brain was screaming at her that she was making a mistake.

Every instinct inside of her was urging her to run, that it was her first real chance of escaping and she was risking being recaptured and badly beaten. Forcing herself to go back was taking every ounce of strength she had within her.

She slowed down as she reached the rusted car wreckage again and hid behind it, her pulse was pumping rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath without panting too loudly.

She saw that Vincent was still lying where she had left him, he had not moved.

For a split second, she wandered if she had killed him, then she heard a soft snore escape from his mouth. Hiding behind an old well, she looked around frantically for something to slash his tyres with. Spotting a broken window on another of the abandoned cars, she noticed that shards of glass were lying on the ground, half buried in the sand. She ran over to the glass, wincing in pain as the road cut up her feet, leaving bloody spots on the ground behind her. Picking up a large piece, Chloe realised that decades of lying in the sand had made it blunt.

Running her finger along the edges, her heart sank as she realised they were not sharp at all. However, with nothing else around, she had to give it a go. Taking a deep breath and urging herself to hurry up, she rose carefully to her feet, crouched down and ran to Vincent's Toyota as fast as she could. Leaning down next to the front driver's side tyre, she stabbed away at the rubber desperately. It was not making a dent, let alone a puncture.

Letting out a cry of desperation, she stabbed it over and over again, without any luck. Sobbing as she fell into a heap on the floor, she started to panic.

What else could she do?

If she unscrewed the caps, would the tyres take forever to go down? Would they even go down at all? Kicking herself that she didn't know the answer, she frantically unscrewed the cap, letting it drop to the floor, then crawled to the back tyre and did the same again.

It wasn't enough. She had to make sure he could not pursue her.

Peering through the cars windows to where Vincent lay on the ground, she could only see the bottom of his legs and shoes, he

still had not come around. The silence was eerie.

Opening the car door quietly, she slid into the front seat and leaned across to under the dashboard, fumbling around for the lever to pop open the hood. After what seemed like an eternity, the bonnet made a clicking sound and rose an inch. She jumped out of the car and made her way to the front quietly, feeling around underneath she found the latch and lifted it up. Resting it on her head, she looked around at all the mechanical equipment, wires and parts.

What would work?

She had no idea. She started ripping at the exposed wires, pulling out as many as she could.

Was she actually disabling the vehicle and doing something that would work?

She knew nothing about how engines worked. Panicking, she ripped at all the steel components that she could, her fingers bleeding as she pried bolts off and tugged at whatever would move. Pulling at the battery, it came out surprisingly easy. She threw it to the ground as hard as she could, then picked it up and banged it a few more times. Checking out the damage, Chloe was confident that she had done enough. Wanting to get as far away as possible from Vincent, she took off again - this time for the last time.

Her bare feet were becoming increasingly torn up and they pulsated in pain every time they landed on the hard ground but Chloe had no time to worry about that. Any injuries she had would heal with time, she was fighting for her life right now.

Despite the cold, crisp air, sweat poured down Chloe's face, the salty liquid stinging her eyes. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, desperately struggling to decide which way to go. With the moon giving off the only light, she ran and ran as fast as she could.

Finally looking behind her, she was elated to see that she could no longer see the town. Her heart was bursting and she was struggling to breathe and every muscle in her legs were burning as if they were on fire. She slowed down and allowed herself to collapse on a heap on the floor. She sat there for a few precious minutes, desperately trying to get her breath back.

She could not stop for long though, he would be in pursuit of her as soon as he woke up. She had to get as much distance between them as possible.

Forcing herself back up to her feet, she continued a slow jog for as long as she could, then she had to walk. Her short dress was not providing her much warmth, she huddled behind a bush and hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth as her teeth chattered and her body shook violently.

It was freezing out there. She had to give up walking for the night, as she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She would just be stumbling around aimlessly if she carried on and she felt confident that there was enough distance between them now that he would not be able to find her.

Crying softly to herself, Chloe massaged her shredded feet.

Large cuts had pierced her heels and blisters were raised up around her toes. A few had burst and were seeping a lot of fluid.

She used her teeth to rip into the bottom of her dress, then pulled at the material to tear off two long strips and gently bandaged her throbbing feet then lay down in the sand to try and get some sleep. The silence of the desert was deafening. She could hear no wildlife, no cars, no nothing. It was very unnerving and it was harder for her to drift off then she had

expected, considering how exhausted she was.

Thinking of her Mother, tears fell from her tired eyes.

Waking up the next day to a strange sound, Chloe struggled for a few moments to realise where she was. It all came flooding back with a few moments, however as she spotted where the strange sound was coming from. A large bird that she did not recognise was standing over her. It was the size of a small child and looked like a large eagle. The feathered creature was eyeing her off as if it was contemplating picking the meat from her bones. Chloe screamed and kicked out her legs towards the intimidating animal, but it stood its ground, curiously watching what she was doing.

"Go away!" She screamed, scrambling backwards away from it.

Was it going to attack her?

It cocked its head to the side then walked away slowly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she staggered up to her swollen, sore feet and brushed the sand from her legs. Wincing in pain, she scoured the landscape and tried to see if there was anything she could recognise. There were no electricity poles, no roads, no signs of life whatsoever, apart from the creepy bird that was still eyeing her off.

Chloe had no idea what direction to go in. Thirst gripped her dry throat and she sobbed as she tried to swallow some saliva but it was like sandpaper. Even though she had hunger pains in the pit of her stomach, her need for some water was all that she could think about.

Also plaguing her mind was the thought that Vincent would have woken up long ago and would undoubtedly be searching for her. Chloe was so grateful that she had taken the initiative to go back and destroy his vehicle. That had undoubtedly bought her valuable time. She did not know if he would be able to fix it or not, but she knew that she had to get to help as soon as she could possibly could.

Turning around in circles, she was going to be taking a wild guess into which direction she should head. The scenery all looked the same. Would choosing the wrong way take her further out into the desert? She would surely die if she chose incorrectly.

There was a large hill in the distance. It was the only hill she had seen and decided that her best bet would be to head for it, climb it and see if she could see any signs of civilization. It was a fair distance away and very high but Chloe begrudgingly made her way for it, knowing that it was going to take a very long time to get there, let alone climb it but she had no other ideas.

Her body was cut and badly bruised and every muscle from her stomach to her feet screamed in agony from running for so long during the night. Each step was unbearable torture on her bloodied, bare feet. The blisters burst immediately and the warm fluid made her feet feel slimy in the makeshift bandages.

Ignoring it all, she carried on. The fight to survive was greater than the physical pain. Chloe was surprised at how quickly the temperatures rose in the desert after the sun had risen.

Within an hour the heat was insufferable. Her exposed skin did not take long to start burning up. Her bare shoulders, back and forehead were blistered and red raw in no time at all. Her lips were cracked and stung every time she used what little saliva was in her mouth to lick them.

As she stumbled along slowly, she desperately searched for any

sign of food or water. She was looking for berries or something along those lines. Not that she would know if they were poisonous or not.

Those survival shows she had watched with Ana would sure come in handy now if she had retained any of the information from them.

Every time she saw a lizard dart past her, she wandered to herself how hungry she would have to be to catch one and eat it raw. The thought made her feel nauseous and she hoped she would not have to stoop to that.

At the pace she was managing to go and in her weakened state, it took Chloe most of the day to reach the bottom of the hill. It had been a long, agonising miserable hike.

Thoughts of her mother and Luc had plagued her thoughts the whole time, step after excruciating step. She had a couple of breakdowns along the way, collapsing to the ground in hysterical tears before summoning the strength to stand up and carry on again.

It was the hardest thing Chloe had ever done and there were multiple times when she had thought she would die out there.

The sun was starting to drop again behind her and she only had about an hour of daylight left. She still had to climb the hill but Chloe was exhausted beyond belief and was dangerously close to collapsing, red spots danced in front of her eyes and she felt light headed so she allowed herself precious time to rest, laying down on the hot, hard ground, under the small amount of shade provided by a small shrub.

Chloe didn't feel the pain anymore; not her aching muscles, her torn up feet, her burnt, red raw skin, her dry, sore lips and throat... she was just numb to it all now. The sky above her faded in and out of focus. Her hope was fading with it. She highly doubted that she would be able to climb the hill today. It was a lot steeper up close then she had presumed that it would be. She was so weak that she knew she would not get very far in the state she was in. She needed to rest and let some of the wounds heal during the night. Chloe decided that she would have to spend another freezing cold night on the ground, sleep as much as she could and then climb the hill first thing in the morning.

When she reached the top she would have a better view up there, she could then decide which direction she should go in.

She was banking everything on the fact that she would see some kind of hope up there because that was something that was fading way faster than her body and momentum. She needed that glimmer of precious hope that would tell her she was going to survive if she kept going. Thoughts had continuously popped into her head all day as she walked that she could potentially die out here, in the middle of nowhere and her body would never be found. Nobody would ever even know what happened to her.

Chloe Stone would become a fascinating Hollywood story of a fallen pop star whom had just disappeared off the face of the Earth one day. She had been kidnapped after being stalked by a psychopath and many rumours will do the rounds about what her fate may have been. There would be rumoured sightings of her over the years, just like Elvis and it would forever be a mystery.

Chloe had to kick herself a few times when thoughts of returning to the town and Vincent had popped into her head.

The reasoning behind this would be that she knew she would survive if she returned. Physically anyway, emotionally and mentally she would be dead inside as she accepted her fate at

being his prisoner.

But, after she wrestled with the idea all day – her brain's way of trying to get her to survive rather than die a slow, painful death by herself in the desert – she had come to the conclusion that she would rather die in the desert alone then suffer a brutal life at the hands of a psychopath.

As the sun started to dip down again, Chloe used the little energy she had left to snap a branch from a dead tree and sweep the ground. She then lined as many leaves as she could find into a make shift sheet to protect her from the cold ground.

Making herself as comfortable as she could under the freezing circumstances, she huddled herself up into a vulnerable ball and shivered her way into a restless, exhausted slumber.

Chloe awoke to the feeling of her skin crawling and itching unbearably. She opened her eyes and looked down at her body.

To her horror, hundreds of large ants were crawling all over her.

She jumped up to her feet and hopped around manically, brushing off as many as she could and screaming frantically.

They bit her even more as she swatted at them. She ripped the dress up over her head and shook it violently with one hand as she swiped the ants off her bare body with the other.

When she was satisfied she had gotten them all off, she fell to her knees and started to cry in despair. The intense thirst and hunger hit her like a tonne of bricks after the initial fright of the ant attack wore off. Her feet burned with pain. She cradled them in her hands and looked at the bloodied mess that were once well manicured feet. The bandages she had created from her torn dress had worn away to next to nothing.

Little shreds of material clung to her blisters and the open wounds by the dried blood. She gingerly peeled back the fabric, wincing as she reopened the scabs that had started to form and taking the skin with them. It took what seemed like forever to get all of it off. What she was left with was ghastly. Her poor feet were swollen and so badly bruised that they were mostly black.

The blood blisters were a dark shade of purple and the open blisters were red raw, with pus bubbling out of them.

She did not think that she could possibly walk on them, let alone get to the top of the hill, but she had no choice. If she gave up now, she would have no choice but to lie here and die.

"Come on, Chloe. You can do this. You have to do this," she croaked to herself quietly, tears stinging her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time.

She hobbled over to a large dead tree and snapped off two large branches. She then leant on them, using the limbs as very uncomfortable crutches. It helped to keep as much weight off her feet as she could.

Making her way up the hill was torture. She felt like she was literally dying. This was her third day without food or water and being exposed to the harsh elements, especially the scorching hot sun. She had an intense migraine which was from the lack of water as well as the sun stroke she knew that she now had. She was very weak.

Days ago, she could have ran up the hill no problem, now it took minutes just to take a couple of steps. Forcing herself to go on, it took her an agonising couple of hours to finally get high enough where she would be able to look around properly.

It felt as though it had taken months to get there.

Chloe collapsed in a fatigued heap, laughing hysterically with

madness to herself at her victory. It had taken every ounce of energy that she had to get there and she was elated. Basking in the moment, she looked up into the blue sky and took a well-deserved couple of deep breaths, closing her eyes and feeling hope surge up inside of her again. She was not out of the woods yet though, she had to see what was around.

Chloe stumbled back up to her feet and walked around the uneven, rocky surface.

Squinting in all directions, her heart sunk in disappointment as she realised that it all looked the same – vast hectare after hectare of the same dead bushes and dirt that she had been staring at for days.

Just as she was about to drop to her knees, start screaming and face the fact that she was going to die alone on this hill, something in the far distance caught her eye. It was very far away but it was exactly what she had been looking for.

Tiny power poles lined up alongside what looked like a road.

Her heart skipped a beat and she did a jump for joy, so grateful that her big risk had paid off. As painful as it had been to get here, she now had a direction in which to head.

She had hope.

No vehicles were on the road and there was nothing else around, but if she could make it there, she could hide somewhere near it and run out if she saw a car. She had to have faith that somebody would come along and it was a road that was still in use. It would take literally everything that she had left in her to just get to the road, to keep walking along it when she got there would be physically impossible. Chloe had to fathom the challenge that was still ahead of her. She would have to walk back down the hill and all the way to the road on bloodied,

swollen and battered feet that were burning in pain.

She had no strength inside of her as it was. She no longer felt hungry, which was comforting as her stomach pains had subsided, but it was probably not a good thing for her body to be in that state. She had no excess weight to lose but she definitely had, and she could feel her bones pushing out under her sunburnt, blistering skin.

The constant thirst was still overwhelming. There was no water anywhere. She contemplated the possibility that she could start eating some of the bugs or plants that she came across, even if she didn't know if they were poisonous or not.

The sun was going down again, but Chloe did not want to stop and sleep. She knew she was dying and her body was slowly shutting down. Every precious moment that she was still breathing meant something.

It meant she could survive this.

She had to get to the road as soon as she possibly could. If she just went straight she would be headed in the right direction, even if it was dark.

Continuing through the night would also give her sore skin a break from the constant, relentless sun. Ignoring her feet and spurred on by adrenalin and the excitement that she would actually survive this and get to help, she began to slowly make her way down the hill on her make shift crutches. Going down was a lot harder than going up had been as her feet kept slipping down, but she just took it slow and steady, step after excruciating step.

Chloe finally made it down to the bottom in complete darkness.

The freezing air chilled her to the bone but the intense amount of energy that it took for her to keep moving was keeping her blood flowing and her heart rate high, so she was warmer than she had been the previous night.

Pure determination kept her feet moving. It took an agonisingly long time yet she kept placing one foot in front of the other. She did not know how close she had gotten to the road after walking for hours, but she could not go on any further.

Exhausted, she fell hard to her knees and admitted defeat for the night. She estimated that she had to be relatively close and could complete the trek in the morning. Chloe would need her energy to continue on the next day as she would need to stay awake and alert to watch for passing cars. She was also worried that her feet were becoming infected. The open sores were seeping a thick, yellow liquid and were emitting a strange smell.

Unbearably tender, there was not a single spot that wasn't cut, bruised or blistered, the sight of them was disturbing. Even in the dark, she could see they were in really bad shape.

Sighing, she ripped more makeshift bandages from her dress.

There was not much length left in it and her underwear was now exposed. They were originally white panties but were now stained a dark brown colour from sleeping in the dirt. Chloe would just have to be rescued in her dirty underwear – what did she care anymore? She wouldn't even mind if she ended up naked, she just wanted to be saved.

Layers of skin had started to peel away from her shoulders.

Her face, arms and legs were all severely burnt. Miserable, she finally fell into a restless and nervous slumber.

Chloe did not sleep for long. As soon as the sun rose and woke her up, she jumped up excitedly, a renewed energy flowing through her. In the light of day, she could see that the road was not far at all now, only a couple of miles.

She no longer felt hunger, thirst or pain, just pure adrenalin.

Ignoring her feet, with the torn fabric once again stuck to her seeping wounds, she started stumbling along as quickly as possible.

Chloe was almost at the road when she heard the loud engine of a truck coming over the horizon. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but quickly realised that it was indeed a farming truck, with piles of hay bales strapped down to the tray at the back. It was a very old, beat up vehicle that had black smoke billowing out of the exhaust as it spluttered towards her.

To Chloe, it was the best sight she had ever seen in her life.

Excited, but also panicking that she was still too far away and may miss it, she started running as fast as her feet would allow.

Her heart felt as if it was bursting and she struggled to breath, her lungs were on fire but she refused to stop. She waved her arms around wildly, screaming and trying to get the drivers attention.

She was gaining ground, but she still wasn't close enough. Her heart sank to her stomach as the truck tore past her and carried on down the road, before finally disappearing over the horizon out of sight.

"Noooooo!!" Chloe screamed in defeat, dropping to her knees and landing on a prickly bush which tore up her legs.

She didn't care though, she was devastated. That had been the only vehicle she had seen since she had been taken by Vincent.

How long would it be before another drove by?

After a few minutes of crying and punching the ground in front of her in hysterical frustration, Chloe took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.

Laying down on her back, she stared up at the sky, watching a single white cloud float along.

It was mesmerising to her.

She suddenly felt at peace, a strange euphoric sensation sweeping over her body.

"You can't give up, Chlo," she told herself through the sobs,

"You can't give up. You have to keep fighting. You have to survive. Do it for yourself. Do it for Luc. Do it for your Mommy. Show the world what a tough bitch you are and keep going."

She rolled over and started crawling on her hands and knees towards the road. It was agonising but she had to stay off her feet for a while, she could not take the torture of walking on them any longer.

As she finally approached the road, Chloe was disheartened to see that it was very old. It was bitumen but it looked like it had been laid many, many years ago and like it did not get used very much at all as large potholes littered the surface.

Still, it was something.

It was the only shred of hope that she had left.

Chloe did not know how long she could continue on for.

She was on day three with no water and she knew that she would die if she did not have any soon. Her body was ripped to shreds and she was dehydrated, malnourished and weak.

It started to dawn on her that she was going to die out there if this was a road that was no longer in much use. She could not walk any further. Her feet were infected and the wounds were leaking a pussy fluid as they throbbed.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do now.

Literally, her only hope of survival was pinned on the fact that

somebody else would drive by.

And soon.

How much time did she have left?

Chloe pulled herself up and dragged her exhausted body over to a large tree next to the road that gave her a little shade.

As much as she tried to fight it, her heavy eyelids won and she fell asleep, no longer having the energy to stay awake. She slept through the afternoon and awoke again later that night as the cold air slapped her nearly naked body hard. Shivering and hugging her legs in close to her chest, her teeth chattered loudly as she drifted in and out of a restless, fatigued slumber. As she lay there in utter misery and despair, she said a prayer to God.

She had never prayed in her life, she didn't even really know how to do it but as the sun set on another day she had started to feel like she was not going to make it out of the desert alive.

Death was slowly creeping up on her. She could feel herself fading dramatically. Chloe highly doubted that she had another day left in her. Her mouth was unbearably dry, she no longer had any saliva left to swallow so breathing had become a lot harder.

A shocking migraine was plaguing her and the thumping pain was making her nauseous. She had not urinated since the morning of the day before, a huge sign that her body was lacking any fluids whatsoever. The dizziness she had experienced as she had walked was still disorientating her as she lay down.

Chloe prayed hard, desperately begging God to forgive her for her many, many sins and the horrid way that she had lived and abused her life and for the way she had treated the people around her. She pleaded to Him that if it was indeed her time to die, then could it be peacefully and painlessly and could she be allowed to go to Heaven.

She cried as she prayed. Chloe had never believed in God, she had never really given faith much thought at all before - but now she needed to believe in a higher power that could protect her.

She was dying alone in the desert. Praying was the only peace that she felt as she prepared for the fact that this was where it could possibly end for her. What a waste the last years of her life had been. If she had the chance to do it all again, she would have done it a hell of a lot differently.

Troubling thoughts and memories plagued her until the sun came up again.

She was too weak to move. Instead, Chloe just lay there, staring up at the sun. Ants crawled over her legs but she couldn't even brush them off. She wandered how long it would take for her to die.

Would anybody ever find her body?

She doubted it. Animals and birds would most likely eat her corpse, leaving just bones. The thought of her being left as a skeleton in Death Valley made her shudder. What a truly miserable way for somebody to die.

The clouds in the sky faded out of focus as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Chloe thought she was hallucinating when she heard the hum of an engine later that afternoon.

Laying with her right cheek in the dirt as the sand tickled her nostril, the sound got louder and more distinct.

It WAS an engine!

Her heart started beating faster in excitement and adrenalin took over once again and her fight for survival instinct kicked in.

She was going to make it!

She was going to survive this ordeal.

It was now or never – this was truly her last chance. Chloe

struggled to roll over onto her knees, using every ounce of energy she had to crawl, dragging her feet behind her onto the road.

As she reached the scolding hot bitumen, it burnt her hands but she was numb to pain now. She had endured so much, what was a bit more?

Chloe reached the middle of the road, to the faded white strip that divided it into two, and looked in both directions. She could not see the car yet, but she could still hear it. Turning her head back and forth constantly, she almost laughed out loud when she saw the small vehicle in the distance, slowly making its way towards her. She stumbled up onto her knees, then slowly stood up, balancing uneasily on her swollen, massacred feet. She grimaced through the pain and started waving her arms around frantically, using every bit of strength that she could muster from her fatigued muscles and dying body.

The vehicle came closer but the heat waves radiating from the road caused it to look blurry and she could not quite make it out.

It reduced its speed as it approached her.

The driver had seen her!

She cried out in elation and tears of joy fell down her cheeks as it slowed right down. Chloe started to hobble towards it, ready to thank the guardian angel who had saved her life, but as the sedan drew to a stop just metres away from her, her heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach.

She recognised the Toyota.

It was Vincent.

He had fixed it. He pulled to a stop just a few metres from her.

She screamed and turned around, trying to escape as her captor opened the door and casually walked towards her. She tried to run but she was so weak she could only manage a slow, hobbling jog.

"Chloe, what the fuck!?" Vincent spat angrily.

"NOOOO! NOOOOO! NOOOOO!" She cried out desperately.

Vincent easily caught up to her and grabbed her by her arm, spinning her around so she was facing his wretched face. She had done some damage with the wooden plank, the side of his face was swollen and badly bruised. He had a bandage above his eye. Chloe got a smug satisfaction out of the that fact she had hurt the evil bastard.

"Look at the state of you! Why the Hell would you run off into the desert!? Are you fucking crazy? You could have died out here," his eyes went up and down her beaten, bruised and lacerated body, especially the state of her feet. He shook his head in disbelief and started pulling her back towards the car.

"No! No! Please no..." she tried to break free of his grip but she was too weak, "Leave me here. Let me die, please, just let me die!"

"You don't mean that. You don't want to die," he said nonchalantly as he continued to drag her back.

She pulled away from him, yanking her arm back hard and dropping down to the road to make it harder for him to pull her along. He didn't seem too fazed by her feeble protest attempt, he just calmly bent down and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

Chloe screamed and kicked, punched and bit him as hard as she could – which wasn't very powerful at all in her current state.

Vincent didn't react to her whatsoever, he just put her into the back seat and slammed the door shut.

"NOOOO!!!" She screamed, kicking at the door and trying to

scramble to the front so that she could escape out of the passenger door, but he quickly slid into the driver's seat and pushed her back.

Vincent sped off down the road at incredible speed, sending dust flying as he fishtailed on and off the road wildly, trying to drive at the same time as holding Chloe back as she desperately fought for her freedom. She could not believe that he had recaptured her.

Her worst nightmare was continuing on. She now wished that she had died out there. Death would truly be her only escape.

"Vincent! Please! Let me go, just leave me out here, I am begging you! If you really loved me, you would just let me go. I can't go back, I can't," she sobbed desperately but he was ignoring her, determined to speed back to the town as quickly as possible.

Chloe didn't know what to do, but she knew that she couldn't let him take her back there.

After half an hour of staring out of the window helplessly as they sped along and racking her brain as to how she was going to escape this situation now, her heart skipped a beat when she saw another vehicle coming towards them in the opposite direction.

At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her but as it came closer, she realised that it was indeed real. It was the only other car she had seen out there and she held her breath as she watched the old, beat up, pale blue kombi van slowly approach them. Seeing the van with two paddleboards and bags of luggage strapped to its roof gave her hope that other people did come through this way, she just did not know how often that occurred.

However, even with the knowledge that the road did get used

often, she doubted she would get the chance again to get out

there to flag anybody down.

No doubt, Vincent would be locking her up more securely and keeping a very close eye on her now that she had proved she could escape.

The opportunity to flee again would be very dismal. It was a miracle she had survived this time; she may not be so lucky if there was a next time. As she watched the kombi come closer with a heavy heart, a crazy, very risky and dangerous idea popped into her head. It was going to hurt like Hell and bang her up pretty good, but it was possibly her last chance at freedom and to escape from Vincent. As the van got closer, Chloe closed her eyes and said a quick prayer in her head. She then gripped the door handle, took a deep breath and flung the door wide open, jumping out.

She hit the bitumen with such force that she rolled at least a dozen metres down the road. The gravel instantly tore at her skin, ripping the flesh from her legs, arms and back. Severe road burn grazed nearly every inch of her body, including her face.

As she came to an incredibly excruciating stop and screaming in immense pain, Chloe heard Vincent's tires squeal as he slammed the brakes on, skidding over the road as he tried to stop the Toyota after travelling at such high speed. Lying flat on the ground, salty tasting blood welled up in her mouth. As she spat it out onto the road she could see that the kombi had stopped just a few car lengths away of her. Blood dripped down into her eyes, blurring her vision.

She wiped it away and saw two shocked hippy looking teenagers, a boy and a girl staring at her through their front windscreen. Their mouths were both wide open, in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Chloe held her arm out towards them using all her strength, ignoring the agony that she was in from her battered body.

She started shouting at them to help her, "HELP ME,

PLEEEEEASE!!!" Her voice was coarse and her throat stung but she repeated it over and over, begging for them to rescue her.

They looked at each other in shock, unsure of what to do. It must have been a terrifying sight for them to come across, a bloodied, half naked woman jumping out of a speeding vehicle - mutilating her whole body in the process - in the middle of the Death Valley desert. Vincent had come to a stop a few hundred metres away and was turning the car around to head back towards them.

Chloe was running out of time.

She tried to get onto her knees \- or what was left of her knees - and crawl towards them, a mixture of blood and tears streaming down her face, she was panicking as he drew nearer.

"PLEASE! HELP! PLEASE HELP MEEEEEE!" She desperately screamed for them to do something.

The teenagers warily got out of the kombi and cautiously headed towards her, concern plastered on their faces. The young girl reached Chloe first. She was a beautiful sight for the beaten down Chloe, a petite, naturally pretty young redhead wearing a short, yellow summer dress. Chloe had never been so grateful to see anybody in her whole life.

"Are you OK?" She asked, her green eyes wide in fright as she looked down at Chloe's massacred body.

"Please, you have to get me out of here..." Chloe begged,

"He's going to kill me!"

Her dreadlocked boyfriend came up behind her, grabbed the redhead and pulled her back away from Chloe as Vincent screeched the Toyota to a halt next to them and jumped out.

"What's going on?" The boy asked with concern. He was very tall, lanky and frail, he looked scared out of his wits at confronting the large mad man who had just had a woman jump out of his car, saying he was going to kill her.

"Fuck off!" Vincent spat at them. He approached a hysterical Chloe and grabbed her under her armpit, attempting to drag her along the road towards the sedan.

"NOOOO!!" Chloe screamed, "Please! Help me! Please!" She begged the young travellers.

"Let her go!" The boy demanded, his voice cracking as he attempted to appear brave, but Chloe could see that he was terrified.

"Get the fuck out of here," Vincent growled at him, still trying to pull a stubborn Chloe along.

"Holy shit, that's Chloe Stone!" He pointed at Chloe as he looked at his girlfriend in bewilderment, "It's been all over the news that she was kidnapped! The whole world is looking for her! Let her go now!"

He seemed to grow more confident and excited after recognising the famous pop star. Vincent straightened up, letting go of Chloe's arm. He marched towards the young couple, reaching behind himself to the waist band of his jeans and producing a large knife. The long blade glistened in the sunlight.

Chloe recognised it as the same knife he had abducted her with.

Realising what he was intending to do, the two teens both turned and started running back towards their van, the girl was screaming loudly, obviously terrified.

"NOOO!!" Chloe shouted in horror, struggling up to her feet.

She stumbled towards Vincent screaming the word over and over again, "NO! NO! NO! Vincent please, I will go with you! I will go with you! Just let them go, please! Just let them go!!! I will stay with you, I promise, it has nothing to do with them!"

Ignoring Chloe's desperate pleas, Vincent easily chased down the girl and wrestled her down to the ground. She was manically screaming and kicking out at him, trying frantically to get him off her. Vincent straddled her, using all his weight to pin her small body down as she lay face down on the road.

The poor girl was terrified and pleading for her life. Void of any emotion or compassion, Vincent lifted the knife up above him and bought it down hard between her shoulder blades at the base of her neck. She went silent as her body twitched for a few seconds, then stopped struggling and went limp and quiet, a dark red circle growing on her yellow dress.

Vincent yanked the blood stained knife from her lifeless body and then stabbed her twice more in quick concession. The boy had stopped in his tracks and turned around in time to watch the terrifying murder of his girlfriend.

He seemed to be in frozen in place in a paralysing fear.

After a few seconds he snapped out of his trance. Realising that his life was also in immediate danger, he climbed into the kombi and tried to start it up, his hands shaking uncontrollably made it hard for him to turn the ignition key.

Vincent leapt up off the girl's body, her blood had stained the front of his shirt. He raced towards the van in a manic fury, waving the knife around.

"Please!!" Chloe screamed, stumbling towards them, "Please let him go, Vincent! Please! Just stop it!"

Vincent reached the driver's side door as the frantic teen finally started up the van. He ripped it open and pulled the terrified boy out of the van by his shirt and down onto the ground.

Without hesitation, he plunged the knife into the young man's heart. The blood sprayed across the side of the kombi and onto the road. Vincent stood over the boy, watching him bleed out with a twisted smile on his face. He was getting off on murdering the innocent travellers.

After revelling in what he had done, he took a few steps back, looking from the girl's body back to the boy.

He was enjoying this!

Storming back towards a now hysterical Chloe, she screamed and cried as Vincent scooped her up and took her back to his vehicle once again. She had no fight left in her. She was in shock from the horror she had just witnessed.

"You made me do that! It was all your fault! They could have just driven past us and carried on in their travels, but you had to involve them in our business, and now they are dead. Because of you," he informed her coldly.

Bundling her into the back seat, he took his belt off and wound it around her wrists behind her back.

"Stay here, no more stupid mistakes," he warned her, closing the door on her.

Tears streamed down Chloe's grazed cheeks as she watched him approach the body of the innocent young girl. He dragged her body by the feet along the road towards the kombi. A blood trail followed behind her as her dress was pulled up over her head, exposing her pink underwear. Vincent threw her into the passenger side, then proceeded to pick up the boy and push his body into the centre of the front seat. He then hopped into the driver's side and started the van, driving it a few hundred metres off the road.

Coming to a stop, he and turned off the engine. Chloe watched on as he took the shirt off the boy's body and walked around to the petrol tank, shoving the material into the hole. He then lit the sleeve that was dangling down with a lighter he had retrieved from his pocket.

Vincent then ran as fast as he could back to Chloe and the Toyota.

Jumping into the driver's seat, he started the car and sped off down the road. Chloe watched out of the back windscreen as the kombi exploded into a large fireball. The noise was so loud that the Toyota shook violently. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky as large flames engulfed the kombi and the bodies of two innocent teens.

THE TRUTH ABOUT VINCENT

As the days passed, Luc became increasingly sick with worry about what had happened to Chloe. He blamed himself; he was supposed to protect her. Not only had she hired him to be her bodyguard but they had fallen in love and become a couple, which meant he was her partner in life and you are supposed to protect those you love.

He had returned to Chloe's house with Ana as they waited for some news from the FBI. He hated sitting around and felt helpless, he wanted to go out and search for her but he had no idea where to start and the detectives were being very coy about what information they were receiving.

The media circus was insane.

A famous celebrity getting kidnapped by a crazed stalker was a huge story and the whole world was in shock. He had never seen anything like it out the front of the property. News vans from not only every station in Los Angeles and the surrounding states, but also from other countries were lined along the street for miles in each direction.

There were so many reporters, fans and paparazzi surrounding

the property that the police department had to set up crowd control barriers to keep them at bay and to control all the traffic.

The wealthy neighbours that lived on the street were infuriated and regularly complained to Luc, Ana and the police, but as it was a public street there was nothing they could do.

Helicopters had flown overhead nearly every day and multiple paps had been arrested for trying to scale the wall and get exclusive photographs of Luc and Ana and the activities going on at the home of Chloe Stone.

Luc escorted Ana to the police station regularly for updates or to be of any assistance that he could, not that he was of much use to them but he couldn't just do nothing.

Every time he left the grounds, he was bombarded by the awaiting media. They chased his car down the driveway and street, shouting questions at him, asking if he blamed himself, wanting him to speculate on whether or not Chloe was still alive.

It was so morbid; they were like vultures fighting over a dead carcass. It had taken everything within himself not to completely lose the plot at them.

When the story broke that Donna had been murdered – presumably by the same man whom had taken Chloe – they had gone into a frenzy. It was the number one story on every news channel, every day.

They were interviewing anybody and everybody that they could, Donna's neighbours, including the old lady who had heard the murder, the janitor that had been attacked by Vincent and had his uniform stolen, the employees of the theatre, other celebrities, anybody they could get to say their two cents worth were interviewed.

It quickly became a circus, especially for the frustrated police

and FBI agents who were desperately trying to follow any decent leads that they had.

With thousands of prank callers and the media outlets constantly clogging up the info tip line, it was taking way too long to sift through them all and see if any were genuine.

All Luc could do was wait and the waiting was killing him. He didn't sleep, he didn't eat. He took his frustrations out in Chloe's gym, lifting heavy weights and running for hours on the treadmill.

He felt incredibly helpless. Ana was a distraught mess. She cried constantly, locking herself in her bedroom and refusing to answer her calls to anybody except the police. Luc was worried about her mental state, but he had to devote every ounce of energy he had into finding Chloe.

On day four, Detective Park finally called to say he had information as he was on his way over to the house and they were now eagerly awaiting his arrival, pacing up and down the living room.

"What do you think he has?" Ana asked, clutching a tissue, her eyes and nose red from days of continuous crying.

"I don't know; he was vague on the phone. Hopefully they have a lead and know who this maniac is."

"God I hope so," she sobbed.

A knock on the glass doors that led from the garden through to the living area interrupted them. They looked up to see Park standing there, accompanied by two other officers. Luc jumped up and let him in. The two uniformed policeman waited outside whilst Park shook Luc's hand and entered the house.

"Morning, may I?" He asked, gesturing to the sofa.

"Yes, please sit down," Ana scooted over to the chair opposite

him, "What do you know?"

She was too eager and didn't want to waste time on small chit chat. Luc sat beside her, the anticipation was driving him crazy.

"OK. We got a match from the fingerprints that we pulled from the toilets and janitor's cart."

Luc thought his heart would jump out of his chest, "You have a hit? This guy was in the system?"

Park nodded, but his face gave away that there was more to it.

Luc panicked, what was this guy on file for? What had he done?

"Yes, his name is Vincent McVeigh," He opened his briefcase and produced a photograph.

It was a mug shot of Vincent. He looked very similar to the composite sketch that the police artist had drawn up.

"You know who he is!" Ana squealed with excitement, it was the first good news they had received.

Park nodded, his face still sombre, Luc knew there was bad news coming.

"Vincent McVeigh is a very troubled individual. He was arrested for brutally raping a teenage girl in a parking lot of the fast food chain where he worked. She was so terrified of him that she refused to press charges or testify in court so he was let off on the charges due to lack of evidence. He had become obsessed with her leading up to the rape, very much like he has been with Chloe."

Luc's heart sank and Ana started to sob again.

"Vincent has led a very sheltered life. He has no friends, no hobbies, no job; he was a carer for his elderly mother whom he has lived with his whole life. His mother, Edith was known to be demanding and cruel to Vincent and she regularly physically and

mentally abused him. We went around to their residence.

His bedroom was a virtual shrine to Chloe, there were literally hundreds of posters and magazine clippings of her plastered over every inch of the walls. He had all sorts of memorabilia and clippings of her. There were also dozens of photos of her that Vincent had taken himself. Some were at industry events, but there were also some of her at home, which we found disturbing,

he had been watching her and following her closely for a long time before he first approached her."

"Oh, God," Ana whimpered.

Park continued on, "There was no sign of his mother, Edith at the residence, the neighbours said she never leaves her house.

Ever. There were no records of her being placed into an aged care facility or hospital and she wasn't on the death records.

The bathroom stunk of bleach, so the forensic investigators shone a light in there that shows traces of blood even if it has been scrubbed. It was everywhere. The bathtub had been covered in it, it was on the floor tiles, the walls..."

"Oh my God," Ana gasped, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"There was enough blood in that bathroom that a human being could not lose that much and live. DNA has matched it to Edith, so we have concluded that Vincent has murdered his mother in the bathroom then disposed of her body."

Luc felt sick to his stomach. This psychopath was capable of murdering his own mother, what did he have in store for Chloe?

"Do the FBI know where he is?" Luc asked.

"No. None of the neighbours even noticed that he was gone.

Vincent kept very much to himself. We are releasing his image, his vehicle and license plates to the media as we speak, hopefully somebody out there has seen him or his vehicle and knows

where he has headed."

Luc was getting restless and started pacing the room again, his head swimming with this information, "So we know who he is, there has to be someway of tracking him? Has he got a phone that you can trace? Or his bank statements, is there anything on there that could indicate where he is or where he could be heading?"

Park shook his head, "No, no phone. Bank statements are not helpful at all. He drew out all the cash he had in there a month ago, it was only fifteen hundred dollars. He survived of a carers allowance that he received for looking after Edith."

"He is not going to get very far on that," Luc mused.

"No. There was an old computer in the house, he had deleted all of his search histories and everything on there, but the cyber forensics team have taken it to their lab. As you may be aware, nothing that is deleted off a computer is gone forever.

Everything is stored on there somewhere, so we are optimistic that he may have slipped up and given some indication of where he has taken Chloe on there."

"How long will that take?" Luc asked.

"I honestly do not know, but I will let you know as soon as we do."

Luc nodded, he felt defeated. He was still so far from finding Chloe, but at least they knew who had her. He glared at the photo of Vincent next to Park. That asshole had Chloe and was doing God knows what with her. Luc just hoped that they were still holed up somewhere and that he hadn't killed her.

"Another thing, Vincent's fingerprints were found at the crime scene of Chloe's mother's murder. He was the perpetrator."

"Fuck," Luc whispered, "Well, I guess we saw that one

coming."

They had suspected that Vincent had killed Donna but Luc had been hoping that it was one of Donna's drug den buddies or a deal gone wrong. Now that it was confirmed that Vincent had killed Donna, Luc felt panicked. Why had he murdered Chloe's Mother? What was the purpose of doing that?

"I will keep in contact, hopefully the photos of Vincent and the vehicle can trigger someone's memory and they can shed some light on where he may have gone. Photos of both of them will be distributed to every fuel station, shopping centre and hotel or motel in the surrounding states. We also have officers combing through all of the traffic cameras footage to see if his vehicle pops up anywhere."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Luc asked.

Park shook his head, "No, just wait to hear from us."

Ana buried her head in her hands and cried, "Do you think he has killed her?" She asked him.

The expression on Park's face said he had definitely been toying with that idea.

"I honestly don't know. It seems like Vincent was obsessed with Chloe, so we are hoping that he has kept her alive, prisoner somewhere. I can't imagine he would go to all this trouble to kidnap her and go on the run if his intention was to just dispose of her. But you will need to prepare yourselves in case the outcome is that he killed her. It may even be a case of murder, suicide. He will soon be aware that his identity has been uncovered and that he could not return to society unrecognised.

The whole country is looking for him."

Ana became hysterical. Luc went over and sat with her, holding her head against his shoulder and stroking her hair, "We will find her and she will be fine," he whispered in her ear, "Thank you, Detective."

"Stay strong, OK? We have everybody on it. Hell, the whole world is looking out for her. Chloe is one of the most famous people in the world, she can't stay hidden for long," he told her gently as he patted Ana's leg, "I will call you as soon as we find out anything more."

He let himself out as Luc continued to console Ana as tears stung his own eyes. Taking a few deep, controlled breaths to steel himself from breaking down, he let the anger overwhelm him again, replacing the sadness. He had not had a breakdown yet and he wouldn't let himself now.

He was no good to Chloe if he was an emotional wreck.

He had to stay strong for her.

CAPTIVE

Chloe cried the whole way back. What had taken her days to walk only took around an hour to drive. As the dismal town of Garlock approached her view, she felt all hope disappear.

"You know, all you did by pulling all of those wires out was disable my windscreen wipers, lights and radio," Vincent chuckled to himself, "And the battery just had a few dings, it still works fine. I knew you would head for the road, I have been driving up and down it looking for you for days. I have been worried sick, you know that? You are so lucky to still be alive. I can't believe that you survived out there with no food or water."

"Lucky?" She scoffed, "I wish I had died! I would rather be dead then be with you."

"Well then, maybe we can arrange that," he scowled back at her.

He pulled the sedan into the familiar scene of her earlier imprisonment and stopped the engine. He walked around and opened the back door and yanked her out, carrying her back inside the house.

As he placed down her onto the familiar sofa, Chloe felt defeated that she was right back where she had begun, only now, two innocent teenagers were dead. Vincent grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and gave it to her after undoing the belt from around her wrists. He took a long, white rope and tied her feet to the bottom of the chair and one of her hands to the wooden arm of the sofa.

Chloe started necking it back quickly, the cool liquid felt like nothing she had ever experienced before, she started to instantly feel better.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. Take your time," he warned her but she didn't listen. She finished the bottle in seconds. He handed her a sandwich. She didn't even care what was in it, it was food and she was beyond starving. She wolfed down what turned out to be polony and cheese.

"Can I have some more?" She asked, looking around.

"No, give your stomach a chance to digest it. You can have something else soon," he muttered to her, "You haven't eaten for a while, you don't want to be sick. You can have some more water."

He gave her another bottle and picked up a first aid kit. Sitting down on the floor at her feet, he got to work, pulling out pebbles and splinters lodged in her flesh with tweezers as she winced and cried out in pain. He then dabbed the wounds with antiseptic on a cotton ball and wrapped bandages around them.

After repeating the process on her knees, legs, arms, hands, back and face he finally sat back on the couch opposite her, "You need to let them all heal. Rest up."

Chloe was devastated, she looked like an Egyptian mummy she had that many injuries; the majority of them from jumping out of the speeding sedan.

What was she going to do now?

She couldn't stay there.

Even if she could pack enough supplies and prepare as best as she could, she couldn't walk that far again, not with her feet the way they were and with no shoes. She wouldn't make it a second time.

Chloe had watched Vincent carefully since they had arrived back.

The only time he had been out of her sight was when he had gone to the kitchen. Was that where he was hiding the car keys?

She had noticed that he had not returned with the keys when he had bought her the water.

They must be in there somewhere.

At least it narrowed her search down to one room. If she could find the keys, she could escape. He would be stuck in Garlock, there would not be much he could do to come after her. He could die out there for all she cared.

Chloe drifted in and out of a restless sleep on the sofa. She was beyond exhausted after her ordeal. The relentless pain was getting the better of her as well, not just the physical but more so the mental. Witnessing two innocent young people murdered for no other reason than that they were trying to help Chloe was weighing heavily on her mind. She was to blame for their deaths and she would have to live with that for the rest of her life.

Every time she closed her eyes, the images of them being stabbed to death filled her head. Vincent had come in sporadically, bringing her food and water and making sure that she was still there. He had been banging away at something in the bedroom for a while. He had muttered something to her about fixing the window. The sun finally set on what was truly a horrific day. Vincent emerged from the kitchen with a tray adorned with hot food that actually smelt very appetizing.

"I got the stove working, so we can cook now," he informed her, placing a dish in front of Chloe. She recognised the carrots, peas and corn but couldn't work out what the meat was.

"It's tinned corned beef," he told her, picking up on her expression, "We do not have a freezer out here so everything is in tins. But, it's hot."

He untied her hand and sat down opposite her. There was a bottle of white wine and two plastic cups on the tray too. He opened the bottle and poured them both a cup. Chloe picked up the plastic fork and wolfed down the dinner. It may have looked disgusting but it was actually quite tasty after she had covered it in salt. She necked the wine back the second he gave it to her.

He watched her in shock, still holding his wine in front of him,

"I was going to do a toast," he informed her.

Chloe just glared at him angrily. She may be his prisoner and forced to sit here and eat with him, but there was no chance she was going to play nice and toast to their dinner. This man was a cold hearted murderer and she longed for the day she could inflict some serious pain on this asshole. He poured her another cup, and she did the same again. The warmth from the wine comforted her and she enjoyed the quick buzz she felt. All she wanted was to numb herself right now.

"Chloe! Right that's it, no more for you. If you can't sip it like a normal person, then you can't be trusted with it."

She finished her dinner in record speed, then turned and faced away from him. Vincent attempted to try and make some small talk with her, as if they were having a romantic meal but Chloe ignored him. He droned on about the history of Garlock and how fascinating it was to see how people had lived back then.

Once he was finished his food, he packed the dishes away. He then came back with a box full of old paperback books.

Placing it down in front of her, he motioned for her to pick one,

"Would you like to read a book? I am reading this one at the moment, it's quite good," he held up a thick book but Chloe didn't even glance in his direction.

"What's your plan? This!? Do you think we are just going to live out here like a fucking happy couple and read books together over a glass of wine every night?" She spat angrily at him, "You are a murderer! A MURDERER! Do you really think I am ever, ever going to warm up to you? I despise you with every fibre of my being. I want you dead. I want you to suffer immense pain first, and then I want you to die a slow, agonising death. You killed my Mother. You brutally murdered two innocent teenagers today for no reason. TEENAGERS!

They had their whole lives ahead of them and you snuffed it out just like that. You are an evil, sick, twisted psychopath cunt and I will never, ever want to be with you. EVER!!!"

His face dropped in surprise at first, then he smiled in a twisted, creepy expression.

"We are going to be together," he mumbled, quietly, "Whether you like it or not, you are not going anywhere. We are going to be together, in every sense of the word."

Chloe knew what he was hinting at. He wanted to have sex with her.

"I will never, ever touch you. You repulse me! You are a fat, ugly, disgusting loser who smells like shit and you are a murderer!"

He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands, "Oh

but that my dear, that is exactly what is going to happen."

"Get fucked you vile piece of shit," she growled at him.

"What a good idea," he snarled, standing up.

Before she realised what he was doing or had a chance to react, he scooped Chloe up off the sofa.

"What the fuck?!" She protested, hitting him as hard as she could and trying to squirm out of his grip.

Ignoring her, he carried her into the bedroom. The bed frame was the original metal frame which was rusted and falling apart, but a new mattress lay on it, with sheets, two thick doonas and two pillows upon it. Chloe hadn't been in any of the other rooms yet. She could see wooden boards were hammered into the window frame, that must have been what he was banging away at before. A single, thick white candle lay burning on the bedside table. It was emitting the only light in the freezing, derelict bedroom.

"Get the fuck off me! Let me go!" She cried out as she realised what he intended and desperately tried to fight him off; which was hard considering her feet were still tied together and he was so much stronger than her.

Vincent dropped her down onto the bed. She immediately tried to roll off but he grabbed her wrist and retrieved the rope from his pocket. He easily overpowered her and tied one arm to the bed frame. She was still fighting him as much as she could whilst he tied up her other arm. He then did the same with her feet so she was lying spread eagled, bound and helpless.

"Don't do this! Don't you fucking dare!" She cried out, tears streaming out of her eyes,

"Get away from me..."

"Sssshhhh..." he put his finger to his lips, "You know, you

haven't had a wash in days. After all that time out there walking in the heat, you stink."

She shuddered in repulsion as he ripped off what was left of the tattered, blood stained dress that she had been wearing for days.

Throwing the fabric to the floor, she only had her underwear and the many bandages on. She felt incredibly vulnerable and violated as he admired at her body, looking her up and down slowly and licking his lips in sick anticipation.

"Wow, you are truly beautiful my love," he ran his hands across her stomach and fondled her breasts, squeezing them hard enough that it hurt.

"GET OFF ME!" She screamed, desperately trying to kick out at him, but her attempts were futile.

"I love you, sweetheart, I can't wait to ravish you" he smiled at her, kissing her belly button.

Chloe felt vomit rise in her throat again, each touch made her shudder, "You are disgusting; you are a piece of shit and I fucking hate you."

She spat at him, the saliva landing on his cheeks. He didn't react, he just casually wiped it off and continued to stare at her.

"I'm going to give you a sponge bath," he winked at her.

He hopped off the bed and skipped happily towards the kitchen. Chloe could see that he had an erection as his sweatpants were loose and baggy and he obviously wasn't wearing any underwear. She could hear him whistling as he filled up a tub with soapy water.

"Please, God... Please help me..." she begged under her breath as tears fell from her eyes.

She struggled against her bindings, pulling her wrists, twisting her body, doing everything that she could think of, but nothing was working. Vincent came back, holding the large metal tub and a cloth, resting it down on the floor next to the bed. He systematically took off each of her bandages, Chloe winced in pain as each one was pried off the many wounds she had sustained from the road.

When he was done, he squeezed out the excess water and lay the wet cloth down on her stomach. Chloe squealed in shock.

The water was freezing.

"Sorry my love, there's no hot water out here. I am going to get to work on building a big fire outside tomorrow and I will be able to heat water up on that, but for now, it's going to have to be cold I am afraid."

He slid his fingers into the top of her panties and pulled them down, sliding them over her ankles and dropping them to the floor.

"Leave me alone!" Chloe cried, tears stinging her eyes.

"I need to get you nice and clean," he grinned in perversion.

Chloe shivered violently as he soaked her whole body in the icy water. It was already sub zero temperatures since the sun had gone down and a frigid breeze blew in through the cracks in the boards on the window that Vincent had put up. To be drenched in water in this temperature could make her sick. Her teeth chattered loudly and she felt as if her skull and jaw were vibrating. The flesh torn up by the road grazes stung as he dabbed at them too.

"Vincent please... the water is too cold..."

"You are dirty, Chloe."

"I don't give a shit!"

Vincent ignored her and continued to run the cloth all over her, spending a lot of time washing her in between her legs. She squirmed uncomfortably, not only from the cold but also from the fact that he was touching her vagina for so long and staring at it as he did so. He seemed to take great pleasure in taking his time and washing every inch of her.

"Stop it, get off me you pig!" She shouted at him, feeling helpless.

"Calm down, darling. You are going to enjoy this," he told her calmly, slipping his fingers inside of her.

"STOP! I mean it, don't fucking touch me!" Chloe cried desperately.

"You're so dirty..." he whispered, "I have to get you nice and clean." He was obviously enjoying how vulnerable she was. He was in complete control and getting off on it. After what felt like an eternity, the humiliating sponge bath was finally finished. He rubbed her down with a towel.

"Now you are all clean, my love," he smirked at her.

He leant down and inhaled a deep breath over her crotch,

"Mmmm, you smell so yummy I could just eat you."

"Please Vincent, just leave me alone," she sobbed but he ignored her, undressing himself until he was naked as well.

Chloe was repulsed by the sight of his overweight, hairy, pale body.

"I have waited a long time for this..." he informed her as he climbed on top off her.

His body odour was awful and his breath stank as he sloppily kissed her all over her face. She tried to turn her face away from him, but he kept pulling her back towards him.

Chloe could do nothing to prevent being raped twice that night.

The first assault only lasted less than a minute; Vincent had

become too excited and had come straight away – much to his humiliation and frustration.

He had reacted to the embarrassment violently, storming outside and breaking as many things as he could whilst shouting angrily at himself.

Although the rape had been degrading and deeply disturbing for Chloe, watching Vincent get so upset about blowing his load so quickly bought a small satisfaction to her. She had smirked to herself whilst listening to his rant. He had come back in after a few minutes with a completely different demeanour.

Furious at himself and out for validation, he had brutally raped her a second time. This time around he was physically abusive towards her as well, slapping her face and body as he pounded away on top of her, beating on her and biting her nipples so hard that she screamed out in pain. She didn't know how long the second time had continued on for but the minutes had felt like hours to her as he took pleasure in hurting her as he penetrated her. She had laid there in terror, watching a bug crawl across the ceiling and letting her mind wander to thoughts of escaping and being with Luc again; that was the only thing that kept her from becoming hysterical and breaking down completely.

Once he had finally finished, Vincent had climbed off her, kissed her on the cheek and drifted off to sleep next to her.

She laid there naked, freezing and tied up, her sore body ached everywhere from the previous injuries and the new ones he had just inflicted upon her.

She cried all night.

The following days became Groundhog Day-esc for Chloe as she suffered in her horrific captivity. The monotonous boredom of just sitting on the sofa, tied up for hours at a time whilst Vincent worked on the house was interrupted by the terrifying, regular rapes. He was thoroughly enjoying being able to take her whenever he pleased, which was becoming quite often. He had bought quite an array of tools and building supplies up to Garlock before he had abducted Chloe and seemed to be taking great pride in making the derelict, abandoned house into their 'home' as he continuously called it.

He had patched most of the holes in the roof and the windows and removed all of the rotten furniture, going through each of the other houses in the tiny town, picking out the best pieces of furniture that were still useable and fixed them up.

After sweeping out every inch of the lounge room, he had furnished it with two wooden rocking chairs and a small coffee table, also salvaging a dining table and two chairs. Thoughts of escape consumed every fibre of Chloe's being as she desperately tried to hold on to her fighting spirit and keep hope that she would be free soon. She could not continue to be subjected to this life much longer; being a deranged man's sex toy in the middle of the Death Valley desert.

She was either going to escape or she would die trying.

She was Chloe Stone for fucks' sake.

She was a somebody.

An important somebody.

Her story was not going to end this way.

She spent every day looking for possible ways of escape. She could not risk walking through the desert again; she would surely die out there. Her only option would be to drive the Toyota. She was convinced that the keys were hidden in the kitchen, but she had to figure out a way to get them and get away without

Vincent stopping her.

For the first week, he had kept her mouth gagged, tired of her constantly begging to be let go. He chatted to her constantly as he worked, even though she was unable to talk back.

At meal times he untied her arms so that she could feed herself but other than that she was always restrained. He did most of the cooking on the stove and they had the same bland meals over and over again. As they had no fresh produce, he made what he could with the tinned food. It was a steady rotation of cups of noodles, baked beans, tinned spaghetti, canned spam, tinned fruit and soup. He would babble on about creating a vegetable garden and growing their own fresh food but Chloe did not intend to be around to see that eventuate. The food was disgusting and because she was looking for any opportunity to defy him, Chloe did not eat too much of it.

A few times, Vincent had tried to shove it down her throat, causing her to gag and cough it up everywhere, igniting his rage and resulting in a punch to the face or stomach. She had lost a lot of weight and could feel her body wasting away. She wore clothes that he had bought up for her, mainly little summer dresses during the day and flannel pyjamas at night. He had bought her cheap, tacky lingerie that he enjoyed dressing her up in. He would brush her hair and apply blush and lipstick to her face. It was like she was his real life sex doll.

A couple of nights he had offered her wine. Even though it was warm white wine, she drunk it and would take as much as he would give her. Getting drunk helped to numb the pain somewhat. He would only untie both her feet and hands when he would take her to the toilet he had made outside when she needed to go. Since there was no plumbing, he had dug a big hole out there and put the toilet seat on a milk crate for her to sit on.

There was no privacy as he watched her closely every time.

The upside to not eating much was that she rarely had to shit.

A couple of times, when her fighting spirit was at a high, she had struggled to break free from him when he untied her, but her attempts were always futile. She knew that if she did manage to escape his grip, she wouldn't get very far before being caught, but it felt right to still resist him and show him that she was not becoming compliant or obedient. She would never give up trying to leave him and she wanted him to know that he wouldn't break her.

She would never give in to this life.

At night he tied her to the bed with one hand attached to the frame above her head and the other on the side. Her feet were bound spread apart at the bottom, so he could continually rape her every night. It made sleeping at night terribly uncomfortable.

He had repeatedly informed her that he was trying to get her pregnant and each time he mentioned it she had recoiled in horror.

Every night he would kiss her stomach after he was done raping her and say that he hoped there was a baby growing in there. It absolutely repulsed her and she prayed to God every night that not only would she escape, but that she would not conceive this psychopath's child. Without her contraceptive pill every day, Chloe was constantly gripped with fear that he would be successful.

"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM"

Luc was in a restless sleep, tossing and turning as his recurring nightmares plagued his mind. He no longer dreamt of his time at war whilst in the Marine Corps, Chloe's abduction had taken over his night time demons. He now dreamt of the woman he was in love with being raped, tortured and killed every time he closed his eyes to sleep.

Over two weeks had now passed since Chloe was taken and when the sun set on each day, he found his hope of finding her fading fast. The police had received thousands of tips when they had released Vincent's mug shot and vehicle description to the world. Hardly any of them were credible. There had been a few witness accounts of him acting erratically at a hardware store and purchasing items that could only be described as a macabre 'kill kit'. There was also video surveillance of him at a bulk buy food store, purchasing large quantities of tinned food, bottled water and various other camping supplies.

This was a ray of hope for everybody working on the case as it showed that he had prepared to be holed up somewhere and with the amount of food that he had purchased it was very feasible that he had intended to keep Chloe alive too. As he tossed and turned in bed, images of Chloe's face haunted him until he was awoken abruptly by somebody shaking him roughly by the shoulder.

"Luc! Wake up! Luc!"

It was Ana. She was in her pink pyjamas with cows printed all over them, her hair was dishevelled and she looked like she had just woken up. It was still dark.

"Huh? What's going on?" He sat upright, his head still foggy,

"Is it Chloe?"

"Detective Park called, he said they had a break through with Vincent's computer."

"What? What did they find?"

"I don't know, but we have to go down to the station, now."

Luc nodded and jumped out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and jeans as fast as he could. Ana ran off back to her room to get dressed.

A few minutes later, he met her downstairs and the two of them went into the garage and drove off the property under the cover of darkness and out of the view of the sleeping media and paps.

They got to the police station just as dawn broke. Park was waiting for them out the front as they arrived, "Morning," he greeted, seeming in a good mood.

"What have you got?" Luc demanded, no time for pleasantries.

"Come through," he motioned for them to follow him into his office.

They anxiously sat down on the chairs next to his desk and Park closed the door behind them, sitting down opposite them.

"Thank you for coming down so early, I apologise for calling you so early in the morning but I wanted you to know as soon as I did what has developed. Our cyber forensics team have found files on Vincent's computer that he had deleted and hidden pretty well, it took a while to find them. There were various Google searches for how to dismember and dispose of a body and how to clean up blood which we believe was related to his own Mother's murder. He had also done research on Donna Smith, accessing her address online. As we expected, there were thousands of searches done on Chloe over a long period of time.

He has pretty much read every article there is on her. He was very active on her facebook and Instagram accounts and had several accounts of his own in different names. It seems he spent a lot of time on there arguing with trolls who were posting derogatory posts on Chloe's pictures about her. To say he was obsessed with her is an understatement. His life revolved around her."

Ana shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, "I was responsible for monitoring Chloe's social media accounts, I should have picked up on it."

Luc rubbed her shoulder, "You can't read hundreds of thousands of comments, An. Chloe certainly didn't. I don't think she ever read any of them. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen; even if you had noticed how much he was on there. She has over forty million followers on Instagram alone, that is a lot of fans and hell of a lot of haters."

"Luc is right, Ana," Park continued, "However, the big breakthrough we have is that he has been researching abandoned towns in California."

Luc was confused, "Abandoned towns?"

Park nodded, "Yes. There are ghost towns - as they are better known - around California, especially in the desert, mainly Death Valley. Over a hundred years ago, there were mining booms out there, gold, iron ore etc. The towns were built to house the mine workers and their families. Many of them have deteriorated over the years but a couple still stand. There are some that are popular with travellers and are visited frequently as tourist attractions, but there are also plenty more which are hard to get to and not advertised. They are 'off the map' so to speak."

It was a lightbulb moment.

"He's taken Chloe to one of these towns!" Luc cried happily,

"We have to get out there."

Park nodded, "It looks like the perfect place for him to hide out and take her.

However, he researched over forty of them. We have an expert coming in to see if he can help us narrow them down to where he thinks is the best place to start looking. As hard as it is going to be, you both have to remain patient. There is just so many of them and most are not marked on any maps and those that are can be very difficult to get to. They are also hours away from any main roads, some of them are hundreds of miles away. It is going to be difficult to search them all quickly, it is going to take a bit of time. The other issue that we have is we cannot just go steam rolling into these towns. Vincent would be able to see and hear us coming. We can't risk the fact that he will shoot at the police – or possibly do something drastic like kill himself and Chloe."

Luc's heart sank when it dawned at him that it was not going to be easy to extract Chloe from wherever she was, "So, what is the plan then?"

"The FBI are working on a plan, they are thinking of sending agents in on foot, parking the vehicles far enough away so Vincent will not see them coming to quietly scope out the towns.

This is going to be a slower process, but it is the safest."

Luc nodded, at least he had some hope now.

"Now, obviously this needs to be kept extremely hush hush. We cannot risk the media getting a hold of this information and going out there themselves to find Chloe and break the story.

Not only would they be endangering her by taking matters into their own hands but they will also be putting themselves at risk."

"Of course," Luc nodded his head in full agreement.

He despised the media anyway, they had been relentless vultures since Chloe had been taken and he was sick to death of them constantly hounding him for information. There was no way he would be talking to them about this.

"How long is this going to take to find her?" Ana asked anxiously.

"We are going to work as quickly as we can without tipping Vincent off that we are onto him," Park answered her.

"I want to go out there with them," Luc demanded.

He could not sit by and continue to do nothing, it was torture.

He had to find Chloe.

"Absolutely not," Park shook his head, "There is no way my department or the FBI will allow a civilian to be involved in their operation. I understand that you have a lot of Military and combat experience, but you are not to be involved in this."

"So, I am just supposed to do nothing!?" Luc raised his voice, becoming increasingly frustrated.

"You wait. That is it. We are close to finding her."

"No you are not! You know she is most likely at one of these Goddamn ghost towns, but you are looking for a needle in a hay stack! The desert is huge! As you said, there are hundreds of towns and a lot of them are going to be hard to locate, it could take a very long fucking time to find her, if she is even at one of these locations!" He was yelling now but he didn't care, he had to help.

"Luc," Ana touched his arm gently, "Calm down, this is good news."

"No! I am not going to fucking calm down! Every minute that she is out there she is suffering! Who knows what this bastard is doing to her!? Raping her, beating her, torturing her! She is out there alone with him, Ana!"

Ana raised her voice in response, her emotions running high,

"Don't you think I know that! I cry all day, every day thinking about what she is going through! She is my best friend in the whole world, she is like a fucking sister to me!"

"Crying is not going to do anything! We need to find her and rescue her! How can I let another day go by without going out and looking for her!? I can't do nothing knowing what she is going through!"

"Luc, I am warning you, do not go out there looking for her.

Leave it to the professionals," Park scolded him.

"I am a US Marine, I am highly trained for this type of operation, I have done many of them in war zones, under heavy enemy fire, retrieving prisoners, hostages and extracting targets.

If anybody is qualified to do this, it is me!" He pounded his fist on the desk to empathise his frustration.

"I understand, Luc. I really do, but please leave it to the FBI.

Do not do anything to sabotage their operation. We will get her back."

Luc stormed out of the office, sending his chair flying backwards into the wall. Ana thanked Detective Park and ran after him. He didn't say a word as they made their way through the station and out into the carpark to Luc's vehicle.

When they had driven halfway back to the house, Ana finally broke the heavy silence.

"What are you going to do?" She asked him nervously, fiddling with the drawstring of her sweatpants.

"I am going to find her and I am going to kill him."

AN OPPORTUNITY

Two miserable weeks had gone by when Chloe awoke one morning to the feeling of a wet, sticky substance between her thighs. Confused, she groggily sat up and looked down. Blood was smeared on the bedsheets and her legs.

Her period!

Vincent stirred and looked up at her, "Morning beautiful," he smiled. Noticing the disturbed look on her face, he sat up, alarmed.

He noticed the blood immediately, "What the fuck!?" He cried out, jumping out of bed. He was still naked, standing over her and staring between her legs with a disgusted look on his face.

Chloe tried to cross them and regain a little dignity but she was tied up and there was no hiding it. She had not had her period in a while. Years of being unhealthy, starving herself, bulimia and abusing drugs had taken a toll on her menstruation cycle and she would continuously skip her monthlies using the pill.

A rush of relief overwhelmed her - she was not pregnant!

She said a quick thank you to God for preventing this psychopath's demon spawn from inseminating her.

"What the fuck is this!?" He yelled, kicking the bed frame in frustration.

Chloe couldn't help but gloat, "It's my period. I am not pregnant, so fuck you," she smirked.

His face turned to rage and before she knew what was happening, he jumped on her and started pounding her with his fists. Punching her repeatedly in the stomach he shouted in her face, "You fucking bitch! You fucking whore!"

Chloe screamed in terror, pain tearing through her entire body as he stopped hitting her torso and lay into her face. Each blow shot through her worse than the last. Blood poured from her nose down her face. It was also in her eyes, making it hard for her to see.

Vincent spat in her face, hatred consuming him, "You slut!"

Leaning down, he bit her on her bare breast hard. Chloe screamed and tried to kick him off, but he bit down even harder.

When he finally released her, blood stained his mouth and teeth.

Grinning wildly at her, he snarled, "So you don't want to get pregnant do you, whore? How about I take you up the ass then!?" He flipped over a terrified and crying Chloe and roughly forcing himself into her, raping her anally. Chloe sobbed hysterically through the entire ordeal.

When he finally finished, Vincent stood up and spat at her again, "You will get pregnant. Believe me... I will fucking make it happen."

After the violent beating and rape, Chloe made the decision that she was going to try and escape a final time. If he caught her, she would kill herself. She would rather die than be subjected to any more of this depravity. He was serious about getting her pregnant and she could not hang around and allow that to

happen.

God forbid if he succeeded and kept her there for the duration of the pregnancy, she would have to give birth out in the desert in a decrepit old house and then be forced to take care of a baby that she didn't want. She also couldn't risk that her maternal gene would kick in and she would feel the need to protect the infant. It would be hard enough for her to escape with her life, let alone take a newborn with her. Vincent could also use the baby as a currency to keep her in line and keep her his prisoner.

Chloe's mind raced with possibilities of how she could get away.

Her previous attempts had not gone well, but that was because he had stopped her and bought her back. If he was not standing in her way and attempting to recapture her, then her chances of escaping rose dramatically.

She had no idea if she would survive the trip back to civilisation but she was prepared to die trying.

There was only one solution.

Vincent had to die.

If she could kill him, she could drive out of there to freedom.

The thought of taking another human being's life would have been something that completely repulsed and disgusted Chloe before this abduction – it would have been a totally unfathomable act for her to commit.

But now, it was her only chance at freedom.

What if she didn't kill him and escaped, then he came and abducted her again?

She also couldn't risk that he would hurt somebody else to get to her.

Luc...

Ana...

That would destroy her.

Besides, Vincent had murdered her mother in cold blood and had kidnapped Chloe and held her hostage, repeatedly raping and beating her for weeks.

Surely that made killing him justifiable?

Any judge or jury would see that it was self-defence. Chloe had never believed in God before – after all, she grew up with a childhood that had caused her to believe that there was no higher power looking after her - but since she had started praying everyday while held here, she had begun to desperately hold onto hope that there was a superior being or a presence that would protect her and help her to survive when she acted on her plan.

Vincent had punished her for having her period by leaving her tied up to the bed all day. The only time he had let her up was when she had threatened to urinate all over the mattress. He had not bothered to clean her up, instead just placing a towel underneath her for her to bleed on when they had returned from the toilet. He was becoming increasingly volatile and violent with every day that passed.

Lying in her prison, Chloe desperately looked around the room, willing herself to come up with a plan that was going to work.

There was not much to work with.

First, she would have to get free from her bindings. If there was some way that she could get Vincent to leave her alone for a while and untie her feet, she could kick the bannister of the bedhead until it gave way she could free her arm which she could then use to untie her other hand.

Once she was free, she could find something to attack Vincent

with upon his return, kill him - she couldn't quite fathom the fact

she was planning to murder somebody.

Could she actually do it when the time came?

Would she be physically able to bludgeon him to death?

Then she could take his vehicle and drive off to freedom. How was she going to get him to leave her alone? He had not left her side since they had arrived out there. Their supplies were all in large stock so he wouldn't be doing a food run anytime soon.

Then, seeing the blood soaking the sheets out of the corner of her eye gave her an idea.

"Vincent?" She called out as sweetly as she could, despite the fact that he made her skin crawl.

After a few minutes, he walked into the room, his head low, not looking at her. He always acted ashamed of himself after every vicious beating he gave her.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I need tampons. Or pads. You cannot seriously expect me to just bleed everywhere for days?"

He looked up, caught off guard by what she was saying, "Huh?"

"Tampons," she told him firmly, "I need them. Now."

"I don't have any..."

"You will need to get me some."

"Can't you just put more towels down?"

"NO! That is not only disgusting, but it is incredibly unhygienic," she spat at him angrily, "And are you going to be hand washing heaps of blood soaked towels?"

He stared at her. She could tell that he was unsure of what to do. She had to push the issue and convince him to go.

"Vincent," she lowered her tone and tried to appeal to him.

She knew that he wouldn't have a clue about periods so she thought she would exaggerate the issue, "There is going to be a lot of blood. For days, maybe even weeks, it changes every month. You don't understand, it will be everywhere if I can't control it. Please, Vincent, you need to do this for me. Please, give me some dignity."

His face twisted in disgust at the thought of having to clean up lots of menstrual blood. He seemed to soften to the idea.

"OK," he agreed after a few moments, "I will go and get you some tampons."

"In the meantime, can you untie my legs so I can squeeze a towel between them? It's always really heavy bleeding on my first day."

He looked at her for a minute, trying to decide what to do. She had to push the issue and convince him.

"Really big blood clots come out too, like really bad. They look like large, bloody, slimy slugs. Heaps of them." She lied,

He turned pale and then nodded his head in agreement, "OK."

He untied her feet and checked that her hand restraints were especially tight.

"What do I get?" He asked.

"Just ask the clerk for medium sized tampons."

He nodded, "Alright, I will be back soon. There's a few things I need anyway, don't try anything stupid. If you do you will be severely punished when I get back."

"I understand. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it," she feigned a smile.

He pottered around the house for a while longer, before finally saying his goodbyes and walking out the door. Chloe held her breath, listening as the Toyota's engine spluttered to life. He finally took off.

Chloe waited until she could not hear the vehicle anymore, then

sprung into action. The bed frame was well over a hundred years old and did not look in very good condition. The rusted metal was in a fragile state. Lifting her legs up, it took a few attempts as it was an awkward angle as she had to kick above her head.

She finally managed to kick the bed post hard, hearing the little crack sent excitement shooting through her. She wriggled her body around so that she could reach easier and began to kick the post repeatedly with her bare foot with every ounce of strength she had in her.

She wouldn't get another chance.

After the fifth kick, a loud crack appeared just above where she was tied. Large, rusted shards stuck out where the frame had given way. Her heart leapt with hope and she gave it the hardest kick that she could.

The post finally broke away. She was able to wiggle her bound hand along, the sharp splinters pierced her skin but she ignored them and slipped her hand over where it had snapped until it was finally free.

Elated, she immediately got to work on the bindings on the other hand. The knots were tight and it took her a painfully long time but she finally freed her other hand.

"YES!" She squealed, laughing hysterically to herself at her victory.

Standing up, she stretched her legs and wrapped the sheet around her naked body. Her whole body was trembling.

This was it... she was going to escape.

Fumbling around the room, she cleaned the blood from her legs with the cloth he used to bathe her and found some of the clothes he had bought for her. She shrugged on a pair of black sweatpants, a bra, a white singlet and a pair of socks and trainers.

Now, she had to decide upon her weapon. Looking at the wooden knife block in the kitchen which held the large, sharp knives, she tossed around the idea of using one. If she went for that option, it meant she would have to get up close and personal with him and she would most likely have to stab him multiple times as it would not kill him right away. Chloe picked up the largest knife and examined it, deep in thought. If she got him in the neck, then he would bleed out quickly. Her other option was to aim for his heart.

Instead of feeling sick to her stomach about planning how she was going to kill him, she felt invigorated.

He needed to die.

She needed other options. She only had one shot at this.

Outside, she found a heavy, rusted metal pipe which was around two feet long. She could hide somewhere with it and when he came looking for her, she would jump out and swing the pole over his head as many times as she could, when he dropped to the ground, she would stab him with the knife. She liked that idea the most.

Chloe decided to hide in the bathroom. It had enough room for her to stand behind the doorway, and as he entered she had the perfect vantage point to assault him. She could also see the reflection of the bedroom in the mirror to know when he was coming.

Now, as she stood with her back against the stone wall, psyching herself up to do what she was about to do, her heart pumped wildly as adrenalin pumped through her veins and she took deep, steady breaths.

Vincent had been gone for ages. She had no concept of the time, not having a watch or clocks of any kind but she knew that it was about midday as the sun was overhead, high in the sky, shining brightly through the cracks in the roof of the bathroom.

The anticipation overwhelmed her and she started feeling weak at the knees. She had not eaten since the night before, and all she had managed to stomach was half a can of baked beans. The intense heat combined with dehydration and hunger was not going to be a good mix if she was about to have a very physical, literal fight to the death. If she didn't kill him, she knew that he would kill her for attempting it.

Deciding that she would hear his car coming and could get back into position in time, she left her post and headed into the kitchen.

She skolled back a bottle of water quickly then pried open a can of tinned spaghetti. Not bothering to heat it up she just used a fork to eat it straight from the can. Feeling instantly better, she also ate half of a second can. She needed her strength. Feeling full and stronger, her ears pricked up as she heard the faint sound of an engine in the distance.

Peering out of the tiny, cracked kitchen window, she saw the Toyota approaching fast with a large dust cloud billowing behind it. Her heart sank to her stomach.

It was time.

"Come on, Chloe. This is it. Don't bitch out now..." she whispered to herself, "You can do this. You can do this... You have to do this."

Shaking like a leaf, she ran back to her position in the bathroom. The metal pipe was gripped firmly in both hands, hovering just above her right shoulder. She had tucked the knife into the back of her pants so that she could follow through with some stabs to his vital areas once he was down.

She felt nauseous, sick to her stomach at the thought of what was about to go down.

She had to follow through, she had no choice now. She was terrified that she would end up being the one killed.

Dear God, please give me the strength to escape this Hell...Please just let it work out the way I planned and help me kill Vincent. I know murder is wrong but he has raped me, beaten me, held me hostage, murdered my mother and two innocent young strangers... he does not deserve to live anymore and I pray that you can forgive me for what I am about to do...

Please give me the strength to survive this ordeal...

The food and water she had quickly shoved down was now threatening to rise up again and her heart felt as if it was about to beat out of her chest. Her hands trembled so much she struggled to hold the pole steady in her sweaty palms.

Vincent's vehicle pulled up out the front of the house. She heard the engine die and the car door slam shut.

Fuck... fuck... fuck...

The front door creaked open then slammed shut.

"I'm back!" Vincent called out.

Chloe heard him go into the kitchen and place the shopping bags down on the counter. After a few minutes, he walked towards the bedroom. She held her breath, listening intently.

"I got your..." he stopped suddenly in the bedroom doorway when he saw the bed and no Chloe bound to it.

"What the fuck!!??" He bellowed, furious.

Chloe could see his reflection in the mirror. He fell to the floor and checked under the bed, then checked the cupboard. Her heart nearly exploded as she saw him head straight towards the bathroom.

Here we go...

Vincent stormed into the bathroom, mere inches away from Chloe. He was so close she could smell his putrid body odour.

Without hesitation, she swung the metal pole as hard as she could down onto the back of his head. The blow caught him off guard and he stumbled a few steps forward. Chloe raised it high and swung it again as hard as she could into the back of his skull.

He cried out in pain, falling to his knees with a loud thud.

He spun around, glaring wildly at Chloe as blood trickling down his forehead, "You fucking bitch!" He spat at her, struggling to regain his balance and get up.

Panicking that he wasn't going down easily, Chloe swung the pole across his face. It connected with his cheek bone and she could hear the cracking sound of the impact. More blood squirted out of his mouth and his eyes bulged wide in shock and agony. She couldn't stop, she had to keep going. She had to get him down. He was such a large guy that it was proving to be harder than she had anticipated.

As she went to raise the pole again, Vincent reached out and grabbed onto it, holding it tightly. Chloe panicked and struggled to try and get it off him, but he was too strong.

"You are going to die, you bitch!" He sneered and spat blood at her, spraying her face.

"FUCK YOU!" Chloe screamed at him, tugging the pole and desperately hanging on to it, "You're going to fucking die!" She retaliated, attempting to sound more confident than she was truly feeling. He started laughing, a manic, psychotic laugh. Still holding onto the metal weapon, he stumbled back onto his feet.

They were now in a tug of war in the tiny bathroom. He pushed forward, forcing Chloe to stumble backwards through the small doorway into the bedroom.

She couldn't hold on any longer, her palms were too sweaty and he was much stronger than her, Vincent forced the pole from her hands.

"HA!" He smiled manically, waving the pole around triumphantly, "You're fucked now!"

He was unsteady on his feet; the blows had taken a toll on him and he was weakened but was being fuelled on by pure rage.

His hair was matted with blood and it was smeared all over his face, neck and t-shirt. Taking a few steps back, Chloe fumbled around with the waistband of her sweatpants for the knife.

Gripping the handle, she pulled it out and waved it at him,

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Her voice shook and her arm trembled in fear but she tried to come across as brave and strong.

"What are you gonna do, bitch?" He waved the pole around, laughing hysterically.

Chloe panicked, this was not how she intended for it to go down. How was she supposed to stab him when he had a long metal pole? She knew that it would not take much for him to overpower her.

He lunged at her and swung the pole into her side, connecting hard with her ribs. The pain was excruciating and sent her stumbling backwards into the wall, which stopped her from falling on the floor. It winded her as she struggled to breathe.

He came for her again. She had to keep fighting, if she stopped now he would bludgeon her to death.

As he came at her again, she swung the knife out in front of her.

He saw it too late and she managed to plunge it deep into his bloated stomach. His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He stopped coming for her and looked down to where she was still holding the blade inside of him. She twisted the blade and he screamed out in pain, dropping the pole which made a loud clanging sound on the concrete floor. She could not pull the knife out of him as it was stuck.

With it protruding from his stomach he stumbled backwards, gripping the wound, blood pouring through his fingers. He fell onto the bed and writhed around in agony.

Chloe seized the opportunity.

Despite the pain she was in, she bent down and grabbed the pole. She lunged at him and whacked him in the face as hard as she could. The impact made a sickening sound and blood sprayed everywhere. He went still. She hit him again. He did not react at all, lying there limp with his face smashed in and covered in blood.

She watched him for a few minutes, gripping her side and trying to regain her breath and slow her rapid heart rate down as she felt like she could pass out at any second. She stared at his stomach to see if he was still breathing, but it wasn't moving.

Thick, dark red blood continued to pour out of the knife wound, spreading through his shirt and pooling onto the mattress beneath his body. His face was a mess and barely recognisable.

Chloe placed two fingers on his wrist, trying to check for a pulse. She didn't really know what she was doing, but she had seen it in movies.

There was nothing.

He was dead.

She couldn't believe she had actually done it!

She had killed the evil fuck. She did a little happy dance, then quickly doubled over in pain as her ribs screamed out in pain.

They felt as if they could be broken, gripping them tightly, nausea rose in her throat and her eyes watered as she stumbled towards him. As much as she wanted to revel in her victory of taking Vincent down and ending his miserable life after everything he had put her through, she also wanted more than anything to get out of there and get home. She was getting creeped out by being around a dead body.

Chloe put her hands into the pockets of his filthy sweatpants and fumbled around, looking for the car keys. Nothing.

Without hesitation, she ran into the kitchen. Entering the small room, she started looking through the cupboards, moving the few items that were stored in there to the side.

Although Vincent had cleaned the counter tops, and a couple of cupboards where he had stored the food he had bought, he had left the rest of the kitchen virtually untouched since it had been abandoned years ago. Old packets of food were covered in a blanket of dust. As she disturbed them, the dust stung her nose and throat. Six filthy cupboards later, she started to panic.

Where the hell had he put them?

The canisters of food on the bench caught her eye, she ran over to the coffee jar and stuck her hand into it, rummaging through the granules.

Nothing.

She repeated it with the sugar and flour.

Nothing. Fuck!

Her heart pounded through her chest as she realised that she may not actually find them.

What the fuck was she supposed to do?

She couldn't run again.

After her experience last time, she was sure that she would not

make it very far at all. Panic set in, the Toyota was her only hope - she had to find the keys. She tried the overhead shelf, it was thick with cobwebs that clung and stretched with the door, it obviously had not been opened in a very long time so he could not have put them in there.

Becoming desperate and thinking of the most unusual place that he could have hidden them, she dipped her hand into the old rusted kettle, but that too was thick with webs. Cringing, she pulled it out and rubbed her hand along the counter top to get them off.

Where the Hell were they?!

Panic was in full force now, she searched every inch of the kitchen, the pantry was the last spot. Vincent had cleaned out the spider webs and dust and stocked it with canned food. It looked like food that the people on the television show, Doomsday Preppers would have in their supply closets in preparation for an apocalypse.

How long had he intended to stay out here?!

It looked like he had prepared for a very long time. She started looking behind the cans of food, and checking all the open packets of food. She had now checked every inch of the kitchen.

They were not in there. Despair overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees, burying her head in her arms on the floor and started crying.

What was she going to do!?

She was stuck out here.

She was about to have a complete nervous breakdown as she lay on the floor in a mess when something caught her eye. Under one of the cupboards, there was a piece of wood propped up between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor. It looked like an old piece of skirting, yet the rest of it around the kitchen had completely rotted away. She reached over and pulled the old piece of timber out.

Behind it sat a set of keys. Her heart skipped a beat.

The car keys!

Chloe was beyond elated, she scooped them up and jumped up to her feet. She ran straight outside and over to the Toyota, her heart was pounding so hard, she swear she heard it ringing in her ears.

Yanking the driver's door open and jumping into the seat, she fumbled with the keys, the first two keys didn't fit. She was ecstatic when the third one finally slid in, she released the hand brake and studied the gear stick. It was a manual car. Chloe had only ever driven automatics before, she didn't know how to drive it. She would have to start it, slam it into gear and hope for the best.

Taking a deep breath and saying a small prayer, she nervously turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. Confused, she tried again. Still nothing. Then she remembered that you had to have one foot on the clutch and one on the brake to start a manual car. She planted her feet down on the pedals and tried again. The car spluttered noisily but didn't start.

"Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!" She cried in despair, "Please, please, please..."

Tears streaming down her face, she anxiously tried again. The Toyota grunted again but it was struggling to spring to life.

Hope was starting to fade fast.

Had he done something to the car so that only he could start it?

She wouldn't put it past him to come up with something like that. What was she going to do if she couldn't start the car? She would have to walk again. She could take supplies with her this time but she really did not want to walk through the desert again for days and days. Who knew how far she would have to go before she found help. What if no other cars came past on the road? She could be out there for a very long time before help came. If it even came at all. How far could she trek with broken ribs?

Sitting in the Toyota, she looked around for any obvious signs of it being tampered with but she couldn't see anything. As she was searching the dashboard, a movement by the house caught her eye. Looking up, she screamed in fright at the sight of an enraged Vincent covered in blood stumbling awkwardly towards her.

She thought he was dead!

He was dishevelled and obviously in a lot of pain but pure revenge was stealing him on, his eyes were wild with rage. His shirt was stained red and his face was also plastered in blood, however he had removed the knife and the wound seemed to still be bleeding.

How had he survived?! She could have sworn he was dead!

Chloe screamed loudly and turned the key again, pleading with it to start, "COME ON!!!! Please!!!"

His eyes were glaring at her in fury, the look on his face was purely demonic, "Get out of the fucking car!" He demanded, stumbling towards her.

He reached the vehicle and started furiously pounding his fists on the bonnet, "GET OUUTTT!"

"Please...." Chloe cried, tears welling in her eyes, "Please start!"

She couldn't give up. The car sputtered multiple times and just as she started to lose hope, it came to life and the engine roared loudly. Chloe laughed manically as Vincent's face turned to shock as the car revved up beneath him. He ran around to the driver's side. She quickly locked the door as he yanked on the handle whilst banging the window wildly with his fist. A loud crack echoed in her ear. Vincent's constant pounding on the glass had caused it to break and he was very close to smashing the entire thing. She slammed it into a gear, she didn't even know which one and planted her foot on the accelerator.

Please God... Please God...

FINALLY, A LEAD

Luc had spent dozens of hours researching the ghost towns around California. If he was not allowed to go out and join the FBI in their searches, then he was going to do as much as he could to figure out where Chloe was to help lead them in the right direction. It was taking way too long for his liking for them to do it their way, but he had to respect their way of doing things.

If somebody had gone rogue when his team in the Marines were conducting an operation then the whole thing could have been jeopardised, he did not want to risk that happening with the search for Chloe.

Detective Park had been correct that there were hundreds of towns. Luc had bought a large, detailed map of California and had stuck it up on the wall in the living room, marking out all the abandoned towns and sticking post it notes next to each one with details of each location. He systematically went through each one. He could cross out a few of them straight away as they were popular tourist places; they would be too high risk for Vincent as they were visited frequently by the public. Luc had been contacting Park daily for updates about where they had searched that day and had crossed them all off as they went along.

Ana had helped him, researching and making enquiries with local people that knew the towns. It was a frustratingly slow and painful couple of days, staring at a map of possibilities instead of being out on the ground helping with the search.

They had also watched the news updates closely for any possible information that could be useful. A few people who had known Vincent had come forward to claim their fifteen minutes of fame and be interviewed. The more Luc and Ana learnt about Vincent the more Luc's blood had boiled in rage.

It seemed that Vincent had been a loner his whole life, never having any friends or a relationship. What was even more infuriating was the fact that he was not convicted of the rape that he had committed on a young vulnerable teenage girl whilst he had been in his twenties. He should have done time for that. As a result, he had gone unpunished and was free to stalk and abduct Chloe.

The media camped out the front of the house were becoming unbearable. Every time Luc drove past those gates, which was mainly just to visit the police station and see how they were progressing, he was met with a flurry of camera flashes and questions. Luc was followed everywhere he went, by both car and on foot. He felt suffocated and holed himself up in the house unless he absolutely had to leave.

The days were becoming more and more unbearable. Not only was he barely holding his own shit together, Ana was completely falling apart, becoming an emotional wreck. She had lost a load of weight and was frail and sickly. Luc had been trying to look after her as best as he could but he was struggling to look after himself at the same time. The stress was becoming overwhelming for both of them.

His nightmares were becoming more and more intense as images of Chloe being beaten, raped and killed filled his thoughts every time he closed his eyes. He was a wreck.

Watching the news reports like they did every evening, Luc was mindlessly pushing the food that Jacob had prepared for them around his plate whilst slumped on the sofa.

Ana clutched a glass of wine, her dinner sat untouched on the coffee table in front of her. A young female reporter popped up on the screen, the banner at the bottom of the screen said she was filming from Death Valley.

They both sat upright in shock. Ana grabbed the remote and turned it up loudly.

"Two bodies have been discovered in a burnt out kombi van deep in the Death Valley desert off route 104. The van was located this morning by a family travelling across the state. The deceased and all their belongings have been burned beyond recognition and are yet to be identified. It seems that they have been the victims of foul play as there were large amounts of blood found on the road nearby. Police have issued a warning to travellers not to stop for anybody and to be aware of any possible dangers whilst travelling long distances in remote areas.

If you have any information on who they could be, police are urging you to contact them immediately. We will return to this story when we know more."

The camera panned away from the reporter and showed a blackened shell of a van with forensic officers combing it for evidence. Luc and Ana both looked at each other – obviously

having the exact same thought at the same time.

"Do you think it could be him?" Ana asked, her mouth open in shock.

"It's too much of a coincidence not to be, they may have gotten too close to where Chloe is being held!" Luc jumped up of the sofa and dialled Park's number on his cell, pacing the room in anticipation. This could be the breakthrough they were waiting for.

"Luc," Park answered.

"Have you seen the story about the murders in Death Valley?" Luc demanded.

"Have I seen the story? I am a detective at the LAPD, Luc. Of course I know about them."

"It has to be him."

"We are entertaining the same thought," Park told him casually, not giving too much away.

"Entertaining the thought? Vincent has killed these people because they got too close to where they are hiding out!" Luc raised his voice in frustration.

"Luc, I know that it's a definite possibility but quite a lot of murders happen out on those roads, more than you would realise. We do not know that it is him yet, we have men investigating."

"It's him! I know it is..."

"Luc, please, we are doing everything we can to find Chloe; it is a high priority to the LAPD and to the FBI, you need to let us do our jobs..."

Luc hung up on him. He was beyond frustrated with being kept

in the dark and told to do nothing. This is what he was trained to do.

He was probably more capable of extracting Chloe then the FBI was and they refused to let him help. Pointing to the television screen, he glared at Ana, "We need to find out exactly where this happened."

Ana's eyes grew wide with excitement that there had been a development and she quickly grabbed her iPhone, searching through the related news articles.

After a few minutes on Google, she had pinpointed where it was. They went to the map and marked it with a red cross.

"OK, which towns are the closest?" Luc pondered.

He circled three towns that were within the closest proximity.

"They have to be at one of these," he said, studying his notes on the towns, "Right, this one was virtually destroyed by an earthquake thirty years ago, barely any buildings are left standing out there," he pointed to the old gold mining town of Lester,

"However, it's still a possibility. This one here, Garlock is further away and harder to get to, but from the photographs on the internet, there seems to be a lot more buildings intact and they are in better condition," he gestured to the last one, Smithson, "This one is the closest to where the van was, it is very small, just a handful of buildings but it also seems to be in good condition."

Ana stared at them, "So what do you think? Get the FBI to go to these as soon as possible?"

Luc nodded in agreement, "It has to be Vincent, he killed these people for getting too close. Chloe has to be around here somewhere."

"We have to tell them!"

Luc dialled Park's number again.

"Luc, please, we are doing everything..." Park answered but Luc cut him off right away.

"The murders happened near three of these 'ghost' towns."

"Luc, please. We are onto it. I cannot let you interfere with FBI operations. They have it under control,"

"They have to get out to these places now! That's where she is, I am telling you it's him!"

"Luc, please, just let us do our job. I told you that I would keep you up to date when I know more information and I will do that, but you have to trust me. We are searching for a needle in a haystack, we are looking at over five thousand square miles of harsh desert to search. There is certain protocol to follow, we can't just go in there with all guns blazing, you know that."

Luc hung up the phone and threw it onto the sofa.

"Are they going?" Ana asked hopefully, clutching her wine.

"Who knows, he won't give me an answer," he studied the map,

"She is at one of these locations, I am telling you. This is what I am trained to do. I extradited terrorists from their hiding places in dangerous areas under the cover of darkness, I rescued hostages that were under heavy guard. This is one guy. I can do this with my hands behind my back and they won't let me anywhere near the fucking operation!"

"What did he say though, are they going to go to these spots?"

"I don't know, but I cannot hang around and just sit at home and do nothing any longer."

"What are we going to do? Chloe has been gone for weeks!" Ana sobbed.

"I'm going after her," Luc replied, mulling over the map, "She is at one of these towns, I know it in my gut and I am going to use every bit of my training to go in and get her."

"By yourself?"

"Absolutely. I'm going to get her."

AT PEACE WITH DEATH

The Toyota's engine finally sprung to life now that she had figured how to start the damn thing. It revved loudly, yet it did not move forward. It did not speed off away from Vincent, taking her away to freedom like Chloe had intended.

Instead, grey smoke billowed into the air around the car. She planted her foot on the accelerator but it just kept revving on the spot.

What the fuck!?

Why wasn't it going?!

Chloe couldn't figure out where she was going wrong. She shifted the gearstick around, trying all the gears but it still did nothing. Her heart was beating loud in her ears as Vincent continued to pound away at the window with his fist.

Thud... Thud... Thud...

Each blow made Chloe jump in fright.

Panicking, she begged the Toyota to start and speed off away from her nightmare but the vehicle refused to cooperate. She screamed in terror as Vincent smashed on the window with one final big blow.

The glass shattered in her face, landing in her lap and all over the seat. His hairy arm came through the hole, grabbing her around the throat with his hand.

"You fucking whore! I am going to beat you to death," he calmly told her as he choked her, squeezing his fingers tightly around her neck, "It's going to be slow and painful. You are going to suffer and I am going to enjoy every second of it."

Chloe struggled to breath and tried desperately to pry his fingers off her, gasping for air but his strength was too much for her.

Vincent unlocked the car door with his spare hand and yanked it open, dragging her out of the car by her hair. She tried to grip on to the car door but her fingers slipped and her body fell with a hard thump to the ground. The pain from her broken ribs shot through her like a bolt of electricity and she cried out from the agony it caused.

"You tried to kill me, you fucking stabbed me! I am going to mess you up and then I am going kill you," he spat angrily as he dragged her along the hard gravel, still holding her by her hair.

Her scalp felt as though it was on fire as she could feel chunks of her hair being ripped from it.

"You are a dead bitch!"

Chloe tried in vain to stumble up to her feet but Vincent jumped on top of her before she had a chance. He grabbed her by the wrists and pressed his body weight down on her, digging his knee hard into her breast.

Struggling to breathe, Chloe fought desperately to get out from under him but her efforts were futile as she squirmed around on the sand. He punched her hard in the jaw.

The pain was immense from the hard impact, her lips pushed into her teeth, cutting them deeply.

The salty taste of blood stung her tongue and she spat it out as her jaw throbbed. He followed it up with another blow, and another. He hit her repeatedly in the face, her nose busting open and blood spraying all over her face.

She couldn't take anymore. She could not live another day like this, living out here, being abused, raped, beaten. She didn't have any fight left in her.

"Just kill me... please... just kill me," she whimpered in defeat, rolling her head off to the side and letting the blood pour from her nose and mouth onto the sand beneath her.

She stared off into the wilderness. The sun was starting to come down on another horrific day, the sky turned a soft shade of pink over the hills in the distance. She watched it descend as she waited for the final blow that would end it all. Her vision was starting to blur and she felt her face swelling.

She wanted the last thing that she saw before she was beaten to death to be the sunset, not the face of the vile man who had ended her life in such a gruesome and degrading way.

Chloe thought that she would have been terrified in her final moments alive before she was about to die as she was unaware of what death would really be like.

Would there be just nothingness for eternity?

Was there life after death?

However, instead of being scared to die, she was feeling a strange euphoric feeling. Having given up the fight for her life and accepting her fate, she had a wave of calmness wash over her.

She was at peace.

She was ready to let go.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Vincent had a

large plank of wood in his hands that he had grabbed from the ground next to them, holding it above her, ready to bring it down on her head.

Goodbye world...

I love you Luc...

Please forgive me God...

The sun dropped down behind the hills as he swung the wood down hard on her skull. She didn't even feel the impact as everything immediately went dark.

THE HUNT IS ON

Luc approached the tiny old town of Smithson under the cover of darkness. It had taken him six hours to drive out there and had arrived just as the sun was setting down over the horizon.

He had parked his vehicle four miles away and then proceeded on foot through the harsh desert terrain. He had pulled out his old Marines gear, wearing his camouflage fatigues and his night vision goggles, painted his face black and wore his bullet proof vest on top. He had bought his pistol and his long-range scope rifle and had a backpack full of supplies, including food, bottles of water and a first aid kit for Chloe. He also had flares, an emergency beacon and a satellite radio, which he had given the number for to Ana.

Luc trekked with ease up to the town, a couple of miles in the dark carrying a heavy backpack was nothing for the Marine who used to do the same for days even weeks in the Middle East where the temperatures were brutal and the environment was extreme.

Through the green lights of his night vision, he could see the town of Smithson come into view. Five old stone houses stood by themselves. An old water well was crumbling away and a couple of horse stables stood nearby, but other than that there was nothing else out there.

Luc looked for any signs of recent life as he slowly crept forward, careful not to step on any twigs that would make a noise. It was deathly quiet out there. The rustle of a couple of trees and the occasional animal scurrying by was all that he could hear.

There were no vehicles around that Vincent could have driven out there. There was no light coming from any of the buildings, no smell of smoke suggesting there was a fire burning for warmth. No sounds or signs suggesting that there was life out there. His heart sunk to his stomach as he realised that there was a strong possibility that this was not the town Vincent had taken Chloe to.

However, he had to be a hundred percent sure before he left.

He approached the first building and walked through. The roof had collapsed and covered the majority of the floor in rubble, only two internal walls remained standing.

Checking out the other homesteads, they were more structurally sound but they were all empty, there was not even any furniture left behind. Graffiti covered one house, over all the walls and cabinets and broken beer bottles were littered everywhere, suggesting people had had a party out there at some stage, but the labels had long worn off and the dust covering the glass meant it had been a very long time ago.

There was a large, faded sign outside stating the history and the facts about Smithson for tourists to read.

They were not here, and by the looks of things they hadn't been and left either. With a heavy heart, Luc sat down on a pile of rubble and took a water bottle out of his bag and drank it as he perused over a map that he had bought out with him.

Garlock was the next town. He would have to travel two hours back to the main road and then another couple of hundred miles North, then he would have to turn off and drive around three hours into the desert off the main route to get to Garlock.

He would not make it there whilst it was still dark, and he really didn't want to approach it in the light of day where Vincent could see him coming.

He decided that he would get as close as he could, then as soon as night fell again he would do the trek into the town on foot.

Sighing in despair, he started the long walk back to his vehicle, disappointment weighing heavily in his heart.

Driving most of the day through the Death Valley desert, Luc was just under two hundred miles away from Garlock when the satellite phone sitting on the passenger seat beside him started ringing. It had to be Ana as she was the only one who had the number.

"Ana?" He asked, picking it up.

The signal strength was weak and he could barely hear her over the static.

"Luc!"

"Yes?" He asked, hoping she was calling with news that Chloe had been found.

"There has been a sighting of Vincent!" She squealed happily.

"What? Where?" His heart started pounding with anticipation.

"He went into a service station and bought tampons. The cashier recognised him and called police."

Tampons meant Chloe was still alive! Luc had always held out hope that she was but this was definite proof of life.

"Where?"

"I am not sure, that's all Detective Park would tell me. I didn't tell him you had gone looking for her."

"Thanks, An. I will try and find out more and head in that direction," Luc hung up the phone and dialled Park's cell number.

"Hello?"

"Matt, it's Luc DeSilva."

"Oh, Luc. I just got off the phone to Ana. Where are you?

This line is really bad."

"Where was the service station where Vincent went?"

"It's a small service station that sits by itself on Route 10, a few miles away from the California Drive turnoff."

Luc pulled the car over to the side of the road and got the map out.

Studying it he realised that the service station's location was on route to Garlock if you were coming from the other direction, he would have passed it if he had not turned off towards Garlock.

"That means she is at Garlock!" He cried out, ecstatic that he was heading in the right direction.

"The FBI have deployed a team out there, they will arrive in around six hours. I will let you know as soon as I do when they lay eyes on Vincent and Chloe."

"I am already on my way there; I am about two hours away."

"What? I told you not to go out looking for her! You have to let the FBI handle this, Luc! Stop and turn around right now, don't you dare go out there. You could ruin everything and get yourself and Chloe killed!" Park's voice was breaking up as the

phone's service dropped in and out.

"I am going to get her," Luc told him defiantly.

"Luc, no! Just wait for the FBI to get there!"

Luc ended the call.

He didn't need the FBI's help, he knew exactly how to pull of an operation like this. He was determined to get to Chloe and rescue her as quickly as possible.

Every minute she was out there when he could rescue her would be torture for both of them.

He planted his foot down and sped off in the direction of Garlock.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Slowly opening her eyes, a groggy Chloe was confused.

She was still alive?

How could that be...

Vincent had said that he was going to kill her. He had smacked her over the head with the heavy wooden plank. She had been so sure that he would have kept beating her with it after she was unconsciousness until she was dead.

Why had he kept her alive?

Her eyes adjusted to where see where she was. Her heart sank when she saw that she was back in the house. In the derelict lounge room, she was propped against a large wooden pillar with her hands tied behind her back and around the pillar with rope so tight that her hands were throbbing and she could not move them, she was only barely able to wiggle her fingers.

Rope was also wrapped incredibly tight around her waist, binding her to the post. Her feet were also bound together. He had also tied material around her mouth and head again, the familiar taste and scent of the binding in her jaw took her back to the feeling of waking up in the car.

Her head and jaw were pounding and she could feel the sticky, wet mess of her blood matting her hair and face. Vincent came into the room and noticed that she had woken up. He strolled over to her, anger still etched all over her face. Leaning down in front of her, he lay on one knee, so he was eye level to her. He gripped her face around the chin with his hand and forced her to look at him. She winced in pain as her jaw ached.

"I came very close to killing you," he stared at her menacingly,

"Very close. I am sick of you trying to escape. I have worked very hard to set all of this up for us, and to get you out here. I have risked so much to make this all happen. I am trying my best to set up a life for us, and yet you do not appreciate any of the things that I have done for you. You have just spat it all back in my face." He let her chin go and stood up, standing over her menacingly,

"However, I have decided to give you one last chance. I want to make this work, and I am sure that in time you will come around and understand what I am trying to do for you. I am still really hoping that you will live a nice quiet life out here with me. We can really turn this place around," he gestured around the decrepit old house, "I am determined to make a nice life for us, Chloe."

He paced back and forth in front of her, her vision was fuzzy and the room spun as she struggled to try and comprehend what he was saying. She couldn't believe she was still in this never-ending nightmare.

"I don't trust you though, Chloe. You trying to repeatedly run away has infuriated me. I do not like having to punish you but I will do whatever I have to. For now, you will be tied up for most of the day until you start to conform and accept your fate."

Chloe glared angrily at him. She could not speak but she desperately wanted to shout at him that he may as well kill her, because there was no way in hell she would ever accept this life.

She would try and escape every opportunity that she could. She would never live out his deluded, ridiculous fantasy. Did he really believe that she was just going to turn around one day and say, 'Oh, OK. I will be your wife and live out here in the middle of the desert in a rundown old town and have your children and live happily ever after?'

He was absolutely insane. The way she saw it, either he would kill her, she would kill herself or she would kill him. Option three was becoming more and more desirable to her now. The second that the opportunity presented itself, she would beat him to death with whatever she could.

She was so angry at herself that she hadn't continued to bludgeon or stab him when she had thought she had killed him last time. It had been such a horrific experience for her having that fight and stabbing him that she had wanted to just take off straight away, but now she was back to square one again - with the situation now ten times worse than before. She had been beaten within an inch of her life and now there was no way he was going to trust her again. He would keep her tied up as much as he could.

How could she kill herself if it came down to that? She could refuse to eat or drink anything. That would be a very long, slow and painful way to go. She could try and slit her wrists with something if she had the opportunity.

Vincent's rage was simmering.

She could see that where she had stabbed him in the stomach, the wound was looking very nasty. He had a bandage wrapped all around his stomach but blood was still seeping through. He winced in pain when he moved and Chloe got some satisfaction that she had hurt him.

It dawned on her that the fact he had a large gut was probably the reason he had not died. She had not been any to hit any major organs or arteries because she would have just stabbed fat.

He was now slower, weaker and in pain.

However, so was she.

Her ribs ached constantly, her face was so swollen she could barely see out of her right eye and her lip was fat. She had decided that if she had any opportunity to hurt him again she was going to take it and she would not stop until she knew for sure he was dead. She was still bleeding from her period, Vincent had refused to give her the tampons he had bought, instead he had just shoved a pile of napkins into her underwear. The upside was that he didn't seem interested in raping her whilst she was menstruating so at least she had a few days' grace from that.

Vincent came back into the living room from the kitchen with a cup of hot noodles. He sat himself down next to her, took off her mouth binding and lifted a fork full of the food up to her lips. She turned her head away, refusing to eat.

He angrily grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Eat the fucking food."

She shook her head and pulled back, trying to escape his grip.

He tried shoving the fork in her mouth but she clamped down hard.

"Fuck you then, you can starve!" He stood up and threw the cup of steaming hot liquid at her. It sprayed all over her lap and down her legs. She cried out in agony as the scolding soup burnt her.

"Serves you right," he told her, putting the mouth bindings back

on and storming off.

Chloe drifted in and out of consciousness, her head resting on her chest as she slept sitting upright, tied to the pole. Her injuries from the beating had taken its toll on her, as well as not eating or drinking anything for two days. Her jaw throbbed and it was agony to breathe as the pain from her ribs became worse.

She was not in good shape. Shivering from the cold, her eyes fluttered awake and she realised it was night time.

Looking around the house, a candle flickered on the table and a small fire was crackling in the fireplace. She longed to be closer to it. Vincent had not bothered to cover her up with a blanket and she was shaking uncontrollably, she could feel it down to her bones. She presumed that he was in bed, but she had no idea.

Her throat was parched from thirst and she struggled to swallow, her left eye was now completely swollen, she could not open it.

Groaning, she wriggled her wrists but they were bound so tightly she could not move them much at all. Vincent had taken no chances of her escaping again. Her shoulders and arms ached from being tied behind her for so long. She hurt everywhere.

She was desperate for water, her body cried for it and she felt dizzy. She didn't want to end her not eating or drinking protest, but her natural survival instincts were kicking in strong and having a drink consumed her thoughts, it was all she could think about.

Moaning as loud as she could to get his attention, she could only muster up muffled sounds from beneath her bindings. She lifted her bound feet off the ground, dropping them heavily and repeated the action, making thumping sounds on the floor. She carried on until she could no longer gather enough energy to do it anymore. He was obviously ignoring her.

Defeated, Chloe rested her bed against the pole as a single tear rolled down out of the only eye that she was able to open.

Through the windows, she could see the moon in the sky, it was full and looked so magical and beautiful.

Staring at it, she felt so small and insignificant. The world was such a large place, home to billions of other people looking up at the same sight.

Reflecting on how she had lived her life, Chloe felt deeply saddened. She had always thought she was such a big deal because she was rich and famous. People had worshipped her just because she had sung a few hit songs. She had never really made any significant difference to the world when she had had the power and influence to do so. She could have helped the less fortunate, donated money to charity. She felt so foolish now.

Reminiscing on her conversation with Vincent when he had first abducted her, she could now see his point. He may be a raving lunatic but he had made a good point.

Thinking about how she had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on designer handbags and clothes when there were millions of people who could not even afford to eat made her feel so guilty and self-indulgent. She could have changed the lives of so many, yet she had been utterly selfish, surrounding herself with material things and wasting money like it meant nothing. In the grand scheme of things, it now seemed ridiculous that she had made so much money just for singing and being famous. Being paid just to show up to parties and events was

almost laughable.

That world just seemed so shallow now.

Her life had been a waste. So many people dreamt of being successful and for some reason, out of all of them around the world it had happened to her and she had squandered it away.

She had abused drugs and alcohol and had purposely made herself sick with bulimia to achieve the ridiculous idea of what a 'perfect body' was, when there were people all over the world suffering from cancer and serious illnesses who would have given anything to be healthy.

Why was she more important than anybody else? Because she sang songs? She was just a human being at the end of the day, and she was no more superior than the people she had looked down on over the years.

Chloe was disgusted in herself.

She was going to die out here, in the middle of the desert and she had nothing to show for the life she had lived, apart from material things that now made no difference to her quality of life.

The world had probably moved on to the next story by now.

The disappearance of Chloe Stone would have been filed under another great Hollywood mystery and they would be talking about the latest scandal by now. Her life had been an utter waste.

Sobbing to herself, Chloe drifted off to a nightmare plagued sleep again.

She was awoken again later that night by what sounded like a twig snapping outside.

Drowsy, she looked around the room again, presuming Vincent was nearby but there was no sign of him. The candle had burned out and the fire was down to a dull flicker. The room was much darker with the fire nearly out, the moon provided the only light.

A shadow went past the window and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Was Vincent outside?

She looked around, but with only one eye and the darkness it was hard to make anything out. The front door cracked open a little.

Something was off.

If it was Vincent why would he be opening the door so slowly?

Was he trying to trick her?

She wasn't sure.

Was somebody else here?

Panic set in, who on Earth would be out here in the middle of nowhere? She had seen too many horror movies and suddenly had visions of a desert dwelling lunatic coming in and attacking her. She was so vulnerable, tied up to the pole and Vincent was nowhere to be seen.

Her heart pounded loudly as the door creaked open more. She saw the figure of a man; it was too dark for her to make out who it was. She struggled against her bindings, desperately trying to get free, even though her previous attempts had been futile.

She tried to scream out for Vincent. It was ironic that she was now calling out for her captor to come and protect her from whomever was entering. Her moans for help were of course inaudible and muffled. She struggled in vain against her bindings as the door opened enough for the mystery person to slip in. Her panic and fear quickly subsided when she saw that the person sliding into the house under the cover of darkness was somebody she knew.

Luc!

She could barely believe her good eye.

He was dressed in his Marine's gear and his face was blackened but it was definitely him. He put his finger up to his lips to signal for her to be quiet.

Chloe was beyond thrilled to see him; it was a dream come true.

Luc had come to save her!

He was really there!

How had he known where to find her?

Was he alone or was there an army of police officers outside ready to take Vincent down?

It was over – it was finally over.

Creeping quietly towards her, he leant down in front of her.

Chloe was so overwhelmed with happiness, she burst into tears.

"Sshhhh," he whispered in her ear.

His beautiful eyes were full of sadness, it must have been awful for him to see her in the state that she was in, dishevelled, beaten and restrained. He took the binding from her mouth.

"Luc!" She gushed.

He put his hand on her mouth. She nodded to clarify that she understood. He pulled out a large knife and cut all her bindings.

As soon as she was free, she flung herself on him, wrapping her arms around him, ignoring the pain from her ribs as he did the same and squeezed her tight.

After a long embrace, he pulled back and studied her face, cradling her chin in his hand.

The sadness in his eyes turned to anger as he took in what Vincent had inflicted upon her.

"What the fuck has he done to you?" He snarled furiously.

"I'm OK," she reassured him, "I can't believe that you are

here!"

She felt so safe now that he was there with her. He had come to save her, she could go home now, with him. Vincent was going to go to prison.

She had survived.

"I would have searched Heaven and Earth to find you. I was never, ever going to give up on you," he smiled at her.

She had missed that smile more than anything. Her heart felt as if it would burst.

"I love you so much," she said softly into his ear, nuzzling her face into his neck.

Her love for this man was overwhelming.

"I love you more than you will ever know," he replied, "I am so, so sorry that I let you down. It's my fault that he took you, I was supposed to protect you."

She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes, "No, it is not your fault. It was never your fault. Vincent is crazy!"

He kissed her forehead softly, "I will always blame myself.

Look at what he has done to you! Has he raped you?" His voice cracked as he asked.

Chloe didn't answer him, she couldn't bring herself to tell him.

He knew the answer from her silence and the look on her face.

Standing up, he let go of Chloe.

"No, Luc, please - let's just go," she whispered grabbing his arm, realising that he was going after Vincent.

He brushed her off and headed towards the bedroom, hell bent on revenge. She stumbled to her feet, unsteady after being tied up and sitting down for so long.

Luc stood with his back to the doorway of the bedroom, he had a gun that he held close to his chest. Chloe watched on, terrified that Luc would get hurt but also excited at the fact that he could kill Vincent and end her nightmare once and for all.

He motioned for her to stay back. She held her breath as she watched him duck into the bedroom.

The seconds passed like hours as she waited with anticipation for him to return.

The wait was killing her.

After what felt like an eternity, Luc finally re-emerged.

"Where is he?" He asked quietly in her ear.

"I don't know..." she stammered, "I presumed he was in his room."

Luc proceeded to check the kitchen, returning again shrugging his shoulders in bewilderment.

Where was he?

Chloe was confused.

"I haven't seen him in ages," she told Luc as he took her by the hand and cautiously led her outside.

The cold crisp air hit her hard and she shivered as she followed Luc. They crouched down low and she crept along behind him as he ducked down behind an old truck's body.

"Where's your car?" Chloe asked him anxiously.

"I walked the last few miles so Vincent wouldn't see me coming," Luc answered her.

"How did you find me? Where's the other police officers?"

"That's a long story, and the FBI are on their way."

"On their way? You're by yourself? What are we going to do?"

Her adrenalin was surging and she was frightened for both of them.

Where was Vincent?

"We will get out of here on foot, let the FBI deal with Vincent,"

Luc rummaged around his backpack and handed her a bottle of water.

She drank it quickly, grateful for the first water she had had in days. As she nearly finished the bottle a loud cracking sound pierced the air. She jumped at the loud noise, spilling the water over her as another one rang out. They sounded like gunshots.

Chloe dropped to her knees and looked over at Luc in a panic.

Was it the FBI?

Was it Vincent?

Luc's eyes were wide in shock. He looked at Chloe, then looked down at his shoulder. A dark red patch was growing wider through the material. He had been shot!

"Oh my God," Chloe gasped in terror.

She could see that he was wearing a bullet proof vest and it had a bullet firmly lodged in it just above his chest, however the second shot had pierced his unprotected shoulder. He gasped in pain and swung around, pressing his back against the car body and his gun held out in front of him.

Looking around frantically, he positioned himself in front of Chloe to protect her. She was shaking uncontrollably in fear.

Was this how it was all going to end?

Vincent was going to shoot her and Luc dead?

She was distraught at the thought that he could be killed because of her.

"Stay back," Luc demanded, scoping the area, trying to determine where Vincent was.

Another shot rang out, echoing through the desert. Chloe screamed and Luc cried out in pain. Gripping his thigh, Chloe realised he had been hit again.

"VINCENT! STOP!" She yelled out in despair, "Please stop!

Don't hurt him! I will stay with you, just let him go!"

Luc tried to stand up but fell back down to his knees. He was losing a lot of blood.

Chloe was terrified that he was going to bleed out or cop a fatal shot, she jumped up and threw herself in front of Luc.

"Chloe, NO!" He protested.

"VINCENT! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She called out again.

She was petrified but she would do anything to protect the only person she had ever truly loved. It was eerily silent apart from

Luc gasping in pain behind her. Turning to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and attempted to lift him up.

"Come one, we have to get out of here," she helped him up to his feet.

He groaned and stood up unsteadily, clutching his bleeding leg.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to help carry him.

"This way," he pointed.

Another crack sounded out and Luc screamed in pain, dropping to the floor.

Panicked, Chloe dropped down next to him. He was cupping his ear. Chloe moved his hand and saw that half of his ear had been shot off. Blood was streaming out everywhere. Vincent was not going to stop until he killed him. Chloe had to stop him.

Standing up, she put her hands in the air as a sign of surrender.

"VINCENT!" She called out.

"Chloe, no! Stop!" Luc gasped, blood streaming through his fingers and down onto his neck.

"I have to stop him! I can't let him kill you!" She sobbed at him.

"Vincent! Stop shooting! Let Luc live and let him leave here safely and I will stay with you. I will stop trying to escape, I will stop fighting you, I will go wherever you want, I promise! I swear on my life if you let him live I will do whatever you want," tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, desperately pleading for Luc's life.

She had never been so scared in her life - even after the horrific ordeal that she had endured over the past few weeks. She truly believed that she was about to be shot dead at any minute – and even worse, Luc would be too.

She cherished his life more than hers.

She would literally die for him.

Luc was in a bad way, he had lost a lot of blood, especially from his thigh wound. Chloe was worried that an artery or a vein had been hit. He collapsed on the floor beside her and was breathing was slow and heavy.

She backed up, kneeling down beside him on the ground.

"Please, stay with me," she sobbed, covering the thigh wound with both hands.

Warm, sticky blood seeped through her fingers immediately,

"What should I do?"

Luc just groaned in response, he had gone deathly pale and his breathing had slowed down significantly. Chloe heard steps and looked up to see Vincent storming quickly towards them. He looked frightening, still wearing the blood soaked clothes he had on earlier, his hair was dishevelled and his eyes were wide with rage. He had a pistol in his hand, the metal glistening in the moonlight.

"Vincent – stop!" She cried out, putting her hand out in front of her.

"This is all your fault, Chloe!" Vincent growled menacingly,

"He is going to die because of you, and you are going to watch."

"NOOOOOO!!!!" Chloe screamed as she threw her body onto Luc, acting as a human shield.

Luc tried to push her off him, "It's OK, Chloe," he murmured,

"Save yourself, please, just run. Leave me here."

"No, I am not going to leave you!"

"He will kill us both, please just run away!" He begged her.

"NO!"

She would rather they both die together then Luc be killed and her survive without him.

As Vincent approached them, she looked around in desperation for something to hit him with.

Luc used all of his strength to grab the pistol he was carrying in his waist band and hold it up to face Vincent. His hand shook as he struggled to hold the heavy weapon. He was losing a lot of his strength as he continued to bleed out.

"Shoot him! Fucking shoot him!" Chloe yelled out frantically.

Vincent's mouth dropped open in surprise, but he quickly recomposed himself and shot his own gun towards them again.

Chloe froze.

She waited for the pain, however, there wasn't any.

It took her a few moments to realise that she hadn't been hit.

Had he shot Luc again?

Oh please God, No!

Looking back at Luc, she couldn't see any head wounds. His blackened face was covered in blood from the ear wound but thankfully, he had not been shot again. He was still alive, but barely. He had collapsed to the ground and was making strange gurgling sounds as his breathing became staggered.

Rage overwhelmed Chloe and before she could think through what she was doing, she leapt up to her feet and charged full force at Vincent. Running straight toward him as fast as she could, she shoved him hard in the chest with both hands. She had caught him off guard and he stumbled backwards a few feet, but managed to stay up on his feet.

Thinking quickly, she eyed off the seeping wound in his stomach where she had stabbed him earlier. She kicked it as hard as she could. His eyes went wide and he screamed in pain as he fell back, clutching the wound in his hands as he and landed on his back.

Chloe didn't stop, she was determined to end this once and for all and kill this evil son of a bitch. She would not give him a second chance; she was going to finish what she had started.

She ran and kicked his hand that was holding the gun. It went flying a few feet away. Bringing her foot back again, she kicked a groaning Vincent square in the face, connecting with his nose and busting it right open again.

"ARGGHH!" He bellowed, grabbing his face, "FUCK!"

Seizing the opportunity, Chloe ran for the gun. She was in pain, weak and exhausted but she had to keep fighting. Her heart was pumping so fast it was all she could hear.

Swooping the pistol up, she felt elated as she spun around and pointed it right at him. Vincent slowly staggered back up to his feet and came towards her, one unsteady step at a time. She had never even held a gun before, let alone shot one but she held her breath, prayed for the best and squeezed the trigger, closing her eyes as she did so. She waited for the loud noise to pierce the air, but there was just a clicking sound.

Opening her eyes, she saw Vincent was now charging towards her, his arms outstretched as he reached for the gun.

What had happened?

Why wasn't the gun firing?

She squeezed the trigger again and again but still nothing but clicks. Vincent started laughing hysterically, gripping his bleeding stomach.

"There are no more bullets, bitch!" He grabbed the gun from her hands as she stood there, stunned.

With a big right hook, he punched her square in the face, sending her flying backwards. The blow to her already incredibly swollen jaw dazzled her and Vincent followed it up with a kick to her stomach.

She fell hard onto the ground, winding herself. As she lay there struggling to gasp for breath and wincing in immense pain, Vincent dived on top off her, his weight crushed her broken ribs as he straddled her.

"This is it, Chloe, you are going to die now. I have had enough of your shit. This was not what I had in mind for us, this was not what I wanted. We could have had it all, but you have fought me every step of the way. I even forgave you when you tried to kill me and this is how you repay me?! You have left me no choice. I am going to finish you and let your boyfriend watch as you take your last breath, then I am going to beat the shit out of him until

He gripped her around the neck with his hands and squeezed his fingers tightly, cutting off her air supply. Chloe was no match for his strength, yet she fought him with every last ounce of strength she had, kicking out and gripping onto his arms and hands, scratching him and digging her nails into his flesh as hard as she could.

The pressure was intense as she gasped urgently for oxygen but

couldn't get any, it felt like he was going to crush her larynx with

his bare hands. Black spots floated in front of her eyes.

This was it.

She could not escape.

She had lost

She was going to die.

Luc was going to die.

That absolutely broke her heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she coughed and spluttered as the life was literally being squeezed out of her. She closed her eyes and gave up fighting, she did not have anything left.

Her body went limp.

Just as she was prepared to pass away and finally escape this nightmare, two gunshots rang out and the pressure on her neck suddenly stopped. The heavy weight of Vincent's body on top of her slid to the side. Sucking in air and inhaling as many breaths as she could, her throat stung and each gasp was like swallowing razor blades. She blinked a couple of times, trying to focus her blackened vision.

What had happened?

She struggled to wiggle her body out from underneath Vincent and rubbed her eyes, still breathing frantically. Vincent was lying on the ground; blood was pouring out of a large hole in his head.

She could see his white skull covered in blood and the pink fleshy remains of his brain.

He had been shot.

Chloe stumbled weakly to her feet and kicked him in his stomach but he didn't react. His eyes were rolled to the back of his head.

He was dead!

He was finally dead!

But how?

She spun around and saw Luc standing unsteadily on his feet.

He had climbed to his feet and shot Vincent dead, saving her life. Chloe's heart was elated. Looking down at Vincent's body, she knew for sure that it was finally all over. The sun had started to rise, emitting pink and purple splashes of colour across the landscape.

She had nearly died twice since it had set. Luc staggered towards her, limping heavily, dragging his injured leg, the gun still gripped in his hand. There was blood all over him. Chloe scrambled away from Vincent. The dawn of the new day signified so much more than just that.

She had lived.

Luc was alive.

Vincent was gone.

Luc dropped to his knees beside her and pulled her into him as she joined him on the ground. Holding her tightly, he whispered into her ear, "Are you OK?"

Chloe tried to answer, but she was still struggling to breathe, her throat was swollen badly.

Instead she just nodded weakly, tears falling from her eyes as fell into him, finally feeling safe and free as he wrapped his arms around her. The smell of their blood pierced her nostrils. She started to sob uncontrollably.

"It's over," Luc whispered in her ear, kissing her forehead and cradling her, "It's finally over. You are going to be OK."

They held each other, exhausted and badly injured but relieved, watching the sun slowly come up. It looked mesmerizingly beautiful; despite the fact that Vincent's dead body was laying just a few feet away from them.

"You saved my life," she whispered to him.

"You saved my life," he kissed her gently, "I love you more than you will ever know."

"I love you more than you will ever know."

The sound of multiple heavy footsteps interrupted the moment.

Looking up, Chloe saw a dozen men running towards them, dressed head to toe in riot gear, their guns drawn and FBI emblazed across their chests.

"Together forever?" Luc asked her, brushing her hair off her face.

"Together forever," Chloe agreed.

It was finally over.
