Burning Passion

Chapter 17

Rose's Pov-

I woke up to my back throbbing with pain, and my head sore. I rub my temples together before opening my eyes all the way. I slowly wake up and at first my body doesn't respond. I sit up only to almost fall out of the tree. I grip the branch underneath me, I forgot we fell asleep in the tall tree to scared to get down. I don't get how we didn't roll off in our sleep.

I look over to the other side of the tree to see Madi curled in a ball on two branches wrapped around each other. Alex on the other hand was laying flat on her back with her arms and legs hanging off the tree. I poke Alex's cheek the sun was just coming back up this would be a great time to look for the boys.

"Alex?" I whisper poking her still. "What?" She says yawning loudly. I quickly cover her mouth. "Shh!" I whisper holding my right pointer finger to my lips. I slowly pull my hand away from her mouth. "So it wasn't a nightmare." She says rubbing her back that probably hurt. I shake my head yes and climb over toward Madi. I lightly push on her shoulders a few times.

"Huh?" She loudly says sitting up fast. What is it with them being loud when we're being hunted down? Well me, but if he finds them with me he'd take them too. Only I know how his brain works because I had to "live" with him for 2 whole years. He kidnapped me when I was 10 until I was 12.

He was had just turned 20 when he kidnapped me. I finally figured out how he does everything, I was watching and listening to everything he did for 7 months before I escaped. I confronted the police and he was arrested. I helped solve 3 year old cases, with kidnapping, and murder.

They said I did the right thing, and that I was brave. I don't think I am nor will I ever be. I snapped out of my flashbacks of the terrible two years of my life. I saw Madi staring at me with Alex beside her. "It was real?" Madi asked looking like she wanted to cry. "Yes, now we got to find the boys." I said looking down the tree trunk and all around it.

"What? Are you crazy!" Alex whisper yelled. I looked back toward them. "You want to see them again or not?" I asked crossing my arms together. "Yes!" Madi whispered bouncing once while sitting. "Ok, that means you have to listen to every word I say. And follow me." I said looking around once more before quietly creeping down the tree trunk.

I get to the last branch and jump. I land safely on my feet, I run into the bush across from the tree. Alex jumps down next, and Madi jumps but falls on the dirt. She crawls on the ground and over into the bush with us. Madi sits then checks her shoes . "Uggh! Look at my heels." She mumbled huffing.

"Maybe you shouldn't have worn heels to the park." Alex said like it was a no brainer. Which it was, there's no doubt in my mind that even Madi should have known that. I knew they were going to start fighting and that's the last thing we need. "Shh! Now look for something...too normal like it was perfect." I whispered peeking out of the bush.

"Shouldn't we look for something out of the ordinary?" Alex asked moving next to me. "No, he wants you to think that it's meant to be there. But it always looks too perfect, like a old shop with one shiny new car by it." I whispered back. I look around making sure that it's clear to go. I make a movement with my hand signaling that we should go now.

I jog silently with Alex and Madi behind me. I really hope this ends well...

Zayn's Pov-

I sit in a corner of a cold basement floor corner shaking. I rock back and forth hoping everything will be okay. He went to find Rose, and if he finds her it won't be good I know it. The others woke up yesterday when he left, and Louis is crying in Harry's arms. Niall is sitting quietly as silent tears rush down his face. Liam is hugging his legs to his chest and spacing out at the concrete floor.

We sit like this for two more hours at the most when there's a loud noise coming from outside the doors. We all look at each other with fear in our eyes and sweat beating down our foreheads. The banging only gets louder as the doors slowly creak open inch by inch. No one moves, no one says anything.

It's like we're stuck in time unable to move, but everything else around us can. The door opens all the way, and light fills the once dark room. It makes me shut my eyes tightly adjusting to the new light. I blink a few times before noticing 3 figures running into the small cold room the boys and I were in.

I hear one of their shoes clicking while she runs to Niall. The shoe clicking the only thing you hear. I notice another girl sprinting toward Liam. Once she gets to him she jumps in his arms, now you could hear faint crying. The last girl walks toward Harry and Louis hugging them to death.

I see some tears going down her cheeks, she turns around scanning the room. Her eyes fall on me and she runs fast toward me, I don't see who it is until they jump in my arms. "Zayn." Rose's sweet voice mumbled into my chest. I could feel her tears through my shirt, I quickly wrap my arms around her fragile little body.

"Rose." My voice sounds rough and husky as I let her name slip through my lips. I smile squeezing her tighter to me as possible. She giggles pulling back, her face suddenly gets serious. She faces everyone else that was just watching us. "Come one we got to leave." She said waving her hand out the door they broke open.

They nodded their heads, she grabbed my hand. We took off out the door and in down the middle of the woods. You could feel how much everyone was scared and worried. 30 minutes later we came to the edge of the woods, and ran to our cars. Liam, Alex, Niall, and Madi jumped into Lima's car.

Harry and Louis jumped into Harry's car. Rose and I were about to jump into her car. Just as we thought everything was okay, 3 gun shots went off. One loud scream with a thump to the ground.

I rushed to the other side of the car as I find Rose bleeding on the parking lot. I scoop her into my arms. I hear Harry on the phone with the paramedics and police.

Not long after sirens are coming down the road, but I blocked it all out now. I stare down at Rose, blood everywhere, becoming paler by the second, while I try to put pressure on her wound.

Why? Why couldn't it of been me...