I slowly opened my eyes. I was really groggy. Where the hell was I? I slowly looked around. I was in some dark, dank warehouse, or maybe some old service garage? I couldn't really tell. There was only a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling above me. I remember hearing Brennan's voice after that chick lured me to the side of the road. I remember he took my gun and then my cuffs out of my belt and cuffed my hands behind my back. Then he shoved a rag over my face. Of course, I recognized the smell by now of that sweet scented liquid it was dipped in, chloroform. Naturally, I struggled for a few seconds and then the lights went out. Now I was here, but where the fuck is here??
I was tied to a metal chair. My hands still cuffed, now behind the chair back. My biceps were roped to the chair as well and more rope bound my chest and abdomen to the chair back. Rope encircled my legs just above my knees, pulling them away from each other, forcing me to sit with my legs spread wide apart. More rope secured my booted ankles, tying each one to their corresponding chair leg. And, of course, my bondage would not have been completed without the balled up bandanna shoved in my mouth and knotted tightly behind my head to gag me. Sadly, I was so use to this by now I wasn't all that alarmed, but I did start to struggle a bit once I came to my senses because, well, who wouldn't?
"He's awake," I heard a female voice say through the darkness.
It was the same voice of the chick who I pulled over to help. She stepped into the light and I could see her now. She had long black hair and was wearing a black leather biker jacket and skin tight leather pants. Wow! Grease Lightening! She walked up to me, leaned forward, and spoke to me softly.
"I'm sorry. You seem like a really nice guy, but he said this was the only way."
Wait.. what?? Okay, this I was NOT used to. Now I'm confused. Is this not a revenge kidnapping? I've been expecting Brennan to show up and start torturing me. I was about to find out because there he was, Luke Brennan, stepping out of the shadows.
"Don't get too close to him, Marie" he cautioned.
"He's tied up pretty good, Luke, I don't think he can do anything."
"Hah," he scoffed, "trust me, he's a cunning little bastard. Never underestimate this kid."
He pulled up a chair, turned it around backwards and sat down in it in front of me, his legs straddling the chair back and his elbow leaning on the top.
"I never figured you out for a cop, kid," he said, "you just seemed too much like a free spirit to me, but believe it or not, this is actually a good thing."
He looked over to Marie, "take the gag out of his mouth."
She walked behind me and loosened the bandanna knot allowing me to spit it out. I wasted no time giving Brennan an earful.
"You fucking asshat!" I yelled. "That's right! I am a cop now! You know what happens to guys who kidnap cops you moron?? You fucked up big time, Brennan!"
Brennan sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Put the gag back in his mouth," he ordered Marie.
"You're gonna pay... MMMMMMPPPPHHHH!!!!"
She stuffed it back in my mouth and reknotted it.
"Yeah, I figured you couldn't shut your mouth, but I thought I'd at least give you a chance. You'll just have to listen instead."
"MMMPPPHHHHHHH!!!!!" "MMMPPPPPHHHHHH!!!"
"Hey!" Brennan raised his voice, "you wanna hear me out or you wanna sit there bound and gagged for a few more hours, huh?"
I reluctantly stopped struggling and calmed on. I didn't have much choice.
"That's better," he continued, "this isn't what you think, kid. I didn't come here to avenge Gallagher or the Syndicate or any of that. In fact, I came here to ask for your help to stop him."
I rubbed my cheek against my shoulder, hinting that I wanted the gag back out.
"Oh, you're ready to talk civilly now?" He asked.
I nodded and in turn, he nodded to Marie. She undid the gag again.
"This is how you ask me for help? You ambush me on the highway? You knock me out, kidnap me, and tie me up in a warehouse? That's how you ask for help?"
"Yeah," he replied, "because I'm not stupid. You think I don't know the moment you had seen me you'd have probably shot me on the spot?"
"Exactly, so why would I help you?? You're a fucking criminal!"
"A criminal who saved your ass!" He retorted defensively.
"Yeah, after you kidnapped me the last time!"
"After you broke into my house, first, punk! Or have you forgotten that part!"
"Have you forgotten about how you forcibly jerked me off??" I shot back.
"Are you kidding me? You were practically begging me to, kid."
"I'd been edged by your partner for like three hours with his jack off machine! I could have relieved myself, thanks, but you left me tied up and you almost suffocated me!"
"Oh boo hoo hoo. You survived, didn't you?"
We both just stared at each other. The tension in the room was so thick you could practically taste it.
"I ain't doing shit for you!" I broke the silence. "Now get me out of these ropes, asshole. You're going to jail!"
He started laughing, "God damn, you are still one cocky little prick. Who else would sit there tied up giving orders out to their captor."
"Alright, stop it both of you!" Marie unexpectedly yelled.
Brennan and I both turned and looked at her.
She kneeled down next to me, took a photograph out of her purse, and held it up in front me.

- Bryce and Marie
"The guy standing up next to me, whose shoulder I have my hand on....."
"Who is he," I asked.
"He's my boyfriend. His name is Bryce."
"He's also my nephew," Brennan said.
"He's in a lot of trouble, you have to help him, please," Marie pleaded.
"What happened to him?"
There was a pause.
"Gallagher took him," Brennan revealed.