It was nearing the eleventh day since I had been UKnow's captive and there were signs that the search was drawing closer. UKnow was far more nervous than before. He would pace during the night, continuously peer out of windows. Bags formed under his eyes, he looked trodden and exhausted. He would disappear for a few spurts in the day before returning with food, a newspaper, and whatever else he would buy.

I began to think about what would happen if we were found and he captured. He would be arrested, convicted for every crime he had committed. And something made me wish he wasn't. It wasn't entirely his fault for the way he turned out. If I had been in his shoes, I may have done the same thing. He was a murderer, but he had been made into one by someone else.

If I could escape and make a run for it, he would have time to pack up and leave. We wouldn't be able to catch him right away. Something inside me didn't want us to catch him, at least not yet. I didn't understand what was running through my head, but I couldn't take the time to think things through.

Every time he left, I would pull at the heating pipe. Jerking, throwing myself away from it until my wrists were bruised and swollen. He hardly noticed, but everyday I was making a little headway.

Finally, on the thirteenth day I'd been held, it was time to run.

UKnow had been gone for half an hour. I began to pull frantically on the pipe, rocking back on my heels to throw myself backwards. A scraping sound and a little give. I did it again, pushing back against the wall with my feet. It continued to give, too slowly.

“Come on, you er,” I hissed, wincing as my tender wrists protested.

Swinging my body around in a half circle, laying my weight clean against the metal rod. The skin in my wrists gave into the abuse and began to bleed. Desperation was clawing at my chest as inch my inch the pipe began to free itself. Muscles and tendons in my arms began to ache and cramp from the strain, clear up to my shoulders and neck. Too much tension, too little time to release. A stray tear fell at the pain, at the feeling of being so close.

I braced my feet against the wall, pulled back, and threw myself as hard as I could in the opposite direction, pushing off with my feet. The pipe tore from the wall, sending a shower of debris with a loud scraping sound. I fell on my back, breaths shaky as I tried to calm my pounding heart. Quickly, I got to my knees and slid the cuffs away from the pipe. It felt like a new wave of fresh air as I stood to my feet.

Freedom.

I made my way for the door, but a sound was quick to cease my exit. The locks were clicking away. UKnow was back.

I ducked back behind the corner of the kitchen, brain going on autopilot. The chair beside the table was grabbed and I held it up, trying to breathe calmly as adrenaline coursed. My whole body trembled. Too close to stop now.

The door opened and the locks were placed back in their sheaths. Footsteps of his approach and the chair was raised. UKnow rounded the corner, seeing me only in a moment to raise an arm as I crashed the chair over his head. He grunted and fell as I dashed for the door. My handcuffed hands hurried to undo the locks, clumsy. I growled in frustration as they fumbled. Finally, the last one undone and I threw open the door. The hallway was sweltering as I tried my best to run, legs uncoordinated from lack of use.

Then, I heard it. The loud growl from behind me and the hurried footsteps. “Kim!” His voice echoed menacingly and I tried to hurry faster, stumbling along. I didn't dare look behind me when his footsteps drew closer. The end of the hall, a stairwell in view.

Suddenly, my legs were knocked out from under me by a heavy body and we both went crashing to the ground. I scrambled forward, but he was fast to blanket my body with his. A series of screams tore from my throat as I kicked to get out from under him, struggling with what energy I had as I got on my side. His breathing was hallow in my ear as his hand wrapped around my throat. The hold was tight and unyielding and my lungs were quick to wheeze for air.

“I ought to kill you for that,” he growled and through my blurred vision, I saw the blood trailing down his temple. A small flicker of satisfaction even as he choked the life out of me.

My mind was clouding even as I meekly struggled. Unable to focus on my movement. His hand removed from my throat just before I dropped off. His arms wrapping around my body and drug me back to the apartment. I made myself take deep breaths through my bruised trachea, replenishing my lungs. My brain began to work again and I tried to elbow him in the ribs. It only got a grunt from him, but his strength was unyielding.

UKnow drug me into the apartment, slamming the door with his foot and careening me into the wall. Air left my lungs again and I tried to drop away, but he held me, slamming my back against the surface again. His body flush against mine as he glared down at me. His eyes were burning with such voracity, more than I had ever seen. I began to tremble underneath him.

Was he was going to kill me?

His lips crashed down on mine and I shrieked, trying to push him away, punching his arm, aiming for his head. His hands were quick to pin mine to the wall, using his chest as an anchor to hold me against the surface. Lips bruised mine as I began to stutter in my struggle. My mind was running far too fast for me to get a clear thought through. My escape failed and there was nothing left to do, but be at his mercy. Before I knew it, I found myself returning the gesture of brash lips. By his hesitation, he was surprised.

Quickly, he regained the upper-hand. His mouth was harsher, tongue forcing its way between my lips. I struggled, uselessly. One hand stayed latched to to my arm while the other began to slip past barriers. He gripped at my shirt, tearing it apart at the buttons. Layers were quickly discarded of.

One hand pressed against my back to keep hips anchored to his. We moved from the wall and across the empty floor, fell to the mattress. His weight was heavy, but he hardly hindered. Lips traveled to my neck, teeth latching onto sensitive skin. Biting at my lip, I kept silent as his lips continued their assault and his hands removed what was left of my clothes.

I should have fought back.

But I didn't.

His fingers bruised, pressing hard, before tracing over my body as his mouth traveled along more skin. Collarbones were tormented. Teeth bit without remorse. I writhed beneath him, struggling with a turmoil that made me grip onto him in frustration.

“Yunho...” The voice that racked from my throat was dry and course. Needy.

His eyes met mine, breathe hot against my lips. He seemed torn, at least from what I could tell between flickers of lust. His own eyes were darkened with such an emotion. Nothing had to be said. He adjusted and his lips attached to mine again. An inaudible sound left my occupied mouth as he began a pace that made my teeth dig into his lower lip. I vaguely tasted the iron as we swallowed each others hate. My nails dug into the skin of his shoulders, his back. His hot breathe on my neck and his heavy pants ringing in my ear as I clung to him. Too caught in the euphoric web to care about the shameful noises that were produced from our open lips.

My judgment was wrong. I was far from the right mind, but I had no excuses for such repulsive and doubting actions. I was lost and this man—my only savior in that moment.