I was just plain confused, I was trying to wrap my head around all that had happened in my living room. Brian holding a gun at Dave? Then Dave turning the gun on Howie. Then there was that little part about Kevin having a stake in this. I clenched my fists feeling my fingernails pierce my flash as I did so. I was suddenly terrified of what would come next. I really didn't want to see Trish anymore. In fact I was beginning to not want to see Dave anymore either.

He had been so forceful with me, almost shoving me into his van, then telling me to shut up so he could think when I asked him what he meant by telling Kevin he wasn't the only one that had a stake in this.

I bit my bottom lip and moved my almost bloody palm up to the handle by the window to hold on for dear life as Dave picked up speed and nearly crashed into two cars waiting at a traffic light.

"Dave slow down"

"Can't"

"Why not? What is going on?" He ignored me and continued to make his way down the winding streets leading to the highway. Once on the highway, he finally spoke, the words causing chills to go down my spine.

"Nick, how long have I worked for you guys?"

"Wow for a while. Why?"

"Yes, for a while. In fact I remember when you turned 16. The huge surprise party the guys had for you" I nodded still a little confused.

"We have been through a lot together haven't we?" I nodded again, still not entirely sure where this conversation was going. I wasn't sure I wanted to know anymore, suddenly I wasn't trusting Dave with my life as I so readily used to.

My attention turned to a car that passed us by. It was a red convertible loaded with teenagers. How in the heck could they afford a car like that? One of the girls, a little blonde looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, then they picked up speed and left us behind.

"Dave, what is going on?" I turned to him in wonder as he continued to drive, both hands on the steering wheel at two and ten. Firmly going over the speed limit.

"Remember my son Nick?"

"Yeah...cute little kid, how is he?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen him in a while"

"Dave, if you want a vacation, just say the word, you can take off as much time as you nee.."

"No it's not that easy"

I bit my bottom lip, "Are you having problems with your wife?"

He laughed. I wasn't sure if I should laugh a long or not. Did I say something funny? Or stupid? Not that I would think there was anything funny about having marital problems, so it was probably the latter.

"We can't have problems anymore, she's dead" I felt my jaw drop in surprise. How in the hell did I not know about that.

"God, Dave I'm so sorry"

"Sure you are" His mean words sounded hate filled.

"No, I really am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because it's all your fault" He took his gaze away from the road and stared at me. All I saw was pure hatred shining in the reflection of his eyes. Hatred for me.

"What? How?"

He remained quiet, refusing to answer my question. How could he possibly leave me hanging with words as accusatory as those? But then I saw why, we had arrived at our destination.

"Don't say a word, let me do the talking" He said as we approached the barb wire gate leading into the prison's parking lot. Visiting hours were long over and now the guards by the gate held their hands on their guns as our van approached.

Dave rolled down his window and smiled at the guards, "Yes, how may I help you?" The one closest to his window asked.

"I am here to pick up my sister, she works in the cafeteria"

"Name?"

"Caroline Craig" The man looked at the staff list and then motioned for the other guard to open up the gate. Once the gate was opened, he waved his hand at the one, while I smiled at the other. Still confused.

Once through we drove around where the workers would normally park and left the car to idle as we waited. "Dave, who the hell is Caroline?"

No answer

"And why aren't we going in to see Trish like you said, I mean you made it sound so important"

He looked at me with his hate filled eyes but again said nothing, only went back to fixing his gaze on the entrance.

"Dave? What the hell.."

"Shut up!" He raised his hand in the air as if to say, next word I'm going to punch you right in the face. I automatically recoiled. My eyes shifted to the front door. I could probably open it and make a run for the inside before he was even out the door. He was bigger but I was faster. I slowly put my hand on the handle, ready to open and run when I heard the locks click. I turned to him and was met with his smile, "Sit tight, you aren't going anywhere"

I nervously wiped away the beads of sweat that were trickling their way down the back of my neck. "You want to know why this is all your fault?"

No, I really didn't.

"Because I didn't do what I should have done over six months ago"

"And what was that?" My voice cracked, edged with fear.

"I should have killed you kiddo" My body started to tremble, I heard my knees knock.

"But NO, I refused so he had my wife killed, actually he may have done it himself. Who the hell knows"

"I don't understand.."

He laughed again but there was a sadness to it, "You are dumb aren't you?"

"Joe?" I asked, like I didn't already know the answer. Like calling a pizza delivery place and asking if they deliver.

He nodded, "But I'm not going to make the same mistake twice" I looked down at the floor, suddenly realizing that this was probably the last time I would be seen alive. In this car, with someone I had thought was a friend, picking up his sister from work. Was he going to kill me here? Or after she got in the car?

"Here she comes" He sat upright. I licked my tears from my cheeks and looked past him to his window, and saw a woman making her way towards our car. "No backing out now" I heard him say under his breath.

Once she was standing right by the sliding van door, he got out and unlocked it for her, this was my only chance to run away. The door was unlocked and I could have gotten out of there, I would have but three words froze me long enough for Dave to get back into the car and lock the doors again.

"Hi sweat pea"

Joe watched the scene before him as he sat comfortably, one leg dangling off the side of one of Nicks' big plush chairs. He held the gun down, not aimed at anyone but right at his side, ready to use in a second if need be. He really had no reason to worry since he had tied both Howie and AJ to kitchen chairs that he first had them drag into the living room. Kevin was still lose but very busy trying to console his extremely bereft cousin. Brian was slunk down on the floor holding both hands up to his face and rocking back and forth. Still sobbing uncontrollably. It took all of Joe's strength to not just do everyone a favor and blow his whiny head off right there, but that would have ruined all the fun.

He had sat in silence since telling Brian the news and letting them know the best was yet to come. He couldn't wait to see his sister, but even more so, he was finally going to be reunited with his lamb. Everything always worked out in the end. Just like it was meant to be.

After enough time went by, he decided to start plan B. He moved his dangling leg back to the front of the chair and leaned his elbows on his knees, bending closer to Brian and his cousin.

"How are you doing buddy?" He whispered. He could sound so sincere when he wanted to. So caring.

Kevin gazed up at Joe, "Don't you dare to talk to him you son of a bitch!"

"Kevin, you are very correct. I was indeed the son of quite a nasty bitch! Boy if you hated me you would have hated the hell out of her" He laughed at his own joke, but no one seemed much in the mood for laughter.

"You guys never really did have much of a sense of humor" He stood up and started to walk around the living room, stopping at Nick's fireplace. There so proudly displayed on the mantle piece were pictures of him and his family. "I remember when he had pictures of all of you up here. I guess things change huh?" He moved from the fireplace and grabbed Kevin before he knew what to expect. Kevin struggled in the bigger man's hold but Joe had him in such a strong headlock he was helpless to do much more then follow him.

"Let him go!" Howie said struggling with the ropes binding his wrists in place. Joe glanced Howie's way and smiled, he then brought Kevin into the kitchen and tied him to one of the chairs. Once tied he picked up Kevin in the chair and brought him in, placing him right next to Howie.

"Happy now?" He asked the Latino, who looked ready to puke up everything he had ever eaten because of his nerves.

Happy with how things have turned out thus far, he once again turned his attention on Brian, who in his grief didn't even try to help his cousin break free from Joe when he had the chance.

"You know kid, none of this would have ever happened if you had just left Nick in that cabin with me"

"Shut up! Don't listen to him Brian" Kevin yelled glancing at his cousin's vacant stare.

"Leighanne would be sitting with you in your living room in Georgia laughing and smiling. Didn't she have a beautiful smile?"

"I said shut up!" Joe ignored Kevin and continued, "You know, if you weren't here because of Nick constantly needing your attention, you would have been there with her right now. Not here mourning" As Joe moved closer to him, Brian pulled his head down, staring at the floor.

"You know if I were you. I would hate Nick right now. If he had only listened to you.."

"Damn it!! Brian don't listen to this screw ball he is insane" Joe snapped his head over to AJ and moved at him with such ferocity that AJ actually let out a scream. "Don't you ever call me INSANE!! Do you understand?" He said clasping AJ by the neck and spitting the words into his face. AJ trembling in fear just nodded. Once Joe saw that, he let go, "Okay...good then" He walked back over to Brian and knelt by his side.

Brian still refused to make eye contact with this man. He didn't think he would ever be able to make eye contact with anyone ever again. "So like I was saying, all he had to do was listen to you and Leighanne, bless her heart, would still be alive"

"You still would have killed her" He said in such a low sad voice Joe had to move in to hear him.

"NO I wouldn't have. This is all Nick's fault. Aren't you mad at him?"

"No"

"Well, you should be. Think about it Brian, how many times did you have to leave her side because of him?" Brian began to ignore Joe again, it was making him mad, he thought it was going to be easier to infuriate Brian.

"All the late night phone calls, all the time you had to come here because he was too scared to be alone"

"He was scared of you" Kevin yelled from across the room.

"I know, but even still. Did you know that once Leigh called here and he didn't give you the message?" That made Brian look up, once he saw Brian's tear stained face he continued, "That's right. I was watching" Joe pointed to the monitors, "He took the call, rolled his eyes and then deleted the message"

"I'm not listening to you anymore"

"Do you think if the tables were turned, he would just be sitting here listening to me like you are, being as wussy as you are?"

Brian didn't respond.

"No! He would have came at you with his bare hands, probably strangled you to death"

Brian sighed and wiped at a few stray tears. "But then again, he REALLY loves HIS family"

"I love my family"

"Oh yes I see that" Joe rolled his eyes.

"What do you know?" Now the anger Joe was hoping for made it's way across Brian's face.

"I know that if you really loved Leighanne, when Nick walked through that door you would kill him yourself"

"I would never hurt Nick"

"Yes, you would. In fact you were ready to give him right to me, tell me how that is so different. Seems like you and me are a lot alike aren't we?"

"Shut up" Brian held his hands to his ears. "Brian if you don't do this. No one in your family will ever be safe. Think I'll just finish with Leigh? No, she was just the beginning. Think about your Mom and Dad Brian, think about your brother"

"No!" He started to cry once again. Joe walked over and handed him the gun, "You just aim at the door, and pull the trigger. Simple as that"

Brian looked at his bandmates who were all terrified and crying. Their lives would never be the same after tonight. No matter what happened.

"So, what do you say? Do you want it to end tonight?" Brian nodded, he took the gun from Joe.

"I do" Brian said quietly as he stood up and turned the gun around in his hands.

"So all it comes down to is who you love. Who do you love Brian?" Joe backed away looking at his handy work.

"Leighanne" he said as he closed his eyes, aimed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger...