First, I want to apologize for not updating in forever. I've become busy with other things and my stories are sort of suffering for that. So, anyone who has stuck with this story, thank you very much. It really means the world to me. Secondly, my inspiration for this story is slowly dying so, sadly, I don't know if it will continue after this. I really want it to, trust me. I had it all planned out, but... I don't know. The words just aren't flowing as well as they should be. That being said, I apologize if this chapter doesn't measure up to past chapters. Once again though, thank you for all of your support. You guys are awesome. Samtastic, Dash wasn't wiling to take any risks, which is why he did as he was told. With Kyler's life on the line, he didn't want to do anything drastic that might end up hurting her. Andy Nonomous, Love your name, first of all... x3 And, if this story goes any further, I have plans for the rest of the Paar family, so they aren't going to show up just yet... But thank you for your suggestion and for reading!

Eighteen

It had been far from easy to convince the nurses to release Buddy from the hospital and turn him over to Dash and Kyler. Dash and the woman working the front desk fought for a little over an hour over whether or not they had the authorization to decide when Buddy was allowed to leave. For the most part, Kyler had stayed quiet. She only spoke when it was necessary to fill in and look up her personal information. When they were able to confirm that she was, in fact, Buddy's daughter, they turned to Dash to ask him if she was fit to be made responsible of the man. Buddy vouched for Kyler and presented his credentials, proving that he was on business under the command of Rick Dicker. In the end, the woman hadn't been pleased, but she released Buddy to them and allowed them to leave.

During the taxi ride back to the hotel, no one spoke. The air was thick with tension and apprehension. Buddy sat between Kyler and Dash, a satisfied smirk painted on his face. Dash and Kyler both looked out the window, unable to meet each other's eyes. Dash's chest was tight and he was angrily chewing on the inside of his left cheek. He was racked with guilt and his head was pounding. He had screwed up big time and he knew it. All he had wanted to do was give Kyler closure with her parents and he ended up making her a player in another one of Buddy's cruel games. He was infuriated with himself and with Buddy.

Kyler's hands were still shaking, but she couldn't tell if it was from fear, anger, or both. She couldn't believe that Dash had gone through with this plan. She would have willingly sacrificed herself to save a bunch of innocent people from whatever plan Buddy was thinking up. She wanted to make herself believe that the man beside her didn't have any sinister plans running through his mind and he was just simply desperate to return to the world outside of the hospital. However, she knew that was just wishful thinking. She felt tears sting at her eyes and she clenched her teeth to prevent a sob from escaping.

When they arrived at the hotel, Dash paid for a second room. It wasn't as lavish and comfortable as the first one, but he didn't mind. Dash told Kyler that she could stay in the first room and he would stay in the second with Buddy. They would leave on the plane in the morning to return back home. Kyler didn't protest. She was too shattered to fight any more. She retreated to her room without as much as a "Good night," and left Dash and Buddy alone.

"It's not necessarily fair for Kyler to get her own room, is it?" Buddy asked, sounding much like a child. "And doesn't it make you feel uncomfortable to share a room with another man? I don't see why I can't have my own room as well."

"I don't trust you to have your own room," Dash snapped, refusing to meet Buddy's eyes. "You're staying in a room with me so that I can keep an eye on you. Besides, I can't afford a third room. Just be happy you're not sleeping on a plane tonight." His voice was a low, angry growl, daring Buddy to keep complaining.

Buddy let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn't say anything else. He quietly followed Dash to the room that they would share. It was a lot smaller than the first room and contained only a twin sized bed, a small set of drawers, a loveseat, a T.V., and a small bathroom area. Buddy commented on how compact it was before flopping onto the bed and an exhausted groan. Dash just rolled his eyes and sat down on the loveseat, trying to ignore the other man as much as possible. Neither of them said anything, and soon, snores could be heard from Buddy.

Dash glanced over at him before slipping his cellphone out of his pocket. He quickly began composing an email to Rick Dicker, explaining the situation they were in. However, just before he could press send, a sharp pain hit his shoulder and he dropped his phone on the floor. He let out a hiss of pain and looked over to see what had caused the sudden agony. He let out a small gasp at the sight of a knife sticking out of his shoulder and Buddy sitting up in bed, smirking.

"Did you really think it would be that easy to send me back there?" Buddy asked, amusement apparent in his tone. "You thought that you would just wait until I was asleep and then you would call one of your government pals for help? Oh no… I don't think so." He slid off the bed and starting walking towards Dash, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not stupid, Dashiell," he said, his voice a low, threatening growl. "And you'll do best not to underestimate me. Otherwise, you're going to get someone killed." With the last word, Buddy yanked the knife out of Dash's shoulder, wiping it off on the younger man's shirt and then slipping it back into the pouch on his arm. "Come on… I know you're smarter than this. Impress me…" He turned around and went back to the bed, lying down with his back facing Dash.

Dash was speechless, one hand covering the wound on his shoulder. He knew that he needed to treat it, but he couldn't leave Buddy alone, so he simply took off his shirt and pressed it against the injury to stop the blood. He would worry about disinfecting and dressing it later. Right now, he needed to figure out what he was going to do with his unwelcome guest…

Once again, thank you for everything. Hopefully, I can get my creative juices flowing again and work on this story some more. I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!

Mew Painappuru