Chapter 21
(2 weeks later:: JC's party)
Ashley glanced around the crowed room. Her eyes searching for that familiar pair of blue crystal eyes. She spotted JC along with Justin across the room talking. She made her way over to them.
"Happy Birthday JC!" She said, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks Ash, so how are you?" He looked at her concerned. Justin had told the guys about the phone calls, but that was all. Ashley didn't want them knowing about her past, it would only make them worry more.
"I'm fine really. I mean, I've got J here watching me 24-7! I can't go anywhere without him knowing!" She smiled as Justin blushed a bit.
"I'm just worried about you." He said, grabbing her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. He kissed her neck gently.
"Hey, none of that now, I finally got rid of that hickey!" Ashley laughed and Justin burried his head into her hair.
"Sorry..." came his mumbled relpy. JC and Ashley laughed together. "Well guys, i'm thirsty, do you want a drink?" Justin asked to change the subject.
"Nah, not right now man, I'm gonna go find Mandy, and just talk to people, see you around." JC said with a wave as he walked off.
Justin grabbed Ashley's hand and they walked together to the table that held teh food and drinks. There were two cups with punch set out right in front and so Justin grabbed them. He handed one to Ashley and then pulled her to the floor to dance.
"I'm glad this worked. Now I know what to do for your birthday!" Ashley told Justin as they danced.
"Speaking of birthdays, when is yours?" He asked, placing a hand on her waist.
"It doesn't matter. Really...it's just a birthday." She saw he was about to protest so she placed a finger over his lips. "Don't say anything, just leave it alone ok?" She gave him a light kiss and then pulled away.
"That'll work for now, but i'll find out." He told her, looking into her eyes.
"I'm sure you will J, I'm sure you will." She smiled at him, and then leaned her head on his chest with a sigh of content.
~*~
About 4 hours later the party was over and it was just teh guys of *NSYNC and who ever they brought with them. Everyone else had left. Justin and Ashley sat in the back on a couch and Ashley yawned.
"I'm so tired all of a sudden...man!" Justin agreed by yawning himself.
"Hey! We're all leaving now, to go out to eat...do you wanna come?" Chris asked, running over to the couple on the couch. Justin looked at Ashley.
"Sure, we'll meet you there...Hard Rock right? In about 30 minutes ok?" Justin told Chris.
"OK, We wont wait though, so don't get mad, I'm starving!" Thay laughed as their ears were greeted with the rumble of Chris' stomach. "OK, We'll see you there...bye!" They watched as he ran towards the door to catch up with the rest of the group.
"Hey, were alone!" Justin said seductivily raising his eyes brows.
"Yes we are! but, I'm so tired, I couldn't care less!" She streched out on the couch and put her head in Justin's lap.
"Damn! No fun then I guess..." He said with another yawn. "Man, something's wrong, I don't just feel tired, I feel, I don't know...heavy!" He said with yet another yawn. Ashley just mumbled a reply and soon the two fell into a deep, druged sleep.
As soon as he saw that they had passed out, he motioned to his friends. "Get them tied up and in the car...take them to the wear house." He instructed as he pulled out some rope and a roll of duct tape.
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Justin woke up with a sharp pain running through his legs. He tried to stretch them out but noticed that he couldn't move. He opened his eyes and saw ropes binding his hands and feet together and a piece of duct tape over his mouth. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Ashley in a chair in the middle of the room, also bound by rope and tape. He tired to speak but it only came out as a muffled cry.
"She's still out of it, lover boy. She wont hear you." A deep voice sounded behing him, and he turned to see who it was, only causing more pain in his extremeties. The man walked over and ripped off the tape, leaving Justin's lips chapped and sore.
"What the hell? What are you doing?" He asked, confused, frightened, but most of all angry.
"Don't get your undies in a knot, superstar. I warned her...and now she'll pay. The best part is, you'll have to watch as she dies...slowly, and they'll be nothing you can do about it!" The man let out a cold eeri laugh as he walked to Ashley and patter her head. "So sweet...it'll be so much fun to watch her squirm!" He laughed again and Justin felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked.
"Why? WHY! You ask why? I thought she'd tell you....Justin, do you know who I am?" Justin shook his head at the question.
"Steve Macentyre." He stated, still looking confused.
"That's right...did you know my son? Of course not, he killed himself. Well, his name was Rick....my poor Rick." The man walked over to Justin and shoved a picture in his face. Justin looked at it. The boy in the picture was young with blond hair and blue eyes.
"So?" He still didn't understand.
"Ashley killed him. She drove him to kill himself! She made him love her, and then she was going to send him to jail! But he didn't want to, so he killed himself! He was only a child!!" Steve was getting angrier and his face was turning red. Justin tried to think of something to calm him down, but nothing came to mind. He closed his eyes and paryed to God that help would come.
There came a soft moan from across the room, both men turned to see Ashley's starting to wake up.
"What...where am I?" She questioned, still in a daze.
"well well...Ashley, long time. Hasn't it?" Steve walked towards her and Ashley flinched back in her chair.
"What do you want with me?" She said looking around the room. She spotted Justin. "Justin...Oh My God!" She tried to get up but was restraied by the ropes.
"Oh don't worry...He's fine. It's you you should be worried about Ash...." Steve whispered firecly into her ear. She turned to him.
"Let him go! He has nothing to do with this, you can keep me, but let him go!" She yelled, her eyes filling with anger and hatred.
"Never! You think I'm going to give him a chance to go running to the police and save your pathetic little ass! Hah! Think again...he's going to watch this little show....front and center." Steve walked to Justin and ruffly picked him up and threw him infront of Ashley, about 10 feet away.
"Ashley..." He said, his eyes filled with longing, if ever he wanted to hold her, now was the time.
"I'm sorry Justin..." She hung her head down and held back the tears that threatened to come.
"Aww, isn't that sweet! Stop it!" Steve slapped Ashley across the face and then turned to Justin. "If you say anything, it will be worse for her...so I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He snickered as Justin lowered his own head.
Justin worked his hands, the ropes ripping at the tender skin at his wrist. He didn't care about the pain, he just wanted to save Ashley. As he was trying to losen the ropes, his hand brushed the cell phone on his belt. He scooted back away from Steve and tried harder to remove the ties that kept him from his goal.
Ashley maoned in pain as Steve hit her again. Blood rolled down her face from her nose. Steve got down on looked into her eyes. "Rick died by shooting himself in the head. You wont have the privilige of going so slowly." He chuckled evily again and spit in her face.
"You asshole! I didn't do anything! Get over yourself! Killing me wont bring him back!" She screamed into his face, and he faltered backwards.
"Don't even try it you bitch! Your not the one to be telling me what to do. Remember, I can alway decided to kill lover boy first." Ashley looked at Justin who had his eyes closed, a pained look on his face. He opened his eyes and looked at Ashley. He gave her a weak smile that Steve couldn't see.
He struggled some more with the ropes, feeling them start to losen. Just as he started to pull on hand away, a cell phone rang through out the silence of the warehouse....
Chapter 21
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