Chapter Forty-Four
Onyx
With the sound of a ferocious explosion in the background – strong enough to shake the foundation under my feet – I realise that no one will hear the sound of Bastian shooting at me. Fuck. Help isn’t coming anytime soon.
I chase him, because he thinks he can get away with the vile words that he was spewing when I left the room to get air.
Kalen may have been taunting his grandfather, but I hated watching him expose Amelie like that.
The old me would have been dragging her over the table for everyone to see.
Now, the thought of anyone besides my brothers seeing her vulnerable like that makes me murderous.
I should have known better than to let him rile me up like that though.
Clearly, Bastian is pissed at me for setting his initiation task so hard.
But what did he expect after the way he treated Amelie because of his ego?
I just want to know how he knew it was me that set the task.
He clearly has friends in very high places within The Order, and I feel like I’m missing the final piece of the puzzle.
I should have brought a weapon; I never go to these things unarmed. Most the time it’s because I don’t fucking trust Branson.
I’ve been waiting for him to turn his back on The Order, which would give me a good excuse to take him down.
His relationship with Amelie pisses me off, and at first I figured that’s why he continued to keep up the act, but after the shit with Christos, I know he truly cares about her.
He’s not just trying to piss me off. I guess my rage is just the cherry on the top for him.
We’ve known the Branson family our entire lives and none of them do anything unless there is an agenda that suits them. Baxter is no different; he does nothing for free. Yet time after time, he helps her without expecting anything in return. I only know of the one favour she owes him.
I’ll give Bastian one thing: the fuck is fast on his feet for a big guy. If I cared enough, I would wonder what he has been running from his whole life to acquire this speed.
Though his large frame hinders him somewhat, because I can hear the crunch of the leaves under his feet as they hit the ground.
He must be low on bullets because he hasn’t shot at me in a while.
When his footfalls stop, so do I. With no sight of him, I need to be careful he doesn’t loop around to get behind me.
“On.”
Dread fills my body when I hear her sweet voice. What the hell is she doing out here?!
“Baby, turn around and run. I need you to run.” I hope she listens, she was supposed to be with my brothers.
“Can’t do that,” her voice is so close. Maybe I can loop back around and drag her to safety before Bastian gets to her.
I curse under my breath at the thought.
I walk towards where her voice came from, darkness has closed in on us, something I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Lookie what I found...I’m going to have fun with this hot piece of ass while you observe, and then I am going to let you watch me kill her. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Bastian taunts, coming into view.
He wants me to lose it.
“Let her go,” I plead. She’s my weakness. Her and my twin. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.
What else can I do?
I remember our father telling us to try and diffuse situations, but that has never been my style. I never had something I wasn’t willing to lose before. I knew I cared for her before now, but seeing the gun pressed to her temple...I’m not even angry. I’m petrified.
“Do you really think that is going to happen? Get on the ground and put your hands on your head.”
When I don’t move fast enough he screams “NOW!!!” at me and I drop like I’m made of lead.
Amelie's eyes are locked on mine. Visibility isn’t great, but our eyes stay locked like the strongest magnets. I don’t know how I didn’t see her before, her image is burned in my vision now.
I need her to fight.
I have taught her how to get out of holds like this, maybe not with a gun to her head, but we have no other options. He’ll kill her before he kills me.
He starts to walk backwards, which throws me, after his threats for me to watch. For him not to kill her here, it means he’s working with someone.
She winks at me and I know she has understood my intent for her to fight. Or maybe she just plans to fight him anyway. She’s like that. I couldn’t be prouder.
It all happens in slow motion.
I watch as she gets out of his hold, easily. He expects her to run so he probably loosens his hold, knowing that he can easily catch her.
From the ground, I scramble on all fours towards them, just as he manages to grab the back of her hair and pull her down. But she locks her own legs around his and her weight is enough to make him fall.
The gun goes off, to the ground. Or maybe the gun dropped and then went off? All I know is that I need to help her.
I push myself up, racing towards them. A boot to his ribs has him letting go of Amelie.
“Go get help!”
She turns to leave. Bastian gets up, his gun missing, but a knife taking its place.
Now this is a fight I can get on board with. They say never bring a knife to a gunfight, but always bring a knife to a fist fight. Or maybe that’s just something I say?
He thinks he’s walking out of this alive, but he has no idea who he is messing with.