☯This Red Collar☯ || zιαℓℓ

Chapter 26

"Oh, he didn't..." she stepped a little closer to Niall, and he backed away, letting a hiss erupt from his dried lips. The woman backed away, and kept eye contact with the hybrid. She felt pity for the small boy, seeing as he was hurt and had a broken arm. That's when Vincent barged in, his eyes going wide. He told his mother to stay in bed.

"Mum! Go back to bed, he's just a friend." He said quickly, steering her back into the small, warm room she slept in.

"That explains why he was trying to leave," She stopped walking to stare up at her tall son, "Just don't hurt him. He's so small and scared."

"I won't. I'll be taking him away. We can finally get the money to make you better."

"I don't want to be better. You can't just take people for other people's uses." her voice seemed strained.

"Mum, go to bed, please," She just shook her head in disappointment and entered her room, shutting the door gently behind herself. While the man talked to his mother, Niall managed to grab what looked like a sharp kitchen tool and hid it in his jacket pocket. He remembers he tried to stab his old owner, but just got a horrible beating, resulting in him not walking for days.

"Do you have a name?" Vincent asked Niall, but the blonde just backed away, trying to figure out the perfect time to attack his kidnapper.

"Alright, well are you hungry?" He tried, getting Niall's ears to perk up. For a horrible person he actually didn't seem so bad. But of course Niall didn't trust anyone except for Zayn. Niall stepped further back, until he bumped into the kitchen sink. The man put his hands on Niall's hips, and the blonde squirmed. He knew what was coming next, and he could stop it this time. Niall was quick to take his weapon out and lurch it forward. But, the man didn't show pain, he showed anger.

That's when Niall realized the man grabbed it before he could plunge it into his skin. He grabbed Niall's shirt and easily lifted him off the ground and spun around, throwing the small boy across the room. Niall yelped as he slid along the floor and then bumped into the kitchen table.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. I won't hurt you as long as you don't hurt me." Niall whimpered and held his head as he maneuvered himself under the table. Vincent got a little closer, and that's when Niall glided out on the other side of the table and made a dash for the front door.

The man wasn't very fast due to an accident a few years ago to his kneecap. Niall ripped open the door, and jumped off the porch, the ground breaking his fall. But as soon as he got up, the man's arms grabbed Niall by the waist.

"Help!" Niall screamed at the top of his lungs. He wasn't sure if anyone was going to hear him, because they were in the middle of the forest and it was beginning to thunder. Niall remembered he had watched a horror movie with Zayn about kids trying to escape a cabin in the woods because of a murderer, and no one could hear their screams. It was just like this. But in the end of the movie, no one made it out.

Zayn's brain was clouded with too many thoughts, leaving him frozen where he was. The truck honked wildly, and Zayn closed his eyes tightly. When he didn't feel any impact, he opened them to notice the truck didn't hit him yet. It all happened in just a few seconds. The tires squealed, and it managed to stop, but it still knocked Zayn off his feet. He lay on the ground, trying to regain his breath and let his heart rate go back to normal. The truck driver still had his foot on the break, with wide eyes.

He quickly jumped out, praying he didn't hurt the poor boy.

"Kid are you alright?" He kneeled down next to Zayn, seeing the boys eyes buldged out of his head.

"I'm...fine." Zayn croaked, sitting up. The stranger kept a hand on the Bradford boy's shoulder. That's when Zayn let the tears leave his eyes. He had been holding them in for about an hour, not wanting to seem weak. But, with the stress of losing Niall and then being hit by a truck, he had to cry. It just seemed like the right time.