Vengeance

Chapter 20

WENDY

Never in Wendy's life did she ever think things would come to this, cramped up in the women's bathroom as she waited in almost dizzying panic for whoever was outside the door to burst in, but here she was pressed tight against Mark with everything that's keeping her sane in turmoil.

Outside was a mess, there were men who first held Jiho captive waiting to catch her, or Mark, which in her understanding didn't matter who they get hold of first. Inside she was with a killer, blood fresh in his hands and the bodies lay cold in the floors a few feet from her, whom didn't even hesitate to admit his crimes. And nothing in her could come up with something logical to react to that, the knowledge of him having a hand to those unreported deaths they found out was worse enough but this...

Had she been so blindly in love with him all those years ago? To have never known?

"Stay close to me, and keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them again," Mark whispered against her ear, she could hear the strained hitch in his voice, the one thing that told her there's a chance he didn't like this too. But is that enough to convince herself this could be okay? That another person's death is justifiable in the face of her own fight for survival?

As always, no answer came to her, even as bright light suddenly blared through her eyelids, the sound of the door being harshly thrown open followed by gunshots, and then bodies falling with a dull thud into the marble floors. Mark's arm remained snug over her shoulders, guiding her where to run and covering her, protective in every way possible.

Like this, Wendy could pretend everything isn't actually happening, that this was a dream she could wake up from and find out things had actually been peaceful all along, but the hammering of her own heart each time she heard the gunshots around her and smell the gun powder being released into the air told her this was as real as any of her nightmares could get.

At some point the noise receded to something more muted, she could feel herself being pushed against a wall as things quieted a little around her, hesitantly she allowed herself to peek.

Mark had his attention fixed somewhere to his left, muttering words she was sure was for whoever he was talking to in his earpiece as wild look shone in his eyes, and jaw clenched tight. He seemed angry too, fuming even that it triggered an instinct inside her, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Are you scared?" Mark asked, gingerly tilting her chin up so he could see her face. Whatever he saw there seemed to be terrible as his eyes softened into something so tender, knuckles wiping away the tears she didn't even notice cascading into her cheeks.

"Mhm,"

"I'm sorry, it's a little messy now but it should be over soon." Mark said, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, somewhere from the lobby she heard glass shattering, whether it was from the chandeliers or the windows there's no way to know. All she could hope was for whoever Mark was waiting for to arrive soonest.

"Once this is over, tell me everything. I'm tired of not knowing things," Wendy said firmly, demanding but from where she's pulling this energy from, she didn't know.

"As you wish," Mark said, attention once more focusing on his far left, as renewed sounds of gunshots being fired echoed to where they are, "Close your eyes now, princess."

And those were the last words she heard before the sound of gunshots once more filled the air.

***