"Aren't you mine?"
— Theodor Aldrich
★
I hope that bastard is dead. I shot it exactly where it was supposed to be. I guess there’s no time to save him. I hope he’s really dead.
After Delilah and I threw ourselves into the pool, all the guards started to surround us. I couldn't fight them because my weapon was submerged in water. So the only way is to escape. I kept pulling Delilah's hand, who seemed to be having difficulty with her dress. All our clothes were soaked. Then I took Delilah into my arms. She's cold.
"I can't fight them all," I whispered to Delilah by the pool.
"Where's your gun?"
"Sink in the water."
"Oh my god, what a fool! Then how do we get out of here?" Delilah panicked as all Roman's men stood around us. “They're all armed."
"We have to escape."
"If only it worked, the moment we move, they will definitely shoot us!" Delilah replied.
"Then we surrender? No. Their boss is dead."
"Theodor Aldrich."
I heard a familiar voice from behind some of the men. Then the person appeared with an annoyed look at me. And guess who else if not Griffin Maverick. He's Roman's accomplice. I should have killed him.
Griffin stood some distance in front of us. The focus never leaves me. I held Delilah's hand.
"So he's a traitor. Doesn't that hurt you?" Delilah whispered.
"I misjudged Griff, I shouldn't have let him live."
"Griff!" Delilah suddenly shouted his name. "I didn't expect this from you. You're so mean! Why did you do this to Theo? He's your friend."
Griffin pulled back a crooked smile. It was very annoying. "I'm his friend? That's just a lie."
"Then what are you waiting for? Just kill me!"
Delilah put up her body to protect me. I won't let that girl inflame herself. Especially just for me.
"You're crazy, aren't you? Why would you die just for me?" I prevented her from standing in front of me. "Don't do anything silly. Please!"
"Just keep quiet."
"No, Del! Get behind me!"
"I don't want to!" I forgot she was a stubborn girl. It's useless for me to force her.
"This is so funny. A couple protects each other, but you two are the ones who will die." Griffin chirped as his hand pointed a gun at us.
"Please, let her go, Griff! Isn't she involved in this matter?" I tried to persuade him.
Although it's kind of pointless because Griffin won't listen.
"Did you forget or fool? That girl has entered too far into your life. She already knows a lot about you. About my games and she can even hurt you," said Griffin. then his gun pointed at Delilah. "So, she is the one who has to die first."
"Please don't!"
"Do you think that if you kill Roman, all your problems will end? No, Roman said, if he dies, then I will be the one to kill you."
Roman and Griffin are truly a perfect match in their crimes. I should have killed both of them. Even though Griffin was once my friend who I really trusted, today he stands up as my revenge. I can no longer give him freedom or opportunities. Maybe it's time to end.
Griffin pointed his gun at me again. Delilah was still standing behind me praying as hard as she could for it all to end. When I was ready to close my eyes, suddenly the sound of gunshots rang out.
And thank God, I didn't feel anything. Delilah didn't feel it either.
I opened my eyes again, to my surprise, I saw that Griffin's body was covered in blood with two gunshot wounds in the back of his back. Then my eyes swung towards one person staring at Griffin's body. He is Daxon. It turns out he killed him.
"Who's he?" Delilah whispered with a trembling her hand on my arm. "He killed Griffin?"
"I think so."
"Before, I never saw who he was. Is he---"
"He's a friend of mine who was the same in prison. He's Daxon."
Daxon was still aiming his gun at several of Ramon's men who were trying to draw their weapons. But Daxon's threat was useful. He's good at doing this. Slowly, Daxon moved towards me. He made sure we didn't get hurt. Although only a little cold because of the pool water and night air.
"Are you guys okay?" Daxon asked.
I just nodded, followed by Delilah.
"Do you know how I can paralyze them?" Daxon suddenly asked. It seemed like he wanted to show off.
"How?"
"I pretended to be part of Roman's men, then they believed me and I followed all their duties since you met Roman. Until I heard gunshots, then I stole one of their guns and found you here."
"That's fucking great, Daxon!" I hugged him as a sign of thanks. He is indeed reliable. “Anyway, thank you for helping us so much.”
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"Yeah, by the way, let me introduce, she's Delilah."
Daxon is big with a shaved head like a street thug. He has lots of tattoos on his back, but that doesn't make Delilah feel scared. Now she immediately stretched out her hand to Daxon.
"Thank you for helping us."
"No problem. Now that you are safe and free, we better go now."
"Won't Roman's men stop us?" Delilah asked.
"I don't think so. They will obey me now that their bosses are dead."
"I hoped that Griffin could repent and apologize to me, but he still resisted and followed Roman's orders. I won't be sad for him."
Daxon patted my shoulder. "Theo, everything has happened. Now no one will chase you or hurt your girl." He glanced at Delilah.
"I'm his girl?" Delilah pointed at herself.
“Hmm, aren't you mine?" I replied.
Delilah didn't answer but she smiled shyly. I understand what her smile means. Then I immediately kissed her lips in front of Daxon and several of Roman's men. It's a bit embarrassing and rude, but that's what I do. Daxon pretended not to see us. Meanwhile Delilah was quite surprised because I kissed her.
★
As time passed, I no longer saw Daxon. I didn't know where he was since that day he dropped Delilah and I off at a motel.
Daxon only said "I'm glad to see you again, Theo! Everything will be fine now. I hope you're not in trouble anymore." He said all that as a sign that he was going away and wouldn't see me again.
It felt a little strange, didn't it? The person I considered the most trustworthy and helpful was now not far from a traitor like Griffin. And Daxon, my friend who helped me inside the prison, now came as my savior in my difficult time. He was tasked with chasing after Zach who had escaped. When he finds his trail at Roman's house, that's when his smart mind calls in a flock of cops to ambush Roman's house.
Sure enough, Zach returned after I injured him on top of a high cliff. He was shocked to see all the destruction. Griffin and Roman were dead, but strangely he wasn't upset or angry when he found out Daxon and I had killed him.
"So you killed Ramon?" Zach asked me. I nodded slightly at that. Then he looked at Daxon's face who he had not seen for a long time. "And you killed Griffin?" Daxon also nodded his head. A sign that he did. "Thank you."
At that moment, I was really confused. Why was Zach thanking us? Wasn't he part of Roman's plan? And also his sister, Vanessa.
"Why are you thanking us? You also committed Roman's crime. Weren't you the one assigned to kill me?" I replied.
Zach was downcast. He was completely helpless.
"And I really don't know you anymore, Zach!" interrupted Daxon. "Theo was your friend and mine too! Why would you want him gone? How much is Roman paying you to keep you out of prison?"
"That's not true!" Vanessa replied. The girl who had been quietly listening to us interrupted. "My brother never broke out of prison! Roman set him free!"
"Oh, come on, Vanessa! You're a big girl, there's no other way to pretend to protect Zach! He did escape from prison and now the police are looking for him as a fugitive!" Daxon finally explained. "Zach? Didn't you tell your sister about this?"
"Is she right? You weren't released from prison by Ramon but you ran away?" Vanessa now asked.
"I... it was me that Roman helped, but he didn't release me unconditionally, he just helped me to escape."
"Damn it! Why did you have to accept it?"
"Because he would threaten me! He threatened to kill you! I can't refuse or fight him, other than I have to follow his orders and wishes."
"So you're just his puppet." I sneered.
"Theo, I'm sorry, I was really helpless when I did it to hurt you. But I need to be able to kill you so Vanessa can get out of this place."
Zach admitted his mistake. He was wrong and had let me down, but I wasn't as evil as Roman would threaten him to be. I came over to him, then hugged his body and said, "I'll forgive you, but I have to do this to you." I released his body from my embrace and Zach was shocked to see that some police officers had found him.
"You need to go back to prison. Finish your sentence there!"
"Theo's right, if you want to make up for everything you've ever done to her, you need to turn yourself in." Daxon added.
Zach looked at Vanessa's gaze who seemed to agree with us. And that's when Zach accepted to turn himself in. He would serve his time and follow the legal process there.
★