Elsa
“And where do you think you’re going?” My jaw clenched at the voice.
“Matthew ” I sneered.
“Going so soon, sister?” He laughed and pulled the trigger.
I landed on the ground and cried out when I landed painfully on my shoulder. It felt like I got shot. But the sounds of groans quickly caught my attention and I whipped my head in that direction.
“Oh, God, Asherl!” He was bleeding from his leg and I quickly crawled over to him, ignoring my own pain.
“Why did you do that, you idiot?” Tessa sat up and looked at him. He had pushed away and he let himself take the bullet.
“Are you guys okay?” Asher panted out and tried to get up, but immediately held around his ribs and slumped down again.
“We’re okay. I can’t believe you did that!” I looked around, seeing we were behind a machine and out of Matthew ‘ view. I pressed down on the wound while I tried to figure out what I could use to stop the bleeding.
“Isn’t it cute? A traitor is helping the enemies.” Matthew ‘ voice rang out along with another gunshot firing. I threw myself down to cover, avoiding the bullet by a hair.
“Stay down.” Asher put a hand on my back to keep me down as he aimed after Matthew who was coming back. Asher fired after him, forcing him to cover away from us.
“Fuck!” Asher groaned and slumped to the ground in pain.
“Don’t make it worse for yourself! Are you hurt anywhere else?” I scanned his body for other injuries but it was difficult to make out since he was also wearing a bulletproof vest underneath.
“Just a few cracked ribs. The drugs have worn off.” He panted out with a strained voice before more shots were fired.
“You’re not getting out of here! You’re all dead!” Matthew laughed, having me grit my teeth.
“Help Asher while I distract that little bitch.” Tessa said and got ready to move.
“Wait, take my gun with you.” I patted myself, realizing I didn’t have it on me.
“Shit!” My eyes widened in a panic. I searched around for it on the floor and I found it. The only problem was, it had slipped to the other side after being pushed to the ground. I reached up to my earpiece to call for any backup.
But it was gone.
“It’s okay, I got it.” Tessa showed she had a gun
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked worriedly. I didn’t want anything to happen to her but with Asher unable to move and no one to call for help, we had to try.
“No! You’re not doing it.” Asher growled out in pain. We ignored him as we continued to look at each other. She gave me a firm look, convincing me she could do this.
“I’ve hated that ugly bitch from day one. I want to shoot those two hairs on his head.” Tessa looked over in the direction of Matthew with disgust on her face.
“Okay. Try and keep him away from here while I help Asher.”
“Tessa, no!” Asher growled out and even tried to get up to stop but it was already too late as she got going.
“Shut up, you’re not in charge anymore.” I told him and had him lay still so I could figure out what I was dealing with while I went back to put pressure on his leg.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“It doesn’t matter. Just leave me and save yourself. I’m a dead man either way.”
“I’m not leaving you here.” I glared at him. I knew it was the pain that was talking for him.
“There is not much time… You and Tessa have to get out of here before it’s too late. This place is about to blow up.” I thought my heart couldn’t beat any faster, but it did at the information. I took a quick, deep breath and focused.
“Then I better get you out of here.” I grabbed the hem of his shirt and tried to tear it apart to use as a bandage. I could hear Tessa in the background, agitating Matthew by keep calling him an ugly bitch.
“Please, Elsa … I don’t deserve it. Everything I have done, and your mom… I deserve to rot. But, first… I need to tell you how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you and when I said those things to you… Fuck, I was a piece of shit.”
"Asher.."
“No, let me say this first.” He looked at me with pleading eyes.
“I’m not asking for forgiveness because I don’t deserve it. I was jealous when I saw you with him. I believed you were making a mistake and I thought you were better off with someone like… me. I know you got married and I’m happy for you. And unlike me, I know he will never hurt you and he will do anything for you. I love you, Elisabeth I I do. But I love you more as my family. You and Tessa are the only ones I have left. | –”
“Stop.” I felt the lump in my throat grow the more he talked. The way he was looking at me with eyes that held so much regret and sadness.
“Stop talking as if you’re about to die. We’re getting out of here and we’ll be fine. I am done losing people I care about. Your words hurt me, yes. Even more, because I was such a mess at the time. You can’t control who you love, and I know that very well because look who I’m with.” I chuckled lightly, and he even let out a small smile through his pain.
“I also know how miserable life can be when you think you have no one. But you still have me. Us. We’re still your family. What happened in the past is forgotten and forgiven.” I said and continued to tear off a piece of his shirt to bandage his leg. Asher put a hand on top my mine to stop me.
“If only I knew what was going on, I would have done everything I could to stop it.”
“I know.” I believed him. Geotano was the piece of shit who deserved to rot. Not Asher.
“I don’t deserve it. Go and save yourselves.” He was panting more and his voice was strained.
“Yeah, no.” I smacked away his hand and bandaged his leg. He clenched his jaw when I tied it tightly around his leg, making sure there was enough pressure.
“I kind of have a reputation of caring more about others than myself.” I smiled and gave his hand a small squeeze.
“Can you help me loosen up the vest? I can hardly breathe and it’s pressing against my ribs.” I quickly fixed it and he let out a small breath of relief.
I stilled, frozen in place and Asher mirrored my expression. Everything was quiet. The shouting and gunshots that had been in the background, ceased. Asher tried to get up but I stopped him and put a finger to my lips to tell him to stay silent. As quietly as I could, I crawled to see what was going on. My arms were trembling and everything in me was praying Tessa was okay.
Swallowing hard, I sat with my back pressed against the machine and slowly peeked out. I gasped at the sight and a shot was fired. I jerked back, landing on my side to cover. But I was too late as I cried out in pain, holding my bloodied arm.
“Elsa!” Asher reached out to me.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” I clenched my jaw in pain. I looked down at my arm, removing my shaking hand to see too much blood gushing out. It was burning in pain and the skin was open, but no bullet was stuck.
“I – Fuck! He has Tessa !” I wheezed out. Asher was outraged and somehow managed to get on his feet with his gun ready.
But he didn’t fire.
Instead, I screamed after Asher when he violently jolted backward and landed on his back. I rushed to him but let out a breath of relief when I saw he would be okay. If he weren’t wearing a vest, he would have a bullet in his chest now.
Matthew’ laugh boomed out.
“There is that scream. I’ve wanted to hear it ever since I saw the video of you screaming after your mommy.” He taunted. I stopped breathing.
“What..?” I breathed out.
“I watched it all. How everything happened. I made them record you so I wouldn’t miss out. The way you cried and screamed after your mommy made me horny.” My heart was pounding, and my breathing changed, shaking as he continued to laugh. My eyes burned with unshed tears. They videotaped my mother’s death as if it was some kind of entertainment?
“Your reaction was praiseworthy. Screaming, crying, and shouting before going numb. That shit went straight to my cock. It had me almost jerking off to it.”
“You’re sick… You’re fucking sick!” I screamed but it only humored him some more.
“It’s a shame they didn’t get to you. I wanted them to cut you open. To cut out that disgusting thing that was growing in your belly.” I felt time stopped. Everything stopped moving. I wasn’t even breathing anymore as everything shut down. within me.
The pain, the anger, the sadness, the shame I felt when my baby got ripped away from me. How I was left with only a picture of a painful memory. A constant reminder of how powerless and shattered I was when I couldn’t protect my own baby.
“Disgusting…?” My voice was shaking.
Shaking in anger.
“Did you just call my baby disgusting?” I didn’t know what was happening to me as I let out a laugh. Humorless, dark and cold.
I couldn’t hear anything.
I couldn’t feel anything.
I grabbed the gun, my hand tightening around it.
“I’m fucking killing that ugly bitch.”
I ran as I shot after him, but I was too far away to hit him. Everything Nicholas taught me about being steady and focused went straight down the drain. My heart was pounding and I was shaking. Shaking so much in rage that all I could think of was how desperately I wanted to get my hands on him and see the life painfully disappear from his eyes.
Disgusting?
The word kept echoing in my mind. Over and over again.
I kept moving, running as fast as I could, taking cover wherever possible as I kept shooting in his direction. Matthew was desperate to land a shot on me. So much he, too, was unsteady and unfocused while I moved in between the concrete pillars to get closer to him. No matter what, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hit him. My aim wasn’t good enough but I wasn’t aiming to hit him.
Just yet.
He still had Tessa, and I couldn’t risk accidentally shooting her. Instead, I was trying for him to empty his gun while I got closer. And at this moment, I was fucking thankful Nicholas had made me run at every practice.
“Shit!” matthew cursed out. I let out a slight smirk when I heard him pull the trigger on the now–empty gun.
My turn!
I stepped out from behind the pillar, the gun ready in my hand, and aimed for Matthew My finger rested on the trigger, about to shoot but stopped when he used Tessa as a shield to protect himself.
“Let her go, you ugly bitch!” Tessa was trying to get out of his grip but stilled when he pressed a knife against her throat.
“Can’t. For once, she is actually useful.” Matthew smiled cunningly.
“You piece of shit!” I sneered and stepped closer.
“Ah, ah, ah! Don’t come any closer. Unless you want to watch me slit her throat open.” He laughed and Tessa winced when he slowly made a cut on her throat.
“Let her go!” I screamed, and my hands started to shake as I held the gun, wanting so desperately to shoot after him. But I couldn’t.
“Elsa , go… Get out of here while you still can.” Tessa pleaded and I shook my head.
“I’m not leaving you. Not again.” I had already failed her so many times. I couldn’t let it happen again.
Over my fucking dead body.
“It’s okay, Elsa,I wasn’t meant to live long anyway.” She smiled sadly while I vigorously shook my head.
“Can you stop being suicidal for just a damn minute, and let me help you?!” I yelled, trying not to cry while thinking of how to get her out of this situation.
“How sad… I would even shed a tear if I actually gave a shit "
“If you really want her to live, I’m willing to do a trade. I will let her go if you come with me.” His sinister smile returned.
“Elsa, no!”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” Matthew his and pressed the knife against her neck, blood slowly trailing down as he cut into her skin.
“Stop it!” My breathing was loud with my mind was racing with every possible scenario. But the reality was, I had no choice if I wanted my loved ones to live.
They have gone through so much already because of me.
They have lost people they care about because of me.
“I will go with you. Just let her go.” It was the only right choice.
“Excellent. I’m sure our dad will be very pleased about that.” I glared at him. There was nothing more I wanted to do than wipe his disgusting smirk away.
“Elsa, don’t do it, and just get out of here!” Tessa desperately shouted to me.
“It’s okay, Tessa , I just want you to be free.” I gave her a reassuring smile. I watched tears glisten in her eyes as she continued to beg me to leave her behind. I ignored her as I lowered the gun and looked at matthew
“Let her go and I will go with you willingly.”
“Not so fast. Put the gun down to the ground and kick it away.” My eyes narrowed, hesitating.
“Remove the knife from her throat first.” I stated firmly.
“Fine.” Matthew let out a loud sigh of annoyance but removed the knife. He was still holding Tessa tightly, almost hiding behind her to make sure I couldn’t shoot him without hurting her in the process.
“Your move. Nice and slow.” I clenched my jaw but let out a breath and slowly lowered the gun to the ground as matthew watched me like a hawk. Once it was down, I kicked it away and I made sure it would be nowhere near that ugly bitch.
“Put your hands up and slowly approach me.” He grinned and I glared at him but followed his order.
“Let her go now.” I hissed, almost within an arm’s reach.
“Sure…” He said.
Then he suddenly smirked.
“But you really are a dumb bitch.” My scream got stuck in my throat. My eyes went wide, and the wind got knocked out of me as I watched Tessa being stabbed in the side of the stomach. Just where the bulletproof vest didn’t protect her.
I watched in horror as he plunged the knife into her. Tessa gasped, eyes wide and her mouth open, choking on the sounds that wanted to escape when he pulled out the knife.
“…Tessa …” I whispered, shock resonating in me. She looked at me, with tears that escaped as her body trembled before falling to the ground.
“Tessa !” I shouted at the top of my lungs, running to her side.
“You’re coming with me!”Matthew grabbed me and pushed me away before I could get to her. I landed on the ground but got on my hands and knees to crawl to her with tears already blurring my sight.
“Please, no!” I cried after her, almost reaching her when I got yanked up by my hair. My scalp was burning but I couldn’t care about it as I numbly tried to push matthew away to get to Tessa
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I kept sobbing to her.
“It’s okay… You did what you could.” Tessa smiled as tears ran down her face. I watched her slowly close her eyes, making me scream after her.
"Tessa no! Stay awake, please stay awake!”
“Get the fuck going!” Matthew dragged me away from her.
“If you don’t fucking listen, I will slit her throat and then yours.” He hissed, holding the knife against my neck before roughly pushing me in front of him.
I glanced back at Tessa with tears covering my face as he kept pushing me forward to the metal walkway. matthew was close behind me and I could feel the knife against my back to have me going. I silently cried as I slowly walked toward the exit.
It was all happening all over again.
My mother and then Tessa I tried to repress my sobs as I thought about how fucking useless I was. What was the point of all the training if I couldn’t even use it? I was powerless and worthless. I couldn’t even protect my loved ones. And once again, they were dying in front of me
I looked down at my feet, wishing I was put out of my misery as my heart ached. Aching for every single one I had lost in my life.
I blinked the tears away a few times when I realized the knife was still tucked into my vest. I stopped walking.
“Hey! Keep going, Russian whore!” I shook my head.
“Fuck no!” I grabbed my knife and ducked as whirled around fast, blocking his arm the knife as I struck at him from below. Again and again, sadness and rage overwhelmed me. I was done being so fucking weak. And I would rather die knowing I at least tried fighting for my loved ones.
I watched the way my knife slid across his face. matthew stumbled back into the safety railing as he clutched his face.
“You fucking bitch!” He screamed.
“Oh, shut up already.” I lunged after, ducking again before he could grab me, and kicked the back of his leg. matthew landed harshly on the grating and I instantly got on top of him to keep him down. I held my knife tightly, raising it high above my head with adrenaline pumping like crazy in me.
I was ready to end his life once and for all.
I plunged the knife down, aiming for his throat.
Only for Matthew to block it and hit me on the side of the neck, hard. I dropped the knife as I choked and became dizzy, losing focus on what was going on. He shoved me away from him and I forced myself to cough to catch a breath to fill my lungs.
But it was short-lived.
matthew got on top of me and wrapped his arms around my throat, choking me.
“You really do make everything so fucking difficult.” He hissed. I ́thrashed around, using my entire body to try and shake him off, but he was too heavy.
“I wasn’t planning on killing you yet, but what you just did, you deserve to fucking die! Sleep tight, sister!” I was gagging and my airway was almost entirely cut off. He added more pressure and I knew it was almost over for me.
I tried to move my head to the side to buy myself some time, to notice we were on the edge of the walkway. And with one hard push, we would both fall out of the wide safety railing.
We were at least twenty feet up. Enough for the fall to be fatal.
“Then you’re dying with me.” I choked out. I mustered every single strength I had, using my legs to help me and we both rolled over the edge.
I cried out in pain when I gripped the edge. It felt like my fingers were on the verge of being sliced off. My body was swaying twenty feet up in the air, and I was panting, struggling to hold on as I was too heavy.
I looked down and my heart went to my throat at how high I was. My life depended on the strength in my arms, which were practically nonexistent since I had prioritized eating food over trying to be physically stronger.
“Let go of me,Matthew !” I shouted. He was holding onto my legs, adding more weight when I was barely able to handle my own. I could feel the sweat drip down my face as I panted, literally holding on for dear life with an ugly bitch hanging onto me.
“You crazy bitch! If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!”
“Fuck you! You’re the reason we’re in this situation in the first place! I would rather kill myself than die with you!” I tried to kick him off but he was holding tightly onto me. I had to be careful with how much I was moving if I didn’t want to lose too much of my grip.
“I will take you with me!” The bastard started to jerk around, having me gasp as my hold loosened on the edge of the platform.
“Matthew , stop!” I pleaded and gritted my teeth. My arms were burning and I knew they would give up soon. I would be falling for God knows how long until I hit the ground. My spine would be fractured and my skull would be split open, spilling my brain mass everywhere.
It would be one gruesome death.
“We will both die if you keep moving!”
“That’s the point, bitch!” matthew had the audacity to laugh. I could feel my fingers slip and I’squeezed my eyes shut.
Life isn’t fucking fair at all.
It wasn’t fair for Nicholas to find me dead on the ground like that. The story of Sienna flashed in my mind, and I wanted to cry for Nicholas It wasn’t fair that this was going to happen to him again. To have his happiness completely stripped away once again.
Thad no idea what would happen to him once he finds me, but I knew he wouldn’t try to seek that happiness again.
Sienna.
Our baby.
Me.
There was only so much a human being could go through. No matter how strong they appeared to be. Nicholas has already endured so much pain in his life, and only at the mere age of thirty. I know his upbringing taught him to be cold and heartless in order to be a leader, but I knew the end for me would shatter him into pieces.
I prayed for him.
I prayed he would be okay no matter what the outcome would be.
I prayed for everyone I had come to love and care for, hoping they would be okay.
“…Fuck!” I snapped my eyes open and looked down at matthew seeing him struggling to hold on.
I took a deep breath and tried my best to wiggle one foot out of his grip. My fingers were slowly slipping, and I would be able to hang on for a bit longer without him clinging onto me.
“Let go already!” I hissed out, trying to kick him off me but the son of a bitch had the nerve to laugh.
“I’m taking you with me to hell!” matthew twisted his body, shaking us and making my fingers slip even more.
“Go suck Satan’s cock for ice cream. You will be needing it.” And with one hard kick on his hands, he let go.
“You fucking bit -” He never got to finish his sentence as he hit the ground. I let out a gasp at the brutal sight. I had failed to see the metal poles sticking out of the ground. And matthew landed right on top, impaled. The metal pole was sticking out from his stomach, and I could see bits of chunks of his insides on it. His mouth and eyes were wide open, staring right at me.
I felt sick.
I pushed my nausea aside and focused on hauling myself up. It was only a matter of seconds before I would taste the same fate as matthew
“Oh, God… Oh, God…!” I gasped as one hand slipped. My body was swaying too much for me to hold on, and I tried with all my might to get my grip back on. But my arm was too heavy and too much in pain for me to raise it.
I watched my fingers slowly slip from the edge, and there was nothing I could do. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to witness the final moments of my life.
And I fell.
I felt the rush in my entire body, almost the same feeling when you were going on a fast roller coaster. Except this was the feeling before plunging to my death.
But it only lasted for a split second.
A hand clasped around my wrist, and my eyes shot open.
I couldn’t talk.
I couldn’t even make a sound as everything got choked up in my throat.
“I got you!” Nicholas grunted, almost out of breath. He was sweating, frowning, and groaning as half of his body was out while he held onto my arm tightly. Nicholas gritted his teeth, struggling to pull me up as my body kept swaying in the air.
“I’m slipping!” I choked out, my heart almost stopping when I slipped down an inch.
“You’re not leaving me!” He growled. He used the safety railing with his legs for support before grabbing me with the other arm. Nicholas no was panting and sweat dripped from his face as he heaved me up to him.
When half of my body was on the platform, he wrapped his arms tightly around me and pulled me in. Nicholas was on his back with me on top of him as I, too, was holding him with an iron grip. We were both breathing hard and my entire body was shaking. Shaking because I was about to have the same brutal fate as Matthew
“Are you okay?” Nicholas’s voice was strained, and he was breathing hard as he spoke but still held me to him, afraid to let me go.
“J-just hold me, please.” I was crying and buried my face into his neck, trying to calm down and catch my breath.
I couldn’t figure out what I was feeling as every single emotion wanted to surface. But still, I also felt numb in a way. I was crying and I had no idea if it was because of fear. Fear that I had almost died, or relief. Relieved that Nicholas somehow had managed to climb the stairs with inhuman speed and grabbed me.
Nicholas ’s arms slowly loosened their hold on me and slid down. I raised my head to look at him. His eyes were closed and he was looking unusually pale.
“Nicholas?” Panic filled my body when he didn’t respond.
“Nicholas ?” I hovered over him, tapping his cheek a few times as I called his name.
But he didn’t.
He didn’t wake up.
“Nicholas!!!!”