I strongly recommend reading a few of the previous chapters to refresh your mind!!!
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Of course, he wouldn't say anything to that. But the silence that followed drove me to the edge.
"I'm not worth this mess, Xander," I argued. I wasn't giving up. Even if the possibility of an escape was nonexistent. Even if this will only end up going in circles like it always does."I--"
"It's not all for you." His blue eyes met mine, threatening and cold, but beautiful. Melanie would've loved them.
"But it's all tied to me," that much I knew. "You should listen to Landon. Be someone else's 'guardian angel'. Take me back to parents." my voice was rising but I couldn't help it. My frustration in my inability to move was clearly stressed there. "We've gotta be realistic here, Xander--"
He looked down at his tender knuckles as if he'd never seen the damage until now, and the unexpected action made me stop. Then he looked up at me again and spoke slowly. "If I do that, what makes you think Landon wouldn't go, find you, murder your parents right in front of you and then shoot you in the head?"
"You might as well do that. You're outnumbered against Landon's group."
"Landon's group?" He chuckled then, dryly, and ran his hands through his hair as if they didn't need mending. "I'm outnumbered by hundreds, probably thousands--"
"You're lying." I couldn't hide the shock--the instant reaction.
But he was calm. "Why would I lie? It's not benefitting me. Or you."
"Get out." I spat.
He looked taken aback for a second. But then said, "I didn't even want to see you in the first place. All you do is give me a fucking headache--"
A door somewhere in the house was suddenly kicked once--twice before I heard it slam open.
Someone screamed.
"Stay here." Xander barely said, leaving the room in a flash. I heard shouts and another scream. Kania.
Instinctively, I rolled off the bed, not thinking twice before standing and reaching for the door. My body immediately felt heavy, strange. My vision briefly blurred, but I shook my head quickly, stepping out of the room. I was met by a small dim hall which led to the kitchen and what I concluded a living room. Then I heard voices. I felt the tension, hovering like a dense cloud. My hands began to sweat, and my injured arm throbbed. I backed up against the wall and quickly made my way toward the voices that came from the living room.
"Where's the girl?" His voice was harsh, agitated.
Landon.
"She died. Lost too much blood." Kania said in a detached voice.
"Stop bullshítting me. Xander give me the girl."
"She's dead."
Peeking from the edge of the wall I saw how Landon suddenly yanked Kania by the hair and pressed a gun to her temple.
Kania remained stoic.
But Xander stepped forward. His back was toward me, making it impossible for me to see what was possibly going on in his head. "What are you doing, Landon? Have you fücking lost it? You know the punishment for murdering a--"
"Fatherless whore?" He spat. "Not as awful as leaving your little cúnt alive."
"You won't do it," Xander said. And Kania stared at him with big, expressionless eyes.
Landon raised his eyebrows challengingly. Then pulled the trigger.
I gasped.
Suddenly, a small figure came running out a door on the right side of the room, clutching a long knife, her face scrunched up in determination. Leslie.
Landon saw her from the corner of his eye but it was too late. She buried the knife in his thigh, again and again. Landon screamed and let go of Kania, aiming the gun at Leslie instead before anyone could blink.
My senses skyrocketed. I shoot to a run toward her. "NO!"
Everything slowed down. It was painful, and after a moment, there was only utter silence.
It was too late.
Two bullet holes had burst through Leslie's small chest. She was laying on her back, eyes open and expressionless.
I stared. And sank to my knees.
"Oh God,"
Slowly, I glanced around for Xander to see that he was pinned against the wall by two men I didn't know. He looked shocked.
Kania wailed. It was wrenched in pure agony and despair.
My eyes welled up with tears. I tried to approach her, slowly getting back on my feet. "Kania--"
She dropped to her knees and quickly dragged herself toward her dead daughter, gently closing her eyes and caressing her hair with shaky hands. Then she cradled her and rocked her in her arms.
"Fuck," it was Landon, clutching his bleeding thigh. The knife was still stuck in it. "She got me good." Then he glanced at me casually and mockingly. "Oh look who decided to join us."
"What the fuck did you do, Landon?" Xander's voice boomed. He was fighting against the two men pinning him, his eyes never leaving Leslie.
Kania had somehow dragged herself and was already by Landon's feet, desperation overtaking her features. "Kill me too. Just get it over with."
My eyes widened. "NO, Kania--"
She looked at me with eyes so fierce I shrunk back.
Landon laughed and shook her off with a look of disgust, then leaned against the wall, grunting and closing his eyes for a few seconds.
I had the urge to go to Leslie. Her small body was just lying there, all alone.
Landon opened his eyes and slowly pointed the gun at me.
My heart started beating erratically in my chest. But I stood my ground.
"LANDON," Xander became wildly furious, making it hard for Landon's men to keep up with his strength. "I swear to God Landon, if you shoot her I'll rip your fücking guts out,"
"You know," he started limping towards me. His men protested but he brushed them off, "no one would believe me if I told them Xander was defending a total stranger. Much less a girl..." his menacing eyes raked my body "of color."
Rage. I felt pure rage and hate toward this man. "Fück you--"
"Hey, I'm not trying to be racist. Just telling you how it is." I started to back away but almost came in contact with a body behind me. This didn't seem to phase Landon, as he continued, "Xander can be an ignorant asshole, even more so toward exotic beings."
"What the hell are you waiting for? Shoot me already--"
Xander exploded. "Don't you fücking dare--"
Landon chuckled and rubbed his chin. "Impatient, are we?" Then looked back at Xander. "How could you deal with this? And out of all girls. What a shame, even I would be willing to protect her with everything I have if I was her guardian."
"Bullshít. You would've killed her on sight just by knowing what she means to Cole."
Cole. The enemy. The real threat. For some reason, the mention of his name alone made feel uneasy. I looked over to Kania to see her rocking her daughter back and forth once again, in the same spot on the side of the living room. My heart ached. Not too long ago, Kania was telling me how much she loved her little girl. How much she kept her grounded.
"You will thank me for this," Landon said, and I knew he wasn't speaking to me. For a second, I had forgotten a gun was being pointed at my head. Time seemed to slow down again. Landon pulled the trigger, and right then, I locked eyes with Xander. His blue eyes were turbulent and harsh like the waters during a storm. And he was shouting, at Landon, at me. I didn't know.
I closed my eyes.
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A/N: Sooooo sorry for not updating!!! :( Not only has life been hectic but I have lost motivation to even open Wattpad. Bear with me, though. I'm sort of back.
Don't forget to VOTE & COMMENT!!!
Sorry for any mistakes, my writing is kinda rusty at the moment.
- nessie xoxo