Persey's POV
It was as if time has stopped as I watched my world crashed and burned. The only thing I could do at the moment was to shriek while in the verge of tears. How can someone just shoot another without even thinking twice? How can someone be such a merciless monster?
"How could you?! What kind of a monster are you?!" I screamed at Evans' face.
"SHUT UP!" he shouted back.
James stepped inside and walked forward, pointing his gun towards Evans, while Evans was pointing his gun to my head. Everyone in the room except me and Cree, had their guns pointed at James, surrounding him.
"That's enough, Evans," James said with his sharp eyes on Evans. "Leave my wife alone."
"Or what?" Evans raised his eyebrow. "You're being surrounded, Edwards. There's nothing you could do but to do what I say for the sake of your wife's life."
Little did James know that one of Evans' men was standing right behind him now, with his gun pointed right at the back of his head. He sensed the man's presence and started looking hopeless.
"Put your gun down," I heard the man said.
I've never seen James looked a bit startled. He swallowed and carefully put his gun down the floor.
"That's right, Edwards. Surrender," Evans smirked in so much satisfaction.
I thought James would even raise his hands up but he didn't. He didn't want to completely surrender. "Let go of Persephone... and Cree as well," he said.
"Oh, I will, okay?" Evans smirked again. "But not until you give me back my two million dollars."
James looked weary and troubled. Never did I see him like this before. He has always been so confident and never been bothered about anything. What I can see now is not a syndicate, but a husband who's trying to save his wife. I didn't know what to expect from him. I wasn't sure if he was willing to give up his money to save me.
"James, don't," I cried. I knew he heard me but he chose not to acknowledge my presence. He never laid his eyes on me since he entered the room.
"What are you waiting for, Edwards? Open the safe," Evans said.
If looks could kill, James and Evans were probably dying right now. They were staring at each other sharply, fire blazing in their eyes.
"Edwards, I'm waiting!" Evans exclaimed impatiently. "What's it gonna be? Your money or your wife?"
I saw James' hands closed into a fist. Just when he was about to take his first step towards the safe with a gun still pointed at his back, two men appeared in the doorway guarding two guys, one wearing a black suit and golf cap, the other a brown leather jacket and jeans.
The first guy had blonde hair and a fit body. It was Andrew, looking pissed off by the fact that he has been caught and hand-cuffed by Evans' men which was a rare thing to happen to someone as skilled in fighting as him. I only recognized the second guy when he lifted his head up. Then I felt my stomach curdling in dread upon seeing his face. His curly hair was a mess. His eyes were weary with dark circles around them. What could be worse than this?
"Bruno?" I breathed; a tear fell from my eye. "What are you doing here?"
"He's trying to be a hero," I heard Andrew snorted obnoxiously.
"And who the hell are these scumbags?" Evans questioned.
"We found them in the hallway, sir, trying to sneak in," one of the men answered. "What do you want us to do with them?"
"Let them go!" I begged.
"What could I get from them, anyway?" Evans wondered. "They're irrelevant. Finish them off."
Bruno's POV
"No! Please!" Persephone who looked very different from the way she always looks, grieved. Her hair was a mess, her tears ruined her make-up, and her red dress crumpled and damaged. The man whom I think was Evans had his arm around her neck and his gun to her head. "I've had enough! You can't keep killing my friends!"
"And you can't keep me waiting like this!" Evans shouted back.
"Kill me all you want, just don't hurt them," she cried more, and I couldn't believe her words. To think that I should be the one doing something to save her life, instead, she was the one doing all the saving. I felt useless and pathetic.
There was a puzzled look on Evans' face. He looked at James and wondered, "Why do I have this funny feeling that your wife is in love with one of these assholes, Edwards? What do you think?" My stomach twisted at his words. He was intentionally pissing James off even more.
I saw James' jaw clenched. "I think you're being stupid and ridiculous," he shot which surprised me. He knew what's between me and Persey. But he didn't seem to want to believe that his wife was in love with me.
Evans laughed with no humor. "Fine. Then I think you don't mind if I have them finished."
"No! Don't!" Persey cried out again. She turned to her husband and said, "Please do something, James! I'm begging you—ahh!" Her begging turned into a shriek as Evans pulled her hair down.
"You do realize that screaming wouldn't help you save your friends," Evans gritted.
"Stop hurting her!" I heard myself groaned.
"That's enough!" James chided, silencing everyone. He looked at Evans and said, "If I open the safe and give you your money back, would you set them free?"
"Of course!" Evans face brightened up. "In fact, I'll let you all go," he gave out a sinister grin. "Just open the safe, James Edwards... and your wife will be free," he said in a low voice with eyes smiling in an evil way.
James finally took a step forward towards the safe. Evans moved aside to unblock the safe. We all watched James as he walked towards it with his eyes looking straight ahead. It was like everyone was holding their breaths as he started punching the buttons to enter the code.
Slowly, and as if revealing the inside of a treasure chest, the safe opened. Inside was a silver heavy-looking briefcase. James, who still had a gun pointed at him, took out the briefcase and put it down the carpeted-floor, Evans staring at him incredulously. I heard a clicking sound as James opened the case. I couldn't see what was inside the case, but I saw Evans' glowing eyes upon seeing it.
"No," I heard Persey muttered.
"Two million dollars," James said while running his fingers onto what seemed like the piles of cash inside the briefcase. "That's all you need, right?" he asked as if two million dollars was just a penny to him.
"Bill, check the money," Evans ordered and the man holding a gun to James bent down beside him and took out a pile from the case, checking if the money was real.
Then Bill looked up at his master and reported, "It's clear, sir."
"Take the briefcase," Evans said and Bill immediately followed.
Evans removed his arm off Persey's neck and she groaned in pain as he abruptly shoved her down the floor like garbage. "Persey!" I heard myself cried.
Slowly, Evans' men evaporated from the room finally freeing us all but bringing with them the two million dollar cash. Evans had his gun pointed at James who was standing looking unpleased, while walking backwards to the direction of the door. "Nice making business with you, Edwards," he smirked. "Until we meet again," and then left leaving the five of us alone – I, Persey, James, Andrew and Cree – with two other girls lying lifeless on the floor – Devon and a girl I didn't know.
Persey's POV
"Bruno!" I tripped as I ran to Bruno who was sitting againts the wall with his hands tied up. "Are you alright?" I asked while untying him, my hands shaking.
"I'm fine," I answered wearily. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to do anything to save you. I feel so useless," he said, his teary brown eyes glued on mine.
"No. You've done enough. Without you, James wouldn't be here and we all get killed." He sighed in I think was exhaustion and dismay. "But you shouldn't have come. You could've been killed."
"Persey, I can't just sit around and pray you don't die." His face looked in pain and now and troubled. He didn't seem relieved that I was still alive after what had happened. He turned his gaze away from me and decided to stare at the white wall on the right side of the room instead. "I can't let you live like this. As long as you're stuck here in this mansion, you're not safe," he said without looking at me.
I drew my attention away from him as well. I saw Cree also sitting down on the floor in between Devon's and Holly's dead bodies, mourning as she examined their pale faces. My whole face felt swollen from crying. And as I saw their dead bodies, I couldn't help but to tear up again.
James was standing at the window – which was seven foot tall – beside where the empty safe was. His hands were hidden in his side pockets. I didn't know if he was aware that I was talking to Bruno, or he just didn't give a damn.
Andrew, who just got his hands untied, approached him. "Why did you do that, sir? Why did you open the safe?"
"That's 'cause what's inside it wasn't real money," I heard James declared. "Those cash were fake. They just look so identical to real money but they aren't real at all. And Evans was too stupid to notice that. Plus, that wasn't the real safe. The real safe is hidden somewhere here. Somewhere only I know."
Andrew opened his mouth but wasn't able to say anything in astonishment, and just chuckled.
"Pretty clever, huh?" I couldn't see James' face but I could tell that he was smirking.
"But what if Evans finds out they weren't real money? For sure, he's gonna get back to you," Andrew said.
"He's not going to find out," James said and Andrew looked at him with a surprised and confused expression. "Because in ten seconds, I'm gonnna blow his van up."
Andrew was more astonished now than before. "Sir... did you—"
"Put a hidden bomb in the briefcase? Exactly," James said in huge confidence.
"Genius," Andrew commented.
James took out something like a remote from his right pocket and pressed the red button. After what seemed like five seconds, an explosion from outside the mansion burst through the silence, drawing everyone's attention to the window. Light emerged from it, giving us the sign that Evans' van blew up and James' succeeded with his tactic.
I still had my jaw hanging when I felt Bruno's sudden grip around my wrist. I looked at him and saw that his eyes were wide and glowing. "Persey," his voice was steady. "I'm not forcing you to do this, and I know it's wrong... but if you want to runaway with me, I'll do whatever the hell it takes to get you out of here."
My jaw dropped as I heard him say. I was speechless for a moment that it seemed like I just took a dive in his deep brown eyes. "Bruno..." I started but then choked in my words again.
A shot of a gun suddenly sounded. I thought I was only hallucinating when I thought I sensed what seemed like a bullet just passed in between us in a blink of an eye, incredibly fast as lightning. I turned to see where the bullet hit and saw the wall marked with it. I and Bruno exchanged looks of anxiety, shocked as hell by the mere fact that we almost got shot.
"I'm not finish yet," I heard James gritted and saw him looking intently at us with eyes sharper than a dagger. His gun pointed to our direction. "I'm gonna silence you once and for all, Bruno Mars," he clenched.
I grabbed Bruno's hand and whispered, "Run."
Author's Note: Finally! lol Don't forget to vote and comment. :)