A red dot appears on my shirt.
Oh, shit. This is my end.
***
Fear.
That's all I feel at this moment in time. I can't comprehend anything that's going on and it seems like my body is frozen to the spot.
Looking out the window I see a guy with the rifle aimed at me.
His finger is on the trigger.
"Everyone get down." Knox yells.
My phone drops on the floor as I continue to look at the guy across the road with his rifle.
When I don't move Knox wraps his arms around me and tackles me to the ground. He makes sure that I don't land on my stomach and that is whole body hits the floor.
The bullet hits the wall behind us.
Knox shakes me. "Ariana?"
"What's wrong with her?" Lauren asks crawling over to us.
Hearing someone crawl over to me I look into the blue eyes of my younger sister. "Ariana?"
Shaking my head to clear it I reply. "Yeah,"
A faint smile appears on her face. "Are you alright?"
"I am thanks to Knox." Sighing I say to her. "I need you to get out Nashville it's not safe with you being pregnant."
Charlie grabs my hand. "I'm not the only one pregnant." She looks at Lauren and I.
Knox looks at Lauren. "She's right, baby. I think it's best that you leave with Jasper."
Looking at both woman I say. "When I get back to Los Angeles you two will be the first people that I see."
"Promise?" Charlie asks.
I hold my pinkie out to her and she wraps hers around mine. "I pinkie promise, Charlie."
"Be safe, Ariana. I don't want to hear that you lost dot."
Placing my hand on my stomach. "I'll do everything to keep this one. I can't let Bethany take another baby from me. If she did I don't think I'll be able to survive another loss."
I see my phone on the ground and I pick it up.
Shawn is no longer on the line.
I'll call him when I get out of here.
Hans walks into the room in his army gear. "I got the guys that shot at you, Ariana. I have to move you to the farm now."
I hug Charlie and Lauren before I'm dragged out of the room by Hans.
Knox follows closely behind us.
When we get to the car Hans opens the door for us and I climb in.
I call Shawn.
Shawn: Are you okay?
Me: Don't I get a hello?
Shawn: Hello, now are you alright?
Me: I was shot at the hotel. How could you go along with this plan of getting Bethany out?
Shawn: She told Evan she will kill you if we didn't get her out.
Me: SHE TRIED TO KILL ME. EVEN WHEN SHE WAS OUT.
Shawn: I'm sorry, Ari. I didn't think she'd still do this.
Me: I HATE YOU, SHAWN.
Shawn: YOU DON'T MEAN THAT.
Me: YES, I DO.
Shawn: I'm sorry. How many times do I need to say it?
Me: I don't want to hear you're apology. It's worthless to me right now. I have to go, Shawn.
I hang up on him.
Knox looks at me. "Do you really hate your brother?"
"Right now I do. I hate them all for falling for Bethany's shit. I can't believe all the people that I trust in the world are betraying me by helping Bethany. It's going to be hard for me to get over such a betrayal. They say they love me, but this action is different to what they're saying. As the saying goes "Action is louder than words."
My phone starts to ring in my hands and I look at the screen and see 'Brad' flash across the screen. I hold the button at the side on my phone and I slide my finger across the iPhone to shut off my phone.
"Who was that?" Knox asks.
"My other brother, Brad. He's probably calling me to ask me to forgive them. Whenever I'm pissed at them they become persistent and bug me until I forgive them. This time it's not going to be easy and I won't make it easier for them." Looking out the window I say. "It's not just me they put in harms way by helping Bethany out."
Hans phone starts to ring and he turns the volume down on the radio.
Hans: This is Hans.
Brad: Can you put Ariana on the phone?
Hans looks in the mirror and I shake my head.
Hans: I'm sorry. She doesn't want to talk to you.
Brad: I know she can hear me. So, I'm going to say what I need and then I'll leave you alone.
I hope he does.
Brad: Bethany found out a few things about me and she black mailed me until I helped her. When I was younger I had unprotected sex with a girl and she got pregnant. Her parents sent her away to the have the baby and it was put up for adoption. Bethany knows where I can find my daughter. She told me that she's in an orphanage waiting to be adopted. I want to get my daughter and she's the only person that can tell me which orphanage is the States she's in. I'm doing this for my daughter.
I can't believe my brother would keep something like this a secret from the family.
The dial tone is heard and I lie my head against the seat. "What am I supposed to do with that information?"
Knox shrugs. "I don't know, but your brothers have a reason behind everything they do. It may hurt people at times. You might feel different when you meet your niece."
"Maybe," leaning forward I ask Hans. "How long until we reach the farm?"
"We're nearly there. You're worst than my kids."
I laugh.
Touching his shoulder I say. "I'm sorry I had to take you away from your family."
"You're my family too Ariana. I have known you since you were three. I watched you grow into a beautiful, kind woman who would do anything for the people she cares about." He pulls the car onto a dirt driveway. "This is where my friend lives. He wants to show you a few things before he leaves with his wife."
It's doesn't take long before we pull infront of a farm house.
Looking around the grounds I don't see any animals. "Where are the animals?"
"The horses are at a friend's place. He didn't want his animals to get hurt while all this stuff happens at their house."
Carter walks down the steps and he opens the door for me. "Hello, Ariana. It's good to see you again."
"You too, Sir." He helps me out of the car.
He looks Knox. "Who is this?"
"He's a friend. He's part of the Mafia in Los Angeles."
Carter narrows his eyes at him. "I hope you're not going to cause me any problems?"
Knox shakes his head. "I won't." He looks at me. "I'm here to protect my sister-in-laws big sister. She will have my balls if anything happened to her sister."
He laughs. "I like the girl. If she's anything like her sister I'd be afraid."
"You haven't met her brothers." Knox says.
Crossing my arms I say. "I don't want to talk about those traitors." Looking at Carter I say. "What do you need to show me?"
For the next hour Carter shows me where he keeps his equipment that I'm going to use when Bethany comes to the farm.
I thank him and his wife for letting me use the farm.
They wave at me before they pull out of driveway and head to a hotel for a couple of days.
***
Here's a trailer to tie you over until the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. ;-)