"Matt! Wake up!" A deep whisper followed by someone shaking my shoulder had startled me awake. I cringed at the horrible hangover pounding against my skull like a freaking train ran right over it for a good hour. I blinked frowning trying to understand what was happening at the moment. "Matt!" Neil hisses below a whisper confusing me even more when I realised it was dark.
"What?" I groaned, he shushes me gently tugging my arm to get up and I complied not wanting to make my migraine worse as it is. "Matt, listen to me very carefully. There are people coming and I need you to hide somewhere where they can't find you." My heart stopped at his tone; a bright glint blinded my eyes until I saw what it was—a gun.
I must be in Neil's room considering the only lights giving me enough visibility in the darkness are the computer monitors at the other end of the room beside two large windows. I sucked in a breath, "N-Neil-" He shushes me again, helping me stand on my two feet feeling my body sway when I was subtly dizzy. I felt his lips press onto my forehead with his arm around my torsos, "Don't worry, it'll be over in no time. Just hide, okay? I'll find you."
No matter how many times he tells me not to worry—it still scares me. I was totally dumbfounded at the moment and I couldn't dwell on it when he's pulling me out of the room. I shook my head and I quickly regretted it when agony coursed through my head. We stepped out of the room and he releases me, giving me one last look before he walked towards the staircase leading downstairs.
I braced myself against the wall walking to a door near the slide glass doors to a large balcony. It took me a moment without falling over—or my head tilting and sending sharp pain through me—to get close enough to it. I twisted the knob opening the door to see it's a closet of sorts; it was sort of big with tall boxes and a few suitcases. I closed the door behind me and used my hands to guide me.
I nearly tripped over something I wasn't so sure what it was, I kept on until I found myself touching the tall boxes I saw earlier. I used the box to lead me behind it and I felt the wall at the palm of my hand; I slid down shifting until my back met the wall and I brought my knees up to my chest. I don't know what I was thinking drinking so much—all because I got angry, I got worried and Neil was being an ass.
He didn't understand how I felt knowing that he could end up hurt or worse—dead. The longer I stayed here hiding the more I was able to wake up from the phase of grogginess, then I remembered what happened. My hand slapped onto my mouth in shock and embarrassment; I kissed Neil! Under all the drunken stupor, the emotions swelling my chest, and the rampant thoughts I couldn't stop myself.
The memories a bit blurry other than the kiss I can miraculously recall and knowing how stupid I am, I probably said something I shouldn't. What did I say? My thoughts came to a halt when gunshots sliced through the air causing me to jump at the loud bang. I slumped against the wall, praying Neil wasn't hurt. I hated this, I really did but I didn't want to leave Neil alone.
I miss my mother, my father, my brother, and my sister. Another part of me doesn't want to go back, that's only because I'm an idiot. Going back home to pretend everything was okay, fake a smile on my face, say the words they want to hear and that's it. With Neil is different, I don't have to pretend, I don't have to say I'm okay when I know I'm not because I know he knows already, and I don't tell him the words he wants to hear from me. He told me himself—he doesn't want to hear the same thing I tell everyone else, seeing it is enough for him to know.
The fire of a gun didn't dwindle. One after another followed from downstairs; I was helpless at this point. I couldn't help Neil even if I wanted to. The notion of shooting a weapon and killing someone makes me nauseous. Taking someone's life doesn't make me different from those villainous people who do it for fun. I'm contradicting myself again—I admit that it was exciting, watching the jeep blow up and topple over.
Only for it to crush down on me when I realised I killed someone—more than one. No matter how bad they are or the things they've done, no one deserves to die. I came to a slow realisation that it was quiet; I frowned crawling on my hands and knees to where the door is. I could see much better through the dark, a small crevice from underneath the door allowed a streak of light to illuminate faintly into the dark closet.
I waited for a while longer before I stood up from the floor wiping my hand over my shorts. My fingers wrapped around the knob giving it a slight twist, the door slightly ajar for me to survey through the hall. I squinted at the light, head calmly pounding onto my skull—at least it wasn't raging on me like earlier. The door was yanked out of my hand taking me completely off guard.
Wide blue eyes landed on a tall, burly brown haired man I've never seen before wearing a tight black shirt, a blazer, and slacks. What had me frozen in place was the gun aiming directly at my abdomen, see? I'm stupid. A smile curved at his lips, "Found you." His large hand grabbed a hold of my arm and I began to struggle, crying out for help. "Get off me! Let me go! Neil! Neil! Help me!" My stomach felt crushed when his arm roughly snaked around my torsos.
I was sure to get bruises when he drags me off my feet walking towards the stairs; I flailed around trying to hit him only to be slammed against the wall. My head spun, the air stolen from my lungs upon impact as a cold steel was pressed at my temple. His dark eyes glaring down at me, "Stop your fucking shouting. The Boss ordered us not to hurt you but I'm having a really hard fucking time to not shot you right now." A shiver raked down my spine in horror, I swallowed harshly, my heart pounding against my chest in fear.
I nodded, words lost at the tip of my tongue; he smirks roughly tearing my back off the wall and pushed me towards the stairs. I reluctantly descended the steps, my bare-feet padding onto the wooden floors as I bit my lower lip in anticipation. When I reached the foyer entering the lower floor, horror settled within me.
Holes were lodged into walls, windows shattered and glass scattered onto the floors, the front door was broken off its hinges, and the dinner table was toppled over like some sort of shield. I was roughly pushed to continue walking, the light from the front porch was the only thing brightening the place. "I've got him, let's get out of here." The man behind me declared.
"I'll take him, go check if the others are still alive." Another man appeared from where the room led to the chimney. A gun was also on his hand except he was much more leaner, shorter. As he approached us, he grabbed my arm firmly; I eyed him with a frown. What happened to Neil? Where is he? I gazed around trying to fight him off from pulling me out of the house.
"Neil! Neil!" My voice echoes throughout the cottage, fear clawing at my stomach. I flailed against the man ignoring the glass cutting at the soles of my feet. I didn't want to think of it, I didn't want to think that Neil was gone. He couldn't be. He told me nothing would happen to him, he told me he'd find me. "Neil!" My voice cracked.
"Shit, shut him up." The burly man hissed at the one struggling to hold my arm; a hand muffled my mouth, arm around my torsos as I was hurried out of the cottage. I screamed against the hand, struggling and twisting around in his arm wishing I wasn't so lithe. My eyes stung, the burly man getting in the way of me seeing the inside of the cottage as I was forced down the front porch.
"Get in the car, we got to go." I didn't even realise we reached a car when I was too busy trying to get to the cottage—failing miserably. A shot rippled through the air and the man stopped abruptly, his eyes staring ahead before he simply crumbled to the ground in front of us. A short gasp tore from my throat, the man holding me against my will cursing under his breath.
He moved his arm from my torsos where he held his gun, the hand covering my mouth dropped to my throat. Cold metal pressed firmly against my cheek when Neil stepped outside standing at the front porch with gun in hand. His honey brown eyes brighten from the radiance of the light revealing his tawny skin ripped with firm muscles.
"Let him go now." His voice deadly calm, blood spattered on his white tank top and I looked him over in relief. He didn't seem to be hurt other than the small cut on his arm, "Not happening, Hitman. The Boss wants both of you and if he can't have you he wants this kid."
My heart stopped, what does he want with me? What did I do? I can't stop shaking, I noted. Body trembling from the cold breeze kissing my skin and the moon basking us with faint light that weren't sliced through by the leaves of the trees. "Why does he want him? What is Matt to him?"
A chuckle vibrated from his chest onto my back, "It's none of your business, this is personal for the Boss."
Blue eyes stared onto honey brown orbs contemplating what I should do and I know it was going to hurt more than my head already is hurting. I tilted my head down before yanking it back colliding with the man's face. He yelps in pain and I crouched just as Neil pulled the trigger followed by a body hitting the ground.
"Matt!" Neil was by my side a moment later, his hands gently pulling me up and I was trapped against his chest. Gazing up at the Hitman I threw my arms around his neck in relief. "My god. I thought something bad happened to you....I thought...I-"
He shushes me, rubbing my back in soothing motions, relaxing the tension of my body, "I'm okay, see? Nothing happened to me," His cheek rested against my own before glided upward nestling my messy black hair. "We have to leave, Matt."
My hold tightened around his neck, "My feets hurt." I mumbled against his collarbone, "I'll check it for you."
"Neil, why do they want me?" I whimpered.
"I honestly have no idea." His warm, toned arms swelled my heart at his comfort.
It was saddening to see such a nice place become a battle ground, so many things broken or shattered. I liked it here, especially when Neil and I would get into stupid arguments or take turns cooking. Neil ended up pulling small glass out of my bloodied feet; it was painful and I was surprised I didn't feel it with all the struggling I was doing before.
I had to change my clothes meeting up with Neil in his bedroom zipping up the same duffle bag he brought with him. His eyes fixed on me as he flung the strap over his shoulder and took long strides to reach the door where I stood. His large hand slipped onto my own, eyes gazing down at me softly, "Come on, let's go. Let me know if you start feeling any pain so I can give you more painkillers."
I pursed my lips nodding my head obediently, I rested my forehead against his shoulder sucking in a breath to stop the rampant thoughts in my head. There was so many things happening, I needed time to think, to wrap my head around it—including the fact I kissed Neil while I was drunk. I'm such an idiot. "Where are we going?"
He nuzzles my hair feeling his lips kiss the top of my head, "Charleston," He answered. How far is it from here? Are they going to find us just like they did earlier? How many times will they catch up to us? How many times will it take before they can get their hands on us and kill us? I am terrified at the thought. I am terrified to know what would happened if they did get their hands on us.
Neil's hand squeezed my own, "Don't be afraid, Matt. I'm here and I'm going to protect you no matter what."
There it was again. It didn't help the pain lacerating my heart and I wanted to tell him so many things. I wanted to ask him, what if he wasn't here? What if he was suddenly gone? I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I wouldn't know how I should move forward knowing the one person who actually worries about me, the one person who can see through me is the one to die.
How should I tell him I love him without being afraid that he would die on me? I'm foolish—I know that. I'm falling hard on a Hitman, on a guy who kills, on a guy who goes against the laws, and on a guy who isn't a very good person but is still somehow good. I can't be in love with him, I can't have these feelings in such a short time and yet I do.
Because sometimes it only takes a short amount of time to feel a large amount of love towards someone you stay beside every day. Waking up to see their faces, to bicker, to smile, to laugh, to get angry, and to be afraid. You start to notice little things about them and before you could realise it...
You've fallen in love.
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