I was squeezing Zayn's hand so tightly I lost feeling in my own fingers. I wasn't quite sure what was about to take place any second now, but I just stared straight ahead of me watching Rick slowly struggling to get up. It took him quite the effort to do it but he finally had and now he was making his way towards us. Zayn wanted us to fight and I had no idea how in the hell that was going to work. Out of nowhere I saw a fist fly in my direction but at the same time I saw Zayn's arm go up to push it back.
"You son of a bitch, you need to learn to stop getting in the way, just like your father did." Rick spat in Zayn's face and shoved him to the ground.
Zayn jumped back up immediately and tackled Rick back to the ground with his hands grasped tightly around Rick's neck. Just then, Rick's men crowded around us and pulled us each in a different direction.
I was separated from the group and pulled into the arms of a stranger, strangling my throat. I was choking and desperately trying to get out of the headlock I was in. I started clawing at his hands with my nails but to no avail. I quickly saw Niall's head being shoved to the ground from my peripheral vision and I have never been angrier. I shoved my elbow into the guys nuts to where he finally let go of me, and I twisted his arm back while giving him one more good kick in the nuts. I stood there for a minute staring down at my hands appalled at my surprising abilities, but then I finally ran to Niall to make sure he was okay.
The guy who had pummelled Niall to the ground had moved on to attack Harry but I was sure Harry was able to take care of that after all his trained boxing. Niall stayed on the ground and I immediately knew something was wrong.
"Niall, oh my god Niall." I gasped but tried hard not to react too startled so I wouldn't scare him. The guy had completely busted his nose and Niall's nose was gushing blood. His eyes were shut tight from the pain I could only imagine he was going through.
"Here, it's okay, hold this up to your nose." I quickly ripped the bottom part of my already torn t-shirt and I pressed it against Niall's nose. He flinched from the pain.
"Ah, it stings so bad." He whispered quietly.
"I know I'm sorry. You don't have to fight anymore, Zayn Harry and I can take care of this. The guy really busted your nose Niall. You have a chance, just quickly run for it and get into the car you came in."
"What? What, Annie do you really think I'm that weak? I'm not leaving you guys here."
"Niall I'm serious right now don't argue with me. You can barely keep your eye open from the pain so go now! We don't have time."
I noticed Niall's eyes widen and he reached over as if he were about to attack me, but I ducked and realized he was actually reaching behind me. He pulled the stick out of the guy's hand who was attempting to hit me and Niall beat him with it instead. When the guy was on the ground Niall grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him. "I'm not leaving. Now go." He got up quickly and ran to finish the guy off. In that moment I truly realized how blessed I was to have friends like them. To stay with me 'till the end. I always hated on my own life, of how unfortunate I was to be living a life where my dead dad had given me a future filled with misery. But it wasn't, I had these guys so how would it ever be?
"Annie look out!" And I knew I shouldn't have been day dreaming that long. I felt something hard whip at my head and I fell to the ground throbbing in pain. I opened and closed my eyes to make sure that I wouldn't pass out.
"Annie, you dumbass what were you doing?!"
I could hardly see anything but I knew that had to be Harry.
"Ah sorry, please help me up."
"No I'm going to get you out of here now, Zayn Niall and I are going to take care of this."
"Harry no--get off me!"
"What the hell, why are you guys so stubborn? I'm tired of trying to convince you, I just want you to be safe." His deep voice rumbled with anger.
I looked him straight in the eye and fought back."I know, I know that you do, but I also want the same for you and I'm not leaving here until I make sure you're fine as well."
After a very long time, I saw a slow smirk appear on his face and I finally saw that dimple. "There's the dimple I love."
He chuckled and picked me up carefully. "Come on, we're not done here yet." He looked behind me and gave me a nudge where I went tumbling backwards and into someone's arms; Zayn's.
I was so relieved to see he hardly had any injuries. "Are you alright?" He asked looking all over me the same way I was looking at him, to check if I had any injuries.
"Yeah, I'm fine." And just as I responded, we heard shouting.
"ENOUGH! THAT'S ENOUGH!" And a gun shooting up in the air created complete and utter silence through the room.
Rick was drenched in sweat and he looked like a mad man. "I've had enough of all of you, playing around here and with us like this is some GAME? I COULD CARE LESS WHAT HAPPENS TO ANY ONE OF YOU. I KILL PEOPLE FOR A LIVING. DO YOU ALL NOT UNDERSTAND HOW SIMPLE IT IS FOR ME TO TAKE THIS GUN AND SHOOT A BULLET INTO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOUR LITTLE HEARTS HUH? IT WAS ALL FUN AND GAMES EARLIER BUT NOW IM PISSED OFF," he then licked his lips for a few milliseconds and locked eyes with none other than me. " And the first one to take this bullet through their thick ass hearts, is goin to be my darling over here."
He finished with a smirk and he pointed the gun, directly at me. Zayn quickly pushed me behind him.
"No you're not. Rick we had a deal. We gave you your money for Annie and now that we have her, just let us go. We have no interest in contacting the police or letting anyone know of your whereabouts. Just let us go." As he spoke, his voice got stronger and more demanding. After he had finished, Zayn put his hands up in defense.
Rick blew his wet hair out of his face and chuckled hysterically. He slumped forward and limped towards us. "Aw sweetheart, as much as I trust the child of my enemy, I'm not going to be able to take your word on that. You've all seen too much, and you know too much. I have a special bond with Annie, that I've never ever felt towards any of the other people I have ever kidnapped. I'm actually fuming with jealousy to see you that close to her." I squeezed Zayn's arm and hand and he squeezed back, assuring me that he was right here. "So, it's going to be a little hard for me to let her go with you. Because of that, I'm going to have to kill her so that she's with no one else." I gasped quietly. I looked next to me and Harry and Niall were pinned back by Rick's last two guys left standing.
"And how are you so sure that after you kill her we're not going to go straight to the police?" Zayn paused and the next time he opened his mouth he practically growled the words. "If that happens just so you know we will go directly to the police and get your ass in prison."
Rick chuckled again. "Oh I won't even care anymore if you do. I'm tired of doing this stupid stuff anyways, I'll be free of this and no one else will have Annie. My life will never have been better." He got the gun ready and I knew it was about to happen. I had my eyes shut the entire time, but I slowly opened them to see what was going on now. But before I looked towards Rick, my eyes fell on a gun next to me lying on the floor. It was as if my brain had blurred out the scene going on right in front of me. Zayn and Rick were still arguing and all I could focus on was the gun right in front of me. I slowly slipped out of Zayns grasp, as slow as possible to make sure it wasn't obvious to Rick what I was doing and even Zayn wasn't paying attention. I reached my leg over to hopefully bring the gun close to me. My brain finally clued back into what was going on.
"Put the gun down you coward! Go to jail without killing one more person for your own good!" Harry was shouting now. Good, I was just praying that they would keep distracting Rick for a little while more just so I was able to reach the gun. Finally, my foot was touching it. I slowly kicked it over, and bent down to pick it up.
"You're a fucking coward. You killed anyone that wanted to get away from the horrible deeds you do and now that you've realized you want to get away from it as well, you think the only way is to kill everyone who knows about what you do and then finally surrender yourself? How does that make any sense? Hand yourself over to the police now and this will all be over." I could see his jaw clenching, and this was the angriest I had ever seen Zayn get.
"WHAT WILL BE OVER? THE BETRAYAL YOUR FATHER DID TO ME WILL NEVER BE REVENGED. THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE I'VE COMPLETELY DONE MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT I HURT YOU IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE." He paused and slowly turned his attention back to me and when he spoke his voice was quiet, deadly even. "BY KILLING ANNIE."
I shoved Zayn out of the way and pointed my gun directly at Rick. So that his gun was facing me and mine was to him. "Think again bitch, you're not killing me today." I pulled the trigger and I watched the bullet go straight into the middle of his forehead. The relief that ran through me in that moment was--unforgettable. Through the noise of the gun on my end, I hadn't realized that another gun went off at the exact same time
"ANNIE!" I heard Harry's voice shout for me desperately.
Everything happened so quickly.
I stood there as still as a statue.
Harry and Niall were crouched on the floor next to Zayn.
Zayn was lying on the floor.
I ran towards him, everything else around me was blurred and I couldn't hear anything or see anything but Zayn, my Zayn on the ground.
I gasped when I saw him properly. The bullet had pierced him straight through his heart; just like Rick had said. The worst part was that Rick hadn't even meant to shoot him, it was just reflex after I shot him and Zayn was the only one to be right in front of it.
I pulled his head up onto my leg. My shock was wearing off and I had to tell myself that it actually happened. Now I was hysterically crying and shaking uncontrollably. "No, no this can't be happening!"
I rested my head on his chest and cried so hard I've never cried that hard in my life. I heard him groan and try so hard just to speak. "H-hey, i-it's oka-yy. That w-was some b-adass move y-you pulled t-there. At least you shot R-Rick."
I couldn't help but laugh through my sniffles from his goofy grin that I loved. "But he got you, he wasn't supposed to get you, you weren't supposed to get shot. This-this all wasn't supposed to happen! I got you involved into all of this in the first place, THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
"I was always involved Annie, you never did any of this you understand me? Ah," He attempted to sit up, and Harry quickly moved behind him and helped him.
"Hmm, you would be the last one I would expect to be helping me huh?"
Harry smirked sheepishly, "Well, you are dying now."
Zayn nodded in agreement.
"Call an ambulance now!" Niall shouted, desperately searching for his own phone in pockets.
Harry nodded and pulled out his phone and went to the other side, with Niall following right behind him. Leaving just Zayn and I by ourselves.
"Annie, stop, stop crying like this, please." His soft voice was comforting enough to make me feel more relaxed even in a situation like this.
"I'm just so so grateful to have had you in my life. When everything was going so horrible and so wrong for me, you just showed up out of nowhere and helped me and literally showed me how to live. I can never thank you enough for teaching me how to smile and how to find some happiness in all my miseries. I love you Zayn, I love you so much." My voice shook as more tears ran down my cheeks
He placed his cold hand on my cheek and stroked it with his thumb. "And I love you Annie White. You've taught me even more than I've taught you, and I could never ever be any more grateful to have met someone as good as you. I just want you to promise me that you're going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay. Do you trust me?"
I nodded with tears pouring down my face. "I trust you."
I looked up at looked into his eyes staring at me. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That's not how you're supposed to do it."
"Do what?"
"Our thing? You know, when I ask if you trust me, then you say you don't, then I say I know you do and you just smile and nod?"
I pulled his hand and pressed my lips onto it. "Because I do trust you, more than anything. Without any hesitation at all."
He just kept smiling and staring at me. Then finally he whispered; "Good."
"Good." I replied back.
END OF CHAPTER 19
First of all, I apologize for this seriously late chapter. I cannot apologzie enough, but this is the second last chapter and I really hope you enjoyed it and it was worth the wait. I apologize for the tears this may have caused as well:'( Tomorrow I'll be posting the final chapter so I hope you're all ready for it :)
Thanks for reading guys! xx
- Rida xx