A few seconds passed. Then half hour. Then a full hour. We remained in silence, the only sound was the occasional disgruntled sigh that left Devon's mouth as he fought to kick the covers off himself.
Eventually, I felt sorry for him. Here he was, prone, and I was basking in it. I got up and yanked the blanket off the bed, folding it and placing it on the seat I was once sitting on. Devon watched me with a shocked expression. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it.
"The word you're looking for, is thanks." I deadpanned, walking around the room and surveying the posters. They were your average medical posters, "got the flu?" And "if your pain lasts, act fast." I giggled at them as I read them.
All the while, Devon was watching me. His usual unreadable expression on his face again, I decided to give it a name. It's the best fitting one I could come up with, "Buttmucher". He was wearing his Buttmuncher expression right now.
"What did you just call me?" He asked, slightly amused.
Did I say that out loud?
I stammered for a moment, "I didn't call you anything." My childish retort earned a strained laugh.
"Buttmuncher?" He repeated, "I'm certain that isn't an illness.".
"Venereal disease?" I tried to save myself, however, it didn't work.
"Buttmuncher disease, sexually transmitted?" He reasoned, I watched him think on it for a moment, "then again... it fits." I laughed, hard.
Devon just watched me with amused eyes, but a downturned mouth. Does this guy not smile? Ever?
"So..." I began, "When was I going to find out that everyone I made friends with recently was part of you gang?" Devon averted his eyes and trained them onto a spot behind me.
"You weren't." He said simply, "although, I would've found out about Isaac one way or another." He shrugged, a flash of pain registering on his sunken face.
"But I still saw you at the mall, you still helped me, wouldn't that ha-" I was getting frustrated, my voice deepening with every word. I calmed myself down and took a deep breath, "Sorry." I said quietly.
"Don't be." Devon blurted.
The room fell silent, neither of us making a move to speak. I looked at him carefully, noticed his dark circles under his eyes, the paleness of his skin. His breathing was still shallow, and I hadn't noticed. Instead, I'd pursued him to talk. I felt bad, the guilt slowly falling over me.
Then I remembered, even when he was hanging- virtually lifeless- between two men who had severely injured him. He swore his protection to a girl he had known all but 48 hours. A single tear fell down my face as I recalled his words...
"Aria- she needs help. She needs protecting, she needs my protection from you."
"Aria?" Devon said slowly, "Everything okay?" I looked at him and laughed, even when he is prone on a hospital bed, he is asking if I'm okay. Devon frowned at my laughter and lay back.
"Protection." I mused, "You really want to protect me from Isaac?" I asked.
He sucked in a breath before looking towards me, "Of course I do." He said calmly, "I told him so." Devon shifted slightly, "and I am promising you." My mouth quirked up at the sides, "I always keep my promises." A small smile made its way onto his face as we stared.
I was about to say something when Harrison burst through the door- I wasn't sure what I was going to say... but I would've thought of something- Devon shot his head up and looked to Harrison, any signs of kindness had long gone.
Harrison looked at me and pain flashed across his face, "You were right. He's one of Isaac's men. Stay here, both of you." He said quickly, slamming the door behind him. I stood up to open it but was stopped when the door lock sounded.
"That prick!" Devon seethed, "He's locked us in." He dumbly stated. I felt like replying with some sarcastic comment, but now was not the time.
It was him. He did see me. He followed us. Isaac knows.
"What did he mean, you were right?" The lethal tone Devon used set me back into victim mode. I turned sheepishly and began talking.
"You know the man who watched me from outside my house-" I started, Devon nodded firmly, "I saw him again, earlier, in the tree line." Devon balled his hands up into fists and took a deep breath, "I was in your room and admiring-"
"My room?" He said cautiously.
"Yes. Jodi put me in there." I replied, trying to stay as calm as possible, Devon nodded and bade me continue, "as I was saying, admiring the view. When I saw him. He was looking at the roof and I tried to get a better view but I couldn't. When I looked back, he was staring right at me, smiling that awful crooked smile." I finished, bunching my hands in my pockets to stop the shaking.
Devon was silent for a moment before he reached for his phone, I watched him struggle for it before I grabbed it and handed it to him. Again, no thank you. He began typing a message. The silence was filled with tension, you could cut it with a knife. I anxiously waited for Devon to say something, anything-
"10-10" He rasped.
Wasn't the words I was looking for.
"Hmm?" My confusion was evident.
"There's a fight in progress." He choked out, "hold the phone, read out the numbers that come through." He threw the phone at me and slowly rose from the bed. I ached to tell him to stay on the bed but I'd get nowhere. Devon limped over to the window and leant against the wall, watching carefully through the curtains.
"10-18" I shouted.
"This was a random attack then." Devon spat, "Conniving bastards." He mumbled.
I watched in awe as the screen lit up with '10-32 inside', I repeated it to Devon and he instantly backed away from the window. He limped towards the far side of the room, out of range from the window or door and signalled me over.
"Slowly." He whispered.
I did as he said, slowly making my way over. I watched him painfully holding on to the wall, quickly grabbed the chair with my free hand and dragged that along. When I reached him I placed the chair behind him and forced him down.
"What's going on..." I whispered.
"There's someone inside the house with a gun." He said simply, "They calculated this, they knew we were inside that's why they lead the fight outside... distract our team. Luckily, Joe has eyes everywhere." Devon covered my mouth before I spoke and stilled himself. I did the same, holding myself as still as possible.
There was a mumbling from the other side of the door, I couldn't make out what they were saying and apparently, neither could Devon. He looked more and more frustrated by the minute, "fucking patient confidentiality." He mumbled.
If this weren't a serious situation, I would've laughed.
Suddenly, three bangs dragged a scream from me. Three bullets- each positioned perfectly- entered the room. One would've definitely have killed me, landing in the spot where I was once sitting. The other was aimed at the window. That would've taken Devon down.
They knew where we were. Exactly where we were.
"This isn't fire with fire anymore..." Devon whispered.
"We're fighting against a fucking tsunami."
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I was happy with this chapter. Proud a boo.
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©️//®️
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By the by, here you go: