Leah POV.
My mind barely had a second to comprehend the banging on my front door at such an ungodly hour, before Cody was up off the ground and running out the bedroom.
Flapping in the sheets, I fell out the bed and rushed out the bedroom after him.
"C-Cody! Cody!" I shouted after him worried at how quick he was to go into action. He wasn't on tour now, I didn't need him going into full combat mode.
Stumbling into the lounge, I found the front door wide open and Cody on the lawn with Zak, they were nose to nose, their chests touching and their fists clenched at their sides ready for the other to throw first.
For the first time, in a long time I was scared. My blood felt cold as I looked between the pair, neither set on backing down.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Cody growled.
"Zak?" I questioned seeing his fists clenched so hard at his sides that his knuckles were white. His eyes struggled but they flipped off Cody and landed on me, instantly softening. "Lea—"
"Go back in Lamb." Cody ordered, sensing my foot touch the cool concrete of my doorstep. His outburst made Zak's eyes move back to him.
"I wouldn't hurt her!" Zak replied appalled at the idea.
"You already have and just where the fuck do you get off to?! Using our baby to score points?!" Cody snapped. "You sick fuck!"
"Enough.." I spoke hoping to calm the situation down before it escalated. The last thing I needed was them fighting, the last thing I wanted, was them fighting. I couldn't bare the idea of either of them being hurt. But what I feared most of all was Zak being harmed, and he would... Cody was ex Army. He was born and trained to fight and to kill, it was in his blood. I wasn't some helpless damsel, I didn't need a man defending my corner. I certainly didn't need men fighting over me!
"And you coming back hasn't! Not only have you came crawling back! You're married and raising some other dudes kid?!"
Ah shit.
"You don't know anything about me and Leah, man! Leah understands!"
I did... Kinda. Didn't I?
Ignoring Cody's command, I stepped out and went across the garden, hoping my presence would calm them both down enough to defuse whatever bomb was about to explode between them.
Zak's eyes land on me, his body turns from Cody's, his fists unclench, his shoulders sag and eyes look at me pleadingly as he steps towards me, he doesn't want to fight. He just wants to talk.. "Leah, please. I'm sor-
"Back in!" Cody demands more harshly making me frown. He was taking this whole situation a little more hostile than what it needed to be.
"No. I want you both to stop this! Right now!"
A shove happens between the pair, I don't see who did it first or even why, that bit of information is useless and childish. But the consequence of it leads both men to go head to head again, muttering insults and abuse at each other.
"No, no, no!" I shout placing a hand on each shoulder trying to part them.
Cody's hand grabs my arm, hard and wrenches me behind him, almost popping my arm out of socket as he does so, it's quick, forceful and effective in moving me away from Zak. "I said go in!"
A hiss leaves my lips as his grip twisted on my skin, like a Chinese burn. As his hand let's me go and I steady myself on my feet, just in time to see Cody almost shoved to the floor.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING GRAB HER!" Zak bellows, his voice so loud that it scares me. His eyes are wide and primal as he glares at Cody.
Like Dr Jekyll and Hyde, Zak's livid expression shuts down as he looks at me quickly with concern. I grimace as I rub at the mark on my arm, rolling my shoulder, looking at them both. But less than a second later, a fist is flying and it cracks Zak square in the jaw.
"No!" I shout as Cody's resistance snaps.
He's recovered from the shove, thrown a punch and doesn't stop them raining down on Zak.
"Cody! Cody stop!" I yell trying to grab his arms but it's pointless. He's too fast and Zak much to his efforts is blocking very little as he takes one to the mouth and stomach.
"Laying your hands on me! I'll fucking destroy you!" Cody cries knocking Zak to the floor and following him. His fists raining punches down on Zak like enemy fire.
I have no doubt that Zak has power, his arms are large enough and he's a tall guy. Which is why I needed Cody to stop before Zak punched his head off his shoulders.
But he wasn't slowing down and I caught Zak's apologetic face behind his arms, before his fist slammed into the side of Cody's head knocking him off balance.
"I don't want to fight!" Zak exclaimed, getting to his feet quick, as Cody got back up wiping blood from his mouth. "I'm here to see Leah!"
"Over my dead body!" Cody fired back.
"Enough! Cody stop! Zak go to your car now!" I ordered looking at Cody's split lip and Zak's bloody eyebrow and bleeding mouth.
His eyes flashed to my face in question, leading me to nod at him. He wanted to know if we were going to talk, and we would. So long as he returned to his car. Now!
His feet stepped back. He turned to leave but before I could yell at Cody to get in, I froze. Seeing him with a gun in his hand.
"HEY! GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT! YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Cody barked, his arm was out straight, trained on Zak, waiting for him to turn.
"NO!" I screamed as Zak turned, I threw myself in front of him holding Zak against me, my arms wrapping around his body. "PUT THE GUN DOWN CODY! NOW!"
"MOVE! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND HIM!" Cody blared back as I stepped back, making Zak move towards the car.
"PUT IT DOWN CODY! I MEAN IT! YOU WILL HAVE TO SHOOT ME BEFORE YOU EVER PUT A BULLET IN HIM!"
His anger falters at the idea, leading Cody to take his eyes off Zak. "He hurt you Leah!" He argued.
"And so have you! You don't think I know that you're avoiding Cassie's calls! She doesn't deserve that! She clearly loves yo—"
"Move Leah! Now!"
I shake my head defiantly feeling Zak's body press up against mine as he is finally backed into the car.
"Leah.." He worries.
"Get in the car. I got this, I can handle this. Please.."
"He's got a gun—"
"I'm aware of that! I can see the bloody thing! Now get in the car Zak. I won't tell you again!"
He does as he's told and slips into his car whilst I watch Cody pacing the front yard.
I can see he's struggling as he mutters to himself, his face crunching in pain and tears fall from his eyes.
"Cody..." I speak gently.
"I hurt you. I hurt you too."
"Code, look at me."
He shakes his head and turns going back the other way.
"Do you want me to ring the police?" I hear Zak whisper.
"No!" I hiss. "They will make it a hundred times worse! I can handle this! I can handle him. Just be silent. Anything can set him off."
"You can't take on a gun Leah." Zak reminds me.
"But I can get through whatever is going on. It worked for you.. Remember?"
Zak's face falters and he nods. "Be safe. Please."
I shut all conversation down with him and slowly etch back towards Cody. It's only when I stand and crack a stick that his face snaps to me and the gun is raised up.
"Woah, woah, woah! It's me! It's just me."
His eyes tear around the garden and find Zak before looking back at me. "Do you love him?" He asks looking between us.
"I..it's complicated between us."
"You would take a bullet for him. You love him." He concludes.
His conclusion shocks me as I had never thought twice when I placed my body before Zak's. It just happened, naturally.
"I couldn't let you shoot him—"
"Because you love him! You don't love me!"
"H-he's too important to me. Yes. But I.. We are a long way off what me and you had."
He nods "B-because of Amelia."
My eyes water seeing the pain etched in his face. The same pain that follows me around too. I didn't want to compare pain, but I had two years of mourning contained in me. "Yes sweetheart." I whisper.
"I hurt you, scared you too." He nods pacing back again.
"Cody, you are safe. Zak, he's not phoning anyone. But I do need you to put the gun down. I don't like them."
He stuffs it into the back of his shorts, most likely from where it came. "I need to think. Clear my head."
Turning on his heels, he goes back inside and reappears with his shoes and a hoodie.
"It's 3am, you can't just go for a walk."
"What I need, is to think. I need space..."
"Cody." I sigh as he walks past me and leaves.
I watch him stalk off into the night, his head hung low and shoulders bunched forward in defeat, leaving me stood on the lawn alone. My own shoulders sag at what a cluster fuck tonight had became. Now I had one emotionally unstable man, with a gun tucked in the back of his shorts, and another guy who thinks it's okay to go behind my back.
I was pissed to say the least!
"Leah." Zak spoke, closer than I was prepared.
I turned and glared at the man who had caused all this and more. Livid at him for his actions, and for coming around here knocking my door down at 3am. I lashed up and delivered a throw of my own.
Straight to the jugular.