Song: Joke's On You by Charlotte Lawrence
Aria's POV
The last time I felt this distraught, my best friend was dying in my arms. Her last breaths were stolen by the cold air and the limpness of her body was growing painfully by the second. I never thought I would ever feel this way again. The same pain. The same hurt. The same numbness.
Jordyn had slept with Drew. Drew Matthews. The leader of the Callous Cartel. And he was the father of her baby. The man who tortured our family, tormented our children, and held us against our will. He was the father of my niece. Whether she made it to this world or not. She was my niece and I would rather give myself up freely on a silver platter than accept that this demon was her father.
"You're lying" Niall spat, his tear bared like a wild animal. Drew went silent for a moment. His grip on Niall, tightening. "You wish I was don't you?" With that, Drew threw Niall's head like a limp piece of meat. A subtle crack sounded, and Niall groaned loudly. His head landed roughly against the corner of a cabinet and he fell silent. My eyes widened in fear. No. Harry and Louis struggled in their ropes to go help him but the guards by their side, pressed a piece of broken wood into their backs. They screamed in agony and I watched as the blood mixed with splinters, poured out of their wounds. I flinched at the sound of their screams but it didn't distract me from the blinding fear that Niall was gone.
Liam managed to get free of his guard's grip and clambered over to Niall while we all watched silently in horror. Come on Niall. Please. Do not be dead. Please. Liam pressed his ear to Niall's bloody mouth and leant a finger over his pulse.
"He's still breathing" Liam smiled through his damp tears. My face broke out into joy as we all took a much-needed breath of relief. I do not know what we would have done if we lost him too. I do not know what I would tell the kids. That their uncle died while we all sat here bound in ropes and watched helplessly. Harry peered my way with a small smile on his face and I longed to be in his arms. I wanted desperately to free myself from these ropes so I could hold him and assure him and Blair that it would be okay.
"I am far from lying mate, I assure you." Drew flopped back into his seat like nothing happened. He continued sipping bourbon from a new glass his stupid, pansies had fetched for him. I swear they would bend over backwards for him just out of fear. They were petrified of him and it made me wonder once again. How could Jordyn fall for this monster?
"I met Jordyn on a beautiful sunny day just like today." He glanced aimlessly out the open window, gazing at the clouds we passed through. "She was walking through the coffee shop doors just like she did every day. She wore this...nice, red scarf and a beautiful blue dress. It was made of um" Drew stopped for a moment to think. He turned to his little minions. The second their eyes met, the minion shrunk in fear and I saw him visibly shake. I rolled my eyes. Is he really this frightening? "Geoffrey, what is that material. It's got like arrows and nice patterns." The man whose name I was pretty sure was Manuel, responded quickly as if he were sure he would be beat mercilessly if he kept his boss waiting. Drew looked at the man expectantly while Manuel didn't even both to correct him, knowing a correction would earn him a gun to the head.
"Chevron, Sir" Drew's eyes lit up and he cast his gaze to my group. Manuel let out a hard breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Poor man. He was scared shitless.
"Ah yes, chevron. She wore this delightful chevron blue dress. Anyway, she walked out of the coffee shop and walked straight into me. Cliché right" Drew chuckled and I cringed. Yes, very cliché. Almost like it was planned.
"Yes, my little Muppet. You never fail to use those brains. You're right. It was planned." My eyebrows furrowed. I looked to the rest of the group, their silence confirming that I was indeed thinking out loud.
"See, my little Muppet. She had no idea I was following her for months." Drew started laughing loudly as if the stalking was humorous. "And the best part. She was so predictable. It was like watching a movie play over and over again. I knew the minute she would enter the coffee shop and the second she would run out with the cup in her hand. It was down to the minutes. She was so precise, it was fascinating." I watched as Drew ranted on and on about Jordyn's punctuality, knowing that it was all a lie. Jordyn was never organised. She was reckless and left everything to the last minute. Procrastination was practically her entire life.
But maybe my supposed death changed her. It flipped her in ways we never saw coming. It caused her to sleep with dangerous men she had never met. She was smarter than that. My father taught her to be calculative and cunning. To play men like meek prey. She would never blindly fall in love like she supposedly did. But maybe my death blinded her. Made her feel like nothing mattered anymore. Like nothing could ever make her hurt worse than the death of her only family.
And I knew how she felt.
Suddenly a harsh grip on my chin forced me out of my thoughts.
"Are you listening Muppet?" Drew screamed down at me. I glared at him through my eyelashes and nudged him off me. I wanted to burn his hand for touching me. But it would all happen in due time. I smiled sinisterly to myself. He would get what is coming to him. Soon.
"I'm listening, Dick" I growled out and Drew looked like he was about to slam my head against one of these walls, but he stopped. He surprisingly took a small breath to calm down before settling in his chair again and continuing. "That day, I used my then boyish charm." Drew winked at me and I cringed, repulse running through my veins. "And took her to the park for a walk. We laughed about all the stupid things she cared about, and I even swam with her in the water fountain." A distant smile appeared on his face which stirred something foreign in me. He had feelings for her. For my best friend. It was as clear as crystal. He loved her, didn't he? He wanted the child. He wanted a life with her. And I took it away.
"I took her home that night. Laid her on the bed. Kissed down her sexy tits. Fucked her like I owned her." Drew chuckled mischievously and smiled, stirring his alcohol. The rest of us groaned in agony, not wanting to hear of our dead sister's sex life. Especially not with this evil fucker. I looked to Niall, partially grateful that he was still unconscious and unable to hear Drew's repulsive words.
Drew sighed, drawing our eyes back to him. "She was a beautiful girl that one. But I've got to say, I couldn't wait to slit her fucking throat."
In that moment, I had never felt more fucking angry. Rage blinded my vision and I pulled vigorously at the ropes. I began yelling and screaming threats at the beast.
"You didn't deserve her, you fucking monster!" I was furious. Guards held me back and my movement caused the security sirens to blare. Everyone on board fell to the side as the plane swerved abnormally. Amid it all, I managed to grab hold of a knife with my bare teeth. I kicked the knife towards Harry, and it slid past him towards Zayn. Zayn rolled and dived for it, but the plane tilted again. Screams erupted from the cabin. We were going down.
Gunshots weaved through the air. Blood spilled on the floor and drinks and glass shattered. Through all the chaos, I witnessed Niall blink his eyes open in a fright and lift himself from the floor. His head wagged around as he softly lulled back into consciousness. Liam dived onto the floor next to Niall and helped him orient himself.
A tiny glint in my peripheral vision made me grin. Harry caught wind of a small pocketknife and cut the ropes which bound him to his ankles. The rope tore in aggressive ways. The second he was free; he slid the knife my way and it thankfully reached me without any distractions.
The coldness of the weapon stung my hands and I winced. It was fucking freezing up here. I grasped the knife tightly and attempted to ease myself from the rope burn. I cut through the hand straps vigorously until both hands were free.
I was almost there.
Next, I drove the knife through the excess piece of rope, almost freeing myself. But before I could, a massive weight consumed me. A large body flung onto my side and I groaned, hitting the floor. Drew pinned my neck to the ground. I gasped and thrashed around, desperately searching for air. I couldn't breathe. He was killing me. His eyes were wild, and his teeth were angrily displayed. Saliva dripped through the gaps in his pearly whites and dripped onto my face. I cringed in disgust and hit him over the head with the corner of my fist. Our positions flipped. I straddled his waist aggressively and lifted my armed hand. I sunk the knife through the air, almost nicking him in the eye, but his arm caught me. His strong hand gripped my arm. He slowly bent it backwards, causing a path of fire to lick my veins. I gasped breathlessly and bit my lip to mute my screams.
I used my other hand to hit him hard in the face and take hold of his arm. I dug my long, sharp nails into the bare skin of his arm, and he grunted in pain. In a split second, the force of the plain thrashing again caused the knife to slip from my hold. Like the moment was in slow motion, I watched as the knife made a beeline for Drew's heart. I grinned in success. This was it. He was going to die. His pitiful life was about to end.
But at the last second, Drew shifted our bodies and pinned me to the ground, missing the blade by an inch. And just like that, my moment of glory vanished. Drew kneed me in the thigh, causing me to let out a loud yelp. While I struggled against his weight, I heard a faint scream over Drew's shoulder. I peered up at the familiar face with relief. Drew's face blocked my view of my saviour and I growled, struggling to keep his hands off my throat.
I could hear footsteps running towards me and I braced myself for the impact. He was close. Almost there. Three seconds. Two seconds. Drew shifted, placing a hand on his waist belt, and pulling out the one thing which would change our lives forever. Pinning me down and swerving quickly, he held the gun up and pulled the trigger without flinching.
Bang.
The blood seeped out of the chest wound. The breath was knocked out of me. The life was drained from his eyes.
And just like that,
my sweet Niall,
was gone.