“Sebastian, behind you!”
The shot fires the moment that he turns around. My scream isn’t as fast as the bullet approaching us. A quick shove and Sebastian has me tumbling to the ground. He grunts and roars as the bullet tears through his shoulder. He slumps, reaching for the wound.
That bullet was aimed at me, not him. He saved me from being killed by taking the bullet himself.
Still, his eyes are on me, focusing solely on me. “Run. Now.”
I scramble to my feet, grasping the opportunity to flee. Without looking back, I make a run for it. I don’t know where I’m going or what is happening, but I know that I have to get out of here. Some part of me is worried about Sebastian and another part wants him to be killed. I don’t know which side to pick.
It’s then that I hear them yell at each other.
“What the fuck, Lewis!” It’s Sebastian.
“Sorry, but you moved! I was aiming for her.”
“Fuck you! You fucking shot me! And now she ran again!” Sebastian yells. “Goddammit, I had her.”
“Well, you should’ve taken her when you had the chance.”
“I told you that I could handle this. Now let me do it before I shoot a fucking bullet at you, too.”
“Fine, but if she gets away, you know it’s your head that’s on the line, not mine.”
Their voices grow fainter and fainter, and I can’t help but notice how Sebastian weaves his way out of this like nothing happened. He wanted me to run, and yet he tells Lewis a very different story. Something’s not adding up.
My breathing is loud and rampant and my legs are shaking, but I keep on running. After a while, I sink to my knees, unable to suck in another breath. It takes me a while to breathe. When I stand up and try to walk again, I’m tackled to the ground.
I squeal, fighting my attacker.
“Shhh!”
“Get off me!”
I wriggle until I’m facing him. Only then do I notice that it’s Sebastian.
I try to slap him. “Asshole!”
I only get one hit in before he grabs both of my wrists and pins them down on my chest. “Stop. Listen to me.”
“No! First, you shoot at me. Then he shoots at us, and then I hear you yell at each other that you’re both hunting me? I’m not going to spend any second longer with you!” I push him away. Surprisingly, he flinches and backs off. That was too easy.
He frowns, grinding his teeth. “Don’t fucking run from me. Run away from them, but not from me. Not anymore.” He grabs his gun from the ground and points it at me.
“How can I trust that you won’t just use me and then kill me somewhere in the woods anyway? Somewhere no one can find my body?”
“Because I fucking need you,” he snaps. “And yes, I will kill you if you don’t come with me. I will not let anyone else have you. Ever.”
I swallow as he gets off me. He helps me up from the ground, too, even though he’s making a face while doing it. The muscles in his arm are weakened. Red stains darken his coat. He watches me with raised gun, pinpointing my next movement, which I don’t even know. All I hear are his shallow breaths and groans.
“You’re hurt.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Not now,” he growls. “We have to get out of here.”
“Right.”
I turn around, trying to walk away, but he grabs my arms and holds me down again.
“I didn’t say you could go without me.” He pushes the barrel of the gun into my back.
“But why? Why do you care? You’re one of them!”
“Not by choice.”
“So, you’re not out to kill me?”
“No.”
“But you are one of them. So then, you call them and tell them to stop.”
“No, I can’t, and it won’t help one bit. Once they have something in their minds, they have to do it. It’s in their nature.”
I groan and sigh. “What do they want with me then?”
“Either they kill you or they take you with them. You jumped from the train when I told you not to. This is what happens when you don’t listen to me.”
“They’re coming after me? For running away from you?”
“Exactly, and neither of us wants you in their claws,” he says. “Now, are you going to come with me quietly, without a fight, or do I have to shoot you in the leg and carry you over my shoulder? Because, by God, I will do it if it means that you’ll come easily.” He takes the barrel away from my back as I let out a big breath.
I nod.
“Good.”
He hauls me with him, and I almost tumble over from the ferocity in his stride.
“Jesus, I can’t believe you’d go that far to keep me away from them.”