Fallen Ashes |✔️

Anarchist

Venus

I let out a sound that was a mix of laughter and a sob as the flashing red and blue hues of the police vehicles outside partially illuminated the room.

Nobody moved for a moment, as if contemplating their next moves. 

"Grab her and get the hell out of here." Myra grumbled, hissing commands at her few remaining conscious guards. 

"Get the fuck out of my face." Ash growled at Myra and Vero who made the wise decision to escape without a trace. 

"You're going to pay for this you little bitch." Vero spat at Zoe before speeding up his exit at the sight of Pax and Ash's daggers aimed for his throat. 

"There's no stopping what I'm going to do to you, Venus Castellanos." Myra made no notice of the daggers and guns aimed at her lightly scarred face before striding out of the room after giving me an intoxicating sweet smile that promised death. 

Ash didn't chase after them and opted to almost leap towards me, grabbing my hands before he let me breathe in his scent- a smell of freshness, rosewood and something like black coffee. 

"I thought you were fucking dead." he whispered against my ear, his callused fingers intertwining with mine. 

"It would have been easier If I was." I whispered back, my heart giving a pained twist at the sight of the wounded look in his eyes. 

"You don't mean that. For a second i- I thought I'd never see you again. I'd fucking set the world on fire for you and you know it. I would-" he began, his words turning into a desperate proclamation of his love, the words he thought he'd never get to say to me again. 

And that's what I was afraid of, I wanted to say. Venus Castellanos being alive or dead would someday destroy the world- how many more lives lost or attacks would we have to face before they got what they wanted? Vero had his own vendetta against me- but Myra? She'd become a mafia boss- a queen, she'd called herself. 

Perhaps underestimating her had allowed her to become such a threat- but her motives remained unclear. The purpose in her eyes was similar to what I'd once seen in my own- she had a personal rivalry to settle, and I knew some hidden truths in the underworld were yet to surface.

I wondered how far any of them would go to kill me- I was never one to back away from a fight and yet now a vulnerable part of me wanted to whisper back to Ash that they would set the world on fire just to burn me. But it wasn't my life I feared getting consumed by the flames. It was him- and my friends in the room who'd walk through hell to save me again. 

"I like this one." Zoe whispered into my ear before I crushed her into a brace, our laughs and sobs playing some dark melody in anticipation of what lay ahead of us. 

"I'd have never found you in time if it wasn't for his message." Ash gestured to Pax who nodded meekly, his olive skin looking slightly blushed after receiving recognition from the prince of scars. 

"Thank you." I half-muttered to everyone as I leaned into Domino, his tense body finally starting to relax as his eyes hinted at another story I needed to hear. 

"Let's get out of here." Ash persuaded. 

"Is the prince of scars afraid of a few cops?" Domino tutted with amusement. 

"I doubt any of us have clear records, little boy." Ash jabbed in return as I nudged him playfully, finally able to laugh as we made our way out of there together. 

"Little boy?" Domino guffawed as I moved closer to Ash.

"Everything is going to work out." Ash promised, his mouth hot against mine. I wanted to believe him, but the sinking feeling that was eating away at me told me we were in a sinking ship that was destined to capsize.