A Red Rose and A Silver Sin

4. Dallas

I watched her and Harlowe fold themselves into the kitchen.

They tried to whisper, but a few words peeked out from here and there.

Scary, dangerous, fighting, life. Each of them was worse than the last, another blow to the gut with each thing I overheard.

At one point, I heard Freya start outright yelling.

"No, no way in hell, I don't care how–" she cut herself off before she could finish the statement.

After a long minutes of silence, she glared back at Harlowe before stalking back into the room.

I should never have come here, should never have said anything or gotten involved or...

"Listen," Freya said, sighing as she ran a hand through her curly copper hair. It shimmered in the sunlight that poured through the window. "How closely do you think these people are watching you?"

I licked my lips, fighting the urge to apologies for the hundredth time. "Very closely."

Harlowe cut in, "Do you think you could get away, even for a second, like, get out of view?"

I shook my head, blond hair falling over my eyes as I hung my head. Looking up at them from lowered lashes, I said, "I dunno. It depends on how long whatever you're planning would take, and–"

Before I could even finish the sentence, I heard a clang outside the window. The sound of a body thumbing against metal. The sound of footsteps echoed outside. Lifting up the back of my shirt, I pulled out a gun.

"Holy shit, you have a gun?" Harlowe yelled, leaning closer to me.

I glared at her, "Be quiet, would you?" I didn't mean to sound so angry, but I was to my wits end with these people. It had been less than a month in the city and they had already found me. Already cornered me. Looking down at Freya, I couldn't help but feel bad for her, she looked so scared.

"Here," I nodded towards the rooms behind me, "go in there, I'll protect you."

"Hell, no," Freya said, lunging through the kitchen doorway to grab one of the largest steak knives. "You've done enough."

"I'm sorry, I just–"

She cut in, "Slash, don't stab, right?"

I nodded, turning towards Harlowe. "You get a knife, too."

The redhead nodded, but before they could make it into the kitchen, a dark came whizzing through the window into her neck. She grew dizzy within the second, and I watched her hit the ground.

"What the hell–" Who had even opened the window? But my comment was cut off by the sound of footsteps and the door tipping over on its hinges. "Freya get behind me."

But it was too late. I saw twenty men enter, each pointing a gun at her head.

She was frozen in shock, unable to move and unable to fight.

"Just put the gun down, Dallas," my brother said, crawling in through the window. His armor was tight around him, almost invisible under his shit and pants. "And she won't get hurt."

"Leo," I ground out, but I knew this fight was over.

"This is your last warning," he said, and I heard the sound of twenty bullets clicking into place.

She whimpered, flinching away from the closest gun, but only ending up in the path of three others. I could see tears in her wide brown eyes as she silently begged me to drop my weapon.

"They'll both be okay?" I asked, watching him. There was no point in lying, if he wanted to kill them he could.

Leo sighed, "As much as you'd like to claim otherwise, we aren't monsters, Dallas. Drop your weapon and the girls will be fine."

"No harm will come to either of them?"

"Three," he said, monotone and deadpanned. "Two–"

I dropped my gun to the floor before he'd even finished the word.

He nodded towards me before turning to his men. "Tie 'm up, boys," he said, twirling a finger in the air.

My eyes went wide as I saw a man kick Freya in the back of the knee. She fell to the ground, her knife clattering at my feet before I could save her.

I turned to Leo and bellowed, "You said no harm–"

He nodded, "I know, but like it or not, they have to come with us now thanks to you. They are already witnesses, and so, they need to disappear for a little while."

I was left gaping at him, wanting so badly to scoop Freya's knife from the ground and sink it into his chest. But I knew it would do me no good. Instead I was forced to watch as we were forced down into two black cars and carried away. My hands were cuffed, my legs too, and the dark tint on the windows beside me made it almost impossible to escape.

My eyes fell upon the doors and windows of every building as they slowly flickered to life with the setting sun. I watched the richer side of the city fade until only a bleak darkness remained. Bleak, and yet, familiar.

As we entered the city of Hart, I knew I'd lost. I was coming home.

What do you think??? Do you think they will all be okay? Will Freya be able to forgive Dallas?

Lemme know what you think in the comments!