The Red Doll

CHAPTER 38

****Revon's POV****

I don't know how many hours have passed. I don't even know if it's day or night. We haven't moved from our spot on the floor at all. I stopped crying, but Aria is still holding me in her arms, rubbing my back in circular motions, trying to make sure that I'm ok.

I don't want to get up. I just want to freeze time and live inside this moment forever. It would be so much easier to just forget about everything else and to just remain here forever with Aria. Just the two of us. We could stop worrying about The Lions, about gangs and fights. Because as long as I know she's here with me, then I don't need anything else. But I know that's not possible. As much as I want it to be, it isn't.

I slowly pull away from Aria, getting up in a sitting position. I rub my eyes because they were stinging from all the crying and I look at Aria. She's staring back at me, concern and sadness plastered all over her face. I can tell that she has been crying too, and I suddenly feel bad for dragging her all the way here just to console me.

"Revon," she says my name with a gentle voice, cupping my face with her hands. "What happened, exactly?" she asks me.

I sigh, trying to stop the lump forming in my throat at simply remembering.

****5 hours ago****

I'm pacing around in my room, waiting for a message from the guy I assigned with taking the weapons back to our gang. I'm trying my best to remain calm, but he should have messaged me about 6 hours ago, so I can't help but get a bad feeling and think that something went wrong.

But what could have possibly gone wrong? Did The Lions track him down? Did he get into an accident? Or did something even worse happen?

I always follow my gut instinct, but right now, my gut instinct is telling me that something bad is about to happen. No, not simply something bad, but the beginning of a lot of bad things.

I sigh, sitting down on my bad and trying to make these thoughts go away. There's no use in making scenarios like these in my head. I'm just being paranoid.

But then my phone begins ringing and I can almost feel electricity running through my body. Something happened. Something bad happened. I accept the call, putting the phone up to my ear.

"Mister Thorn," the voice of the guy that I sent with the weapons says.

I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. Just by the tone in his voice I can tell that I was right. Something happened. "Yes?" I impatiently ask.

There's a brief silence, making my anxiety grow even bigger. "I successfully delivered the weapons," he begins saying, "however, when I got here, your father was not feeling well. His health has rapidly been declining, and..." he stops for a second, struggling to pick his words. "Your father passed away an hour ago," he finishes.

I can feel my entire world stop spinning. I drop my phone and fall to the ground, struggling to breathe. My father. My father; the one who raised me. The one who always tried to protect me. The only family I have left. He's dead.

He's been struggling with fighting cancer for the past few years, but I never thought that he would actually lose this battle. No, he can't be dead. It has to be a mistake. We didn't kill The Lions yet. He asked me to get revenge for his wife; to do something he couldn't. He promised me he would wait for my return. He fucking promised me.

I can feel tears beginning to slide down my cheeks. My hands are shaking and my vision is blurry. It's over. I'm all alone now. There's no point in anything anymore. I sob, putting my knees up to my chest, unable to do anything else.

But then a name flashes through my mind, making me jolt up and reach for my phone, dialing her number. Aria.

****Aria's POV****

Revon finishes explaining everything to me, tears running down his cheeks again and I can feel my heart breaking again. I pull him close to me, letting him rest his head on my chest while I'm stroking his hair and holding his hand.

"I am so sorry," I whisper, knowing that it wouldn't bring him any comfort but still feeling the need to tell him that.

He caresses my hand with his thumb, starting to calm down again.

"I can't even go to his funeral," he says. "They said he will be buried when we finish the mission, so we can all attend his funeral."

I look down at him, feeling the urge to burst into tears. All because of this fucking mission; no, because of The Lions, Revon couldn't be there with his father in his last moments alive. I can feel that old rage breaking to the surface, my hatred for The Lions making me shake.

I grab Revon's face, making him look at me. I wipe away his tears with my thumbs, lowering my face to his, leaving a small kiss on the tip of his nose, then pressing my forehead against his. "I promise you that I'll kill that fucker as soon as I can. We're going to finally end this," I say, looking him in the eyes with a serious look, letting him know that I'm not joking. Then, I soften my gaze, giving him a small smile and pecking him on the lips. "But before I do that, I'll stay here with you for however long you need me to. I'll stay by your side, Revon," I promise him.

He stares at me for a moment, his eyes looking like wet grass, curiously studying my face. Then he gives me a sweet smile, making me melt.

"Thank you," he says, getting up and helping me lay on the bed next to him, then burying his head in the crook of my neck again. "Thank you for everything," he whispers, planting a small, delicate kiss on the side of my face, holding me close to him.

I close my eyes, smiling, feeling his heartbeats against my own chest. I can feel his soft breaths on my neck. Oh, how I've come to appreciate those delicate things: the soft thumps of his heart pumping life into him; his breaths steadying as he's falling asleep; his eyes lighting up with life. The very things I swore to kill.

I have come to appreciate his life more than my own, for there's still hope in his heart. He has so many reasons to live for. So many people to care about. His life has meaning. But mine? I'm just an empty shell, stumbling in the dark after revenge. That's the only reason for my life. I'm doomed to be nothing but an ugly monster who ruthlessly kills those who have wronged her. But he somehow managed to fill in that void I've been feeling; he makes me feel alive. When I'm with him, I'm not The Red Doll, I'm simply Aria. So, how am I supposed to end his life anymore? How could I ever be the one to make all those beautiful things stop? To squeeze that beautiful life out of him?

I hold him closer to me, inhaling his scent. I'm holding him tight, like I'm trying to protect him from all the bad things in the world. Like I'm trying to protect him from myself.

To be continued...

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