The Sinful Scream

45 - loving you

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Third Person POV

Bang!

The echoes of a gunshot reverberated off the walls, leaving Maddox paralyzed with shock and fear. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, the ringing in his ears unbearably shrill. Lying flat on the cool ground, droplets of sweat rolled down his back as adrenaline coursed through his body. It took a few minutes for him to regain full awareness as the shock wore off.

When he did, he felt a crushing weight on his chest flooding him with warmth. His head was pounding, and when he attempted to sit up it felt as though something was pushing him back down with equal force. The warehouse was now eerily silent, and Maddox slowly opened his eyes to survey the scene. His heart rate immediately spiked as he realized what had been holding him down. Ace's body was slumped over Maddox's, bloody and limp.

"Fuck!" Maddox boomed, using all of his strength to lift both of them from the ground.

Ace's eyes were fluttering open and closed as Maddox leaned him against a wall and felt his neck for a pulse. It was there, but faint, his breathing shallow. Scanning Ace's body for injuries, Maddox realized that the profuse bleeding was coming from a large bullet wound in his chest.

"Hold on," Maddox's voice shook as he spoke. He removed his shirt and pressed the material against the wound to stem the bleeding. Upon hearing Maddox's voice, Ace's eyes opened slightly as he shook his head back and forth.

Ace tried to speak, his voice raspy and barely above a whisper. "I-" He coughed, choking up blood.

"Ace, shut up." Maddox applied more pressure to the wound with one hand and urgently searched his back pockets for his phone with the other. A sudden realization struck him; He'd left it in the car and had no lifeline.

Ace weakly replied between gasps, "I'm... sorry..."

As his eyes closed for the final time, Ace took his last breath. A profound emptiness engulfed Maddox's entire being as he watched the life leave his brother's body. He was speechless, unable to move a muscle. The newfound silence was deafening, in stark contrast to the chaos that ensued just minutes prior.

The hand Maddox was using to apply pressure to the bullet wound went limp, falling to Ace's side. It felt as though everything had frozen in time, leaving Maddox in a peculiar in-between state. Reality felt unreal, and any dreamlike state he could possibly slip into seemed equally elusive. Numbness crept up in his fingertips, enveloping his entire body as he grappled with the shock.

Staring blankly ahead, Maddox had no reaction when the warehouse doors opened and the sound of footsteps grew nearer.

"Knight?" Jay called. Earlier that day, Maddox had informed him that he was going to see Ace at the warehouse. He also expressed his indecision on how to handle the situation, to which Jay advised him that it was his decision, but to think it through carefully.

Jay stopped in his tracks upon seeing Maddox sitting shirtless on the ground.

Maddox remained unresponsive, not looking toward the sound of Jay's voice. He rounded the corner and stood in silence taking in the scene before him. Ace's lifeless body lay against the wall, a bloody shirt on the ground beside him. Maddox sat across from Ace, a dazed expression on his face and blood covering his hands. Jay slowly crouched down beside Maddox, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. His skin was cold to the touch, chest heaving.

Turning his head towards Jay, Maddox's glassy eyes met his. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Jay nodded in understanding, "I've got it."

Standing up, Jay offered Maddox his hand. Maddox took it, allowing Jay to pull him up. He stood on shaking legs, Jay's arm around his shoulders as the two made their way to the exit.

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    Renee sat on her couch, reading a book. The room itself was rather dim, with just enough light emitted by a lamp for her to read comfortably. Savannah went out for dinner with her family, while Renee had a quiet dinner at home and settled in for the night.

The doorbell rang, making her jump. She placed the book face down to save her page, and swiftly went to answer the door. Maddox stood before her with messy hair, his face unusually pale. As soon as she saw him, Renee rushed towards Maddox, pulling him into a warm, comforting embrace.

"Hello," She said into his chest as he hugged her back.

Maddox was quiet as the two stood in the doorway holding one another. She felt his chest heaving as he sniffled. Despite not being able to see his face, she immediately knew something wasn't right. As she pulled away slightly, her eyes met his. Tears were already rolling down his face, making her panic. She had never seen him this way.

Taking his hand, she brought him inside and closed the door behind them. She led him to the couch and sat beside him, tears silently flowing down his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" She spoke softly, holding his face in her hands.

Maddox saw so much love in her gaze, clashing with the hatred he felt toward himself at that moment.

"Ace is dead," He choked out. Maddox leaned forward, burying his head in the crook of her neck as he sobbed.

"Oh, Maddox..." Renee whispered, rubbing his back.

His tears slowed, and he lifted his head to look at her.

"He fought with me to get my gun, and it went off. I tried to save him," Maddox began.

"Fuck!" He shouted, anger and sadness coalescing. "I don't know what I wanted. He almost killed me, he hurt you!"

"But..." Maddox held his head in his hands, sniffling.

"He was your brother," Renee concluded.

Maddox looked at her, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. He felt powerless, stupid. Nodding silently, he took Renee into his arms and held her close to him. The two sat in silence for a moment, Renee providing Maddox with so much comfort by just being there.

Maddox spoke, his voice thick with tears. "I hate myself. I hate the things I've done..."

Renee sat up, placing her hands firmly on his chest. "No, Maddox-" She started, but he silenced her with a gentle finger placed against her lips.

"Loving you is the only thing I've ever done right."