How Could You? - An Everlark AU

Chapter 21

Gale’s P.O.V. 

It’s been almost a month since the break out. I have kept things low key. And try to be out of sight. Which so far, I have been. I still keep my distance and don’t go out a lot. I can’t see my family, or Katniss. Even though I want to. I want to apologize. Tell them I never meant to. Especially to Katniss. I hurt her so much. Did terrible things to her and ruined her life. She’ll always hurt from my actions towards her. And I feel terrible. I know she is probably afraid of me. And won’t accept my apology. But I just need to. Even if nothing will change. I am going around the city in 12, when I see Prim out with who I am assuming is her boyfriend. She has gifts from him and is really happy. Valentine’s Day is her favorite holiday, Katniss told me once. They walk down the street hand in hand. All of the sudden, a black suburban with tinted windows pulls up beside them. Guys in masks get out and force Prim into the car, hurting her in the process. They beat up her boyfriend and threw him into the car trunk, then sped away. I catch sight of the license plate. 

‘Oh God, not them again.’ I think. 

They are the guys who have a deal in with Katniss’s family. Things must’ve gone south for them to come back. And to take Prim. I hurry to my car and drive to follow them. I have to stop them from hurting Katniss and her family. Enough has happened because of me. They don’t need anything more to go wrong. And when the mafia of Coriolanus Snow is ever involved with anything…..things always go bad. Always. He shows no mercy. And will not hesitate to kill. I’ve seen what he can do….. and it isn’t good. And if his wife, Alma Coin, is involved…...things are definitely not good. I follow them close, yet far away. I don’t want them to know I am following them. Then they would send people after me next. They get onto their street and I park a few houses down. They throw things in the window of their house. One forces Prim out and holds a knife to her throat. I can see them talking, but can’t hear. They go inside their home. I get out and go inside, without even thinking of the consequences of trying to stop the most powerful mafia in Panem. 

“Let her go!” I yell at him, pulling out a gun. 

“Gale?” I hear Katniss gasp from behind me.

I spin around to face her as she stands in the doorway with tears streaming down her face as the intruders continue to ransack the house around us. I fire a round of shots, careful not to shoot anyone else other than the mafia who all duck behind furniture as bullets bury themselves deep into the walls around us. They fire back with more force and deadlier bullets.

Katniss’s P.O.V

It all happens so fast. A person uses a spray gun, the type that induces cardiac arrest as it sprays cyanide capsules. Gale falls to the ground, as the gang jumps through the broken windows, holding the money they wanted and leaving us with the damage they caused.

‘It’s ok, they’re not gonna hurt you anymore.’ Danny whispers gently, ‘it’s all over. They’ve gone.’

He hugs me tightly as multiple cop cars and an ambulance pulls up outside the house, followed by four cars from which the familiar faces of Jorel, George, Jordan, and Dylan as they make their way towards the house. They eye the now ruined windows of the house as the police border the house with yellow ‘Do Not Cross’ tape.

‘Dude! What happened to her-?'  Jorel stops in his tracks when he sees Peeta, ‘Kat, what’s that thing doing here?’ Jorel spits, ‘thought we didn’t associate ourselves with lowlife scum like himself?’

‘Look, just forget about that now, alright?!’ I finally say what I’ve always wanted to since they started acting like even younger kids, forever arguing and fighting. Hell, even Ruby is more mature than them and she’s only a few months old!, ‘all of you stop it with your bickering and cussing each other out!’