Vengeance

Chapter 31

Ava's POV

"Ryan!" I called out in surprise and relief. 

He was looking exceptionally attractive in the tuxedo with white rose. I quickly went from scared to hopeful. His silver-grey eyes held rage and frustration. His jaws were clenched and fists were balled. I stood there very still fearing that even my slightest movement could slit my throat.
His eyes moved away from the piece of mirror held at my neck and met mine.
I was trying to read into them but just couldn't.
He took one step towards me but was stopped by Arthur. 

"Don't you dare to come near us! One more step and she dies!" 

Ryan stiffened and leaned towards us extending his left arm slowly.
"Listen, she has nothing to do with any of this, let her go." 

Arthur took one step backwards pulling me with him, tightening his hand that gripped both of mine behind my back.
"No! Where is father? I won't let her go." Arthur asked him. 

Ryan completely ignored his question and slowly moved one more step towards us.
"NO! I said stay back!" Arthur yelled in panic. 

I felt the mirror prick my skin and wetness trickled down my neck.
"R-Ryan.." I pleaded in fear. His eyes moved towards the blood covering the left side of my face and then towards my neck. "Please.." I begged him. 

"There is no way you can get out of here alive, Arthur. Drop it and let her go." Ryan said to him. 

"If that's so, then I would take her with me." Arthur looked at me with a smile. 

"No!" Ryan shouted. For the first time, I saw some trace of fear in his eyes. 

Was he scared for my life?
Why is that making my heart soar?
Aves, your emotions have terrible timing. Seriously, girl!
Focus on not getting yourself killed!

Ryan was slightly moving towards us, while Arthur continued to threaten him. I noticed something in all that, Ryan was continuously glancing downwards and then again staring at me. 

What was he doing? Was he trying to tell me something? What's on the floor? 

I gave him a questioning look as he engaged Arthur in some argument.
He tapped the heel of his shoe on the floor slightly.

What?? Why is he pointing downwards and tapping his heel?
Wait a minute!
HEEL!
He was not pointing at the floor he was glancing at my heels!
He wants me to step on his foot!
Genius!

From the look on my face, he knew I got what he was trying to say. He continued distracting Arthur with the argument while I tried looking towards Arthur's foot without moving my head too much.
When I was positive about it, I gave a slight nod at him.
I gulped and took a deep breath.

Come on, Ava! With all your strength, step on his foot!

With that I quickly lifted up my right leg and stomped my pencil heel on Arthur's right foot with all my strength.
And then everything happened so fast.

Arthur shouted loudly in pain, his grip on me was lost, the mirror piece fell on the floor. Within the blink of my eyes, Ryan pulled me towards him and away from Arthur's reach.
I lost control over my balance when he pulled me, and fell directly into his hard chest.
Even though I could hear Arthur's painful cries, all I could really register in my mind was Ryan's familiar cologne.
A sense of security and trust filled my heart.
I looked up from his chest into his eyes and saw him staring back at me.
Like past every encounter, I was mesmerized.
His eyes held worry and pain.
I felt his thumb on my right cheek wiping away the tear that had left my eyes, unknowingly.

We were so lost in each other that, we never heard Arthur getting up. He took us by surprise when he punched Ryan, making him stumble backwards.
But Ryan was quick to recover and hit back Arthur with even more strength.
I stood their shocked looking at them fighting with so much rage.
Ryan had turned into a merciless, untamed beast.
"How dare you touch her? How dare you hurt her? I will kill you!" 

There was madness in his eyes.
Like he had unleashed all the buried frustration of many years at once. 

"Ryan! No!" I shouted but none of them listened. 

Ryan had held Arthur against the dressing table of the room and was punching into his face nonstop. His knuckles had blood on them. Arthur's face was turning black and blue.  Blood dripped down from his mouth.
And then I saw Arthur grabbing one of the flower vase on the table and bringing it towards Ryan in order to hit him.
My eyes widened in fear. 

"NO!" I screamed and started moving towards them in order to stop him.
But before I could reach him, I heard two gunshots from my left.

I went completely still with shock, as the bullets went into Arthur's right shoulder and upper arm, which held the vase.
His blood splattered on Ryan and the vase fell on the floor with a loud crash breaking into several pieces.
He fell on the floor with a thud, on his side, barely conscious.

I kept staring at him. Ryan came in front of me. He held the sides of my face with both his hands but my eyes were still stuck at Arthur's laying bleeding body on the floor.
Ryan moved my face towards him and made me look into his eyes.
He was nodding at me, I looked at his mouth. His lips were moving. He was saying something. I glanced back into his concern filled eyes. 

"Breathe, Ava. Breathe." I heard him say. I was getting out of the shock slowly.
I took slow breaths like he said.

Someone shot Arthur.
Someone saved us.
It was not Ryan.
Then Who?

I looked towards my left and saw a male figure. The first thing I saw was gun in his right hand. I moved my eyes upwards to see he was wearing a similar tuxedo, like Ryan's just different colour. 
And then I slowly moved upwards to see his face. My eyes met his.  

Ocean blue eyes.

My heart stopped as recognition hit me.

"Lorenzo."