"I know what both of you are planning. You think I wouldn't find out? You stupid, stupid boys."
I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach and goosebumps erupt over my skin as I realise he knows. An unfamiliar feeling sets in my stomach - fear. Amil waves his hand at the two men sat on the couch and they immediately stand up. My eyes dart towards them and I watch them carefully, narrowing my eyes.
"Get the girl." Amil nods taking a step back and my eyes widen as I now realise how he'd take revenge, Emily. I hear a clatter as the knife she's holding falls to the ground.
I let out a threatening growl and lunge for the first guy, my fist flying backwards and smashing into his skull. He immediately falls to the floor, clutching his head before he stands back up, charging at me. I block his punch and dive underneath his next one before kicking him into his sides. Pain shoots through my body but even though I'm bruised and battered, I'm still quicker and stronger than him.
I turn to see Tobias fighting the other one as Emily remained rooted to the spot in the corner, her eyes wide.
"Emily, run! Upstairs, now!" I yell at her and she nods. I don't get a chance to watch her leave as another punch is landed on the side of my jaw, making me see black spots in my vision. Another punch comes flying out and connects with my stomach, knocking the breath out of me. I wheeze and splutter, coughing as the pain became unbearable.
He takes his chance and punched me again in the side of my head, causing it to spin. I groan as he landed blow after blow, breaking me.
"Jake, get up!" Tobias screams as he fights off the other one. I pull myself to my feet using the couch and try to scan the room for Emily. My vision blurs and I can barely see.
I reach for my gun and pull it out, pulling it back. My head spins painfully and I struggle to make out the blurred shapes. I yell out in frustration, knowing my aim isn't accurate enough to fire.
I can't risk shooting Tobias or Emily.
Another kick lands on my head causing me to drop the gun instantly, hearing it crash to the ground. A sickening crunch sound echoes in my ears before my world completely blacks out.
Chapter Sixty Six - Confrontation.
Tobias' POV -
My heart drops hearing Amil is aware of our plan. Clearly one of the boys told him, going against Jake's and my trust. I hiss as the guy I'm fighting punches me backwards onto the glass table, causing it to shatter and pierce through the skin on my arms. I growl loudly, looking down at my arm that's now pouring with blood.
"You really shouldn't have done that."
My words are quiet, dripping with danger. My eyes travel to an unconscious Jake on the floor and the guy he's fighting, who's equally as knocked out. His head is spinning and he holds out his hand to grip onto something to steady himself.
"Jake!" I yell, attempting to wake him up. I kick the guy who's lunging for me once again and cause him to stumble as I buy myself more time. My eyes scan the room frantically, searching for Emily.
She's disappeared, along with Amil.
"Emily!?" I shout loudly, the desperation in me rising. I clench my teeth and lunge for the guy, drop kicking him to the floor. I completely lose my temper, my breathing becoming heavy and erratic. I kick him over and over again, stomping on his face until his cries die down. Blood trickles from his mouth and I finally pull back, taking a second to catch my breath.
I run over to Jake and study the cut on his head before clenching my jaw tightly and grabbing the gun he dropped.
Trust Jake to be the only one with any common sense and bring a weapon with him.
I run out of the room, taking one last look at Jake before realising I have to get to Emily first. Jake won't ever forgive me if Amil laid his filthy hands on her. I know Amil too well, he's causing Jake pain by hurting someone he truly cares for.
And that someone is Emily.
Now I realised how stupid it was of us not to see what Amil was planning to do. He know's Jake worships the ground Emily walks on, he know's he would risk his life for her. I pound up the stairs, desperately listening out for any sound to guide me of their whereabouts.
"Emily!" I yell, my voice bouncing off the walls. I yell out in frustration as silence surrounds me and I charge down the hallway, kicking each door down before checking the next one. The only sounds I can hear is my heavy breathing and the smashing of doors.
I finally reach Jake's room and freeze outside, leaning closer to listen in. I can hear muffled voices on the other side and I silently pray that she's still alive and unharmed. I stand back and charge at the door, my leg raised. It takes two kicks before it finally flies off its hinges, landing on the floor with a loud bang.
I immediately raise Jake's gun, holding it securely in my hands. I step inside the room and my eyes land on her in the corner. She's curled up on the floor, eyes wide with fear. Blood trickles from her skull and I feel my stomach tighten in knots from the sight of her.
My eyes travel further up, landing on Amil's which hold an evil glint in them. He's stood behind her, gripping tightly onto her hair with one hand.
His other hand holds a knife to her throat.
The blade glistens, mocking me. I know that if I make one wrong move, he would skim the knife across her throat without a second thought, letting the blood drain from her neck until her heart finally stopped. . . Like an animal.
"Put the gun down Tobias." Amil says firmly, pressing the blade of the knife further against her skin. She whimpers loudly, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. The sound of her pained cries causes my heart to clench with pain.
So I do as he asks, placing the gun directly onto the floor next to my feet. I kick it to the side, away from reaching distance and hold my hands up in the air as surrender. I slowly get onto my knees, holding my hands above my head.
"You've got me, now let her go."
My heart clenches tightly as she stares straight at me, her eyes widening further with fear. She tries to shake her head at me in protest. She doesn't want me giving myself up to Amil.
"Jake needs you Emily, don't move." I say sadly and she cries out once again, the sound causing my heart to ache further. Amil's laughter fills the room as he glances between Emily and I, his eyes flickering. He suddenly begins choking as he laughs hysterically, his eyes shimmering with humour.
"Holy fucking shit! You love her too!" He yells at me mockingly and I glare at him, my teeth clenched with anger.
"No, I don't."
I shake my head, my eyes never leaving his. Telling Amil I have any sort of feelings for her would give him the final reason to take Emily and Jake may never get her back.
"Take me Amil." I tell him firmly, my voice emotionless and flat.
"I've already had my fun with you, remember?" Amil sneers at me, his lip curling up in disgust. I hang my head low, my hair falling over my eyes as I knew exactly what he's talking about. The horrid scar I've been left with inches away from my heart will always remind me of Amil.
"I remember . . . You're pure evil, I can't even look at you anymore without feeling disgusted." I spit out towards him and the glint in his eye only deepens as he enjoyed my harsh words towards him.
"You wanted to leave your family. You pay the ultimate price for leaving your family Tobias. In my eyes, you're lucky because you're still breathing, no?" He smirks and my fingers twitch to punch him in that smug little face of his.
"I was your best man!" I yell angrily, my hands still hanging above my head.
"And you chose to leave!" He hits back, his voice bouncing off the walls. His lips twist upwards into a hateful sneer and I know his revenge isn't done.
"I treated you like a brother and you shot me!" I confront him, my tone rising.
"You shot me and you almost killed me!" I yell, angry tears falling from my face. My chest rises heavily as I stare him in the eyes, my own full of sadness and grief.
"My best friend shot me! Do you know how messed up I am because of you?! Huh? Do you have any idea?" I yell loudly, the tears running
faster down my cheeks. Emily stares at me silently, her mouth slightly parted in shock. I tear my eyes off her. I don't want her to see me so broken, so true to the real Tobias.
My eyes drift back up to Amil's to find his expression emotionless, unreadable. His eyes darken dramatically and he watches me from under his dark lashes. He suddenly releases Emily, removing the knife away from her throat. She falls onto her knees, sobbing in relief before she quickly runs to the other end of the room. I breathe out the breath I'm holding, knowing she's okay for now.
"Emily get out of here. Get Jake and leave the house." I tell her over my shoulder, my eyes still trained on Amil. I hear her stand up to do as I tell her but Amil holds a hand up to her, stopping her in her tracks.
"You're not going anywhere sweetheart."
"Let her go Amil, it's me you want."
"No, no, no... It's you and Jake I want." He corrects me, shaking his head.
"You wanted to kill me, huh? How is your plan going?" He mocks me and I breathe heavily, my eyes falling to the floor where the gun lay. I could grab it within a second and shoot him before he has the chance to move. As if he can read my mind, he stands quickly, scurrying towards the gun before picking it up.
I close my eyes as I realise this is it.
Game over.
I feel the familiar cold gun metal press against my temple.
"Tell me why I shouldn't shoot you," he hisses, bending down so he was level with my ear.
"Begging isn't really my strong point."
My words are blunt, emotionless. I don't want to give into him, I don't want to show fear anymore. He presses the gun further into my temple, breaking the skin and I hiss, feeling the sting of a fresh cut.
All of a sudden, a loud bang followed by Amil's groans filled the room. The gun instantly drops to the floor and I turn, in shock, watching as his body slumps to the floor.
My eyes widen as they land on Emily who's standing over us, Jake's metal bat clutched tightly in her hands. She looks down at Amil, his head split open, blood trickling down his hair and onto the floor. She slaps a hand over her mouth, falling to her knees as her eyes never leave his body.
"Oh. My. God," she whispers, her panicked eyes falling on mine. She stands to her feet, dropping the bat before running over to help me off the floor.
"Are you okay?" She asks, pulling me into a tight hug and I nod silently as I stare at the back of my former gang leaders body. She pulls back, falling by Amil's side and moves him sideways, checking the pulse in his neck. I silently watch her, waiting for her reaction as I already know he has no future left. Her face drains of colour and she turns white as she stands back up off the floor, backing herself as far away from him as she could.
"I've killed him Tobias!" She gasps, her eyes wide with panic and fear.
"He's dead!"
Chapter Sixty Seven - Freedom.
Tobias' POV -
"Emily! It's okay!" I yell, reassuring her. I walk up to her, prying her arms away from her face so she can look straight into my eyes.
"It's okay," I repeat and she looks around, her eyes big and wild.
"It's not okay! I just killed a man Tobias! I took his life!" She yells, panicking. I grip onto her tightly, pulling her into my chest. She clutches my shirt, her tears adding to the blood stains that were already mixed deep into the fabric.
"Shh. It's okay! You'll be okay," I reassure her, knowing how the pain felt. I knew she wasn't violent on the inside, just an innocent soul who'd been dragged into a living hell. I pull her back, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear. I tilt her chin up and search her eyes, watching as they calm down.
"You saved my life," I tell her firmly, never letting my eyes drop from hers. She nods silently, tears drying on her face.
"He was an evil man, right?" Emily questions and I nod, giving her a warm smile.
"Yeah, he was an evil man," I whisper back, wiping the last of her tears away with my thumb. I lean forward and place a soft kiss onto her forehead, letting my lips linger on her skin. She tenses underneath me but doesn't protest and I know I haven't crossed a line this time. I pull back and take her hand in mine, gently tugging her forward.
"Come on, we need to see if Jake is okay." I say softly and she nods blankly, letting me guide her down the stairs. We both walk slowly, carefully taking the steps one by one. I can feel how tense Emily is beside me, her body shaking from the nights events.
"It's going to be okay," I whisper, squeezing her hand gently. She nod: and we both enter the chaos that was once our living room. I look around at the shattered furniture, glass, television and the two guys lying unconscious on the floor along with Jake. Blood stains the carpet and I shake my head at the disaster —
"Mum is going to lose her shit." I mumble, my eyes wide at the mess in her room. I feel Emily still beside me and I turn to find her biting the inside of her cheek, holding back a laugh. Her eyes meet mine and she finally bursts out laughing, her eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm so sorry, if I don't laugh, I'll cry."
Her smile is infectious and soon enough I'm laughing alongside her, both our sounds filling the room as we make our way towards Jake who's slowly stirring awake. His eyes snap open, panic settling inside him once he remembers what was happening.
"Emily?" He yells out, sitting up straighter. Once his gaze falls on Emily, he stops yelling and stares at her, his shoulders slumped in relief.
"Why are you two laughing? Is that a good sign?" He asks, frowning at both of us. I look at Emily and back at Jake, nodding my head.
"Amil's dead, he's gone Jake." I say finally, shaking my head in disbelief. I can't believe that it's all finally over. Jake's jaw falls open as he attempts to pull himself up off the floor. Emily runs forward to his aid and helps him up, swinging one arm around his shoulders.
"He's gone. Are you okay Muffin?" Jake asks, his tone of voice in disbelief. Emily nods weakly, giving him a reassuring smile. He pulls her closer and kisses the top of her hair, wrapping her tightly in his arms as he leans against the wall. He breathes out deeply, his chin on top of her head. His eyes meet mine as he holds her tighter and he gives me a small smile —
"Thank you," he mouthes and I nod back at him, feeling genuinely relieved she's back in his arms. . .
Where she belongs.
"Did you shoot him?" Jake asks me, searching my eyes and I shake my head, nodding towards Emily.
"Your badass girlfriend swung a bat to his head and saved my fucking life." I chuckle, feeling extremely grateful to be breathing right now. Jake's eyes widen and he pulls Emily back, holding her shoulders —
"You killed Amil?" He asks in disbelief and she nods silently, her body tensing up.
"She's in shock," I explain and Jake nods, knowing exactly how she's feeling. He sits down on the couch and pulls her into his lap, grunting a little from the effort. Emily instantly curls up in his lap, cuddling further into him for protection. I walk over and take a seat next to him, groaning from the pain in my arm and sides where I've been hit badly.
Jake's arm immediately drapes over my shoulders and he pulls me into him. I know he needs me but I also need him. We may be tough, strong and seem like nothing phases us but every now and then we crumble a little, needing the strength of our loved ones to get us through it.
Emily's hand reaches for mine and she squeezes it for support. I return her squeeze and a warm feeling spread over my heart as all three of us sat there, leaning on each other.
A house absolutely trashed, one dead body and two barely alive ones.
The only people that mattered are alive right now and that's all I'm grateful for.
*****
Emily's POV -
I can't believe it. I killed Amil.
At first, I refused to believe it. One moment, Amil is alive and threatening to kill Tobias. The next, he's lying on the floor with his head split open and blood seeping out. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle taking someone's life but sitting in Jake's a
rm, I feel unexplainably calm, relieved even. . .
"Does it make me sick that I'm glad he's dead?" I mumble against Jake's chest and he shakes his head, pulling me closer into him.
"Like I said before Emily, he was an evil man." Tobias says, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
"He was going to kill Tobias. You saved his life," Jake explains softly, his words a low murmur.
"What are we going to do about his body?" I suddenly realise, sitting up straight and staring at them both. Jake looks at Tobias and Tobias looks back at Jake, both of them having a silent conversation through their eyes. I wait patiently, glancing between them both before Jake finally speaks —
"Tobias and I know a few people who can get rid of it. They completely destroy all evidence so don't worry about that Muffin."
I slap a hand over my mouth, realisation finally dawning on me.
"I'm a murderer. I'm going to go to prison." I whisper, the sickening feeling settling inside my stomach.
"I'll be locked up for years and used as someone's play thing," I gasp and Tobias glances at Jake, his eyes shining with humour. Jake lets out a chuckle followed by Tobias.
"You won't go to prison Muffin. If I didn't know how to get away with breaking the law, do you think I'd still be a free man right now? Or Tobias? I'm in a gang. Well, I was in a gang." He corrects himself, his mouth turning up into a wide smile as he realises he's free.
Free from Amil and the hold he had on him.
I nod at his words, relief finally washing over me as I realise everything has come to an end. We're both free to live our life together without me constantly worrying if Jake would come home alive or be driven away in the back of a police car.
Freedom is an amazing feeling and right now all three of us felt relieved to finally be free from the prisons inside our minds. Tobias is free from the man who'd ruined his life and stuck a bullet through his chest. I'm free of constantly worrying about Jake's safety, free of Trevor and Jones. Last but not least, Jake is free of Amil and free of the gang.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 39
