by Anna Kendra
She hadn’t realized that she had been crying until Arthur said so. She had been kneeling down beside Julian’s unconscious form on the ground while taking a protective stance over him. She was watching helplessly as his life’s blood drained out through a gash on the back of his head. She wanted to stop the blood flow—to help him in any way she could—but she was afraid that if she much as moved an inch, the man behind her would try to harm Julian again. Which was why Arthur’s words didn’t register in her mind at first, but when it did, she felt her blood boil.
“Forgive me? Forgive me! How dare you!” she spat at him. The old Sia would have been scared shitless to even look Arthur in the eye, but eleven years have passed and she was done being scared of a sorry excuse for a man. And besides, this Sia had Julian by her side now. She stood up and took a step toward Arthur. “I didn’t do anything, Arthur. Nothing! And that is the reason why I have to pay for it now? You pathetic excuse for a living being! If only I knew just how big of a coward you truly were! You need to hit a woman to remind yourself that you have control. You have to rape a woman just to prove how manly you are! You—”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Arthur roared in outrage. “How dare you, you little bitch! I loved you and this is how you repay me? If I hit you or raped you, it’s because you deserved it!”
“Love? Love!” Sia yelled back, just as furious. “You don’t even know what love is! How can you say you loved me after everything you’ve done to me? And now you hold your own son captive and threaten to kill him! Yet you claim to love me? You’re nothing but a hideous monster who deserves to rot in hell!”
By now Sia was panting with rage, her hands clenched by her side. Sia had had enough. She won’t back down anymore nor will she break. The Sia he knew was dead. She had been pushed into a corner until she had nowhere to go and nothing to lose. She had broken free of the shackles that bound her and she was now able to stand in front of her worst nightmare, facing her fears head on, all because of Julian.
“And what do you know about love, little girl!?”Arthur retorted.
“I know more about love than you ever will in your entire life, Arthur Stone! And you want to know why? It’s because I’m in love with Juli—”
She stopped herself. She couldn’t believe she had actually said that out loud, and to Arthur for that matter. Any chances that she might have had to protect Julian were gone now. Arthur would now definitely take out his anger on Julian, and she would be helpless to stop him. She had been so deep in thought for a few seconds, just standing there numbly, that she didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.
Her head snapped to the side as Arthur’s fist connected with her cheek. She lost her footing from the impact and fell on the hard, pebbled ground. But Arthur was far from done. He lifted his leg and slammed it into her side while all the breath rushed out of her. Sia knew that it would bruise badly after. She could also feel blood dripping from the cut on her lips. This was just the beginning, and Sia was no match for his strength. She struggled to get free from Arthur, but despite his age, he overpowered her ten times over.
Arthur yanked her up by her hair, causing her to yelp in pain, and looked behind her at the man standing with the bat in his hand. “Take that piece of shit to the garage and burn him alive with the rest of them.” Arthur’s voice held so much venom that it scared Sia. She tried to push past him, to loosen his grip on her hair, but he had her in a viselike grip with no signs of letting go.
“Let’s go, love. You and I have unfinished business to take care of.” With that, Arthur dragged Sia inside the house by her hair.
***
“I know more about love than you ever will in your entire life, Arthur Stone! And you want to know why? It’s because I’m in love with Juli—”
No! Julian wanted to scream. What had she done? Telling Arthur she loved Julian was the most dangerous thing to do. Julian wasn’t worried about what would happen to him,but he’ll be damned if something happened to Sia. He knew Arthur would retaliate and he did just that when he slapped Sia, sending her tumbling to the ground.
He wanted so badly to stop pretending to be unconscious and run to save her, especially when he heard that scum hit her. But he couldn’t. He had to save Leo and the others first. He had to keep acting for everyone’s sake.
I’m so sorry, Sia, he thought to himself. Just hold on a little longer.
It wasn’t long before Arthur ordered him to be taken to the garage and be burned alive with the others. Just the chance he was waiting for. Julian had already guessed that Arthur was keeping the others in the garage when he’d seen it. The garage was the best place to hide people since it was separated from Sia’s main house and it was soundproof.
So, when one of the thugs tried to pick him up, he purposefully dragged his weight down so that another one had to come and help him. Julian had also figured that Arthur wouldn’t be alone. He’d been in prison for more than eleven years. He was bound to have made friends with the other criminals, earning favors from them. Julian had made a call to Selene just before he’d left with Sia, and was informed of the names of all the prisoners Arthur had affiliated himself with. One of them was a mob boss with several contacts. He didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that Arthur was using those contacts to aid his evil plans.
Both the guards grunted as they dragged him through the pebbles, scraping his skin occasionally, but he did his best to suppress wincing so as not to give them any hint that he was really awake. Soon enough, he heard the garage doors being opened and him being thrown to the ground. Someone whimpered from the back as soon as he landed. He immediately recognized that it was Leo. Thank God, he thought, the kid was all right.
The two men had bumped him right next to their feet as they proceeded to open fuel bottles and pour them on the walls of the garage in preparation of burning them alive. It was then that Julian seized the opportunity.
As soon as one of the thugs went near him, Julian grabbed his leg and tripped him onto the floor. He landed with a loud thud and the other came running to his rescue, but Julian was faster. He kicked the other one in the shin, sending him sprawling on the floor, while he threw his fist at the first one, still lying on the ground next to him. The fist landed on the guy’s nose and Julian heard the satisfying crunch of his nose being broken before he threw another punch—this time to the head—effectively knocking him out.
No sooner was he finished with the first one when the second one attacked Julian from behind, wrapping their arms around his neck, trying to choke him.
Julian jabbed his elbow into his guts and threw him off. The man flew back and hit his head hard on a nearby car, knocking out instantly. Julian was thankful that the car alarm didn’t go off or there would be big trouble for all of them. He had yet to know how many people were working for Arthur, and he wasn’t taking chances on anyone’s life.
Julian finally had a chance to look around the garage and saw that Leo and Martha were unharmed with only a gag in their mouths and their hands and legs tied with thick black ropes. However, he felt both relieved and distressed to see the state Abhay was in. His best friend might be alive but he was also hurt very badly. His hands were tied behind his back, but Julian could see his best friend had suffered a good beating and his left shoulder was drenched in blood where he had obviously been shot.
Julian rushed towards his friend and searched for a pulse. He felt the light flutter on Abhay’s wrist and immediately but carefully untied his best friend and laid him straight on the ground. Then he took out his handkerchief and tied it around Abhay’s shoulder to prevent him from bleeding out. Thankfully, the blood he saw on Abhay’s clothes and on the ground was thick and already drying, which meant that the bullet was still lodged inside his shoulder. The absence of an exit wound was a good sign at this point so he won’t lose more blood.
He quickly moved on to Leo and Martha and untied them, setting them free. Leo immediately jumped into Julian’s arms. Julian noticed t
hat he didn’t hesitate even once before his arms came around the boy. Leo was trembling in his arms, and Julian rubbed his hands gently down the boy’s back to soothe him. “It’s all right, Leo. I’m here now, you’re safe.”
“Oh, thank God! Julian! Where’s Sia?”Martha asked instantly as she rose to her feet. It was only then that Julian noticed the slight cut in her left cheek that still had dried blood on it.
“I’ll get her out, I promise. But you have to do me a favour,” he said. Martha nodded her head vigorously at Julian’s words. “Good. Get in the car parked in the front of the house and take Abhay to a hospital, fast. Leo, go with her.”
Leo agreed instantly, but he didn’t let go of Julian. He understood the boy’s fear, knew that he needed his support, but time was running out and Julian couldn’t even fathom what Arthur was doing to Sia at the moment.
“I know you’re scared, Leo, but you have to be strong right now,” Julian told him soothingly. “Be strong for your mom. My friend needs to get to the hospital fast, he’s bleeding out and you all need to get out of here. You’ll help him, won’t you?”
Leo nodded and raised his head and Julian saw the tears streaking down his face. His heart went out for the child. He could only imagine how the kid had felt to have his own father point a gun at him. Humans were irrational creatures. They loved unconditionally and parents, no matter how big of a jerk they were, were always the center of that unconditional love. Leo must have had some hope that his father didn’t hate him as much as he thought he did, but to have that hope shattered so brutally wasn’t something a boy of thirteen should have to deal with.
“Come on,” Julian told the duo. “Let’s get you all to safety.”
Chapter 31
“You’ll be fine, Abhay. Just hold on for a few more minutes,” Julian told his friend, running a hand through his hair lightly.
“I’ll help carry him.” Leo volunteered from behind him, hunkering down next to Julian as he waited for instructions.
“In a minute,” Julian told the boy. “I’ll have to make sure that the coast is clear first.”
Julian stood up from his crouched position and began walking towards the garage door, but he didn’t make it far as someone caught hold of his leg and toppled him over. Julian staggered back against the wall and the first man he attacked earlier, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, sprang up on his feet and launched at him with a wrench in his hand. He must have gained consciousness while Julian had been busy freeing Martha and Leo. But Julian quickly kicked him in the nuts and took the wrench away from his hand.
Just as the man hit the floor, Julian swung the wrench on his head and heard the sickening crunch of metal hitting bone while blood splattered on his face. The thug was as good as dead, just as he should have been the first time,but Julian wasn’t a lawbreaker and he wasn’t about to kill him intentionally. Leaving the bleeding man on the ground, Julian went outside to search for more of them.
“Hey! What’s taking so long?”
He didn’t have go outside to take care of the third man who spoke. He was coming inside to look for the others. Julian turned to the side of the garage and let the man inside before he took him by surprise.
“What the...” The man looked at Martha and Leo in surprise, but before he could look at his unconscious comrades on the floor, Julian struck him from behind with the wrench he still had in his hands, knocking him out. It wasn’t easy maintaining the correct pressure on the metal wrench. Too much force or a hit in the wrong place and he could kill the men. He had to make sure he didn’t.The last thing he wanted on Sia’s conscience was the death of these people, and death would only be too quick a punishment for them.
“Julian, are you all right?” Leo asked as he rushed to his side.
“Yeah, I’m all right.” His head was hurting, making his eyesight a bit hazy. Maybe the hit he’d taken to the head was serious after all. “Leo, can you search them for guns while I keep watch outside?” Julian asked to which the kid nodded instantly.
Leo did as he was told and soon came back to Julian with two guns in his trembling hands. Julian took the guns from the boy, keeping one for himself and the other to Martha.
“I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to see all this,” Julian told them both. He was angry at Arthur for having to make them go through all this. They didn’t deserve any of this, and neither did Sia.
Hang on, I’m coming for you, Sia, he thought.
“It’s not your fault,” Leo said, giving him an awkward smile as he didn’t know what else to do at a situation like this. “You came for us. You saved us. But now it’s time to save Mom. Can we now move your friend?”
“Of course! We have to now.” Julian rushed over to Abhay’s side and pulled him up with all his strength. He was heavy, but Leo helped him carry some of the dead weight. “Martha, do you know how to use a gun?”
“Gun?” Martha’s face turned bone white. “Oh God, no!”
“Then, I’ll need you to take over for me,” Julian told her. “I can’t carry him and protect you at the same time.”
With that, he hoisted Abhay up on Martha’s and Leo’s shoulders and walked ahead of them to the garage door. Looks like he was in luck since he saw the fourth and last man walking toward the garage to find out what was taking the others so long.
Julian didn’t waste any time. He shot the man right in the knees and, once he was down, slammed the butt of his gun on top of his head to knock him out. Thank goodness that the guns all had silencers on them, or the whole house would’ve been alerted by now.Arthur had made sure that no one would sense anything was amiss. Oh, how Julian wished that he could just set fire to the garage like the men had intended to do, but he didn’t have time to waste. He led Martha and Leo to the car that he had parked in front of the house and helped Leo place Abhay in the back seat. Martha got into the driver’s seat and handed Julian her gun just in case.
“Go!” Julian whisper yelled at them and Martha started the car and drove off. Thankfully, the front gate didn’t make too much of a noise when it opened, and the three of them were out of harm’s way as they drove to the hospital.
Breathing a small sigh of relief, Julian hunched forward when a wave of pain hit him. Looks like he’d calculated wrong once again. There was still someone left and they had just stabbed him in the shoulder.
The person behind him wrenched the knife out of his shoulder and was ready to strike again, but Julian purposely fell to the ground, kicking the assailant’s legs out from under him. As the other man fell, Julian shoved the knife out of his hand and threw punch after punch at his face until he was nothing but a bloody pulp.
“You son of a bitch!” he gritted out through clenched teeth as his arm began to bleed profusely, but he didn’t stop hitting the man until he knew for sure that he was unconscious.
He wiped his bloody hands on his pants as he got up and looked at the entrance to Sia’s home. It was time to teach that piece of shit a lesson. Julian would do anything to protect the woman he loved, because no one messes with his girl and gets away with it.
***
“Stop struggling!” Arthur yelled, irritated as he yanked Sia’s hair to move her forward.
“Let go of me, you bastard!” Sia yelled back at him, trying her best to loosen his grip on her but to no avail. “Stop them! How can you do this to them? To your own son!”
She tried to get free, but she couldn’t. She needed to get to Leo and Martha. They were her life, but Julian was her reason to live now, the reason why she was now fighting back rather than being a coward like she had been all those years that she had been married to Arthur.
“Shut up!” Arthur roared as he threw her on the floor, but Sia landed on a wooden table instead.
Sia screamed as her head hit the sharp corner of the table. More blood dripped from her face, running from her forehead down to her chin, but she ignored the pain and tried to escape through the door on all fours. But Arthur was there to catch her,
kicking her side, making her fall back on the ground and groan in pain.
“Did you actually think that I would let you go? After everything I’ve done to get you!” Arthur clicked his tongue.
“What?” Sia was confused. Her father had chosen Arthur for her to marry so the devil’s money could save his company from going bankrupt.
“You don’t know, do you?” Arthur smirked, his hair falling over his forehead, making him look even more manic. Sia knew that whatever he was about to say, it would change her life forever.
“Your father didn’t go bankrupt. I made it happen,” he said. “I paid his secretary to sell me sixty percent of the shares, so that he would have no other choice but to make a deal. And when the time came, I became his savior. Believe me, he was more than happy to sell you to me.” Arthur smirked at her horrified expression.
Sia tried to back up, but her back hit the living room couch. “B-but . . . w-w-why?” She was trembling uncontrollably by now. She didn’t want to know, but she was dying to know as well.
“You were twelve when I first saw you. In a charity event with your parents. And I’d wanted you ever since. Even that day, I wanted to fuck you up against the stage in front of everyone, but I had to wait for an opportunity. And when that didn’t come, I made one for myself. You know . . . it’s a fantasy of mine to fuck you in front of an audience,” Arthur said, laughing like a madman. Sia tried her hardest to push down the bile that had risen to her throat. “And I will be doing just that. Those men out there, the ones that are about to burn your little son to the ground,” Sia whimpered as tears streamed down her face, “Those men are just a few . . . friends . . . that I made from my contacts in jail. And they will love to watch as I take you in front of them.”
“No!” Sia scrambled off the floor and backed away from Arthur. She was at a disadvantage as she had moved herself on the opposite side of the door, far from her path to get away. While she backed up against the wall, her hand came in contact with one of her porcelain flower vases. She grabbed it with her hand behind her back and waited. Arthur went after her, and when he was within striking distance, she smashed the vase against the side of his head.
