“Please.. don’t shoot me.” The love of my life whimpers with her bloodied hands raised in the air.
“Ana?” I say with a shaky voice and her ocean eyes quickly find mine, just like they were always meant to.
“Dean? Is that you?”
“It’s me baby, I’m here.” I say, pulling the mask off my face and letting it fall to the floor, revealing myself to her. Tears quickly flood her eyes and her bruised lips begin to tremble as the realisation that I’m really here, sets in.
The way she’s looking at me right now feels like a ton of bricks has landed on me, a sharp blade stabbing straight into my chest and I move on autopilot, desperately aching to be near her.
Her butchered feet slip in a puddle of blood as she begins to stride towards me but she misses the chance to make it as Ricky slips his filthy hand around her neck, a gun aiming at her temple.I was so focused on her that I didn’t even see him coming and now he’s got her in a position that I’m not comfortable with.
Ana cries as she’s pulled into him, fear lacing her blood soaked face as he pushes the barrel of the gun into the soft skin at the side of her head, finger poised on the trigger.
Eli steps in at the side of me, his gun aiming right at Ricky and I do the same, two against one but it’s not going to be that simple. Ricky is unpredictable and one wrong move could set him off.
“Get your filthy fucking hands off her, Ricky. It’s over.” I spit out, keeping the gun steady in my hands even though I’m shaking on the inside, paralysed with fear. I can’t lose her again, Iwon’t.
“It’s over when I say it’s over. Now, if you wanna keep your precious whore alive I suggest you drop your weapons, both of you.”
Ana trembles with terror as Ricky presses the gun further into the side of her head, causing her to wince in pain and it’s enough to send a bullet piercing through my soul. The way tears are now streaming down her cheeks, creating streaks through the crusted blood that covers her face in their wake, awakens something in me, something that’s ready to burn the world to ash to keep her safe.
“I’m not gonna do that.” I state with certainty. I’ll die before I lay down my weapon.
Ricky sways on his feet and his eyes are glazed over, a telltale sign that he’s high, probably on his own product which makes him even more of a liability. He could easily press his finger down on the trigger without even thinking.
My eyes switch between Ana and Ricky, keeping both of them in my line of sight.
“You will if you want her alive.” Ricky starts, dipping his face into the crook of her neck. “I bet you can’t wait to hear about all the things she’s been up to, hm?”
“Stop this Ricky, please.”
Hearing Ana beg, and not in the way I’m used to is killing me, it’s ripping my soul to shreds until there’s nothing left.
“I bet she’s not as tight as she used to be, all the men she’s had inside her tainted pussy.” Ricky taunts and red clouds my vision. I had a feeling he’d put her through hell but deep down I didn’t want to admit the gut feeling that I had, I couldn’t allow myself to believe she’d succumb to the worst.
Ana’s eyes meet mine the moment Ricky’s words leave his mouth, her crystal eyes so full of guilt, pleading with mine to forgive her, to tell her that she’s not dirty or broken.
“I’m so sorry, Dean. I.. tried.. I couldn’t stop them..”
The words spill from her mouth through choked sobs and my grip around the gun tightens as fury bleeds through my system.
“Stop. Don’t you dare apologise for the shit other people have done to you baby. Look at me, show me those eyes.”
She tips her chin again, staring right into my soul.
“That’s it. Keep looking at me, no one else matters but you and me. I promise. You trust me mama?”
Ana nods once. “I trust you, always.”
I go to speak but Ricky cuts me off again, his cloudy eyes burning with fury.
“I think that’s enough of this lovey dovey shit don’t you think?” He starts, tightening the hold he has on Ana. “Now you two, are gonna back the fuck up and let me take my wife home, and if you don’t. I’ll blow her fucking brains out right here. Don’t think I won’t. I’ve already fucked her up enough, what’s one moretime?” He taunts, pushing me to the edge.
“I can’t let you do that. In fact, I won’t let you do that. I think you’ve forgotten who I am, and what I’m capable of. I could kill you in a split second and you’d be dead before you even hit the floor.” I say with clear certainty, flexing my finger on the trigger.
Ricky inhales deeply for a moment, flexing his neck from side to side and I can feel the thin line we’re walking, the tension rising higher and higher.
“Hm. If that’s how we’re gonna play it.” He says to me before turning to face Ana who tries to pull away from him, the hand around her neck is now gripping her chin in a vice hold, forcing her to look at him. “I suggest you have a good look at this face, wife. Look at the fucking mess you’ve made of me because it’ll be the last thing you see before I splatter your brain across this floor.”
