"Make one more sound and I swear to god, I will blow your brains out!" He threatens, hissing into my ear. My eyes widen in fear and I immediately quieten down, the only sounds coming from me my quiet whimpers. The cold barrel against my temple felt so alien, so wrong.
I stare at the door and will that my screams for help have been heard. It isn't before the doorknob turns and my breath catches in my throat as I wait for them to make their way in here.
Please help me. Just open the door.
"Its locked," I hear the muffled voice outside the door, the furniture in the way of letting them in. DC Jones stiffens behind me and he presses the gun further against my skin. His other hand is over my mouth and my chest rises up and down from the adrenaline running through my body. My head is still pounding and my eyes are persuading me to close them but I can't, not now.
The door rattles once more before everything grows silent. My heart drops as I hear footsteps retreat, they were leaving. I whimper again, the hope in me fading away just like their footsteps.
"That's right, go away." DC Jones whispers behind me. I could practically see his eyes twinkling, the smirk on his face so evident at not being discovered. I slump against him, my eyes finally drifting shut, not caring what happens to me from now on.
I'm not sure if I'm dreaming but the door flies open, sending the dresser crashing towards us.
Three dark figures stood in the doorway.
Or is that my imagination?
My ears are still ringing, my vision blurred so I eventually give in. I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head and I black out. The last thing I remember is a loud bang and I pray the reason I'm fading away isn't because I have a bullet through my head.
Chapter Thirty Five - Judgement Day.
My heart almost leaps out of my mouth as I stand in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of me. The room is a complete dump, the musty smell so evident in the air, it was a struggle not to gag. My jaw clenches as I meet his cold eyes, Jones.
He's sat on the opposite side of the room, looking as calm as always, his signature smirk plastered on his evil face. His back is against the wall and I almost lose control as I notice Emily unconscious in his arms.
I control my anger as I realise he also has a gun... pressed against Emily's head. I immediately raise my own and force myself to think straight. The temptation to put several bullets through every single one of his main organs is strong but I couldn't considering he was holding my entire life in his arms.
Calm down Jake, focus on your aim.
I forced myself to forget about Emily for now, if I don't get my aim spot on, the chance of DC Jones taking all three of us out will be high. I can't risk that, I'm more trained then Brett and Jamie and I know I have to protect them aswell as Emily. She looks so peaceful in her sleep and I ache to run over to her and tend to her wounds. She's weak, I know that the second my eyes landed on her. She's pale, the colour of her usual tanned skin now pasty and ghost like.
"What have you done to her?" I growl, aiming my gun directly at Jones heart. He sneers before pressing the gun tighter into Emily's skull.
"Put the gun down Jones!" I yell, taking a step towards him. A hand instantly shoots out and grabs my arm, pulling me back. I turn slightly to see Brett, his gun trained on Jones with one hand. His other hand holds my arm tightly, pulling me backwards. Without his sight never leaving Jones, he mutters quietly —
"Don't move or he'll shoot her."
I know he's right.
I take a step back, my eyes never blinking once. I cannot risk taking my eyes off him even for a second, he's a snake as sly as they come. Jones grins at my actions, knowing he has the power in the situation. Maybe he does but it's three against one and the three with better guns than him are also blocking the only doorway.
No matter what happens, someone isn't leaving this room alive.
"If you come closer even an inch, her brains will be splattered all over the floor," he spat towards us and I instantly want to rip his throat out and make him eat it. I've never felt so much hatred for a single man and my line of work isn't exactly rainbows and fucking sunshine.
"What do you want with her?" I repeat, my voice low and dangerous. I'm ready to kill.
"She's my daughter, do I need a reason?" Jones shot back and I instantly lower my gun, shocked at his response. . . Jones is Emily's father?
"Jake..." Jamie mutters at me, pulling me out of my shock filled daze. I let my guard drop and I need to stay focused. Jones notices my shocked response and he chuckles quietly, the hold on his gun getting tighter.
"You didn't know, no-one did. I love her! She's my flesh and blood." Jones voice softens as he looks at Emily, lifeless in his arms.
"She needs help. If you really love her, you'll let her go and let us help her." I said quietly, hoping my tactic was working. I'm definitely not a psychologist but I know he isn't thinking straight. He also needs help but it's a shame my bullet would be lodged deep into his brain for him to ever get it.
"No! You'll take her away from me!" Jones yells, pointing the gun at me instead. I gulp as the end of his barrel stares me down. My eyes never leave his and neither does my gun. The tension in the room was growing higher as each second passed.
"Let her go, she needs help."
"No! She's mine," Jones argues back, the frustration in his voice growing. The pain in his face is clear as day and he looks deep in thought as he ponders over his decision. That's when I see her move, Emily begins to wake up.
Her eyes shoot open and she looks around terrified before her eyes land on me. I can't make out the expression in her eyes even though I'm aching to look into them to reassure her. I will myself to keep my aim on Jones instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her gaze focus on the gun in my hands.
"Emily, it's okay, stay calm." I plead with her through my words, hoping to reassure her in any way I can. The last thing we need is for Emily to freak out. Too much movement in a situation like this could end up fatal. Emily turns as she finally realises DC Jones is behind her. I hear her whimper and my jaw clenches tightly, knowing she's scared. I feel a piece of my heart break off knowing I can't be the one to make her feel safe right now.
"Emily," I repeat, my voice wobbling with emotion. She turns back towards me and I don't need to look at her to know tears are sliding down her face.
"Jones, please let her go." I beg.
I can't take anymore of this.
It's too personal for me to be focused right now and I'm going to get us all killed. Jones immediately snaps at my words, grabbing Emily tighter and turning his gun back to her head. Jamie and Brett's hands shoot out, pulling me back and if it wasn't for them by my side, I would have charged over to him and dragged him as far away from Emily as I could. His hands alone on my girl is enough to blow me over the edge, I have no idea how I remained so composed for this long.
Emily's eyes plead with mine and I have to look away as I feel my own tears threaten to spill at her broken face. She looks defeated and it's killing me inside. She slowly turns towards Jones and I immediately snap at her.
"Emily, stay still!" I growl, the grip on my trigger tightening. She turns back towards me giving me a little nod, letting me know she knows what she's doing. My heart leaps into my throat as I watch her uneasily.
I couldn't believe my eyes or ears as Emily turns towards Jones, forcing him to look at her before she whispers loud enough for us to hear.
"Please let me go. . . Dad."
Jones whole composure relaxes and his gun lowers as he stares open mouthed at Emily. This is it, this is our chance.
I'm about to prepare myself to shoot when I see Emily hold her hand up at me, willing me to stop. She shakes her head before turning back to Jones. Her face appears emotionless, eyes dead and broken.
"What did you just say?" Jones asks her, placing his gun onto the floor. I take a step closer but never let my gun drop incase Jones decides to pick his back up.
"Dad, I call
ed you Dad." Emily repeats, swallowing the lump in her throat. She's lying. It's killing her to say these words but it's working. My shoulders slump in relief as I realise she really does know what she's doing. Jones leans back against the wall and does the last thing I expect him to.
He cries.
*****
Emily's POV-
I watch him fall apart in front of me as I say the one word I never thought I'd call anyone else but my father. I had to do it, he was pointing a gun at Jake and I couldn't risk him being killed. He's the only family I need, not this sick perverted sperm donor. I almost passed out again when he switched and aimed his gun back against my temple.
Jones was now sobbing fast, his chest rising and falling fast. I slowly release his arm off me and he drops it weakly against his side, admitting defeat. I take this as my chance to run and be safe. I stand to my feet, wobbling a little from lack of balance before I take slow steps backwards, never turning my back on the man who was currently breaking apart.
I can practically feel Jake's presence behind me, it was so powerful. The aura around him screams safety and I instantly relax as I feel my back touch the front of his body. I smile, relieved this nightmare is finally over. Jake's free arm slides over my waist and he also lowers his gun as he realises I'm back in his arms, safe once again.
"Jake," I whimper, the roles now reversed as I
start to to fall apart from his touch. His arms held me up close, carrying most of my weight. He brings his head down and tucks it into the crook of my neck, kissing the skin tenderly.
"Shhh Muffin, it's okay. I'm here."
I shut my eyes and sob quietly, the realisation that I'm rescued finally hitting me. I'm away from him, away from the man who stalked me, frightened me, kidnapped me and let me bleed as he watched.
I open my eyes to get one last look at him before I knew Jake would kill him. My eyes open to the image of Jones sneering, his hand reaching for his gun. My heart pounds painfully against my chest and I suddenly can't breathe, my lungs restricting the oxygen I so badly need to shout out loud and warn everyone. It's like time stops and everything happens in slow motion.
I see the gun rise in the air and point directly towards Jake. My heart leaps out of my mouth as Jones' finger presses against the trigger and a loud echoing boom fills the room followed by a scream. It only takes me a millisecond before I realise the screams are coming from me. I snap my head to look at Jake who's eyes are wide with fear as he screams back at me but everything sounds muffled, drowned out in a sea of pained cries.
Is he hurt? Is Jake shot?
I scan his body, looking desperately for the source of the blood that stains his shirt. His face is scrunched up in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks as he drops his gun and catches me between his two arms. He holds me up close as he continues screaming but I can't hear anything as if I'm trapped in a silent movie. I scrunch my eyebrows at him in complete confusion until I glance down and finally find the source of the blood.
How is it possible that I can taste the blood in my mouth, in my throat, in the air?
Who's blood is it?
My blood, it's me.
I'm shot.
Chapter Thirty Six - The aftermath of it all.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
I lie my head down next to her lifeless body and shut my eyes tightly, letting the tears fall freely. My hand is wrapped around her small one and I squeeze it gently. My heart saddens at the lack of her response. A tube is lodged deep into her throat and wires are attached to every single visible part of her body.
Her eyes are shut peacefully. . . almost as if she's just sleeping. Something I'd seen her do so many times before. I always thought she was most beautiful in the morning, when her mouth was parted slightly and she looked completely content. I always wondered who and what she was dreaming of...
"Wake up please Muffin," I beg her quietly, my voice cracking. It feels like my heart was shattering into a million broken pieces. I still have her blood stained on my clothes and every time I look down, I feel physically sick.
I held her in my arms in that room as I saw her eyes flutter shut and her legs give out underneath her. My screams echoed around the room as I repeated her name over and over again, holding her to my chest. Another gunshot filled the room and I turned to find the man responsible, slumped against the wall, the back of his brain completely blown out.
He'd shot himself.
I cried tears of joy and grief at the same time. Jamie ran to Emily and applied pressure to her gunshot wound, she was barely breathing. I didn't let go of her until the ambulance arrived. I briefly remember telling Jamie to get the hell out of there with our guns before the police came but everything that came after that was a blur.
I could see it in the paramedics eyes that even they thought she was dying. They had pushed me aside and cut open her clothes to tend to her wounds, all whilst I was being held back by Brett. I didn't want them touching her, I needed to be next to her.
"Let them help her Jake!" Brett shouted at me, pulling me back with as much force as he could. I finally resisted, sinking to the floor, covering my face with my hands.
It's all my fault.
I let my guard down and he shot her.
Guilt filled my body and I screamed louder, pounding the floor with my fists. Brett kneeled down to the floor next to me and grabbed my face in his hands —
"Go with her! Pull yourself together Jake!"
I stopped, slumping my shoulders and nodded emotionless, noticing how Brett's features were also twisted with worry. He nodded at me approvingly before helping me up. I walked towards the back of the ambulance like a zombie, all sounds muffled around me. The paramedics may as well have been speaking another language as the sirens blared and they sped through the dark streets, fighting to save her life. I stood in the corner observing them, my hands tugging at my hair, pulling it painfully from the roots.
A paramedic approached me as I stood in a daze, living a nightmare.
"Are you hurt?" He asked. My eyes never left Emily, there was blood everywhere.
So much blood.
"Sir, are you hurt?" He repeated louder this time, guiding me towards a chair. I shook my head and pointed towards Emily, unable to speak. My throat was lodged up so tightly, it felt like I was being strangled by an invisible force.
"We're doing all we can to help her." The paramedic said firmly before giving my shoulder a squeeze. Soon enough, we arrived to the hospital and everything happened so fast. They had taken her straight through to theatre, the worst few hours of my life.
Time completely slowed down.
Seconds became minutes, minutes became hours.
Emily had suffered massive blood loss, her body weakening considerably but they had stabilised her, removing the bullet from her body. It had pierced straight through her delicate skin and into her stomach, just above her pelvis. It wasn't long before the police were sniffing round, wanting to ask questions. I had told them Jones had kidnapped her, shot her before shooting himself.
"Are we done here?" I asked emotionless. They nodded quietly.
"We'll need to speak to Emily once she wakes up," the female officer said, pocketing her black book. I nodded, knowing exactly how the procedure worked.
"That's if she wakes up." I reply icily before leaving them and going back to Emily's side. She was in her own private room which I'd paid for, wanting her to get the best possible treatment available.
I close my eyes and the sound of the gunshot echoed through my ears almost like it was mocking me. Her scrunched up face flashes through my mind and I whimper quietly, holding her hand tighter.
The door opens and I turn towards it, seeing Ivory and Tobias stand in the doorway. They both rush in and Ivory pulls me into her embrace. She looks worryingly over at Tobias and he mirrors her exact features. I can't handle it anymore, the tears began again. Neither of them knew what to do, I don't ever cry.
Ivory pulls back and a hand flies to h
er mouth as she takes in Emily's fragile state. Tears began to run down her cheeks and she takes a seat on the opposite side of Emily, holding her other hand.
"What happened Jake?" Tobias asks me quietly, his hand resting on my shoulder. I glance at it briefly.
"Jones shot her. He was her real father."
Both Ivory and Tobias' face snap towards me and Tobias whistles quietly.
"Damn, thats fucked up."
I nod and realise how messed up the whole situation is. Tobias was also involved with the gang a few years back and knew all about DC Jones.
"How can someone so evil have a daughter like Emily?" Tobias asked no-one in particular. I silently agree with him, Emily is nothing like Jones whatsoever. She is sweet, caring, loving and doesn't have a bad bone in her body whereas Jones is the complete opposite to her.
Call me cold hearted but I'm glad he's dead.
"What did the doctors say?" Ivory asks me, breaking the tense silence between us all. She sniffles and wipes her eyes and I sympathise with my cousin, knowing she treated Emily like her sister. The two became inseparable, Emily had slowly became part of the family.
"They managed to get the bullet out but they'll know more once she wakes up." I repeat the doctors words and Ivory listens intently.
"When will she wake up?" Ivory asks quietly, scared of the answer she might get. There was silence for a few moments, only the sounds of the machines beeping around us. I finally respond, my voice shaking with fear —
"I don't know."
Chapter Thirty Seven - The C word.
I'm unsure on how many days have passed.
Is it even days? Maybe it's been weeks.
It feels like long dragged out years.
I sigh heavily and rub my eyes forcing them to stay awake. I haven't left her side, only to shower and get a change of clothes. I spend every night clutching her hand tightly and making do with the uncomfortable chair next to her bed. I'd been sat on it for so long, my arse has definitely left an imprint on the murky brown leather.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 23