It Starts With Him

21

Picture: Max DeCarlo (one of the Outlaws)

My hands fly over my head, and I instinctively duck as the gunshot rings out, the small kitchen being overcome by the intense sound. I wait for the hot pain to actually take effect from my gunshot wound, but it never comes. Ace had kicked Diesel's knee sideways, causing his arm to fly upward, making the bullet miss me by mere inches. I manage to crack my eyes open and see that the kitchen has now broken into chaos.

Diesel is on the ground, clutching his knee that seems to be turned at a sickening angle. Ace has since broken free of Joaquin and Rocco's grasp while they rush to Diesel's side on the ground - most likely because he'd kill them if they didn't, not because they actually care. Max stands in the corner of the kitchen in shock. Ace and I stare at each other, both nearly unscathed, but I remember one more factor in this. I look upward to Lilith and see her lunging for the gun that Diesel had dropped. If there's any time to act, it's now.

I drop down to the floor and snatch the gun before Lilith can touch it. Her body slams into the now empty tile, and I scramble back onto my feet, darting across the kitchen and leaping over Diesel to reach Ace. His hands grasp my arms and pull me towards him. As much as I want to stop whatever I'm doing and stay with him, I know we have to get out of here before anything else.

Lilith is soaring towards me, Diesel's knife in her hand, but I point the gun towards her before she gets close. She freezes, dropping the knife, and though her hands are in the air in surrender, her face is morphed into a scarily evil expression. She has to concede because I have a loaded gun pointed directly at her, but I can tell she wishes more than anything that she could plunge that knife in my flesh. Of course, she's basically Diesel's servant at this point.

"We have to go," Ace says in my ear, gripping my waist with his hand. Lilith now drops down to Diesel's side who is now wailing on the floor like a three-year-old who couldn't have ice cream for breakfast. They're all occupied - now is the best time to leave, but I am frozen in place. Shock? Fear? Probably both, and much more.

Ace grabs my hand from my side and yanks me towards the wooden door into the living room, and while my legs feel like noodles, I go with him, forcing them to work with me. As we rush through the living room and out the front door, I can hear footsteps behind us gaining with every second. "Go!" I scream, darting through the front door as Ace holds it open for me.

"Wait!" a voice calls as my feet hit the gravel of the driveway. It's a small and scared sound and reminds me of Lucas whenever he wanted comfort or attention from our mom back when we were kids. I spin around, raising the gun again, the cool wind of the night rushing against my cheeks. Before I can even see who I'm aiming at, Ace grabs my hand and pushes it downwards. "Get in my car, Dev," he whispers to me, his voice deep and husky against my skin.

"No," I reply. I finally see Max jogging toward us, something shiny in his hand. I instinctively take a few steps back. What if he has Diesel's knife? What if he's come to finish us off?

"Your car key," Max says, sounding like a young boy. "You left it on the counter." He reaches me and sticks his hand out, my silver key resting safely in his palm. I stare at him in surprise. His blue eyes are round and big, searching mine for some sort of consolation, repentance. Ace still at my side, I carefully take the key from Max. I knew he was one of the nicer Outlaws from Ace and I's encounter at the abandoned amusement park a while ago, but I didn't know he'd actually reach these lengths to help us. Suddenly, I feel bad for this boy.

"Thank you," I say softly, nodding once at him. I look up at Ace, whose eyes are set on Max's. His face is soft, and his gaze sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Max," is all Ace says before pressing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me towards his familiar car. We jog to get there quicker, still unsure if the Outlaws in the house are going to come out to finish what they started.