Having Fayth

With time

Fayth

Axel fell to the ground with a hard thud. The blow to his head didn't knock him out, it just disoriented him a bit. I watched in horror as the intruder stalked closer, his dark brown eyes locked in on my own. Panicking I looked between the men before coming to my senses and gripped the handle of my knife tighter. We've trained for this. I should know what to do, but my hands shook, and my mind played every negative outcome before he could even reach out to me. His hand lunged for me as I jumped back with an undignified screech, closed my eyes tight, and swiped my blade at the air in front of me.

"Shit!" the man exclaimed pulling his hand back to examine the small wound decorating his palm. My stomach twisted as I watched the blood slowly seep from his palm.

His gaze met mine with furry that has me regretting my actions. My knife dropped to the ground while I took another step back. He followed me step for step until my back was against the wall. "That wasn't very nice." He spoke softly with a smile. His crooked yellowed teeth ran across his bottom lip causing a shudder to course through my body in revolt. "I'm going to have to teach her some manners." He told Axel who's staring at me in anticipation. Anticipation of what, I'm not sure. The man reached out again, and I blocked it with my arm before throwing out a left cross to his jaw catching him off guard. I kneed him in the stomach forcing him to hunch over and grab his abdomen. This gave me just a moment to try to escape. I pushed past him running for the front door, but as my fingers touched the handle a sharp pain in my scalp halted my actions and had me stumbling back into my attacker's body with a scream.

He spun me around with a hand on my throat and forced my back against the door. Gasping for breath my nails raked across his skin. I clawed at his arms, his hands, his face. Slapping and flailing for my life as little black dots danced in my vision threatening to take me away. My lungs were on fire, begging for a reprieve, but he would not grant one.

And just before my eyes fluttered shut and I felt all hope was lost, Axel tackled the man to the ground and delivered punch after punch to his face. The attacker caught a few good shots to Axel's face splitting his lip. The moonlight shone down on Axel's gun on the floor. I quickly gathered myself seeing the man get the upper hand and grabbed the gun. I cocked it back and everyone froze.

"Stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Get off him and get on your knees." I said trying to regain control of my emotions. He slowly climbed off Axel and did as instructed. Axel graced me with a loving smile and came to stand behind me.

We stood there for what felt like a lifetime. No one bothering to speak a word. I looked into the man's eyes as if to read his soul.

"Pull the trigger, Fayth." Axel spoke quietly from behind me. I could hear his soft gentle steps as he approached. His hands found my waste as his body pulled to mine. His voice met my ear before his lips, "Protect yourself, baby. This is what you have been training for." I looked into his eyes for a moment rolling my lip between my teeth and scrunching my brows together. "But he's unarmed. We don't have to kill him. We can call the po-"

He cut me off with his thumb running across my lips. His thumb trailed down to cup my chin and maintained eye contact. "No cops. They would take him to jail, and he would be out before lunch tomorrow. I know how these things work, beautiful. Then what happens when he comes after you, because he will come after you Fayth I may not be there to save you next time." He looked so sincere as his hand released my chin and looked to the man who sat on his knees in front of me. The barrel of Axel's gun in my hands aimed at the intruder's chest.

"Ask him," axel continued. The man's expression hardened as I stared down at him. I didn't have the heart to ask. I feared what would happen if Axel was right. The man's gruff voice sounded more threatening than before, and it creeped me out a bit, if I'm being honest.

"I will hunt you down and make you regret the day you let me walk away." He said with a sick grin on his lips.

Fear filled my eyes as Axel's hands encompassed my own. My body shook as this decision weighed heavy on my heart. I started to apply pressure to the trigger out of fear for the future, but in a moment of weakness I released the gun into Axel's hands and stepped out of his arms.

"I'm sorry I can't do it." I choked looking up into the storm in Axel's gaze. "Let him go, Axel. I'll deal with whatever happens in the future. I just can't justify killing him." I shook my head as tears threatened to escape. His eyes softened but when he looked at the man his walls were up again, and anger matched a protectiveness he seemed to carry for me.

"If you ever come close to her again, I will gut you slowly while you're still alive to witness."

The man released a deep breath, getting to his feet. He smiled at Axel before walking to me. His body towering over mine. "I'll be seeing you soon, princess." He spoke with a broad smile. "I can't wait." Then he turned towards the door and before he made it three feet from me the sound of the gun going off echoed off the walls. A loud scream ripped from my lungs. My hands covered my mouth in shock as blood soaked the back of his shirt and he hit his knees.

Axel walked unhurriedly to the man who made gasping gurgling sounds knelt on the floor. His hands struggling to keep him from face planting. He looked like a fish out of water as he fought to drag oxygen into his lungs.

He looked down at him with indifference before he locked eyes with me, put his foot to the man's chest and pushed him onto his back. The wet thud of his body meeting the ground made my stomach twist and bile to raise in my throat.

He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but every attempt spurted more blood from between his lips. The sound of the man gradually drowning in his own blood is something that would stick with me until my own last breath. The panic in his eyes will be seared to my soul for the rest of my life.

I was frozen to my spot looking on in horror. Fight or flight took it's hold and my body thought shutting down was the best option.

The next resounding bang rang through the cabin. Instead of a scream, I bit down on my lip and whimpered as tears flowed down my cheeks and I hit my knees on the floor watching the light fade from the man's eyes. The sight took its toll and, in an instant, I emptied the contents of my stomach onto the floor.

Axel was next to me holding my hair and rubbing my back. "It's ok. Baby, shhh. It's ok. It had to be done. You're safe now. He can't hurt you. Breathe, little one its ok."

He repeated the gentle coos meant to soothe me over and over again, but all it did was bring me anger.

I shoved him off me and glared in his direction. "Don't touch me! What the fuck Axel? You didn't have to kill him!"

He tried to hug me, but I pushed him away and slapped him hard across the face. "Don't even fucking try it!"

"I did have to, gorgeous. He threatened your life. He would have come for you, and I could never erase that pain enough for you to function. This," he pointed back at the man's body laying on the ground. Blood circled the man and splatters decorated the furniture and walls. "you will get over with time. I will make sure of it." His hand cupped my cheek in a tender display of kindness while I looked away in defiance.

I heard him sigh as he got up and walked closer toward the man. "We need to get rid of the body." The words came out so calmly that you would think he was talking about taking out the trash on a Sunday afternoon. I wasn't shocked by the words. What shocked me was when he walked out of the room and returned with a bucket, gloves, and cleaning supplies. A tarp was folded and draped over his shoulder. "There's more supplies in the shed. Let's get him moved first."