My Protector | Meliodas

34. In my Arms

Meliodas's POV:

This whole waiting thing?

Yeah, it didn't work out for long.

Eventually, my silent pacing turned into me lurking in the shadows closer to the shipping container. The closer I got, the more my mind stopped listening to Arthur's ushered demands that I stopped, and tuned into the conversations that were clearer now I was in earshot. 

Their chatter revolved around booze, sex, and other manly things, and I was disappointed to find that they had no intention of sleeping. 

It was only 8 pm anyway, but that meant there were many hours ahead of us if we were to wait for them to fall asleep. 

And quite frankly, I was growing restless and needed to get Y/N out of there. 

I managed to reach the shipping container without making any noise besides the light crunching of my shoes against the gravel. I almost smiled at how easy all of this was. 

The jagged metal was slightly cool under my palms as I pressed them against it, and I hoped for Y/N's sake that it wasn't a sauna inside, given it would have been baking in the sun all day. My movements were measured as I followed along the perimeter of the container and peered around the corner for anyone patrolling. 

One man was sitting on the stairs of the larger building, a cigarette hanging from his lips as his eyes squinted at his phone screen. He was about five meters away, and after flitting my gaze up to the open door behind him, revealing the congregation of men inside, I ducked back behind the wall of the container. 

I could easily take him out with my silencer, but no doubt his body falling down the few stairs would cause a stir. I shook my head slightly and glanced back at Arthur, who wasn't where I left him. I frowned in confusion but didn't have time to dwell as the sound of Howser's voice sounded from the open door. 

"They're still not here?" 

I held my breath instinctively, but pulled my gun from its harness to clutch to my chest, aiming slightly away from my head. 

"Nope, looks like you got scared," the man spoke back cooly, and I didn't have to see his face to imagine an eye roll coming from him. Howser grumbled something in response before I heard footsteps approach the container. 

I should have retraced my steps, but my feet were firmly in the ground, waiting. 

He was so close, I could take him out now, and the guy on the steps. 

Whatever happened after that would be hard to predict, but at least Howser would be dead. 

The shipping container door opened with a groan, and I eyed the door as it squeaked closer to me, almost folding flush against the outside metal. I quickly threw a glance over my shoulder to see if Arthur had been there all along, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

I ground my teeth at that. 

"There you are," Howser sang once the door had stopped making a sound. My vision darkened at the whimper of Y/N. 

"Please, let me go," she begged, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I needed to wait a little bit longer. He was here to antagonize her, or something. Fuck, I didn't know. I prayed he wouldn't move her back into that shed, because then I would definitely have to shoot people. 

I had no problem with it, but I'd rather not. 

I'd save the killing for a massacre once Y/N was safe. 

"Don't be silly," Howser chuckled, and my hair fell into my eyes after I shook my head. "Come here." 

The blood-curdling sound of her scream echoed from the container and tore through the night, making me flinch. My eyes grew wide, then squinted, and just as I made a step closer to the entrance of the container, someone yelled.