Burnt Lies

Gunfire Gala

Alara

God I was about to kiss him. I would've kissed him if someone hadn't interrupted. 

"May I have this dance?" My eyes lifted to see the last person I wanted to interact with. 

Dane Laurier. 

"You have some nerve showing your face here, Laurier," I heard Cameron all but growl at the Bloodhound leader who just pasted on a faux expression of hurt. 

"Just as you had the nerve to deny me help to find the blood diamond even when I returned to you your oh so pretty bride," the grin on his face made my skin crawl.

Anger flamed in me at his words, and I pulled away from Cameron fully prepared to give Dane Laurier a piece of my mind, "You destroyed my shop," I hissed at him. 

It took everything in me not to try and break his nose again. 

"Ah, that I did," he seemed to revel in the fact that he had destroyed something that I cared so deeply about, "But that's what happens when you cross me, love."

"Don't call me that," I snapped, my eyes drowning in hatred for the man standing before me. 

He ignored my comments and stretched out a hand, "How about that dance, Alara?"

"No, absolutely not," I gave him a look of disgust, "I'm not coming anywhere near you," there were a thousand curse words I wanted to throw at him but Cameron stopped me, lightly squeezing my hand and giving me the comfort I needed for my anger to simmer down. 

"You heard her, she doesn't want to dance with you, so I would appreciate it if you left us alone to enjoy our evening,"

Dane scowled, his blue eyes sparking with a singular resentment for us both, "This isn't over Grayson."

"I don't take threats lightly Laurier so be careful what you say," he took in the words and then placed a hand on his chest plastering on a fake smile. 

"My apologies, Ma chérie," and then he was gone fading into the crowd and finally leaving us alone. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when he had left, turning back to Cameron, "I really hate him,"

"Me too," he responded chuckling to himself lightly. The music became far slower than it had been previously causing me to want to lean into him, I rested my head on his shoulder as we began to move slowly to the soft music. 

I could feel his steady heart beat and I was sure he would feel my racing one. Two opposites, curved into one another, completing each other. Something fluttered within me as I realised I felt safest like this, within Cameron's arms but I had no idea how to tell him that or if I even could. 

Part of me was afraid that it wouldn't always be like this, that one day all that we had built would crumble under the weight of the world. That these precious moments of safety would be consumed by the violence of being in a gang. 

But the night was too young to think like that. The present too good to ignore. It was the only thing that mattered at the moment. 

It was then I saw my mother and father out of the corner of my eyes, they were making their way towards us. My mother engulfed me in a hug, "Oh my baby, how are you, are you well," she paused to glare at Cameron, "Is he treating you right, I'm so glad your safe, Theo kept it from us about what had happened because he didn't want us to worry," she glanced back at my brother before adding, "He knows I would've ripped those Bloodhounds apart for ever hurting my daughter,"

"I know you would Ma," I laughed lightly and appreciated the love that my mother had for me, it was unmatched by anyone else, a mother's love that is is like no other. 

It was then when my father cleared his throat gaining my attention, "Alara," he nodded at me and there was still tension between us. Because of how he had sprung this marriage on me but I guess in a way I had him to thank for me being able to meet Cameron. Not that I would ever let him know that.

"How are you dear?" his voice was cautious as though he was waiting for me to go on a spiel about how awful my life was and how I hated him for putting him in this position. 

"I'm fine, still breathing and all that," I responded nonchalantly.

"Good," it was clear he didn't know what to say to me, there was such a rift between us and I wanted him to be the first to take the step in fixing our relationship because I was tired of chasing after his approval for once I wanted him to seek my approval and by the look on his face it seemed that he was half way there begging for me to accept him once more. 

Theo knew that he needed to break the tension so he wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, "You look so beautiful Lara," 

"Thanks Theo, you don't look too bad yourself."

Cameron interjected, "Is that what you say to everyone that calls you beautiful because that's exactly what you said to me when I complimented you,"

"A force of habit," I deadpanned. 

"So Lara, do you want to have a dance?" Theo asked me and before I could even respond I was already being pulled back onto the ballroom floor, leaving Cameron with my parents. 

"This reminds me of when we were younger, " I recalled all the times where we would dance around our living room in preparation for the annual gala's our parents would hold. It was also quite a spectacle to see us as kids take the dance floor, it was an adorable display that everyone seemed to enjoy.

"It does doesn't it," he laughed lowly as I spun around him, "At least now you don't step on my toes,"

I scoffed at his complaint, "Excuse me, I'll have you know that I didn't step on your toes, they were just in the way,"

"Sure whatever you say Lara," I playfully stuck my tongue out at him as he twirled me around one last time as the music died down to nothing but a soft murmur. 

I smiled, full of joy at how the night had gone, minus the interaction with Dane it had been almost perfect. 

My stomach started to hurt a little and as I clutched at it, Theo looked at me with concern, "Lara are you ok? What's wrong?"

I waved him away, "It's nothing, maybe it was something I ate, I'll just go to the bathroom and I should be fine,"

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no it's fine, and a doubt anyone would want you in the ladies room," he would have usually laughed at such a comment but he was too worried to even give a small chuckle. 

His eyes never left me as I walked over the bathroom, my head began to spin and I had to clutch at the door to stop myself from falling. The room began to bend and sway around me and my throat began to feel extremely dry. 

What the hell was happening to me?

I managed to push myself into the toilets feeling the sudden urge to throw up. I braced my hands against the sinks and stared back at my face. It looked sickly pale, the usual deep brown of my skin looking more like wax paper, a thin tinge of brown rather than the deep colour it was supposed to be. 

"Agh," I clutched at my stomach as the room began to spin around me, I started to run the cold tap hoping the temperature of the water would shock me back to normality. 

It was just as I turned the tap on that I heard it. 

The deafening distinctive bang of a gun.