The CEO and The Doctor

19. "He's not just your culprit, but also mine."

(1854 words)

Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault

The car swerved, abruptly stopping at the side of the road as Aiden hit the brakes. I sat panting in shock and fear, unable to process what was happening. My vision blurred as Aiden unbuckled my seatbelt. I felt dissociated and disoriented until I felt him pull me to his chest and wrap one of his arms around me. As my vision readjusted, I noticed him holding a gun in his other hand.

"What's happening?" I asked him weakly.

His hold on my waist tightened as he pulled me closer to his firm chest. "Shhh," he whispered in my ear. I glanced up to see a murderous look in his eyes as he stared out of the window. "I'm not who I was fifteen years ago."

I frowned in confusion. Why did he speak in riddles sometimes? I wanted to ask him what he meant, but that was obviously not the time and place for it.

I gasped as he lifted me and proceeded to shift me beneath the backseats. "What are you doing?!"

"Hide." He commanded.

I stared at him eyes-wide. "Are you going out?"

He opened the door to his side and stepped out.

"No! Aiden! Come back!" I shouted, but he slammed the door shut. I remained beneath the seats, paralysed by terror. Tears flowed down my eyes. I wanted to move. I wanted Aiden to come back. I wanted for it all to be a bad dream.

A couple gunshots echoed through the silence, making me jump and whimper. I couldn't bring myself to move no matter how hard I tried. Covering my face with my hands, I cried loudly, my body shaking as I did.

The next minute, the door to the backseat flew open, and I screamed.

"Shhh. It's me. Relax." I heard Aiden's voice. Blinking the tears from my eyes that partially obstructed my vision, I met his familiar dark brown eyes.

"Y-you're alive." I murmured, surprised to see him unharmed.

"Yet again." He mumbled, reaching out to grab hold of me.

He lifted me out of the car and closed the door behind us. I took in the scene around us. A bleeding man being dragged away by two men. A BMW standing a few feet away with a man standing next to it.

Aiden carried me to the BMW, and the man who had been standing next to it opened the door to the backseat for us. He slipped inside with me still in his arms, and the man closed the door before quickly climbing into the driver's seat.

I clutched onto Aiden's torso like my life depended on him. It probably did.

"Who the fuck was that?" Aiden demanded.

"Sir, he's..." the man seemed reluctant to speak.

"Who?!"

"I did some digging. He works for... Liam..." he replied. I blinked in confusion. Who was Liam?

Aiden's hold on me grew tighter. I glanced up to find his jaw clenched and his nostrils flaring. "Who's Liam?" I whispered.

His eyes met mine, his chest rising up and down abruptly. "Quiet, Aysel."

I wanted to know. I wanted to ask again. But his demeanour told me that he would lose his temper if I did.

We made it back to his place. He carried me out of his car and up the stairs before placing me on my feet in front of my room. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"No." I whispered.

He stroked my face with his knuckles. "Go and lay down. I'll be with you in a minute, okay?"