A single bullet // M.C ✔️

74

"Make sure someone's actually dead, asshole, before fleeing the scene," Michaels fist connected with Luke's nose, making swears fly out his mouth. I had just finished hugging Kensie hello as she'd just come home from her trip when Luke made the fatal mistake of walking into Michaels' apartment... with Michael here.

"What the fuck, dude!" His hand shot up to grasp at his nose, looking at me in confusion. "What's your problem?"

"Noah fucking Anderson's my problem, 'dude'," Michael mocked, doing quotation marks around dude, making Luke's confusion grow more.

"Noah's dead, Michael," he rolled his eyes, looking at me as if going to stop your boyfriend.

"Go on, Nicky, enlighten him before I punch him again," he shoved at Luke harshly, making him stumble. Kensie took a single step forward, making me grab her arm, looking at her.

You do not want to get in the way of an angry Michael.

"He kidnapped me, Luke." I blurted out, making him freeze, fist in the air about to finally punch Michael back.

"What?" He let his hand fall as Kensie looked at me wide-eyed.

"I saw him die, Nicky,"

"He's still alive. He kidnapped me," I repeated. "He's the current leader of Unbroken, and he kidnapped me. He definitely isn't dead."

"Haha, funny joke, you two. Did you just want a reason to punch me in the face?" Luke snapped.

"Luke, when have I ever given you any reason to not believe me?" I watched as he pondered my words, letting his hand fall back to his side, shaking his head.

"This is a sick joke. Not just to me but to Kensie. He traumatised her, and you're joking about him." I felt helpless as I realised he really didn't believe Noah was still on this earth. He reached out for Kensie, who left my side and straight into his arms, looking down and nervously playing with the hem of her jumper, a nervous habit.

"Kensie..." I wanted to reach out and just hug her, but the way she wasn't even looking at me made me not. She had retreated too deep in his mind, gripping hard at Luke's hand.

"I believe you," she whispered, shocking Luke as she looked back up at me, truth clear in her eyes. "Lu, we left the scene; someone could have saved him."

"He would have come after us," he argued, shaking his head, curls flying out to the side.

"Why would he?" She quizzed the denying blonde, giving me a side-glance before looking back at him. "Really, there was no reason he wanted me then to just kill me. He must have known who you were; everyone does. I would say he must think you killed me instead, so he hasn't come looking for me..." she whispered, making perfect sense. Kensie was always a pawn in Noah's game, and when he lost her to Luke, he didn't need to kill her, as why wouldn't a gang member kill someone? She knows his identity and just saw him shoot someone.

No witnesses.

"He doesn't know you're alive,"

"We fled London, Lu. There were articles saying we both died in a plane crash, which if he had any doubt, that would have changed it again. You saved me." The end bit was just for Luke, as anyone looking at him could see what he was currently going through now in his own mind, anxiously chewing his lip.

"You're definitely not bullshitting me?" He looked at me now, usual bright eyes now dull as he took in Kensie's words.

"Not that kind of person, Luke," I couldn't even be annoyed with the fact he thought I was. It was such a heavy statement to say, and when you're the one who pulled the trigger, of course, doubt will come out full force. And if you're someone who shoots to kill twenty-four-seven, the doubt will double.

"What do we do?" I looked at Luke as he stared directly at Michael, as if he could give all the answers Luke needed right now.

"There's nothing we can do-,"

"Bullshit," Luke cut him off, shaking his head rapidly. "And you know it as well, Mike. You just don't want to go against unbroken."

"There's nothing I want more, Luke," Michael pulled me securely into his arms, speaking silent words. He has a reason not to go into full battles anymore without a plan. And as much as deep down I know he wanted to kill Noah for even taking me away from him, he couldn't yet.

"Seems it..." he whispered, shaking his head again and sighing as Kensie wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Luke," Michael's voice turned slightly harsh, making me grip his arm tightly, shaking my head. It's understandable he seems so worried and seems to be questioning Michael; there are plenty of reasons to go kill Noah straight away, but the risks were too high now. He couldn't just go in there balls blazing anymore; he needed to think of every step of the way to make sure nothing can stray from the path and go wrong.

Would he have just done this to protect Kensie? No way; he would have just walked in and shot at Noah, not thinking of the consequences, but now he has me. He understands the fear Luke must go through every time they go on a mission: the fear of not making it back; the fear of something happening to your partner. He isn't willing to risk that.

"I know," he whispered back, seemingly knowing exactly what's going through the leader's mind; he does it every mission with Kensie, just no one else has ever seemed to care. Now there are two of them who have to think over every step.

"Mikey, you've been at that table for hours; come to bed," I whispered, wanting to pull my boyfriend out of his troubled mind. Luke and Kensie had gone, and that led Michael to locking himself in the little office he had made, just thinking over every possible plan he could to get rid of Noah... for good.

Nothing seems to have been good enough, meaning he never left for bed even when I was just staring at him from the doorframe. Warm blanket around my shoulders, I had decided one more time to try and pry him from the desk.

"Mikey, please." I hated how weak I sounded and how needy I seemed, but I needed him. It was the first night since coming back from Noah's, and even though I was only there for a few hours, there was fear carved deep in me that someone from unbroken would come and get me. Even from Michael's place.

He actually looked at me this time, green meeting brown as he looked helplessly in my direction, eyes bloodshot. A quick nod was sent my way as he slammed his laptop shut, the noise seemingly louder in the quiet room. Feet dragged along the rug as he rubbed his eyes harshly and walked over to me, making me reach out and gently grasp his arm.

"You'll figure it out," four words left my lips, making him nod with a tight-lipped smile. He knew he would figure it out, and I knew he wouldn't rest until he did. He just needed to hear that someone else thought so too. It must have helped shift something in him as he reached his arm backwards and grabbed hold of my hand, pulling me towards his, our, room, making me smile softly. He knew what I needed to.

It always amazed me how smart Michael was with certain things, and the fact that he knew I just needed him made my heart swoon. He knew me. Blanket long forgotten on the floor in his office, we were both tucked up in bed, the thick duvet over my body, and Michael's arms securely around my waist, face tucked into my neck.

"We'll be okay, right?" It was a simple question that should have one answer, but it took a long time for that answer to leave Michael's lips. He very clearly didn't want to lie to me and clearly didn't want to give me false hope. He nodded once into my neck, not saying or uttering a single word, and that was all I needed to know.

We will be okay. Eventually.

——