A single bullet // M.C ✔️

42

Faint bass sounded from the walls in front of us as Michael and I arrived at a nightclub. The building looked to be breaking and falling down, with small piles of rubble against the bottom of the walls and graffiti littering the side of the building we could see. A few neon lights were scattered up the wall with arrows pointing to the doors, as if telling people where to go; there was only one door on the building.

"This is.... Something." I muttered, straightening the hem of my dress and looking at the building. "I was expecting something else." What I was expecting, I didn't know, but considering I've seen the 5sos gang home base being a lavish apartment block, this was really downhill. I definitely weren't expecting a rundown nightclub of all things, a simple office block maybe hidden away from prying eyes. Not a club saying 'Come into our hideout'.

"Always the party animals." Michael muttered, grabbing my hand. "Welcome to the gang life, darling." He started walking before I could utter a single word, pulling me towards the building.

"Michael, it's early. The club won't be open." No nightclub opens at half six, not even a fake one.

"Well, we aren't here for the club, are we, Nicky?" He spoke as if he was speaking to a small child who was having a hard time understanding, making me scoff and try to pull my hand away just to cause his grip to tighten. "Don't." He spat out as the door opened, making me freeze and instantly go limp, letting Michael pull me about and hold me.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Oh, if it isn't my favourite hitman," Michael smirked, wrapping his arm tightly around my shoulders. "So nice to see you again, James." James was a tall man with red-dyed hair and a body covered in tattoos and piercings (from what I could see). "Aaron around?"

"He is. But who's this first? You know we don't just let anyone in, Clifford. You of all people should know that."

"This is my girlfriend, James." He spat out, making me flinch slightly at the tone of his voice. The tone of " none of your fucking business now, let us in." James's eyes went dark with fury, making me automatically sink more into Michael's side as a reflex. "I'm not here for trouble, James. I was requested, and we never travel alone, you know that. Boys were busy." He sternly spoke, oozing power, making me feel a bit weak at his tone.

His voice was sharper at the end of words and more to the point; there was no room for arguments against him. James seemed to think it over for a bit, looking me up and down.

"She stays outside the office."

"Fuck no." Michael instantly replied, stepping forward, hiding my body and figure from his eyes that had suddenly found interest in me. "She comes into the room with me, James."

"She's such a pretty thing, though, Michael. Don't you want to share her?" I was half expecting him to scoff and roll his eyes, staring that I was only mediocre again. I was half expecting him to just push me towards James with a sign saying 'do what you want to her'. What I wasn't expecting is Michael holding James firmly against the crumbling wall, his shirt tightly in Michael's fist as he lifted his figure off the floor slightly.

"Michael!" I cried out, covering my mouth as James seemed weaker and weaker; he was killing him, strangling him even over a silly joke he did.

"Shut up, darling." He was just playing up the part of being a protective boyfriend, calling me cute little petnames. The one petname that brought butterflies right back to my stomach.

"Please stop!" Colour was leaving James's face as Michael didn't move a muscle, boxing James in as he tried to kick out and escape under his arm.

"Now, now, James. You know that's not how we play this game..." he taunted, applying more pressure to his neck. James's hands instantly gripped at his shirt sleeve, begging in his eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see the man kill someone a few metres in front of me. "Open your eyes, darling. See what happens if someone flirts with you." At that comment, fear sunk into me, and my eyes snapped open, meeting James's half-lidded eyes, but I wasn't afraid anymore. I wasn't scared to witness it.

Jealousy was clear in Michael's person, and he revealed it with those words, whether he was acting or not; he cared enough to cause physical harm to someone. Realisation sunk into my mind as the fact that I would have to get used to this. I've seen enough dead bodies in my life with my job; this is just the before, but...

"Want a go?" Michael joked, throwing his head lazily to the side as I blinked slowly. "I was joking, Ni-," I had been pondering his question before a soft smile crept onto my face.

"Ni?" It was clear it was so he didn't expose my real name to James or anyone listening. The real reason he only spoke my name when he knew it was just us two. Give them no fuel to find me or anything out about me. By now, I was next to him again and directly in front of James, reaching into Michael's back pocket.

Bingo!

I pulled out the heavy metal and let it rest in the palm of my hand, flipping it over a few times before leaving it. I gripped it tightly, rotating my wrist as it was upright, aimed right at James's forehead.

"Darling?" Michael was dumbfounded, losing his grip on James slightly before recovering, "the fuck you think you're doing," he didn't think I would do it, didn't think the trigger would fire under my finger, sending a single bullet into James's head.

"Dancing a jig, Michael." I spoke slowly, rolling my shoulders back and lifting my head up high. If I did this, I would be saying bye to what I know. I wouldn't be able to be as close with my family. I would have to be careful at crime scenes to not point out hidden things. Alex and Morgan would have to become distant so they wouldn't have the issue of throwing my ass in jail for life over killing someone.

If Michael, Calum, Luke, and even Ashton have lasted this long, they can teach me the proper way to hide. I was done just being the reporter on the killings, done being seen as some innocent girl who can be played with. Thanks to the gang, that was no longer me. Not anymore.

James' time was running out as his eyes closed more and more. It was now or never. I wanted the satisfaction of murdering him for the crude comment he made. I wasn't a fucking toy.

Bang!

It seemed like slow motion as my finger tensed and sent a single silver bullet cutting through the air directly into James' forehead. Bullseye. His body slumped against Michael as he just chucked him to the ground as if he was rubbish. Confusion was present as he looked between me and the body, constantly spending more time on the body as if he was in disbelief.

"I'm not a toy in a fucking game." I sternly spoke, aiming it at Michael. It worked in both situations. The way James had spoken about me as if I was some whore, stating to leave me outside the room, had hurt enough to know he meant so he could play with me. And for Michael's situation where he keeps messing with me.

"Here," he muttered, wiping at my face with his thumb, pulling it away, revealing a bit of red. Blood. That was it, the end of the conversation, as he stepped over James and put his hand out behind him, letting me link mine again. He cared about me.

"God dammit, Michael, that was my favourite hitman."

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