Their Situation, Our Problem

Chapter 4: Amara

They landed with a loud thump. Fortunately for Amara, Stranger #1's body was the one to meet the floor. Unfortunately for him, his body also saved her from eating gravel for the second time that day. 

"Oh my god, are you ok? Where you hit? Are you bleeding?" Amara shot question after question, not letting him get a word in. He just groaned. Amara looked at him frantically. He had dark chocolate colored eyes, and if her hands roamed his stomach for longer than socially acceptable, sue her, she felt a six pack. 

"Are you dying," Amara asked when he didn't respond and a really painful expression decorated his face.

"I will be if you don't get off of my balls," he mumbled up at her.

"Oh my god," She squeaked as she rolled off of him.

"Nik," Rachel called out to Stranger #1 as she kneeled next to him. Nik was her brother's name. These strangers were her brothers.

"I'm ok. Help me up, we have to get out of here, now." He grunted out. Seeing as he was clearly ok enough to talk, Amara remembered that someone had just shot at them. She looked around to see all of the assailants lying unconsciously on the floor. Colton was standing next to an unconscious ET with a breathless expression and his attention on Nik. Amara turned back to see Nik struggling to stand with Rachel's help. 

"Rachel, get Nik in the car. Colton, grab the guns," Stanger #2 said. Amara's eyes followed him as he backed out of the backseat of a car where Sofia was sitting.

"She can't stand Elijah," Nik, informed Stranger #2. Stranger #2 was named Elijah, just like the oldest Arsenic; clearly the whole family was here. Rachel was helping Nik to the passenger side of the car, but he had his eyes set on Amara. 

"Colton grab her, I'll get the guns," Elijah commanded. She turned to see Colton storing a gun in his jeans as he rushed to her. 

"Wait, What-oomph," She groaned as Colton jostled her. He wasn't gentle as he practically threw Amara in the back seat of the car.

"Just keep quiet and be a good little girl," Colton muttered before he shuffled back out. Amara turned to see both Colton and the other brother, Elijah, looking around the floor for something. Their overall blasé attitude about the situation was discomforting. She was about to say something when she heard the sound of tires screeching. She looked out the back window to see another car flying down the alley. 

"Get in the car," Elijah shouted as he ran to the driver's side. Rachel slid in beside Sofia as Colton sat next to Amara. The siblings crammed inside the small four-door car in seconds, but not before shots were fired. Colton hadn't even shut the door before they were racing out of there. 

"What the hell was that?" Amara shouted as she ducked down to avoid any possible bullets.

"Not now Barbie," Rachel retorted as she shoved Sofia's head down with her.

"Drive! Drive! Drive!" Colton shouted in the background as he bounced in his seat; switching from looking behind them to looking ahead of them.

"You sure you're ok Nik?" Rachel asked her brother. She leaned forward, her hands reaching out for his.

"Nothing to fuss about, you're the one we're worried about," Nik answered from his slouched position in the front seat. He turned around slightly so he was facing Rachel. His face contorted with the movement but otherwise showed no feelings of pain.

"They didn't hurt me. You guys got there in time," She sniffled. She looked about ready to cry but she rubbed at her nonexistent tears. This emotional Rachel made Amara feel like she was in a parallel universe. 

"Faster, 'Lijah," Colton shouted again.

"I don't need your advice right now brother," Elijah growled at Colton, as he made a sharp right turn.

"Can someone please tell me what just happened?" Amara asked again.

"I said, not now Barbie!" Rachel sneered.

"Listen here princess, I just saved your life! You should be thanking me!" I exclaimed in the same tone.

"I didn't need your help," Rachel scoffed. "Shit E, make a left, make a left!" Colton kept shouting.

"Maybe next time I'll just sit and watch kidnappers take you," Amara retorted.

"I don't have time for this! My brother has just been shot and it's all about you," Rachel belittled.

"Was he actually hit," Amara questioned as she turned to look at Nik. His eyes were closed but his breathing was even. 

"We need to take him to the hospital," Amara suggested, only now fully realizing the implications of what a gunshot really meant.

"No! We can't go to the hospital," -Colton objected almost instantly- "That's the first place they'll look!"

"What the hell are you people into?" Amara asked at the same time Rachel shouted, "What the hell did you do Colton?"

There was sharp, definite, left turn that had them all grabbing onto each other for dear life, when Elijah shouted from up front, "Everyone needs to shut the fuck up!" 

Silence. Everyone went completely quiet. Not a single reproach or comment was said. No exclamations or questions, no more shots were being fired and a quick glance back confirmed that they were no longer being followed. The only noise was Nik's loud even breathing and that of the traffic around them. Horns and mean intentioned hand signals followed them as they flew past everyone. They were going fast.

"Check if Brunette's in shock," Elijah said.

"Sofi," Amara mumbled. She turned to her and laid a hand on her back. Amara just now realizing Sofia hadn't said a single word since Amara had been dumped in the car. Amara had been too busy and scattered to pay attention to her. Her ankle was throbbing, everyone was yelling, and nobody would tell her why the heck she had just been involved in a possible kidnapping with a shootout and car chase. 

"My name is not Brunette," Sofia stated abruptly. Amara tried to get her to look at her but Sofia wouldn't tear her gaze from the rearview mirror. 

"It's a nickname," Elijah countered.

"I haven't known you long enough for nicknames," Sofia grumbled with a frown on her face.

"I didn't know there was a required amount of time before being allowed to give a nickname?" Elijah questioned.

Sofia looked deep in thought. Her hands were shaking. She kept twisting and interlocking them over and over. She looked pale and fidgety, and if there was one thing she was not, it was pale and fidgety. She was always full of color and bravado, didn't matter if it was false or not. She was always calm and in control. That was not what she was now. Amara put my hand over hers, hoping to calm her but it made no difference. 

"I don't like it," Sofi seemed to decide after a long pause.

"It suits you" Elijah rationalized.

"I have a real name," she argued.

"Which is," he asked? She seemed to really give it thought before she replied. 

"I'm not in shock," she said instead.

"Good. One less obstacle," he said. More silence. More darting glances. More twisting and knotting of her hands. More contemplation.

"Did I," she choked up and stopped.

"Were you worth it?" She asked instead. Sofia was making no sense but Amara didn't say anything. Sofi looked so fragile, she was afraid if she said something Sofi might just break.

"I don't know," he answered. That was not the answer she had been hoping for because she seemed to deflate at his answer.

"Did I kill him?" What? What was Sofia talking about?

"I don't know," Elijah answered.

Holy Crap!