Contentions(A Liam Payne AU)

Chapter 36 - The Beginning in the End

“F-Father,” I choked, my eyes widening and limbs beginning to tremble as I took in the limp body of Macie in his arms, the state of the poor girl so awful that I almost threw up right then and there.

“You said you wouldn’t hurt her,” Liam snapped, his muscles bunching and jaw tightening. “Y-You said you wouldn’t lay a finger on her-“

“-if you gave me my daughter,” that monster finished, a sick smirk on his lips. “Which you didn’t. So your little sister here will be feeling it for a while, mate. I’m not exactly sure what those guards even did to her. They’re some pretty sick guys who just love little girls-“

“You sick son of a bitch,” Liam spat, eyes wide and veins in his neck bulging. “She’s a child. She didn’t deserve that. None of these girls did!”

“Don’t speak to me that way, boy,” my father growled, haphazardly throwing macie over one arm and slipping a gun from his belt. “Now give me my daughter.”

“I already told you no-“

BOOM.

A deafening sound of a gunshot, a little girl’s scream, and all I could think was ‘he actually shot her…’

Sarah’s POV

All I was aware of was pain, agonizing pain. Richard’s goons had stormed the house and in a weak attempt to escape, I now found myself lying on the bathroom floor, clutching my stomach as I struggled to breathe. I could hear the fighting and the yells, at one point I think I even heard my name, but I was too busy writhing in agony to respond.

“Sarah, lass. Move yer hands, I need to see,” I heard someone say above me, that soft Irish accent reassuring as he lightly gripped my wrists. He helped me move them away and I could feel my shirt being pulled up, a whimper leaving my lips as some fabric tugged at the wound.

“I’m sorry for this,” Niall said softly before I felt a pain like no other, worse than I had felt in a long long time.

“STOP! ST-MMPH!” I sobbed, my cries being muffled by his free hand.

“I know, luv. I know. Just bare with me, I almost have it,” he murmured, an odd pulling feeling being felt inside of me as he removed his fingers from my wound, holding up a bullet for me to see. “I’m going to move my hand but you can’t scream, alright? You’ve got to be strong for me, Sarah, darling. You can do that, yeah?” I nodded and he slowly moved his hold from over my mouth, instead using his new found freedom to strip off his shirt and press it to the hole in my torso.

“A-Am I gonna die?” I wheezed fearfully, fingers flitting against my cheek in a comforting gesture.

“Not when you have me to take care of you, baby,” he said softly, ocean eyes intense. “I’m gonna look after you, yeah? You’re gonna be fine, Sarah….just fine…”

Harry’s POV

“Jessie, out the window, sweetheart,” I said softly. “Just like we’ve practiced. Run to Gemma’s house, alright? You’ll be safe there.”

“B-But I’m scared!” she choked, hugging onto my torso tightly, with no intention of letting go.

“I know you are, hunny. I know,” I cooed, gently pushing her away from me and ushering her towards the window. “It’s okay to be scared, but you can’t let it paralyze you, oaky? You’ve got to push forward. Aunt Gem will take care of…now run, cutie. You’ve got to run.”

“Love you, Uncle Haz,” she cried, hugging me once more.

“And I love you to the moon and back,” I smiled, trying to hide my tears as I heard the footsteps pounding up the stairs; I knew what was coming. With that thought in mind, I pushed her towards the window, waiting for her to escape before I slammed it shut and closed the curtains, just in time to turn around and face the multiple barrels pointed at me.