Violet

23

I couldn't see very well from the back but I saw Alex stiffen. His arm tensing, the gun pushing harder against Billy's forehead. Standing on my tip toes I try to look over a tall woman, dressed in black with a bandana tied around her head, shoulder. Watching as Eddie stood by Alex's side and pointed another gun at the side of Billy's head.
"No fucking way." He growled.
"Boys, please. Why are we doing this when a simple trade will do." He paused, holding his hands up in surrender. "The girl for your freedom. Both of your debts will be settled and forgotten if you turn over the girl."
Eddie shook his head frantically. Knocking his gun against Billy's head. "He's a god damn lunatic, Alex."
Alex nodded. Tilting his head then lowering his weapon. "What you doing?" Eddie yelled.
"Take her and go, Ed."
"No!" He roared, pushing Alex in the shoulder. "Are you nuts, I'm not leaving ya'll here with that fuck bag."
Alex began to turn. Then spun, whacking Billy hard over the head with his gun. Everyone was in so much shock no one moved til one of Billy's thugs raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet flying by Eddie's ear. Then chaos erupted.

The woman grabbed me and dragged me into cover behind a thick, wooden table before grabbing her gun and firing some shots. "I'm Ashlyn." She yelled over the whizzing of bullets.
"Violet!" I covered my ears. Keeping myself as low as possible.
"I know. Heard a lot about you, Vi." She shot off some more, grinning as a wail of pain and the thump of a dead body hitting the floor made me shiver.
"Alex found me and my people and said he needed help getting his woman back." She reloaded her gun with such ease and prowess I couldn't help but be impressed.
"Your people?"
"Yeah." She snapped the barrel shut. "Alex was a member of our group before he went off to work for this mother fucker."
"You're a gang too?" I squeak. Why are you surprised?
She laughs, a weird mix of amusement and 'really?'. "Well, it is gang country down here." She raises the gun and shoots another guy. Then passes me a gun from her duffel bag by her feet, and I hold it like its a grenade in my hands. "Know how to use it?"
"Yeah." I say with as much confidence as I was feeling right now.
"Then get shooting!"

Poking my head up I choose my target. I aim, take a breath and hold and squeeze the trigger and the man goes down in a fit of pain and blood. Then I nearly throw up.
"Keep going!" Ashlyn shouts, reloading and moving over get a better shot. Scanning the room for another target, I get distracted. Alex and Eddie are cornered behind the bar. Shacks shooting bullet after bullet with his AK-47 from the opposite side. I watch for a moment. Seeing the determination but lack of hope as the two shoot back as many shots as they could. Biting my lip, I run to another table. Getting closer before jumping to my feet, aiming and against my better judgement, I shout. "Hey!" He turns, sees me and I shoot. Shacks goes down. First to his knees then face down. Dead.
The nausea relaxed a little as I turn and quickly send a bullet into the skull of a man about to stab Eddie in the neck. He'd crawled from the side and made his way around undetected.
Dashing over with a little squeal of, "oh fuck!" I crouch between them. "You crazy?" Eddie scolded, taking the gun from my hands.
"You're welcome." I peek over the bar and smile. "Two left. Billy and one other but I'm not sure what his name was."
"Don't give two fucks about his name!" Eddie choked, joining me to see what was happening. Alex was next. Peeking up as the bullets suddenly stopped flying. "Maybe we can draw them out somehow."
"They're pretty hidden back there." Eddie mumbled.
I had an idea. Not one they'd like but one that would prevent anyone else from dying. Looking around I saw Ashlyn treating a wounded blonde man. Slim, but broad shouldered, he had a blood patch on his chest that seriously needed attention. Others cowering behind tables and anything they could to keep themselves from dying. For me. All of this was for me.

Silence. Here's your chance.

Looking at Alex I gave him a quick kiss. Resting my forehead against his for a moment before exhaling. Remembering the feel and smell of his skin. "Remember, whatever you hear, I love you."
"What?" His eyes fill with panic and he begins to grab for me but I hold his face between my hands and smile. "Wait for the opportune moment." Then I'm up and walking out into the line of fire.

"What are you doing?" I hear a scuffle behind me. Eddie calling after me as Alex tries to keep him seated. Hopefully this would work. Then, if I didn't get shot, this would all be over.
"Billy!" I stop a few feet away from where he was crouched behind a pool table. I try to look as innocent and defeated as I could. Dramatically sobbing to squeeze a few tears out to fall down my cheeks. "Please, you don't have to do this." I see his eyes peeking up from behind the table. "I'll come with you, just please don't hurt my friends."
"You had your chance earlier, Strawberry." He moves to stand and cautiously looks about the room as I move closer.
"I can't do this anymore!" I sob, a gut wrenching sob that was real. For days I'd been on the edge of my seat. For day's I'd had men trying to kill me, be with me or grope me and I needed this. I needed the release.
He moved towards me as I did him. He was so close I could feel the sticky, slimy fingers already touching my skin. "What about your boyfriend, Strawberry. Isn't he going to be mad?"
"He doesn't love me like I do him." I weep. "If I died tomorrow he still wouldn't love me."
Billy reached out and took my hand. Holding it to his chest like a loving lover. I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze til they went dark. He made my skin crawl but I had to do this. I had to bring him out into the open. We were still at the pool table, and I needed him out in plain sight for the boys to take him down.
"Why's he fighting so hard for you then?" He snaps. Grabbing my arms and shaking me. I stumble back, bringing him with me. Closer to the open.
"Same reason you are." I whimper as his grip tightens. "Property, power, ownership."

Grabbing my wrist he spins me around and pulls me back against him. Pointing his gun to my head. "Now, you see sweet thing, I may be a criminal but I'm not stupid. I think we both know that if I shot you right now, the boy would go plain coo coo."
"Do it." Wait, what?  "Test your theory." I bluff. My nails digging into his arm a little as I prepare myself to meet my maker. Maybe this was a stupid idea.
You think?
I close my eyes. Shuffling my feet forward so he has to follow. Hoping he was enough in the open for a clean shot. My insides tangled, I held my breath and waited as I hear the sickening clunk of a barrel moving.
I screamed as I flew backwards onto my back. Knocking my head against the cold floor. Rubbing the pain in my skull I turn my head to see Billy's dead eyes staring back at me. A bullet hole between his eyes and blood pooling into his beard.
Scrambling away, I try to hold back the vomit as voices called my name. My mind too foggy to reply as my eyes stay on Billy's.
It worked. You did it.
Warm, large arms held me close and I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Vi, can you hear me?" It all sounded as though I was under water. All distant and hollow. I had no idea who was talking or who was holding me. "Violet!" I felt my body being shaken then slowly my legs gave way and my head fall back. I was gone.