The ride to wherever he's taking us is long and silent until the window shatters.

"Get down!" Sergio yells. He covers my head and pulls me down as more glass shatters.

More shots follow and the car suddenly spins out of control. My head hits the dash then the window and before I know it... Everything goes black.

"Aria!"

"Aria!"

"Open your eyes, Aria!"

My eyes flutter open. I'm not sure where I am but I try to push myself up. A sharp pain shoots through my hand and I look to see a piece of glass sticking out of my palm. The sound of gunshots rings around bringing me back to the present.

"Sergio?"

"I need you to listen to me. Can you walk?" His voice is laced with distress.

I push myself up to my feet. Nodding, I put pressure on my right foot. Pain radiates around my ankle but I nod anyway. "I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt that bad."

"You gotta move, Aria. Let's go." He drags me along and I follow his lead moving to a black SUV. He helps me inside and closes the door.

I glance beside me at... "Maya?"

The front doors close one by one and as soon as the car begins to move, my head spins. I place my hand on my head, feeling warm liquid.

"Aria, you're bleeding," Maya says softly.

"My body hurts," I tell her. And my head feels light."

It sounds like someone is tearing fabric.

"Maya, apply pressure." It's Vinny who speaks, but as I blink, I catch Sergio, holding out a piece of cloth.

"Keep it steady, Vinny," Sergio grumbles once Maya takes the cloth from his hand. She does as she was told and presses it to my head, but I'm fixated on the man sliding his upper body out of the window.

"Aria... I'm gonna need you to talk to me ok? Don't need you slipping out of consciousness," Maya says.

"Why are they shooting at us?" I ask, still unaware of what's really going on.

"They want to take you away from me." Sergio laughs.

"I don't understand."

"Your fiancé wants what's his. And you're his property." Sergio looks back, eying Maya. "Is it stopping a bit?"

"Not really. I think she might need stitches."

"I'm not properly- property." I squint at the pain.

"Your fiancé is an idiot," Maya says as one of the windows shatters. She moves closer, shielding me. "Clearly he doesn't want you alive."

"If that's what he wants. Let's give it to him," Sergio says. "Throw the car over the bridge."

"What, are you nuts?" Vinny asks. "We can drown!"

Sergio glances back at us and smirks. "Can you both swim?"

"Now you're being an idiot! She can't even hold her own head up. What makes you think she can swim?" Maya argues

"I can deal with that. We need the two of you safe. So are you willing to risk it all?

Maya looks at Vinny and she nods. "I can swim. Not great but I can."

"Do it," Sergio orders.

Maya tightens the seatbelt over me as Vinny turns the wheel all the way to the right.

I barely feel the drop or the crash but as soon as the water seeps through the SUV, Sergio climbs out the front door and opens mine. He pulls out his knife and cuts me free. "I'll handle Aria, just get yourself and Maya to safety. We'll figure out everything else later."

His arms wrap around me pulling me against the small waves of the water. He holds my body to his. I let myself succumb to his warmth and the darkness.

A poke at my skin has my eyes fluttering open. Vinny's face hovers over me, concentrating on a section above my eyes. "What's going on?"

"You're getting stitches, stay still," Vinny says with a smirk.

"Where's Maya?" I ask, staying still, but still cringing with each movement he makes.

"She's home now. Safe. How are you feeling?"

"A little woozy and my body hurts, but I'll be ok."

Vinny hums softly. "We can't stick around here for too long. Do you think your brother will be on our side or your fiance's side?"

"Fiancé."

"Great so he wants you dead." Vinny scoffs. "Look I don't know who your fiancé is but clearly he's got some serious backup. He seriously wouldn't be willing to pull from the deal?"

"My brother might have exchanged my life for some money or power doesn't mean he'll do it again. He's already sold me off."

"Aria, I'm not going to put this nicely but your brother is not going to be alive much longer." Vinny leaned closer to me. "No man that sells his sister like property deserves to breathe."

I shove him away, wincing in the process. "I will talk to him and my fiancé."

"You just said that they won't listen. What more can you do or say? Sergio won't allow it."

"That doesn't mean I can't try."

"You're really going to argue right now?" Sergio calls out from behind Vinny. My gaze trails over to the doorway.

"I'm fine." I push myself up, wrapping an arm around my stomach. "I'll be fine. I should leave before you both get caught in the middle of this too."

"If you move," Sergio stalks closer, shoving Vinny out of the way. "I swear I will tie you to the bed."

"Aria, you need to recover." Vinny sighs softly.

I huff looking between Vinny and Sergio. Just hours ago... or was it days ago now? I don't even know. "I'm safe, you both can go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Sergio takes a seat where Vinny had been. "You might try and leave."

"You'd put a bullet in my kneecaps before I could leave," I say with a smirk.

"I want you safe, Aria, if that means anything. So no, there won't be a butler in your kneecap."

"You don't have to hover over me. I'll be ok. I should rest and so should you." I lay back down, keeping my eyes on him.

"I can't rest knowing that they're out there trying to take you from me, Aria." He lowers his face and presses a small kiss on my head. "You're not even safe here and I'm sorry I cannot fully protect you the way I really want to."

"Stay beside me for the night? Try to sleep knowing that I'm here with you."

"I have to keep watch, Aria. Your fiancé, will not sleep until you are with him."

"Then lay with me... until I fall asleep?"

He scoffs, but smiles and climbs into bed beside me. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me into him. "I guess we both got shot for a good reason."

"Why did you get shot?" I ask, trying to sit up, but his hand grips my shoulder, keeping keeps me down. "You never told me."

"When you left without a word." He glances my way. "I searched for you. Got into a big mess that ended up getting me shot."

"You wanted me gone. I was giving you what you wanted," I tell him.

"I wanted you happy, but you could've at least told me you were safe...."

"I am happy. You might be a dick but I can handle it."

He smiles and leans down, pressing a kiss against my cheek. "Sometimes I wonder if you are really an airhead or simply faking it. But despite what you have seen, I enjoy your company, Aria."

"And I enjoy yours," I shift in his arm, resting my hand on his chest. "I don't want to get married to him."

"You don't have much of an option with your brother around."

"No, but I can still try."

"Aria," he starts, "Why won't you just let me kill your brother?"

My head is still pounding so I don't think too much about my answer and just let the first thought come out of my mouth. "If anyone is going to kill my family, it'll be me."

"Will you even have the guts to do it? You could barely shoot a gun." He chuckles.

"With the right motivation, I'm sure I can do it. For now... I just want to stay in this moment with you."

"Of course. At least... you're alive," he mumbles. I let myself relax in his embrace and slowly drift to sleep but not before hearing his last words.

"If they put you in danger, again, I'm not holding back. I promise."

❤︎❤︎❤︎

total ONC word count: 25,104

thank you so much for reading along! ❤︎