Scarlett Mila Marino

Darkness covers the area as we reach the farm. We've parked a few feet away, hiding behind trees. A few of Rowan's guards are here, helping us.

Outside the farm guards move with precision. Surrounding the place.

Rowan leads, his eyes locked on the target ahead. Lucas and Theodore follow closely behind. I'm right behind Rowan as we get closer, without anyone noticing.

Everything feels surreal, like the calm before the storm. But I know what's coming. This isn't going to be a clean rescue. "Ready?" Rowan whispers turning his head to look at me. I nod once. Swallowing my nerves.

And when Rowan gives the signal all our men stand back up and fight. A few of my fathers men appear, running towards us with guns drawn. And the first shots fire off like cracks of lightning.

It's chaos.

Bullets fly, lighting up the night. Rowan moves like a predator, dodging shots. I follow closely behind. I shoot at anyone who gets close, but never to kill, just to hurt. To get me where I want.

It's a war zone, but we're gaining ground.

Rowan kicks a door open with such force it nearly splinters against the wall.
Inside the place is even more run down than I remember. We walk downstairs and enter another room. It smells like mold and old wood. The floor creeks beneath our feet as we enter.

But then I see them.

Wait what?

My mom and dad stands in the middle, as if they've been waiting for us.

I freeze at the sight of my my mother.

She...she told him we would come. How else would he know we were going to be here.
She made sure he knew about our plan and ruined it for us.

My father has a smug grin on his face. "If you hurt me your friends die Scarlett." My father says.

He's moved them...
Thanks to my fucking mother, he has successfully tricked us. He's been one step ahead this whole time.

So the audio was also fake? He had to know we were listening to him this whole time, and he knew we would show up here.

Rowan clutches his gun. I've never seen him hold one before. He points it at my father as a few more men appear from behind. We're so fucked.

"Tell your husband to put his gun down, will you Scarlett? Before I shoot your friends." He says then taps a device he's holding. The wall lights up, a screen flickers to life. And there they are. My friends, tied to chairs, bruised, beaten, mouths taped shut. They look so exhausted.

Shit.
"One move and you'll watch them die." Father says.
Tears sting my eyes. But I won't let them fall.

We were so close to getting them back.

I turn to Rowan. "Rowan don't you dare shoot him!" I say then turn looking back at the screen where my friends are. I want to cry, to be in their place.
They don't deserve this.
"They can't die because of this." I say.

Rowan's jaw clenches as he slowly, painfully puts his gun down.

"Drop it." My father orders.
To much. He's trying to damn much.

Rowan drops his gun.

"That's right. Now let's make this easy, shall we? I want my money." He says to Rowan.

"I'll give you the money when you turn her friends over." He says.

But the cruel grin on my fathers face tells me there's more. He's playing a game, and we're losing.

Lucas and Theodore remain silent behind me. Too scared to move from the guards surrounding us.

Then in one swift motion, to quick to register, my father raises his gun and aims it directly at Rowan.
"Enough talking. If I can't have what I want, no one will." He says.

The shot rings out, and everything moves in slow motion.
I don't think, I just react.

I throw myself in front of Rowan, my body moving faster than my mind can process.

"NO!" I hear Rowan yell.

The pain comes before I even hear the gun go off, a sharp, searing agony ripping through my shoulder. I stumble back my body hitting Rowan.

Blood drips, spreading through my shoulder. My ears ring, my vision blurs, but I can hear Rowan shouting.
He puts me down on the floor getting down with me.
He's on his knees for the second time now beside me. His hands press down on my wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Scarlett...stay with me." He growls, his voice thick with panic.

"You foolish girl...Now, are you going to give me the check, or no?" My father's voice cuts through, still pointing the gun at us.

"Theodore! Give him what he wants." Rowan orders not thinking twice.

As soon as Theodore takes out the 10 million check it's taken away from him and handed to my father.
"Good. Really good." He says taking a good look at the pay check.

My fathers voice cuts lets out a low, evil laugh.
"They call you Marino's the devil, let's see if you can really handle heat like one." He says, as the smell hits me immediately.

Smoke.

"Lock the doors!" My father says to his guards as they all head outside.

I clutch my shoulder trying to get up but my vision blurs again. Fuck.
Flames flicker at the edges of the room, catching on the old wooden beams.

Everyone has run away. Leaving us in a burning house. Everyone except Lucas, Rowan, Theodore and me. We're stuck here.

Lucas bangs on the door that we came through. They've locked it.

"Press your hand here" Rowan says guiding it to where my wound is. I do as he says.
Rowan's hands are shaking as he lifts me up in his arms. Lucas and Theodore are shouting orders, trying to find a way out, but the flames are closing in. "On three!" They yell as they start counting down, then kick the door at the same time. It's pointless, it's an iron door, it won't open.

Rowan carries me, never letting go.
He starts coughing, having a hard time breathing. I keep pressing my palm to stop the bleeding. My head feels heavy but I try to keep my eyes open.
"Eyes on me baby. Don't you dare close them." Rowan says, tightening his grip on me.

"Theo! The window!" Rowan yells pointing his head at another direction.

I can't quite make up what's happening. It's all happening so fast.

Lucas and Theodore grab a large wooden table and throw it at the tiny window, breaking it. The sound stings my ears.

Everyone is coughing barely able to breathe right.
They all jump outside and Rowan moves with me sill in his arms. He pushes me through it first. Lucas and Theodore helping me out. The glass cutting my skin.

Rowan climbs out right after me. He cuts himself too as he pushes through the small window.

And when fresh air hits my lungs I gasp. Letting oxygen fill my lungs. Rowan lifts me back up and runs away from the scene.

As soon as we're away from the house I let myself cry.
We were about to die. All because I trusted my mother. I was naive enough to believe she loved me.

I was about to watch every one I cared about die because of me.
So I sob. Letting the tears fall.

Lucas and Theodore lay flat on the grass a few feet away from the burning house. "Holy shit!" Lucas screams.
Rowan places me gently on the grass as he rips his shirt in half and ties it tightly around my bleeding shoulder. His face pale with fear.
He's still coughing.

"Can you walk?" He asks as I keep crying. I can't stop.

He grabs my head forcing me to look at him. "Damn it, Mila! Are you able to walk?" He asks again so worried for me.

I nod as he helps me stand up on my feet. He holds me by the waist as he leads me to the cars. Lucas and Theodore gather all the remaining guards in the area as they too head back.

"Are you feeling dizzy? Is it hurting? I'm...I'm taking you to a hospital, hold on a few more minutes..." he says out of breath.

"I'm...fine." I say through the pain. Fuck it hurts.

We get in the back seat of the car as the guard starts driving us to the nearest hospital.
I lean my head against Rowan's chest.
His leg is shaking. Bouncing up and down in stress. I've never seen him so...scared.

"I'm going to be okay." I reassure him taking his hand in mine. I look up, meeting his gaze. He plants a gentle kiss on top of my head. Letting out a relieved breath.

"Don't you dare take a bullet meant for me ever again." He says holding me close.

"You would've died if I hadn't." I say, even the thought of it making me panic.

"I don't care about me, Scarlett. I'd die a thousand times over just to see you safe. Without you, there's nothing. No empire, no power, no life that's worth living. So don't you ever do something like that again." He says brushing a stand of hair away from my face.

His words wrap around me like a vow. I reach up with my good arm, my hand tangled in his hair. I pull his head down, pressing our foreheads together.
"I would do it all over again, Rowan...because without you, none of it matters." I whisper then kiss him.

We're alive. But we've failed our mission.
My friends are out there, scared, hurt. Waiting to be saved.
And I'll do anything to get them back.

Everyone is alive at least...:)