Page 114 of Vicious Arrangement
I’m going in. I hold up three fingers and count down.
Three.
Two.
One.
I grip that makeshift weapon tight. Then I kick open the door.
Chapter Thirty-One
ARIA
My world changes in moments.From dark to light. Hopelessness to hope.
The door splinters, and Noah bursts in, flying at Aaron, brandishing a weapon and slamming it into his face, following it with a quick punch.
But Aaron staggers and then lunges forward, planting his fist in Noah’s face, and I scream, bursting into tears. God, I don’t want to cry. I want out of this. I want to hit the piece of shit in the balls.
The two of them are at each other, swapping blows, and at one point, Aaron gets the weapon and goes to slam it into Noah’s face.
I scream and Noah’s arm comes up, protecting his face, but leaving his stomach wide open for Aaron to target.
I go crazy, trying to rip through the ties to help Noah, and suddenly I realize someone else is there. Asher.
“Are you okay?”
“No. Yes. I will be. Get these off.”
“Keep still,” he says as he undoes them. “Now run.”
He jumps into the fray as Noah gets the upper hand. I should run, but I don’t.
Aaron’s on the ground now, and Asher steps away, but Noah doesn’t.
He kicks the man in the stomach and then the back of the head. It’s like a madman has truly been unleashed and the look on Noah’s face makes me quiver.
“Noah? Noah, I’m okay.”
“He hurt you. He took you. He drugged Angus.”
“I know, but…” I swallow. I don’t care about the man he wants to kill. I care about Noah. I love him with everything I am.
And I don’t think Noah would be able to come back if he killed him. I’d still love him, but he’d retreat, and I’m not sure we could reach him. And that… that would let this man win.
“Stop, please,” I finish.
I look at Asher, but he shrugs. “It’s his choice.”
“No…” I get off the bed and stand. “Noah, don’t do this. You have a choice, but make the right one for yourself, for our child.” For me. “Don’t kill him. Just… just stop, please. I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”
“Did he touch you?”
I lie to him, the one lie I’ll take to my grave because… he touched my thigh, but that’s the same as him grabbing my arm. “No, hedidn’t, so don’t. It’s not worth your goodness, your soul, Noah. I don’t want to lose you. Please, please stop.”
I close my eyes and give in to the tears again, give in to the shaking and the weakness, and I start to crumble, but strong arms catch me. And they pull me against a hard, warm body that smells of pepper and bergamot, of home and safety, of Noah.
“He’s alive, Aria,” he whispers.
