Page 57 of Orion Ruined

“Who took off her t-shirt?”

“I did, but I didn’t–”

BANG! Thud.

“And her jeans?”

Silence.

“Her. Jeans,” Kai repeats.

I hear people stepping forward. Another two shots follow.

There’s muttering behind me. “Someone should stop him.”

“And finally, one last bullet for the person who brought her in here.”

“Natasha! Natasha!” I yell through the gag, but the words don’t come out clear.

I look at her. Everyone else does too. She’s standing next to me, shaking, tears running down her cheeks.

“That was me, Kai.”

Bitch. Kill her!

My cheek is pressed to the table, tears drenching my face, and I watch Kai raising his gun to her forehead and pressing the barrel between her eyebrows. Shoot!

But he doesn’t. He hesitates. “This is it. I don’t owe you anything anymore. We’re even now.”

He lowers his gun just as a loud spray of bullets shatters the windows and rains down on everyone.

While everyone takes cover, Kai starts untying me, but twenty men with balaclavas run in with baseball bats, smashing everything in their way, and Kai takes a hit. They run past me and the last one grabs me by the hair to look at my face, and, I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.

“Maisy!”

My replying cry is muffled, but he hears me. It’s Orion.

He unties me, removes my gag, and lifts me into his arms while his people break and shoot everything in their way. I sob uncontrollably in his arms, clutching at him and wailing.

“I got you. It’s okay.” He takes me out and puts me inside a car. I don’t let go of him. I’m hanging onto his neck, tightly, unable to stop crying.

“They were going to… They were going to…” I stutter.

“But they didn’t.”

My sobs become violent.

“It’s okay. Shh, it’s fine. I’m gonna fucking kill Kai when I see him,” he mumbles.

I must’ve fallen asleep in his arms because I sense him peeling himself away from me, but I don’t want to let go. I open my eyes to see we’re in my bedroom.

“Let me remove these abominations of sneakers you got on.” He unties my shoelaces. “Where did you find them? In the trash?”

“Someone gave them to me. She tricked me.” I look at them, and an image suddenly unscrambles in my head. I remember something. I’ve seen them before. I reach out to take them, but Orion throws them behind him.

“Those sneakers, I think… I think I know who killed–” I start.

“I don’t wanna hear it! Now, let me get you dressed, please.”

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