Chapter 9

Mirabel rushed into the building. All I knew was the need to survive and the promise I made to my sister. Who were these guys, and how long had they been following us? Who in the world sent them to tail us? These bastards couldn't just appear at random, especially when they were working as a team. There had to be someone behind them. An asshole who wanted me and my family dead.

The pedestrians had run away when they heard a gunshot. They were aiming for Mirabel.

I ran into the warehouse as swiftly as I could, praying wholeheartedly that I wouldn't get shot. The men followed behind me.

"Ryder!" Mirabel called for my attention. She was hiding behind a steel drum. I hid behind the one across from her, so that I could see them easily.

"Be quiet." I instructed, bringing my index finger up to my lips.

The men got closer, searching for us with their guns pointed in the air, ready to shoot. They were four and the one with a knife tattoo on the side of his face gave me reasons to believe he was the leader because the other men seemed to wait for his order.

"I don't see them."

Mirabel bent forward and so did her hair, giving away where we were.

"But I do." The tattooed man shot at the drum Mirabel was hiding behind, and she screamed.

I moved nearly as fast as he could, and he was fortunate not to have been hit by the bullet I shot. The other men began shooting at the drum I hid behind. I was in full defense at this point. Fortunately, I shot another bullet, and it hit one in the head. He fell to the ground with a thud.

I shot another, but this time; I missed. The sound of the gun shook Mirabel badly, because she was trembling with her hands over her ears. I didn't need her in this kind of environment.

A sigh escaped my lips when I heard police sirens. The men jumped out through windows but not before the leader brought out a piece of paper from his pocket and threw in my direction.

"Ryder!"

Anna?

"Over here." I got up from the ground and went for my sister. "Mirabel," I held her in my arms, "talk to me."

She said nothing, choosing to show me her hand instead. Her bloody hand. "I'm going to die, right?" A tear slid down her cheeks. "There are things I haven't done yet, Ryder. Will I never have a boyfriend or my first kiss? I want those to happen."

"Mira, shh. Don't speak." I looked up from her body and to Theo, who was already on a call. Annalise stood beside him, shocked. When did she arrive in Ordene?

"Mirabel," Annalise came to kneel beside me, "you'll be fine, okay? Be strong for us, please."

Mirabel nodded her head and closed her eyes. "I'll try."

"Where's the fucking ambulance?!"

<<<>>>

Some minutes later, the ambulance arrived at the warehouse. They put Mirabel into the vehicle and I swear, at that moment, I saw Isabella. The only difference was that my Isa wasn't alive when I saw her. Mirabel, on the other hand, was fighting for her life because some asshole out there wanted to hurt me.

We soon got to the hospital, and they pushed her into the surgery room. They asked me to fill a form while they took my sister into surgery. Annalise placed a hand on my shoulder and I turned to her. I was trying my best to put up a strong front and not show weakness, but the way Anna looked at me made me breakdown.

"She cannot leave me." I cried, letting Annalise hug me. She was practically family to me. Mother used to say that one could fake being strong in front of a stranger, but not in front of family. She was right.

I wasn't one to show emotions when quiet, but I would show them when speaking. Like right now.

"Mirabel isn't going anywhere, I promise you." She said, "She'll come out alive and we'll all go home and pretend none of this ever happened."

"I shouldn't have brought her out with me, she should have stayed home."

I was an idiot for thinking nothing would go wrong. For thinking we would have a normal brother, sister time and return home with smiles on our lips and happiness in our hearts.

"Your sister will be fine, Ryder. Have faith."

What use was being hopeful? I had faith the day I drove like a crazed man to Hyacinth Medical Centre only to meet a dead woman. I also had faith the day I laid my wife to rest, hoping it was all just a dream. A nightmare I would wake up from?

"Annalise is right." Theo added, coming to stand beside Anna. "I strongly believe the princess will come out alive. You'll see."

"You had better be right."

About an hour later, my sister was pushed out of the operating room and to the ICU. She had an oxygen mask to help her breathe and there were cables connected to her body. Her skin was sickly pale, and she was unmoving. I did my best to be patient and watch the doctors check her vitals. They had refused to let me in.

But as soon as he walked right out the door, I hurried to him. "How is my sister?" I asked, my heart pounding hard against my chest.

"Your majesty, Princess Mirabel is fine but-"

"But? But what?"

"Calm down, Ryder." Annalise placed her hand on my arm. "Let him speak."

I sucked in a deep breath before speaking. "What's wrong with her?"

The doctor put his stethoscope around his neck. "The bullet did some damage to her spine and I am afraid it will affect her mobility."

"Speak English, doctor." I said, hoping what I was thinking wasn't what he meant.

"I am not sure if Princess Mirabel will walk again. All we can do is pray."

I left them with the doctor and went to sit down. Mirabel won't be able to walk? I was finding it difficult to wrap my head around what he had said. It was just a gunshot wound, so how could it result in immobility? How would she react to this news?

"Ryder,"

I looked up to meet Annalise's eyes. She wore a mask of pain and sadness.

"It'll be fine. Mirabel is a strong girl, she'll get over this. Just see this as a trial; a test that will soon pass away and we'll all have the happiness we deserve. To be honest, I don't know how Mirabel will take the situation because I know it won't be easy for her, but she has us, doesn't she? With us by her side, she'll forget about the pain and still be the cheerful angel we all know and love."

"It will not be easy, Anna. It will devastate Mirabel when she wakes up. How do I tell her she won't be able to walk again?" I looked down at my hands. "My sister will despise me. I could not protect her. It's my fault she's in there with wires connected to her body."

Annalise bent down. "Don't say that." She reprimanded me, "You keep thinking every bad thing that happens is because of you and I hate that. Things we cannot control happen and I'm hoping you can realize that soon. Things happen for a reason."

"Really?" I scoffed, "What could be the reason for my sister being unable to walk?" When she didn't respond, I tore my gaze away from her. "Don't preach to me, Anna. It's my fault everything is going badly. The attacker wants me and he or she knows that going for the people I care about is the best way to get to me."

"I don't know what more to say to you but you need to change that mentality of yours."

I didn't respond to her statement. She got up and sat beside me. Hopefully, Mirabel would wake up soon.

ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW

Clubbing was what I did whenever my mind would not stop creating weird things. I would slip in among the crowd, a beeline for the bar. Glasses of whiskey later, I was ready to move with the music, hands in the air, body moving like an uncoiling rope, eyes on fire. The adrenaline I felt would keep me going until I became sober. Then those thought would hit me once more. I was a mess because of the person who wouldn't stop calling me.

I had changed my number, yet the caller somehow found a way to get to me. Could it possibly be Alistair trying to tell me something? That man scared me and I would rather go to jail than come in contact with him. He would kill me if he ever saw me.

Even when I denied being Andrea, the person sent me pictures of myself and threatened me. I was frightened. Staying indoors didn't help, either. I wanted to be around people. It made me feel safer. In the club, the good vibes flowed like a virus, infecting everyone it touched. There was love in the air, but that wasn't the only thing in the air. The sexual tension from hormonal people also danced in the air.

I weaved my way through the guys and girls like a pro, my smile wider than the golden gates; Goodness, I loved being here.

I moved to the music like I was a puppet on strings, my head mashing so hard my brain was in shutdown mode. There was so much sweat on my skin, and not all of it was mine. Tomorrow morning, I would pay the price, but tonight, it was all about getting loose.

I looked up at the stage and smiled when I heard a song come on. There were ladies... sexy ladies dancing to E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY LIFE! By Corpse Husband, Savage Ga$p. I left the dance floor, making sure to not bump into anyone so that I could sit down and watch the show. As I made my way to the bar, I couldn't help but notice men in suits simulate anal sex with bored girls trying to balance empty beer glasses. Perverts.

Out of the blue, a man wearing a white button-up shirt with sleeves that had been rolled up held my hand and pulled me close to his chest. Because of the lighting, I couldn't quite make out his face.

"Fancy giving me a blowjob in my car? I am a paying customer."

His breath reeked of alcohol and cigarette; a very disgusting combination.

"Hands off, mister."

He chuckled, snaking an arm around my waist. "Oh, you do not know how much I appreciate the feisty ones."

I smiled at him and placed both hands on his chest. "I was too nice, wasn't I?"

He raised a questioning brow. "Huh?"

"It wasn't nice meeting you."

I lifted my leg up and kneed him in his jewels. The man let go of my waist and doubled over his pain. If there was anything I hated as much as I hated Alistair, it would be men who felt it was okay to touch women without permission. I'd pick a consent asking man over a rich asshole anytime of the day.

Now, I felt sick. It wasn't because of the alcohol or anything that ran through my body, but because of the man who assumed he could do just about anything and with anyone.

"Elena, mi Amore." Pablo, a man with light green, straight hair that hung over a bony face. Hollow silver eyes, set concealed within their sockets, studied my expression. An old tattoo resembling a flag was almost hidden just above the right side of his right eyebrow. He was the bartender here and an old friend of mine. The only person who knew who I really was.

"Sazerac." I placed my hands on the bar.

"Can you handle it?" He teased, rinsing a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, discarding any excess.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Pablo."

"Alright, Elena. What's got your panties in a twist? Did someone tap that?" He pointed at my butt.

"No, Pablo. Some weird guy just suggested I give him a blowjob. Like, what the hell?"

At this, Pablo laughed out loud. "Is that why you're upset?"

I adjusted in my seat before crossing my arms over my chest. "Isn't that enough reason to be upset? That's harassment, you know. Don't tell me you do that too."

He smirked at the last part. "I thought you'd be used to perverts by now, darling. They're like pests you cannot get rid of no matter how hard you try."

"I won't ever get tired of kneeing them in where it hurts most. Just because you see someone in the club doesn't make them a slut. People come to have fun not just sex."

"Whatever you say, darling." He said, adding rye and cognac and filling the mixing glass with ice. "So, have you heard from Alistair since then?"

"I am not sure, but someone has been calling me on the phone and claiming that they know who I really am. They even mentioned that I was Andrea Garner."

Back when I was in New Jersey, Pablo and I worked for Alistair. He also had changed his name from Julio to Pablo. Pablo's case differed from mine because he didn't steal from Alistair. He used to collect money from the people who borrowed money from my crazy ex-boss. When he got tired of the job, he simply ran away.

Telling Alistair you no longer wanted to work for him would cause a series of torture that would eventually lead to death. I had witnessed it first-hand. The reason Alistair wasn't coming after Pablo was because he hadn't stolen from him. I was still with Alistair when Pablo ran away, so I knew.

He slid the drink to me. "You're joking."

"I'm not. See for yourself." I brought out my phone from my bag, scrolled through for pictures, and then gave it to him. "This person knows me well. These are pictures I took in New Jersey."

Pablo said nothing. He just looked at more of the pictures the person had sent.

I picked up the glass of Sazerac and drank from it. The liquid burned my throat; that was the fun part for me. "Do you think he is the one?"

Pablo looked up from my phone. "I don't know, Elena. What I can tell you is that you have to be extremely cautious. Alistair is a dangerous man and he will do anything to get you."

"I know." I admitted. "Running is becoming too tiresome for me but I know I'll die if I ever stop."

"Pay back the money then." He suggested. "Alistair might be kind enough to let you go if you return the money to him. All he cares about is his money. Are you working towards that? The money, I mean."

"Yes. I'm doing a lot of things but that money is just too much to gather. I've been working my ass off ever since I came to Ordene. Things are just not going as planned."

"How much have you managed to save up?" He placed both elbows on the bar and held his head up with them. "I might be able to help you with the remaining."

"A hundred and twenty thousand." I answered with a sigh. I was nowhere close to saving up the rest of the money.

"And how much is left?"

"Three hundred thousand."

His eyes went wide. "Three hundred thousand? Honey, you're still far from the required amount. What possessed you to steal that much from him?"

Tears were brimming my eyes. I needed a new identity because Andrea was a mess. I knew people wouldn't agree to help me until I had greased their hands. Heck, coming to Ordene wasn't that easy. Even now, it still wasn't easy. I had to pay rent, electricity and water bills. I had to clothe and feed myself.

"Desperation." I answered, "I was desperate to become a different person."

And if I wasn't careful, that same desperation could eat me up again.