Chapter 11: strawberry.

ISABELLA:

I pause for a second already saying by last prayers because the pain I was going through was already killing me but Justin collapsed beside me, slow motion blurring reality, across the room Leonardo stumbled, blood gushing out of his guts but yet a smug smile was plastered on his face. The lunatic was laughing as kept firing blindly like an unhinged man, With my last strength, I drag Justin and myself behind the drum, breathing hard trying to find a way out.

“Warren” I whisper, “come on, please come on” he doesn't say a word, just keeps on blinking like he was surprised to be alive. The shooting became silent, I peek and I don't see Leonardo again, the door bursts open and I see Miguel, “here” I say softly falling to floor and my vision goes dark.

**************

Beeping monitors, pain stinging in my head, my back stiff and my arm on fire…I open my eyes and the bright sun blinds me.

“Welcome back to the land of the living” Miguel says smiling, “how are you feeling?”

I look around, I was in my room surrounded by monitors, I groan with pain stinging in my arm, “how long was I out?”

“A week” he sighs, “shocked you came back to life”

“Fuck” I sit up, “how…how?”

He adjusts my blanket, “you lost tons of blood, your body needed time to recover, you need to eat something”.

I sigh, “and Leonardo?”

“Nothing, he vanished, but I burnt his warehouse to the ground”

“What?”

“What? I thou…thought you'd want that?”

“No Miguel fuck!” I sit upright, “he said something about the letters, I…” a gunshot crosses my mind, images of Justin on the floor, “where's Warren?”

“His house, also recovering” he sits beside me, “what did Leonardo say?”

“I..I can't remember” I look around trying to get my vision in place, “and Cara? My mother? God please don't tell me she knows”

“She doesn't, she has called twice while you were out so” he puts a tray of food over me, “eat, I'll get Cara”

************

I walk slowly towards Justin's house even though my legs were burning, I needed to know he was alright. I knock twice and no answer, I trying peeking through the window when the door unlocks.

“You're alive” he smirks.

“Nice try Warren, you'll have to try harder to kill me” I smile softly.

“noted” he smirks and moves a little and I walk into his house, everywhere neatly arranged and in order like he wasn't just shot, “yes I'm a neat freak” he locks the door and leans against it, “how…how are you feeling?”

“My arm's killing me, getting shot twice in two weeks is no joke and these fucking painkillers are a fucking joke” I scoff, “how are you?”

“Good,” he raises his shirt, “clean through my skin, thank God he's a terrible shot” he smiles a little and drops his shirt.

The air becomes dense, everything silent..too silent, my heart being the loudest thing right now..thank God he can't hear it, “thank you” I say silently.

“Its my job Isabella” he walks slowly towards me, “plus Miguel helped…” he laughs a little, “even if it was a little” he stops in front of me, really close I could feel his breath, “you don't need to thank me” he puts my hair behind my ear.

The warmth of him, his nearness made my pain fade, replaced by something quiet yet dangerous, something I couldn't afford, I had too much to lose because I always did, “I..I have to go” I clear my throat and step back a little.

“Okay” he opens the door, "I will walk you back to your house”

“Thanks but no thanks” I fake a smile, “bye Warren” I step outside back turned to him.

“What letters was Leonado talking about?”

I become still, I ball my hands into a fists and my knuckles turning white, “some asshole has been threatening me and my family with letters, personal shit no one knows and following me around…I don't know how that bastard knows about it” I turn to him, “someone's leaking information out of the house, someone close” I say softly but angrily.

“Same thing I thought” he sighs and subtly looks around, his gaze returns to me and the heat returns to my cheeks, “is that why you hired me?”

“Correct” I fold my arms, “when I find out who's leaking information, I will end his entire bloodline”

He smirks, “you're like…a strawberry you know”

“What?”

“Sour and sharp outside, sweet inside”

This fucking idiot, “you're such an idiot Warren” I scoff, “get some rest we continue training tomorrow”

“Yes ma'am” he smiles and I walk away…with a big smile on my face.