Gala and Gunshots

Chapter 3

Tonight, I was a Disney princess, except my prince was nowhere to be found.

The car door opened, and I shivered slightly as the cool night air hit my skin. Camera flashes went off like lightning, as River helped me out, his arm looped through mine, each flash making me flinch. I felt exposed, like every eye in the room was on me.

I hadn't told anyone what happened two days ago, I want to believe I just imagined it, that my brain tricked me. Still, here I was at a gala because I wanted to see him again, to see if he'd look at me that way again. 

But if I had known what the night would turn into, I’d have stayed home, eaten cereal in my pyjamas, and binge-watch my favourite animes, pretending the world didn’t exist.

I was wearing a crimson, figure-hugging corset dress with a daring high thigh slit in a halter neck design. And my hair up in a tight high bun.

 River noticed my discomfort. "It’s just a charity gala, Lumi. A few handshakes, polite smiles, nothing dramatic."

Right. Because this wasn't already dramatic. I made the right decision, staying out of the media for years.

Without thinking, my eyes were already searching for any sight of him or his car.

"Hey, eyes up, smile" River nudged me as we walked past the press. I almost barfed at the amount of girls screaming and trying to get River's attention. Very gross.

"Try not to wander," River murmured. "This crowd isn’t as friendly as they look."

"But there are tons of hot guys around"

His lips twitched. "I'll rip their throats off"

I chuckled, although I was a little sure he was not making an empty threat.

We stepped inside. The ballroom shimmered in gold and glass, Crystal chandeliers sparkled above, and violins hummed faintly in the background. I could practically feel the money dripping off everyone’s designer outfits.

And then I saw him.

Zorin.

He was leaning against the bar in a black suit that fit too well, his tie hanging loose around his neck. I've always wanted to ask him why his wardrobe was in black and white.

Our eyes met across the room, and for a second, I found it hard to breathe. He didn’t smile, he never did. But the way his gaze slowly raked over my body made my heart race.

He chatted for a while with River, both of them ignoring me. I wish I could just sneak off, but the way Zorin's eyes darted down to mine every minute made me just sit still.

Not a controlling gaze, his eyes were practically worshipping me, and I wanted to watch him watch me; weirdly, it turned me on.

“Excuse me for a moment,” River said, spotting a group of men in tuxedos across the room. He pressed a kiss to my temple before leaving. “Stay close to Zorin. Call me if you need anything.”

Of course. Because the universe clearly hated me.

I forced myself toward the bar, my heels clicking against marble, and stopped beside Zorin. 

"Nice dress" his voice rang out, his gaze dipped, "and tits"

My eyes widened, and I slapped my hand over my chest, "Zorin!" 

He pulled his glass back to his lips, but I snatched it before he could drink it and downed it.

"Rude," he muttered. "You shouldn't be drinking, lu"

"I'm twenty" I shot back, turning to order champagne.

His smirk was faint, dangerous. "You shouldn't get drunk in front of me looking this way." 

I twirl a bit too fast, and my champagne splashes onto someone’s suit.

Shit.  

“Crap, sorry!” I blurted

He looked down slowly, brushing a gloved hand over his soaked chest. Then his eyes lifted to mine.

God. He was tall, gorgeous. But not as much as Zorin was, still enough for my night to have a happy ending.

A slow, amused smirk curled his lips.  

"Didn’t know introductions came with a splash of champagne."

My cheeks burned. "It was an accident."

He stepped closer, invading my space. His voice dropped.

"Sure it was."

There was a pause. His gaze raked over me with wicked intent.

He extended a hand. "Ron Ashford."

I didn't hesitate before shaking it. “Lumi.”

“Beautiful name.” His thumb brushed my knuckles a second longer than necessary before releasing them. 

Zorin’s voice cut through the air like a knife. "Ron."

Ron’s smile didn’t falter. "Zorin. It’s been a while."

The way they looked at each other made my stomach twist. No handshakes, no warmth, it was like a silent battle.

Zorin's hand snaked over my lower back, pulling me closer to him, possessively. "Walk away."

Ron chuckled, low and amused. "Still territorial, I see."

He backtracked, winking at me. "I’ll see you, Lumi."

I faced Zorin with a scowl on my face. "You..."

"Dance with me", he cut me off, dragging me to the dancefloor.

"You're not a gentleman" I commented, as he pulled me too close to his chest. My hands snaked over his shoulders, resting on his neck. His eyes don't leave mine as we swayed along with the music.

His hands lowered to my hips gripping them, what was wrong with this man? River will definitely kill us if he finds us in this position. But still, I didn't pull away; I liked his hands on me.

"You shouldn’t have talked to him."

“Ron?” I breathed out. "You can’t control who I talk to."

His gaze dropped to my lips. "He’s not who you think he is."

"Neither are you."

His eyes flickered back to mine, but he didn't respond.

Bang.

The first gunshot cracked through the hall.

Screams erupted, glass shattered and people scattered in all directions.

Zorin's arm was around my waist before I could think, pulling me down behind a marble pillar. "Stay low!"

This was exactly how it happened ten years ago: he had pulled me under at the corner where he and River always hid during hide and seek. He told me he would protect me as gunshots scattered through our house that day.

"River!" My eyes widened as I remembered my brother was nowhere close to me.

“I’ll find him. Just...” He grabbed my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “you're crying.”

Yes I was. I had to. I saw River across the hall, shouting orders, with a gun drawn.

My brother owns a gun?

Another round of shots exploded.

Zorin cursed, grabbed my hand, and hauled me toward the exit. I stumbled in my heels, seeing I couldn't run in them, he swept me off my feet running towards the exit.

"River" I cried trying to go back in

“Get in!” He shoved me into a black car parked at the roadside, jumped into the driver's seat, and drove off. 

The city lights blurred. My chest was heaving, adrenaline flowing through every vein.

"Don't worry about River, he'll be fine"

"He'll be fine? You left my brother..."

"Can you just be quiet!", he shouted. 

I wanted to scream at him, but the words died in my throat when I saw the cut on his cheek.

"You're bleeding..."

Before he could reply, the car gave a violent jolt, then stopped. A loud noise echoed from beneath the hood, and the engine coughed once before dying completely. 

The headlights flickered, then went dark, leaving us stranded in the middle of the road. I gripped the dashboard, heart pounding, as the realisation sank in.

"Tell me that wasn’t the engine"  I muttered. But the way he just stared ahead, jaw clenched, told me exactly what I didn’t want to hear.

We got out of the car, he pulled out his phone barked out some orders.

"What now?" I asked him gripping my dress

"We walk."

It was a pretty deserted place, I couldn't play stubborn by wanting to stay back alone, so I just took off my shoes and faced him.

"Let's go"  He lifted me like I weighed nothing, cradling me against his chest. His jaw was tight, eyes focused ahead, but his grip was gentle.

"I can walk"

"You can barely breathe in that dress, Lu."

He had noticed, I smiled lightly resting my face on his chest.

 After a long walk, he stopped in front of a small motel off the highway, the kind that looked like it hadn’t seen a three-star rating since the ’80s.

"Only one room left," he said after speaking to the attendant. "Twin beds."

“Of course,” I muttered, walking behind him defeatedly as we made our way inside.

I dropped my clutch on the dresser, staring at myself in the mirror. Mascara smudged, my bun a mess. Great.

Zorin sat on the edge of one bed, undoing his tie. "You okay?"

"We were almost shot," I said, turning to face him. "So yeah, totally fine."

He looked up and held my gaze for a while. "You’re safe. That’s all that matters to me."

I turned away, pretending to fuss with my gown’s laces. The corset had felt just tight all night, but now it was suffocating. I tugged on it.

"You Alright?" Zorin’s voice came from behind me, making me jump.

Before I could protest, his fingers brushed my bare back. 

"Breathe," he whispered.

I did. Barely.

He was close, too close, his breath fanning my neck.

Then his hand slid higher, fingers tracing the curve of my back. 

"Tell me to stop," he murmured.

I didn’t. I didn't want him to.

"Take your clothes off, Lu"