Chapter Twenty Four - Fallen Savior

As expected Liam unlocks the door and walks in sometime later. I immediately stand and pull Aria behind me. He smirks arrogantly and crosses his arms but keeps a knife in view. I remind myself to stay calm and calculate his next steps because if I don't Aria will get hurt.

"She's coming me with me."

"No, she's not." I reply firmly and he scoffs in response.

"If you give her to me without struggle I won't hurt her Charlie. Stop being stubborn." He rolls his eyes and walks towards us.

"I'm not going to say it again Liam. I heard you on the phone. You're not taking her." I narrow my eyes as he backs us into a corner.

He stands still for a moment before lunging at me. Anticipating it I quickly shove the large, splintered piece of wood from the wardrobe into his shoulder. It's sharp and pointy front wounds him and he roars out in agony as I kick the knife from his hands. I'm about to pick it up but he recovers much quicker than I expected and grabs me.

I grunt when punches my cheek but work past the pain and knee him in the balls. "Aria! Run!"

From the corner of my eye, I watch her hesitate before she nods and runs out. My heart shatters as I worry for her safety which quickly becomes an advantage for Liam. He wraps a hand around my throat before slamming me against the wall. I cry out in pain when he hits my head against the wall making me disorientated for a few seconds.

He runs to grab the knife and races out the door to the gun resting on top of the table. When I recover I follow and throw myself on top of him. He curses up a storm when the splintered wood goes right through his shoulder. I pull it out before shoving it back into his body except a little lower this time. He screams and turns before kicking me off.

"You vile fucking bitch!"

"Now, that's not very nice! I thought you love me!" I mock before kicking his face when he tries to get up.

We both dive for the weapons and thankfully I end up with the gun. His eyes narrow in hatred and I notice his jaw clench. The anger in his eyes builds until it becomes murderous. It terrifies me to no end but my only focus is hurting him bad enough so that I can get out alive.

"You won't shoot me Charlie." He chuckles darkly with a wicked smirk on his lips.

"After all that you know I will."

"Aria's gone...fine. But we can finally be together. This can all stop and I will keep you happy –"

"You need help." I spit and his resolve crumbles.

"I won't hurt you anymore if you just agree Charlie!" He yells in frustration and tugs on his hair. "For fuck sake I just want you! We were good together –"

"You were a controlling, abusive asshole! We were never good together!" I scream as I hold the gun steady. "Why the fuck couldn't you just let things be?!"

"Because you shouldn't be with that prick you should be with me!" He roars and takes a step closer which has me aiming for his heart.

"I don't want to be with you Liam." I state calmly with a shake of my head. "Either you understand that or you get what's coming to you."

He stops and stares at me with his chest heaving. Steely determination locks in his eyes and I know he's too far gone. Before I can make a move he throws the knife skillfully into my lower leg. I scream in pain and he knocks me down before taking it out.

"Fuck!" I yell as he raises it high and aims for my throat.

Without hesitation I quickly press the gun to his side and pull the trigger. The sound ricochets off the walls and I hear birds squawking in panic as they fly away. His eyes widen and he stills above me before moving his head down slowly. I watch him look at the already bleeding bullet wound before his features twist into rage.

Before he can move I shoot him in his already wounded shoulder before shoving him off me. Panting harshly due to the pain and adrenaline I scoot away. His groans and cries echo behind me as I stand and turn with the gun in hand.

"Charlie – Charlie please! I love you, I only want you! Please don't go!" He screams desperately and I shake my head in disbelief.

I grab the keys and race outside to spot Aria running down the road in the distance. Getting into the car I speed towards her and yell at her to hop in. As soon as the door's closed I tell her to look for a phone or any other device but unfortunately she finds none.

"Nothing." She sighs before grinning at me in relief. "You got out!"

"I did baby. Thank you for listening to me." I laugh breathlessly before focusing on the road. "We're not out of danger yet though. He's alive but hopefully he can't move or has another car."

"Okay." She nods before glancing back to see the house getting smaller the further we get away.

Seconds later though I see another car round the corner and speed towards me. My heart pounds in fear as it slows down only to release a huge sigh of relief when Judah pokes his head out of the open window. Instantly I'm confused as to what he's doing here.

"You got out?! Where is he?!" He asks quickly before turning his car around.

"Yeah, he's still in there! Where's the police? What are you doing here alone?" I shout so he can hear me as we drive.

"Some people are trying to stop them! I assume they're with Liam!" He replies angrily and runs his hand through his hair. "I was with them and then sped up! They should be here in a few minutes! Is he injured?!"

"Yeah, I shot him twice but –" The sound of a car makes me look back to see one hurtling towards us. "Fuck, that's him! Go!"

We accelerate but Judah stays behind me which only adds to my worry. My gaze darts back and forth between him and the road ahead. Aria yells out when Liam starts firing at Judah's car and my heart pounds in fear. He must have had another gun in the house, I think to myself. I can see Judah duck down and block Liam from getting ahead.

Swerving left my eyes widen in horror when I hear Judah cry out. I narrow my eyes and realize he's clutching his shoulder. A bullet must have grazed it when Liam shot through the rear windscreen.

"Mum!" Aria whimpers fearfully as I speed ahead.

"Just stay down!"

The moment we get to the second left turn Liam runs into the side of Judah's car. I watch in horror as he loses control and slides into the field. Liam stops his car and rushes out which makes me slam down on the breaks. It's only now I hear the sirens going off and notice the police cars turn onto the road. They won't get here in time though and I need to do something now.

"Stay inside Aria. Don't come out." I order before grabbing the gun and sprinting to them. "Liam! Don't shoot!"

He smiles darkly at me and I know he isn't going to listen. Judah slides out from the driver's window before he can open the door. Liam runs around the front of the car and shoots him just as I fire. Both fall to their knees and uncontrollable tears stream down my cheeks.

"No, no, no! Judah!" I half yell, half sob as I lay him on the ground in front of the car. "Oh my god!"

The bullet clearly entered his chest, a little bit away from his heart but it's still a fatal wound. I hurriedly take off my jumper and press down on it to help stop the bleeding. He groans in pain which only makes me cry harder. It's all my fault.

"I-I'm so sorry Judah! Shit, hold on okay?! The police are here, we'll get you to a hospital!" I cry before glancing at Liam. "You fucking prick!"

Liam chuckles although it's strained. He's wrapped his clothes around his wounds tightly to stop the bleeding but I honestly don't know how he's fighting past the pain to keep going. "If you had just come with me Charlie this wouldn't have happened. He got hurt because of you."

"Yeah...not true. Stop being annoying and just die already mate." Judah grunts as he turns his head to glare at him.

I extend my leg and kick Liam's gun far away from us just in case he tries anything again. His eyes narrow on me before he smirks. My eyes widen in panic when he tries to sit up and I frantically glance at Judah. I need to stop the bleeding but when Liam pulls out the knife he used on me earlier I reach over to grab my gun.

I scream and move away quickly when he tries to cut me. Gritting my teeth, I meet Judah's eyes when he cries out in agony. He tries again only for a bullet to graze his hand which makes him scream. I look back to see multiple officers running up to us before they take Judah.

"Let's get him in the car!" One of them says as they rush towards the nearest one.

"Aria!" I yell and she jumps out before running to me. "We're coming with you. He's bleeding and I can put pressure on it."

"Get in." He nods and I put Aria in the front before hopping in the back.

I sit by his legs and resume pressure on his wound. "What took you so long?!"

"I'm sorry miss Davidson." He meets my gaze apologetically from the rear-view mirror. "It seems Liam called some people from the trafficking ring he works with to stop us."

I sigh and turn back to Judah who's staring at me from half closed eyelids. "I'm sorry Judah."

"Don't be – shit!" He swears hoarsely as the car goes over a bump. "Not your fault. Mine."

"Just please stay awake, okay?" I sniffle as uncontrollable tears slip down my cheeks. "How long officer?!"

"Ten minutes!" He replies just as we enter a town.

"Charlie..." He chuckles breathlessly and I meet his gaze. "I don't think I can."

"Judah! Stay awake!" I yell as I slap his cheek. "Judah!"

His eyelids flutter before they open wide. I almost sigh in relief but they flutter again before fully closing. Panicking I check on the wound to see that the bleeding has slowed down before pressing down again. It seems like hours before we reach the hospital and there's already nurses ready with a stretcher. I rush inside right up to the operation theatre before realizing I need to stay outside.

Sighing I take Aria's hand and walk back to the officer who's talking to another nurse. She sends me a reassuring smile before walking inside the operation theatre herself. The officer, whose tag reads Luis, sits down on the seats opposite us.

"Again, I'm so sorry that we were late." He speaks softly and I nod in response.

So many thoughts are running through my mind such as how is Judah here? Does this mean someone alerted the police that I'm missing? Does his family know he's here? Suddenly I think of Theo. Did he find out that I'm gone?

"Miss Davidson? We need to get you and your daughter checked –"

"Char! Aria!"

I look to my right to see Theo and Roman rushing towards us. My eyes widen and I throw myself into his arms. His familiar cologne takes over my senses as his strong arms wrap around me tightly. I start crying again when he cups my face with both hands and kisses me fiercely.

"God, I'm so glad you're okay." He whispers and pecks me again before turning to Aria. "Come here bug."

He kneels as she hugs him tightly. I watch as he peppers kisses to her face before checking if she's alright. Roman hugs me with a relieved smile before bending to greet Aria with a kiss to her cheek.

"J-Judah...he got shot and he's in t-the operation theatre. I'm so sorry!" I sob and Roman shakes his head just as Theo stands to face me.

"He'll be okay, it's not your fault Charlotte." Roman reassures before Theo takes me into his arms. I watch as Roman moves over to talk with the officer before calling a nurse.

"He's right. Judah's going to be okay –"

"He was shot in the chest Theo!" I exclaim as he wipes my tears and hugs me.

"He'll be fine, I know he will. Don't cry please." He murmurs softly as he strokes my hair.

I grab Aria's hand and pull her to me. She clings to my legs and I worry at how much this is affecting her. I certainly need to book some therapy sessions for us once we're back home. Home, I think to myself as my shoulders sag in relief. Finally, this is over.

"Excuse me miss?" We turn to the nurse who's standing behind us. "I need to check you both for injuries. Can you follow me please?"

I nod and walk with Aria inside a room before looking back to see Theo talking to the officer as well. Thankfully, Aria only has that scrape on her knee from when she fell outside the airport in Dallas. She's tended to quickly and I smile at her when she walks back out to Theo. It takes me a little bit longer because of how much I was hit.

Eventually I'm prescribed medication before being let go. I walk out to see Aria cuddled up to Theo's side. He has an arm draped across her shoulders and rubs her back comfortingly. She smiles up at something he says and he kisses her forehead with a relieved look. His eyes meet mine and they become tender with emotion.

I walk over to them and sit on his right. He leans forward and kisses me slowly before pulling away. I smile softly when he tucks me into his side. I feel safe again and like nothing can hurt me. Aria catches my gaze and grins at me.

"I love you."

"I love you too mum." She murmurs and gestures for me to lean down so she can kiss my cheek.

"I love both of you. I'm so happy you're safe." Theo sighs as he takes hold of our hands in each of his.

Roman comes over after a few minutes to check on us. "Liam's being operated on in the same hospital. If he lives he's going to prison for a very long time."

"Thanks Roman." I smile weakly and he nods in response. "Could I use someone's phone please? I need to call my grandmother."

"I told her what was happening." Theo replies as he hands me his phone. "She was very worried and I tried to reassure her the best I could. I'm sure she'll be relieved to hear from you guys."

I smile gratefully before taking Aria's hand. We find a quieter place before I dial the number I've memorized by heart. She picks up immediately after two rings and her shaky gasp has me bursting into tears within seconds. It doesn't take long for her to join in either and I quickly calm myself down.

After telling her what happened and that we're both safe I let her talk to Aria. She responds a bit quietly and I know I need to talk to her alone soon. She's probably holding back her emotions while she processes everything so I need to make sure she lets everything out.

After bidding goodbye to grandma and promising we'll be home soon we walk back to the guys. We wait another two hours and during it Luis comes back with another officer to take our statements. We tell them everything that happened with Roman and Theo listening in. They ask a few more questions about Liam's past behavior and I provide details of everything from when I was in the UK to all that happened in Dallas.

After they leave the doctor finally comes out. I hold my breath when he smiles and exhale deeply in relief when he tells us Judah is fine and stable. Roman and Theo call their parents and brothers to tell them what happened. I sit there listening nervously to their replies and smile shakily when Theo mouths at me to calm down.

We're allowed inside Judah's room once he's settled in. I bite my lip when I see the outline of the white bandages underneath his pale blue gown. Theo's hand intertwines with mine and he kisses my temple. We take a seat on the chairs around his bed and I pull Aria onto my lap, wanting her close.

"Never listens." Roman rolls his eyes as he gets comfortable.

"How did he get to us so quick?" I suddenly remember to ask.

"He was in Mexico meeting clients when we rang him to ask if he could help with finding Liam's exact location." Theo explains as his thumb caresses the back of my hand.

That elicits a smile from me and I look over at a sleeping Judah. He risked it all to come for us alone and ended up paying a price. Theo squeezes my hand reassuringly and I look over to him. He brings it up to brush his lips against my knuckles with a soft grin. I lean my head on his shoulder with a sigh before closing my eyes.

Now, it's just a waiting game until Judah wakes up.

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