I leave the passengers door open as I walk towards the back of the car, stopping in my tracks as I see a third figure crumpled on the ground only feet from the other two. My blood runs cold as I see dark red liquid staining the driveway around the person on the ground, the person I hadn't been able to see from the car.

From the car I had been able to see only two figures. One was on his knees slightly in front and to the side of the man who stood behind him with a gun pointed to his head. The two men who made fear fill me at the mere sight of this scene. 

My brother was knelt on the ground of the driveway as our father pointed a gun to his head. Pops was in front of them both, laying facing towards the sky, his eyes still open, with blood surrounding his limp body.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry out. I wanted to react. But I was frozen with fear. I was deafened by fear. This was my worst nightmare come true. He had come for me, he had found me, and he was using people I cared about as threats to get me to do what he wanted.

My gaze was torn from the three men in front of me when I saw Dominic stepping forward, his very large gun in his hand and a menacing look on his face. His lips were moving and yet I still couldn't make out anything.

I turned my full attention back to the scene before me. 

I could see my fathers lips moving too, he was talking. Responding to Dominic? But his eyes were glued to me. 

Max's eyes were on me too, watching me carefully with horror washed over his face. I could see the worry and panic coursing through him, though knowing him it would be worry for me rather than himself even if he was the one with the gun to his head right now.

Dominic stepped forward again, this time his movements put him directly between me and my father. With his back to me, I could see how tense he was. He was holding himself tightly and on edge as if ready to leap into action at any given moment.

Over Dominic's shoulder I could see my father turning his gun off of Max and pointing it directly at Dominic instead. 

I felt bile rising in my throat, I clenched my jaw so that it couldn't escape.

"Give her to me!" My father bit out harshly.

The sounds around me came back and hit me like a tidal wave. My fathers harsh voice, Max's rough breaths as he grew panicked, and a faint choking sound breath that was coming from Pops. I could hear the trees rustling around us in the wind. 

"Like hell I will." Dominic retorted in an equally harsh voice. "You have ten seconds to let go of Max, and get the fuck off my property. You will stay the fuck away from both your children from now on. Or else, I will shoot you dead here and now." He threatens menacingly.

10, I start subconsciously counting without meaning to.

A snort comes from my father. 9. "You have no place making demands here. This is between me and my children. Family business is none of your concern." 8. 7.

"They are my family. It is my business." Dominic spits out. 6.

My heart clenches. We're family to him? Not biologically of course, but he cares about Max and I enough to consider us family. I know Max and Dominic had been close, best friends even, before I arrived but after Max found out about Dominic and I they hadn't been so close. 

5.

"Give her to me you wanker! I will shoot you and take her if you don't just give her over to me." 4. 3.

"Go to hell."

2.

1.

I gulp.

The sound of a gun goes off and I blanch. I want to peek over Dominic's shoulder to see the outcome, but I'm also too terrified. I can feel pain flooding my chest, my panic has manifested into a physical pain.

In front of me I can see Dominic's body flinching, shuddering, for a brief moment before he straightens himself again and his gun goes off. Why is he shooting again? 

I swallow the lump in my throat and peer over Dominic's shoulder in time to see my father collapse to the gravelled driveway. I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. Relief seems to flood through me.

I'm relieved to see my father get shot? How messed up is that. I'm relieved to see my abuser and tormentor get shot, thinking of it like that makes it seem like a less sinister thought. The man was still my father, abuse or not he was flesh and blood, and now he's dead.

Dominic visibly relaxes in front of me. His arm bends to his opposite side as he holsters his gun. "Max?" He speaks firmly, tenderly, caring.

"Good, good." Max says quickly as he raises to his feet. But then he bends down again as he seems to be checking on Pops now.

Dominic turns to be now, except he seems wobbly. He's swaying side to side. Dominic's face turns from relief to worry when his eyes land on me. He's spinning. My eyes drift down to his shoulder where a circle has been torn through his suit, he's been shot.

A cold gust of wind brushes over me and suddenly everything grows taller and bigger around me. I can see the sky, the pale blue sky with white cotton clouds hanging over me. 

A face steps into my vision, Dominic, he looms tall over me. A grief stricken look plastered on his face. "Eloise." His voice is barely a whisper, he sounds scared.

"It's ok. You're going to be ok." I tell him confidently and with such conviction.

He shakes his head and he's suddenly not so tall now, his face is closer to mine. "Don't leave me." I can hear the panic, worry, and grief drowning him.

I shake my head at him and flash him a sad smile. "I would never."

I can feel his hands on my chest, pressing down hard. "You don't get to leave me."

Tilting my head down, I move my eyes away from his to look at his hands with confusion. Blood is spilling out of his hands, seeping between his fingers. Dominic is knelt next to me on the pebbled driveway. "I..." I don't understand. He was the one who had been shot, so how was it that blood was coming off his hands and onto me?

"Shh." He presses his lips to my forehead. "You're going to be ok, you hear me. You're going to get through this, you have to Ell." Dominic now speaks in an authoritative tone.

I shake my head at him, my mind feeling foggy. "How..."

Dominic's burning green eyes capture mine, he holds them tightly as he bores into me and a realisation seems to hit him. "You've been shot Eloise."