There seemed to have been a moment of confusion, the gunshot was fired but two people seemed to have been on the floor, the blood was oozing but a body laid on the floor almost lifeless.

Kel's POV

I've never seen someone that drives as slow as Williams. He drove as though there was no emergency whatsoever and to top it all there was traffic. Oh the agony of being stuck in traffic when you had a place you desperately needed to be. It was in times like this I wish that cars could fly and just land where you need to be or I could teleport. Crazy right, but right now it seemed like the best option but I had no power whatsoever. My whole body was itching from sitting and doing nothing about the situation. I felt like getting out of the car and running to the location. I had to see her, I had to make sure she's okay.

   "Calm down Mr Adrios, from what I gathered your wife is fine."I don't know whether he was trying to calm me down because his tone sounded nothing like it, it seemed as if he was irritated.

  "Well your wife isn't the one with a lunatic, I need to see her and know for sure that she's fine maybe I'd be calm then." I kind of snapped, how does he expect me to be cool, I think this is the first time I've lost my cool. No matter what I felt I always had a way to keep my cool but right now I didn't know how and truthfully didn't want to.

  "My wife is late." It felt like cold water was poured on me, it definitely calmed me down. I wasn't expecting to hear that at all and the painful imagination of Shayan not being with me flooded my mind. I was going crazy with her not being with me, it wasn't even up to ten hours and he, he'd never see his wife again. I calmed down there and then, after all he said she's fine.

  "I'm sorry about that." I stated softly.

  "It's fine, it's been five years now. I understand what you're going through."

   "I'm sure it's nothing compared to what you went through." I heard a soft chuckle which was surprising, I didn't think he was capable of doing so, especially not under this condition.

  "It isn't." He answered and I just nodded my head in acknowledgement not knowing what to say.

"How did she die?" I dared to ask.

   "Car accident, she was hit my a truck driver driving under the influence." Goodness that's sad, loosing someone wasn't an easy thing, even when I lost my father. The fact that we never got close or really had a talk about it still haunts me till today and his death still painful than to talk of someone that I love. The way his voice cracked when he talked, I hated to be the reason he remembered such a painful experience.

"I'm sorry for your loss. " I sadly said.

"Well... Life goes on." He said and I nodded. Although life would go on without Shayan in it, I needed her in it.

   Jess came into mind and the stab of betrayal I felt was indescribable, at least Carlos's wasn't that painful. He was my friend and still yet the betrayal hurt badly realizing that he was the brain behind I and Shayan's break up. But this was Jess, my brother, my younger brother, it was unfathomable. The fact that he could be an accomplice to this was disheartening. What went wrong? Why did he do this? I really wanted to see him and talk to him. I get we're not really close but I didn't know of any animosity. If he wanted the company or anything he could have just come to me, there's no way I wouldn't have found something for him. But going behind me to try and get the company, hurting my wife in the process, putting us all in this situation was almost unforgivable. A part of me was deeply hurt and wanted to hear him out, figure out what went wrong but another part of me was fuming in anger and didn't want to have anything to do with him.

  "What happens with Jess?" I dared to ask.

  "He'd be dealt with according to the law." I don't think I could bear seeing him in jail, I didn't even know what to think anymore so I took his advice and calmed down. I took all things away from my mind and tried relaxing.

   I thought of the vacation I had planned for Shayan and a small smile played on my lips. We were a family now, we're in this together. She can't dare leave me.

   Finally, finally, finally, after an hour or so we got to our destination. I noticed Jess and the police cars parked a distance away. We were in front of an old warehouse that shipped cloths I think, I couldn't really make out from the worn out signpost that rust had caught up with. I heard the siren of an ambulance. Before we could step in I saw Shayan being carried out to a stretcher, eyes closed, blood on her body.  What the fvck happened!

Shayan's POV
 
  Carlos was shot in the leg but he was still holding on to me pointing the gun at me. I felt faint but still tried wiggling out of his grip. I nearly fell but he held on to me tightly.

  "Drop your weapons, drop your weapons or I'd fvcking shoot her." I went as still as a statue.

   Could he really do it, could he pull the trigger? If I thought my heart was beating faster before it was ten times worse now. A gun was pointed directly to my head, if he pulls the trigger my head will blow up with my brains scattered around the floor.

  "Drop your weapon Carlos or we'd pull the trigger." The officer that seemed to be in charge spoke up.

   The gun was pointed at Carlos, they were alert, ready to pull the trigger immediately they were commanded to.

  "Pull the trigger and I'd shoot her. " his voice wasn't as tight as it was, he was straining his voice.
  
  That was when I remembered the bullet in his legs.

  "Let me go Carlos." I started kicking his legs, the one where he had been shot and he crouched down in pain, I quickly loosened myself from his grip and ran away from him. I heard the sound of  gunshot, I turned to see Carlos laying on the floor unmoving a gun formerly pointed at me. My vision was already blurry but I could see the officers walking in our direction and I just closed my eyes to the world.

KEL'S POV
 
   I marched my way to the stretcher and really took in her condition.

  "What happened?" I found my voice after speechlessly staring at her. She looked pale already.

  "She just fainted." An officer replied. "The blood on her cloth is Carlos." He clarified and I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding. She's fine.

   There was a stretcher available for Carlos too, he was bleeding, he got shot in his legs and stomach, he was unconscious, it wasn't a good sight. I felt a tad bit of pity for him. He was once my friend and no matter the bad things he had done I didn't really want him to die even if it would give me peace of mind.  Then there was Jess. He looked rough handled. His hair was all over the place and he looked shamed. He caught my eye and bowed his head in shame. I didn't even know what to say to him at the moment.

   "We'd be taking them to the hospital now." The officer informed me and I told him I wanted to go with him.

   I turned to see officer Williams talking to the officers giving them a pat on the back and I walked to them.

  "Thank you for getting my wife back. I really appreciate it, if there's anyway I can repay you please let me know."

  "It's fine Mr Adrios, we're just doing our job." Officer Williams said and I let out a small smile thanking him again before going with Shayan on the ambulance.

   While in the ambulance I held Shayan's hand hoping for her to wake up and the nurse said she has probably been in shock and was stressed and it will take some time for her to wake. I called up my family to inform them that she was fine and everything was okay. The sigh of relief from everyone was refreshing. At least now things could be normal again.

   She didn't wake up through out the ride and when we got to the hospital they admitted her and I had to fill in some paperwork. The nurse informed that she needed rest and I should wait outside for her. I nodded going to meet the rest of my family outside.

   "Daddy." Evie called out reaching out to me from Tess's arms, I couldn't thank Tess enough. She acted like a second mum to Evie sometimes.

  "How are you princess?" I asked carrying her from Tess.

   "I'm sad. I woke up and didn't see you and mummy and Aunt Tess didn't want to tell me anything."

  "It's okay princess. We are here now." I said soothing her.

   "But I can't see mummy anywhere, where's mummy and uncle Jess?" She asked and I turned around to look for help, I don't know what to tell her.

  "Evie sweetie come here." Sheila said beckoning to Evie but she shook her head.

  "What happened to mummy, daddy?" She asked again and I sighed, she can be really adamant when she wanted something.

   "Mummy was feeling stressed so now she's in the hospital." It wasn't exactly a lie, neither was it true.

  "Ooh, can I see her?" She asked hopefully.

  "No baby, she needs to rest. We'd see her when she's awake." I informed her and she slowly nodded.

Everyone was tired and in all honesty I couldn't wait for the day to end and see the awakening of a new day.

  We made small talks around Evie's birthday, talking about the good and stirring away from the kidnap. Evie seemed to stop asking for Shayan then but got tired and slept again.

  When she slept everyone seemed to have questions concerning how she was, what happened, what was going to happen to Jess and Carlos. My mom and Tess were devastated and disappointed. I was too, but not the way they were. It was really unexpected.
 
    It was a little after midnight when Shayan woke up and we could finally see her. Evie woke up during this period and we all went in to meet her.

  "Kel, Evie ..." She called out scanning us.

"Mummy." Evie rushed to Shayan's side and they were in a passionate hug and I could see the tears falling from her eyes.

  "Baby it's okay now, you're fine." I joined in the hug and she continued crying, I couldn't say I understood what she felt because I wasn't in her shoes, she already had enough for a night, everyone has.

  "Why are you crying mummy?" Evie asked worried, looking at me for any help.

  "I'm just happy to see you all." She said wiping her tears with both hands.

  Everyone took turns consoling her and hugging her and she kept on crying. We all spent the night in the hospital that day. She was discharged the next afternoon after a few tests had been carried out.

   Going back home I knew we had a lot to talk about. The vacation was highly needed, everyone had to take a break. When we got to the room I noticed the way she took in the surrounding and sighed.

   "I'm glad this is all done." She sighed sitting on the bed and I copied her.

  "Me too. How are you feeling?" I gauged her reaction hoping it will reveal something.

  "I feel like I just came out of something life-saving. I feel free although I look a mess. I know everything is alright now and there's this peace that comes with it. You have no idea how scared I was thinking that I'd never see my family again. I want to use this time to be there for them in anyway I can. Build relationships and help people." I was so proud of her and smiled. I was worried that it would have had a negative effect on her but I like that she's doing something positive about it.

   "I'm so proud of you baby. I'm sorry for everything you had to go through these past few days. You're strong and I really admire that about you. Just like you I want to focus on my family too, build relationships. These past few years I've immersed myself with work, avoiding anything that would make me become attached and I've realized how wrong and selfish that was of me. I feel like I've grown so much these past few days and learnt a lot. Although I can't please everyone, I have to be there for them in anyway I can. The support from our families were great, it's just sad that Jess had to be part of it but I hope to make amends on that. I love you with every fibre of my being Shayan, thanks for being part of my life." A wide smile appeared on her face it brought a grin to mine. I love seeing her smile most especially when I am the reason behind it. It just gives me this satisfaction and peace. I love her and I don't think I'd get tired of telling her, especially not when she gets to look at me with so much love and adoration and a beautiful smile on her face.

  "I love you too Kel." I drew in closer to kiss her but she chuckled standing up.

  "I'm a mess right now. I'm going to shower, want to join?" She teased with a smirk and a wink.

   I returned the smirk and followed her, who passes on such an invitation, definitely not me.

Hi, I'm nearing the end of this book. Let me know how you found it and what made you read it, was it the cover or synopsis?