Chapter 16

~The cries of despair~

Boom boom boom... Guns could be heard from where Aurora and Amelia left the men in the SUV. The women were running up the mountain to reach the castle-like werehouse on the top. As Aurora heard the gunshots, she froze mid-step. Her heart rate increased as flashes of thoughts of that man's blood around the black car came to mind. She felt a pang of hopelessness looking back at the scene. Amelia and she were already pretty far up the mountain and Aurora knew that she'd be too late to go there now, it'd only get them caught.

As Aurora's mind sprinted through highways of bloody thoughts, Amelia smiled sadly, as if she knew what Aurora was thinking. "He will be fine, Aurora. You said it yourself, he is the Italian Don after all." Amelia spoke up, taking Aurora out of her trance, an angry expression coloring her features. "I don't give a damn about your husband, Amelia." That was the only thing she said before starting running with the older woman up the mountain.

A few minutes later, the women had already reached the top side of the mountain, hiding in the shadows, Aurora guided Amelia through the piles of bloodied bodies from the explosion. Buildings were burning up and the plants around them were already dark brown. "You need to find these two sluts, or our lives won't be spared, do you understand?" A male low voice sounded from the double-wide oak wooden doors, and two pairs of steps sounded from the women's side. Aurora looked at Amelia, signaling her to hide behind the side wall. "What did they say?"

"They informed us that the Italian Don is in our territory, so we send people to kill him and his brothers." The older man was raging with the news he was hearing. "Idiots! The Italian Don, along with his brothers are in our territory?! Shit! Who told you to do such a stupid thing? They're going to burn us all because of you! If our Don hasn't already tortured you to death!" "I didn't know!"

"Shut up! We need to find the wife, she's our only way out of this, we have her in our hands, even if she doesn't want to, she has to get along with us, or else her secret would be exposed." A few seconds passed and the men were gone. Aurora turned around to watch Amelia's face, which had now turned pale.

"What is it that they have on you, Amelia?" Aurora questioned, standing up, slowly gazing at the mansion's doors. "I- I need to get in there. There is a document that's not supposed to be read by Ares." Amelia confessed, Aurora didn't ask any questions, she just went along with the plan. "Follow closely, when we get where we need to be, you get the thing and we leave this place to burn, si?"

"I'm not Italian you know." Amelia said with a smile. "I know, I just like the language." Aurora smirked and stepped stealthily around the castle-like building's pavement. She rushed towards the double wooden doors and leaned in, reloading her guns. "There will be more guards in there." Aurora started, adding a silencer to each of her guns. "You have your guns with you?" Amelia nodded at Aurora's question before Aurora placed a leg between the door folds. After a second, she pushed her shoulder on the door, making the oak wood screech on the ground. Heads snapped in the door's direction, but before the guards could pull their triggers, Aurora had already done the job. She crouched down, and glanced up, shooting the far-end guards first, then going for the middle ones.

Five, silenced shots were boomed in the quiet living room, as five bodies thumped on the ground. "Follow me." Aurora signaled for Amelia to come in now, tilting her head to the side, asking her to hide between the pillars. They both did, Amelia took the right one, while Aurora the left. Footsteps were heard from the top of the double-end stairs, and Aurora could match it up to three more guards. She slowly pulled herself out of her hidden location, pointing her gun at the side that seemed to be the most of them. Taking two shots, two bodies fell on the floor as the third guard stood there dumbfounded, making Aurora's work easier. "That's why you guys can't be the leaders. The Italians are just too cunning. No one can blame you." Aurora said with a child pout on her lips. "Amelia, help me put these bodies in the room in front of you." Aurora said and after a while the job was done smoothly, as no one else walked in. Deciding to walk up the stairs first, after Amelia had searched the other rooms for her folder and found nothing, they slowly walked upwards.

Amelia was behind Aurora as the latter put a protective hand in front of the older woman, making her smile. "I think you like me Aurora."

"I don't like anyone, Madam Hayes." Aurora scoffed, making Amelia giggle. "You better keep that title for yourself." Amelia whispered to herself. At that moment, footsteps were audible in the corridor up the stairs. Aurora quickly and skillfully moved to a room in the hall, pulling Amelia with her. She leaned on the wall next to the now closed door, waiting for someone to come in, as Amelia stayed next to her, quiet now. "They said that the Italians are here." A female voice sounded outside the door. "Yeah, I think we are in big trouble now. I guess the idiot of a leader we have couldn't wait to snatch the wife any longer."

"Shhhh. Don't let anyone hear you, we could lose our heads! "

"If the Italians are here, do you think someone else would have the chance to get to us first?"

"Let's go!"

"Fine, fine."

Amelia sighed after hearing their steps fading away. "I think we need to move, or else we will get caught." Amelia said, but as Aurora was about to go through the door, voices of urgency were sound from downstairs. "RUN!" Aurora's booming voice sounded throughout the room as a dozen guards came in. "Aurora! NO!" Amelia screamed her lungs out in fear, as she witnessed Aurora lowering herself to her knees, the guards surrounding her like prey, only if they knew who was the real prey in the situation, they would have bolted from the window minutes before even running through that room.

Aurora wanted Amelia to leave so she can start killing these bastards. "Sister, leave!" Aurora yelled at Amelia, if she had called her name then they would know who the wife of Ares Hayes was, and she'd be in trouble, something Aurora wasn't very keen on. "But-" Aurora didn't let her finish her sentence, she sent a death glare at Amelia, "Go get help." Aurora mouthed and Amelia immediately nodded her head, rushing down the stairs, heading where she had last seen Ares. After running like a mad woman, dogging and avoiding bullets, she found herself in the yard of the castle-like building. The ocean could be seen, as the mountain was very high up. The yard was empty, making her feel confused.

"Have they brought everyone upstairs? How is Aurora going to escape? Or she's-" Amelia shook her head, calling her husband. "Amelia?" a deep voice sounded from the other side of the line. "Ares! Aurora, she-" Amelia let the sobs consume her words, and the sadness consumes her soul. "She- She told me to go and find help, but I now realize that she just sent me away so she could die alone-" Amelia clenched her heart with her fist, she couldn't let that happen, she could never let Aurora die like that. "Amelia, amore, please calm down." Ares sounded relieved that his wife was safe, but something nudged in his heart, as if pushing him somewhere he was supposed to be. "Ares! How can you be like this! You're always like this! I care about this girl, can't you just come and save her? Please!" Aurora cried out, her breathing hitching as she tried hard to take more breaths in her lungs. "Amelia, I am coming up there, I just saw the location on your phone, we are only five minutes away." Amelia nodded as if he could be able to see her and then continued talking with her husband as he tried his best to calm the sobbing woman down.

Meanwhile from Aurora's side, as she saw Amelia leaving she smirked knowingly. After attempting to kneel with her hands in the air, in a defensive pose, her leg kicked one of the guard's knees, making him go down with ease. In a swift motion, she jumped at the man who was about to fall, hiding her body behind his to avoid the other guard's bullets from hitting her. The man in her arms took a bunch on his chest as she skillfully slipped her body down the stairs, not bothering to run, but instead jumping down, crashing into the midnight blue coffee table of the living room. Her leg crushed into the vases, breaking them, and forcing shards of glass to tear her skin. But having no time to waste, she groaned and ran out of the door, following a path up the mountain. She didn't want Amelia to get caught so she had to make them stay away from her.

The guards split into two groups as she already climbed up the stairs, leading her to a big terrace filled with beautiful plants. Half of the men followed right behind her, as she hid behind a plant, ambushing the first guard that came from the entrance. After snapping his neck without mercy, she cracked her neck in exhaustion and continued the hide and seek game. She continued taking the guards down one by one and after making sure all of them were dead, she went to the edge of the terrace to explore. "Σκατά" (Shit!) she muttered in her native language, as she saw Amelia down in the yard.

At the side of her, guards were slowly approaching her, unbeknownst to both parties of the situation. "Sister!" Aurora screamed from the terrace, making the attention of both the guards and Amelia snap to her. She squinted her eyes so she could see better, noticing that the guards didn't move a muscle from where they were, meaning they already knew about Amelia. Aurora groaned but sighed after seeing a car rush towards Amelia, the same car that they were a while ago. 'That bastard actually came. I am impressed.' Aurora scoffed sarcastically, mostly talking to herself when she snapped out of her trance noticing the freezing eyes inside the SUV.

In the car, Andrea was biting his nails nervously as he heard that the angel was in danger. And by -angel-, he meant Aurora. "What if she gets shot and die?" he continued his rumbling, earning death glares from both his older brothers. "She is on the terrace," Ares said annoyed. "What the fuck!?" Lorenzo's eye widened when he saw Aurora climb on the edge of the terrace. "Bro, this girl wants to jump off-" Lorenzo's words stopped when he noticed the look in Ares's eyes. Sure, if one of them jumped, or even took in couple of bullets, they wouldn't die, after all they were dragons. But this woman was just a human, and a crazy one at that, Ares smirked at himself.

Sparks were dancing on them as if daring the woman to jump. They might have been far from one another but they could see her from their binoculars. The three of them looked at her as she smirked and placed the other leg off the edge, sitting there as if she was waiting for something. Aurora put out her duals, reloading with the strength of her arms in a swift motion, while sitting at the edge, waiting for the guards to come closer to her. After seeing her up there, they seemed to change their mind and instead of Amelia, which had no clue what was going on, they rushed up the stairs.

"DON'T MOVE!" A voice sounded from behind her, making her roll her eyes as she sat there comfortably, with her back facing them. She placed her head in mock surrender as she waited for them to make a move. "I'm not moving!" she said innocently as she continued looking at the direction the man was in, which was now glaring at her. They now have stopped in front of the house, waiting for more information as to what was going on.

Ares's glare was a warning that she didn't give a shit about it. She cracked her neck once more, turning slowly and crossing her hips as she sat there watching the men pointing their guns at her from afar. "You know, I've seen many types of 'sticks' pointing at my face, and never once have I liked one. I mean, the gun kink is there, but there's not a man daring enough to point at me. Like, why are you all acting so tough? I let them play and they just back off, only the stupid ones stay, and believe me, they are not my type." Aurora started blabbing as she stalled for Ares to take his wife and get the hell out of this place.

"What kind of woman are you?" one of them asked, Aurora laughed shaking her head as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Did she just say gun kink?" Andrea sounded from the front porch, making Aurora's eyes snap at him. "Hello, Amelia's brother-in-law!" Aurora greeted sweetly, and Andrea blushed like a teenager, making Aurora smirk in amusement, not caring about the guards, she turned her attention to him. "You are blushing, ragazzo Italiano." (Italian boy) she said in amusement as she looked at him. "I am?" he scratched the back of his neck, looking around for his brothers as if they were going to help him out, but he know better. "It's cute." Aurora continued, making all eyes snap at her.

She shook her head and stood up, walking towards the guards, "Do you know how to fight, ragazzo?" she asked Andrea, "Not very well." he answered shyly, making her laugh a little, "If I come out of this alive, I will teach you, how about that?" she asked and Andrea screamed out a 'si' in excitement. "Grande." Aurora said with a pop of her gum before swiftly pushing toward the guards, taking them by surprise, "Watch and learn boy." She smiled evilly as she blasted two guards' brains with her duals, making the blood color her clothes. "Bitch! Do you know how expensive these shit are?"

Aurora's voice lowered down an octave as she now seemed very angry, making the guards subconsciously take a step back. "Idiots!" she yelled after two of them came and fought her. She dodged the attacks quickly as she didn't bother hitting them. She shot each one of them before sighing in exasperation. "Why are men this boring and stupid! Can't someone find me some good smart dick?!" she stomped her foot like a kid before yelling at Ares, each word meant for him, "I have been stalling for you to get the Amelia out of here, and you're here watching the scene? Amico, vuoi farmi arrabbiare?" (Man, do you wanna make me mad?)

"Oh, oh," Lorenzo stated in fear as he saw Ares's jaw tick in anger, the only sign of his brother reacting as his stoic face glared at the younger woman on the terrace. "Are you sex deprived? Because if yes, I want to congratulate Amelia on her smart decision. It's like you turned her into a breeding machine!" Aurora continued her kid-like acting, stalling and waiting for the next bunch of guards to come up. "Miss, I don't think it is a good thing to talk to my brother like that, he... He-"

"HE WHAT? Is he mentally unstable? Aw! Poor guy!" Aurora mocked after rolling her eyes at Ares, the patience running thinner. "YOU RUSSIAN'S ARE IDIOTS!" she yelled to get the attention of the guards from approaching Amelia. After a second the three brothers understood that she was just stalling. Aurora's face turned to the three men, making them confused at the sight. Aurora was now calm and collected, she dropped her acting and looked intently into Ares's eyes.

"Get your wife and get the hell out of here. If I find out you hurt her in any way your blood will be the color of my walls, and your skull the tow on my throne, mi capisce?" (do you understand me?) Aurora didn't wait for an answer as she turned around and started shooting at the guards, hiding under plants and tables.

After a while, all of them were dead, and she got shot in the shoulder. "Great!" she hummed after trying a cloth on her hand to stop the bleeding. After, she turned around only to find Ares right behind her, making her jump in fright, as she immediately put her gun up, pointing at his head then boom. The man wasn't fazed at all as he put a hand up, grabbing the base of the gun, twisting her hand to the side, and making it fall to the ground. "Poor attempt, thought you could do better," Ares said as he stood in front of her, unmoving.

She sidestepped him walking towards the door but he swiftly grabbed her waist, making her snap her eyes to his. "Que?" she gritted out, making the man's eye twitch, "Who are you?" he asked, Aurora rolled her eyes in boredom, but the truth was that the both of them were able to feel the undying sparks that had ignited in their skin, one's burned, and the other's freezing. "Your worst nightmare," Aurora answered him with a smile before shoving him away rushing down and running to the yard that was now filled with guards. She swiftly stood by Amelia's side, killing a squad of them. "You are alive!" Amelia beamed and hugged her, making Aurora flinch in pain, as her shoulder was still bleeding.

"Oh my god, what ha-" Amelia didn't have the time to finish her sentence as she was pushed behind Aurora. Aurora's body jerked forward as blood was spitted from her mouth. Amelia stood there shocked, watching Aurora fall to the ground with a grunt, seeming not affected at all even is she was bleeding out. It all happened so quick, too quick. Nobody noticed it until a silence like never held before was sound and echoed the vast ocean. Amelia screamed and fell next to her on her knees with a loud thud. "SHE CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS! SHE CAN'T!" Amelia yelled. The brothers were already there, shooting fast and precise.

Ares watched as Aurora pushed herself in front of Amelia and got shot straight to her heart. His hand flew up as he didn't need to grab him to kill him with his dark dragon powers, the man was sliced by his claws more times than he needed as if punishing him for hurting her. His eyes were glazed as he watched his wife cry and whisper things to the young woman. "SHE CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS, I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" his wife yelled before grabbing the gun near Aurora and shooting the man that came next to her, but more and more people were rushing onto the scene, as the Italians and Russians were now in a full out war.

Ares rushed to Amelia's side as she pleaded for him to take care of Aurora. Aurora layed there, covered in her blood as she tried to keep her alive. "Amelia," she said weakly. "Don't be afraid." she continued "Dying isn't that bad. For me, it is a blessing." Aurora reassured Amelia with a sincere smile after Amelia refused to listen. Amelia put the file in Aurora's jacket, hiding it before whispering to her ear, "Live for me, okay?" and it was the last thing Aurora heard before she closed her eyes. Amelia took the heart stone Ares had given her as a gift of immortality for being his wife. Amelia was already dying from natural cause and the stone had no power to her, so she discreatly exchanged it to Aurora to save her, unbeknownst of Ares.

"Take care of her." Amelia whispered, "Don't let her die, please Ares." her voice sounded weak as she fell to the floor next to Aurora, her breathing had stopped as she lay there lifeless next to Aurora's unconscious body, which slowly bled out. Ares couldn't think. He stood there as bullets run throughout the sky, not caring that he could die at any moment. He just watched his wife die, as if nothing had happened, "BROTHER, WE NEED TO LEAVE!" Lorenzo sounded, Ares sidestepped the two bodies on the ground, turning around to face his brother. Ares knew he could not kill humans without reprocautions, after all he was the High Dragon King, he had to set an example. "Take the one alive and come to the car." was the only thing he said after walking towards the vehicle. A single tear run down his cheek, coloring his now pale face as his eyes turned lifeless, soulless. He sat at the back of the car, waiting for his brother before leaving the scene of gore and destruction. How was he going to explain this to his children? How was he going to get through this without snapping, without his soul fading away?