Panic surges through Delia as she’s exposed in front of what feels like thousands of eyes—her back against her brother's as three—or four pistols are pointed at them.  She was ripped from his grasp and dragged into the foyer; no amount of kicking or screaming sufficed. She glances around at the horrified faces of Milo, Oli and the rest of the servers in the Avangard employ. Many individuals in black suits surrounded them. Theo was out for the count, his body collapsed before her. Even with his blunt temper or his gruff nature, he cared for her. She can’t imagine a world without him, not after everything they’ve been through.

“You can have the money, I don’t care if I have to pay you for the rest of my life—just let us go.” Courage bubbles inside Delia as she struggles to stand. She puts the embarrassment of her current attire at the back of her mind.  

“I’m sorry, but it’s too late for that.” An earnest voice appears from the crowd, a voice that Delia recognized as Two's. In a strange way, it was comforting to hear him again. “This is what happens when you spill the beans, Cordelia. I didn’t want this to end in bloodshed, but it seems we have no choice.” His head ducks to the side, lowering his eyes before the first gunshot is fired. Delia screeches, clasping to her brother—his arms also tight around her. She opens her eyes to see Oli's hand around the gun that was pointed at them.

That shot was meant to kill—if Oli hadn’t stepped in, Delius, or her, would be dead. What happened to sparing their lives?

“Get away from him!” Delius's voice breaks from fear as they surround Oli.

“You were always a dumbass—but you were loyal at least. Seems like you defaulted,” One of the men dressed in black grabs him by the collar, tightening his grip by the second. “Now, I always liked your scrappy attitude and will forgive you if you help us persuade the heir. If not, you'll die.”

“You can shove your guns up your asses.” A dark expression clouds Oli's face.

“Very well—”

Delia screams as the man points the gun to Oli's forehead; by a miracle, Delius knocks the man off his feet, another gunshot fires at the ceiling hitting the chandelier above them. Delia shields her eyes as she feels shards of glass sting her arms. She opens her eyes to see Delius's body limp over Oli's.

No!

Louder gunshots whiz through the air, coming from the stairwell of the foyer—aiming for the black cladded kidnappers. She shouts, goading them towards her. The voice stops, as her ears pick up on a presence whooshing past her. A glimpse of a thin woman with dark hair passes her vision.

Thea?!

She whips around Delia. “You know how to shoot?”

Delia wanted to know how Thea was trained for this, but now wasn’t the time for such questions. “No—”

“Fuck,” She hands Delia a gun. “Point and use the trigger thingy okay? And smack, kick, or punch Theo If you have to. We need him awake, we’re already down men as Oli had to play the stupid martyr—anyways these asshats are gonna pay so just be useful and wake him up alright?”

Delia nods, her resolution resolved thanks to Thea’s quick thinking. She rushes to Theo’s side, gently wiping the glass shards off of him. She smacked him last time, but that didn’t work. She shakes him awake, but to no avail.

Fuck, fuck!

She keeps the gun to her chest, shaking, knowing that she’s easy pickings if anyone noticed her through the scuffles. Men in black suits were fighting against another force, wearing slightly bluish uniforms but they weren’t cops. Were these the reinforcements that Milo had mentioned his friend got? Theo didn’t have the chance to talk about it with her. One man sees her—the brute who previously captured her in the hall—she shakes in place as he comes running for her. She lifts her gun and winces, pulling the trigger—nicking his arm as he howls in pain. She shoots two more bullets, the man falling to the ground. Is he dead? Did she kill a man?  She killed a man. A rush of adrenaline races through her. Her freedom is worth the rebellion. It's in the name of self-defence.

Another man comes into the fray, rushing towards Delia. A delirious Theo begins to awaken, telltale grunts revealing the man's coming to. She braces one hand against him, preparing herself for the worst. She won't let anyone hurt them. Upon closer arrival, she notes his unfamiliar silver hair and young face. It had to be dyed. His suit was matching those of the navy-blue garbs of the individuals who had protected them. He takes one look at her, taking off his jacket and draping it around her shoulders. “My name is Anys. Come with me; we'll get you to a safe place.”

“I’m not leaving Theo.”

“I made a promise to Milo that you two would be safe. The others will be okay as well, but if we don’t escape now it'll be impossible to leave.” Anys says with a hurried cadence.

“No!” She protests, but it's for naught. Theo turns in place, groaning as he looks up at Delia in confusion. She blinks back tears when she sees the man beneath her stirring once again.

“Egg lady?” His tone sounds drunk but she doesn’t care.

“We have to leave,” Delia says calmly, gently stroking Theo's cheek. “Can you move?”

Theo grunts, not giving her a response.

“We need to go with Anys.”

“But he's a writer,” Theo mumbles in confusion but gets up with the help of both Delia and Anys. It doesn’t help that there’s a blush across the man's cheeks. What the hell did they inject him with? “And you're the pretty egg lady from Instagram; why are you in your underwear?”

At any other moment, Delia would flush, but her mind is occupied with their safety.

“We need to get you and Theo to the plane undetected; we’re going to fly you both to the island until all of this is resolved.”

“We can’t go there!” Wait, he couldn’t mean the one with the deed? Wouldn’t that be the perfect target for the kidnappers to find them again?  

“Then where do you suggest we go—especially with you dressed like that? You’re lucky none of those guys had any other ideas.” Anys’s cool eyes scan Delia’s face.

“That’s super inappropriate!” Delia growls, her fists tensing. “I didn’t choose to get abducted wearing this, I was dragged out by my hair—ah!” A bullet whizzes by them.

“They spotted us—shit. Grab Theo’s hand.”

Delia clasps the taller man’s hand; he’s delirious but at least he can stand. If he could run, it’d be a bloody miracle. Anys leads Delia and Theo away from the manor and into the words. Theo hasn’t fallen over—yet. She prays that he’ll stay on his feet.  

They come to a sudden halt; before them is a lithe man standing an inch over six feet, his panicked violet eyes locking with Delia’s. Her heart hammers violently against her chest.

Delius.

How did he make it out undetected? Where was Oli?

“I can’t let you go.” Trepidation fills his tone.

“Deel, this isn’t the time. We’re going!”  

“If you leave, you’ll be killed. They’re going to shoot down your plane.” Is that how Anys meant to escape with them? No, the details aren’t important.

“Get Oli and you can come with us. Before they notice we’re leaving!”  

There’s conflict in her brother’s eyes.

“They’re safe with me, young man, and you can be too if you come with us. If not, then kindly step aside.”

“Let us pass, now.” Delia holds a gun to her brother. The betrayal flashes in his eyes before he grits his teeth.

“I won’t let you ruin our family name.” Delius pulls out his own hand pistol—she knows he didn’t have one before this moment. Was he given one by Thea as well? God, now wasn’t the time for such rationalities. “If you leave, they’ll destroy us, Delia. Grandmother won’t survive the slander.”

“No, you won’t survive. Grandmother has protected you long enough.”

Sweat beads down Delius’s forehead. “Don’t make me choose.”

“I am—and it’s not your betrayal.” Delia keeps the gun pointed at him. “You let us go, and you’ll never hear from me again.”

“That’s not what I want! You’re my sister—I don’t want you to be bound to this man over my wrongdoings.”

“It’s a little too late for that.” Delia hisses. “Theo has sacrificed more for me than any of you have.”

“Family isn’t about sacrifices, it’s about longevity.”  

“You should have thought of that before backing out of the engagement,” Delia clenches her teeth as she throws down her gun. “I can’t hurt you, no matter how much you deserve it. But know this, Deel, we’re finished.”   

Hurt flashes across the blonde man’s face as his arms tremble. “You don’t mean that, Dee.”

Her eyes fill with moisture at the nickname. “I do.”  

“If that’s how you feel—”

“Deel, stop!” Oli pushes past the fray, a bloody pool seeps from the corner of his neck. He flings his arms around Delius, forcing him to drop his gun. “He doesn’t mean it—don’t listen to him. The guilt’s been weighing on his shoulders, this isn’t his fault!”

“Oli, I want you to make sure you and my sister leave safely,” Delius says in a calm tone. “I…have to do something.”

“No—No. You aren’t forcing me to leave, Deel. What did I tell you—I’d never leave your side!”

He looks at Oli, “Please, do this for me.”

“No. If you stay, so do I.” Oli grabs Delius’s hand. “Thea and Gramps are here, and I refuse to leave them.”

Delius gives a curt nod. “I’m sorry, Dee. I’ll make this up to you.” He gestures to the wooded path, giving Anys the clear that he won’t stop them.

Anys escorts both Theo and Delia through the brush. Tears sting her eyes as they’re rushed through the woods; she can’t bear to think about Delius. What would happen to him? What would happen to Oli, a man she hadn’t known long, but harboured such a deep love for her brother.  An all too familiar scream echoes through the air, scaring some crows from their nest as their caws tear through the skies above.