Her Heroes

Chapter Twenty-Eight

My eyes fluttered and I gasped. I turned to my side and squinted out the window, watching the clouds float past.

Wait, clouds... clouds! I stumbled off the bed and opened the door directly in front of me only to come face to face with the latrine. Turning around, I forced the other door open and stepped out of the small room and into the next compartment of the plane.

The first sets of seats were surrounding tables but they were empty. I stumbled along, sleep still crowding my brain, before entering the next section. Whoever owned this plane wasted no expense. Everything here was plush and reeked of thousands upon millions of dollars.

"Belle! How did you sleep?" Armel's eyes visibly brightened as he took in my rough state, or what I assumed was a rough state. Grunting in response, I watched as six other sets of eyes settled upon me.

"You're up sooner than I thought." I eyed my eldest brother distastefully and took a seat next to Gabriel on one of the couches. He seemed surprised but quickly masked it as turned to face him.

***

It took me no less than three more minutes to remember what had happened yesterday, and what information I had learned.

Drawing in a shaky breath, I stood up and backed against a wall.

"Mon petite lapine, what's wrong? Did I do something?" Gabriel seemed genuinely afraid and it briefly clouded my judgment. Yes, no, I don't know! Did they do anything on purpose? Only if it would benefit me. Did he do something? No, yes, no, yes. He was one of them. They all were.

I stumbled back another step as everyone once again turned their steely gazes onto me. Fumbling around with a drawer that was behind me, I managed to open it and feel the contents.

A cool, smooth piece of steel greeted my hands like a long-lost friend. My fingers itched to tap against something but I forced the need down. It took all of my effort to lift the gun and bring it to my front side.

Steadying myself, the boys simultaneously all drew in a breath and watched my finger on the trigger. They were the mafia. There was no telling what they would do to me. But they hadn't done anything to me yet.... No, they were bad news bears and there was no way I would let them live another day, or at least I would try. If I died trying, so be it. This world was cruel to me and I wouldn't necessarily be mad if I was finally rid of it. I bet they wouldn't be mad either, after all, they lived next to the devil himself; they were his righthand men.

"Mon bijou, lower the gun, let's talk." Hercule slowly stood from his seat, his hands raised in surrender. Mock surrender. The mafia doesn't surrender to anyone under any circumstances, that much I knew.

I turned the gun and aimed it at his heart. My body was shaking but my hands were solid as if this was second nature for me. As he watched my finger tick closer and closer to pulling the trigger, he sat down again.

"Okay, no worries." He sent me a smile, keeping his hands where I could see them.

Releasing a breath, I rotated the gun from everyone else.

"No worries, no worries, NO WORRIES?! Brother are you insane! She just pointed a gun at you and you aren't doing anything! Do you have a death wish?!" Léon's snarling voice brought me to rest the gun on his head, a mighty fine and large target if you asked me.

"Léon, lower your voice now." Hercule didn't remove his eyes from me.

"Bu-"

"Now Léon!" His mouth clamped shut and he finally turned to look at me, his eyes widening as he realized where the gun was aimed. It didn't take a genius to know what would happen if I pulled the trigger.