Understanding a Storm

10. Surprise

Aisha's POV

Bang.

My ears fill with the deafening ring as the aftermath of the gun shot. I flinched with my eyes closed waiting for the pain to hit me.

It didn't.

A loud thump came from behind snapping me out of my dumb state. I opened my eyes to see how I instinctively wrapped my arms around Keon and clutched onto him like my life depended on it.

"Xander what the fuck! Warn us next time," Keon hissed turning around to engulf my frame in a hug. He frantically looked all over to ensure that I suffered no scratch whatsoever.

"You're welcome," Xander winks then scurried off.

"You okay?" Keon put his hands on my shoulder, making me shiver when the cold metal touched my skin. He recoiled the hand he used to hold the gun taking my hand in his. I ignored it knowing I'll be much safer by his side.

Yet curiosity urged me to turn around and see where the bullet has gone. I'm well aware that it hit someone, but still, I wanted to see.

"No," Keon pulled me along and into the house. I frowned trying to shake his hold off.

"But I wanna see the dead body," I whined. Surprising myself. I nearly spent the whole day with him, and never did I utter more words than this. Specially as morbid as it sounds.

Keon looked at me quizzically then chuckled to himself. It's not as if I'm mute really. I just choose not to speak. It's tiresome.

"I knew there was a reason I fell for you," he whispered to himself. I ignored his side commentary and examined the inside of the house instead. Before I could even respond, he roughly pulls me to his chest making me crash my face on his hard pecks.

Two gun shots went off, followed by the sound of two bodies crashing down on the ground. I felt my chest tighten as I tried to take even breaths trying not to freak out. Keon's embrace gave me comfort knowing I'm safe in his arms.

"Keon!" Ellie rushed over with a shot gun in her arms. We met her half way into the trashed living room.

"Ellie what the hell?! Put that thing down!" Keon growled at his sister. She shook her head with tears forming in her eyes.

"They have Tessa. We were working out in the basement when she went back up to go get a drink. After a while, I noticed how she took way too long to get a bottle of water. When I went back up, I-- she was being taken hostage by these people." She broke down in pained sobs at the mention of her best friend being taken away.

"Ellie, listen to me. We will get her back. Alive. I'll kill whoever the fuck did this," Keon promised as he rubbed her back. She shook like a chihuahua.

"Now I need you to take Aisha and bring her to my bedroom. Stay there until everything's settled down," Keon instructs. Ellie nods and like her brother, drags me away. I reluctantly let her lead me away from him slightly sad that we had to leave.

What? No. I'm okay. I'm a tough cookie.

Ellie shut the door, locked it, then pushed a large wooden dresser in the way. All her actions of barricading the door seemed natural. It was as if she has done it numerous times. In the mean time, I looked around Keon's room noticing little trinkets, souvenirs and ticket stamps all over. He had them placed either on top of a dresser or stuck to the wall.

"It's a habit of his. He likes collecting things that gives him some sort of a keepsake to look back on," Ellie nods at the wall plastered with numerous stuff. The wall itself was some sort of makeshift scrap book page. I gave her a small smile acknowledging what she said and sat on the king sized bed. This will take a while.