Vengeance

||30|| Volunteer

Oakley POV

As soon as the words leave August's mouth, a loud bang echoes through the house from the entrance.

I hear it before I could even register exactly what's going on.

A bullet soars through the air triggered by a tall man that stands in the door frame of the living room, his gun pointed towards me.

I freeze. Because within two seconds, I forget everything I've ever taught myself.

My eyes shut tightly as August cries out the word no. The agony that leaves his throat rips pieces of my heart, more pain laced in it than I've ever heard before.

That's when I knew it must've hit me.

But I don't feel anything.

Why don't I feel anything?

I open my eyes to see August raise his gun and shoot the guy standing in the doorway several times in the chest before either Caleb or Slasher could do so. Blood shoots out of each bullet hole, jerking his body back an inch until August runs out of his clip.

I put a hand on my heaving chest.

Dry.

But it doesn't make sense, the bullet was for sure coming straight for me.

Then I look down at the floor to see the short woman that I've just come to know as August's mother laying flat on the ground. Scarlet-colored blood leaks from her head onto her once tan carpet, with a bullet hole engraved in the center of her forehead. Her eyes are still open, but it's clear as day that she's gone.

My hands begin to shake as I take a step back from the body. She was just hugging and standing in front of me. Now she's gone within a matter of five seconds. Seconds.

If her position would've been different, would I've been the one to die instead?

This can't be happening, not when everything was going so well. For once I had a smile on my face, seeing the innocent woman explode in excitement at the sight of her only living son. Now she lays at my feet.

Sound around me begins to pour back into my muffled ears.

My name. I hear my name.

I look up to see Caleb shouting for me to get cover. He shoots out a broken window along with Axel at his side. There must be more of them.

Locking my jaw, sucking in the will to break down, and pull out my gun from my waistline.

Wilson hadn't lied.

We just happen to arrive first it seems. I should've known this would happen. As soon as we saw they were safe we should've left.

And I'm so sick and tired of mother fuckers messing with my life and the people I care most about. I can't keep letting it happen, not anymore.

So getting cover is the last thing I'm going to do.

August and Thomas stand at both sides of the door, as bullets spray into the entrance. They wait until the men outside go to reload before aiming and firing bullets of their own.

I slide beside August as he pulls his head back for cover.

"August, come with me," I say. "I have a plan."