Kayla's pov
"Someone's coming," I said, "you need to get off,"
"He has something that I need," she said quickly, "a key, around his neck. Get me the key, and I'll help you escape,"
"Why didn't you just get it yourself?" I asked confusedly as she climbed off. She kept silent and the door opened. Three figures entered.
"I see you've gotten a bit close with our guest here, seductress?" he said, glancing at both of us.
Seductress?
I quirked an eyebrow at Ruby but didn't say anything.
"I didn't know you were coming," she replied with a sly smirk.
"I had to see things for myself after Lorenzo called, and by the way he did not sound pleased. I wonder what you must've done to upset him," he chuckled and came closer, totally ignoring me.
She walked around him, "Oh you know, the usual," he traced his finger from her neck, stopping at her chin. I could see her shiver under his touch, but try to hide it. She's afraid of him. He held her chin gently.
"You know, I remember specifically that I told you not to mess things up," his grip tightened and she whimpered, holding his arm, "and yet here we are,"
"I thought you came to see me?" I said, stopping him from hurting her further. He smiled a bit.
"I'll deal with you later," he whispered to her, but I heard. Then he left her. She held her jaw and looked at me, then at his chest. I spotted a single key, dangling on the collar of the black button shirt he wore. She looked at me one last time before leaving.
"Kayla Kayla Kayla," he said repeatedly, walking towards me, "you don't look too surprised to see me," he glanced at the door, then tilted his head.
"That's because I've always suspected you were the traitor," I said before he came to any conclusion that would make my plan difficult, "you're relationship with Ariel, was weird,". He hummed and signalled the other men outside.
"I don't believe that," he disagrees and sat down.
"Well that's your problem," I said, "but what I don't understand is why,"
He leaned back and folded his arms, letting out a laugh, "Why?"
"Why are you doing this, Brian?" I asked him. He hummed.
"Retribution," he said and stood up, folding his sleeves, "and plus I get paid,"
"Ah, so you're not the one in charge," I said.
He chuckled and walked towards the table in the room, selecting the items on it , "Look around you Kayla, it's the goddamn Mafia. It's obviously run by someone else. Someone bigger,"
"And who is this bigger person that you'd betray your brother for,"
He slammed his fist on the table, "Brother?!" He turned around and scoffed, "My brother left me in the streets to suffer. He was always the favourite one. Ma loved every fucking thing about him, I was simply the careless one. The one who wasn't more like him," he looks different now, completely changed. There's no longer that cheerful eyes, that playful smirk that always got on everyone's nerves. His eyes had gone darker, and so did his features. He was no longer the Brian I knew–or was he, just the one that had always been.
"It's always been James this, James that. Like I was never in the fucking picture," he said.
"Oh I see what this is," I smacked my lips, "mommy issues," I said.
I felt his fist connect with my face, punching me hard. "Ma wasn't proud of you, didn't see your efforts. Or maybe she just couldn't," I chuckled and groaned when he punched me in the guts. He grabbed my neck.
"You know nothing," he growled.
"You wanted to be acknowledged, to be seen as more. But James was probably better," I choked out. He punched me a few more times and grabbed my neck again.
"I was the better one, I've always been," he smiled sadistically, leaving me and turned, "not my fault she didn't see that,"
I inhaled, catching my breath. "Is that why you killed her?" I asked quietly, after a few moments. He froze. "Because you couldn't handle it, the fact that she didn't love who you really were,"
"I gave her an option. To choose between me and him," he whispered without turning, "she chose him,"
"James loved you," I said, "he always has,"
He chuckled and went back to the table. I tucked the key I had sneakingly pulled from his neck earlier, in the ropes. "He's decieved you, he only cares about his job," he chuckled, "You're a good fighter Kayla, the Costas could really use someone like you, if not that I'm about to kill you just like I did Agent Halton,"
I stopped and looked at the ground, "You killed Cassie," I whispered. He scoffed.
"Thought you'd have realised that by now," he turned, holding a hammer.
"Of course," I said softly and looked at him, my left hand shaking, "you called in the backup teams using James' code, you disrupted our communication with the agency. Then as if that wasn't enough, you sent a fucking sniper after Cassie," I could feel myself trembling from the headache building up, "the bullet that hit her wasn't from a normal gun, it was a sniper's bullet,"
He smirked. "You killed her," I whispered and looked down.
"You really are perceptive, you've always been," he smiled.
"You know, I've always wondered what I'd do to the person who sabotaged my mission that day, who killed her," I smiled and chuckled. He came closer and bent down to my level, smiling.
"And?"
"Truth is," I stopped smiling and looked at him, "I'd kill him too,"
I tied the rope around his neck, bringing him down with me on the ground. He choked and flailed around, grasping at nothing before clawing on the rope. All that flowed through my mind was the image of Cassie, dying all over again. I tightened my grip on the rope. Then I felt something metal connect with the side of my head, disorienting me momentarily. I held my head and looked dizzily at him as he stood up heaving, with a bloodied hammer in his hand. I used my arms for support as I struggled to stand up.
"You know," he breathed, "you almost got me there. Though I don't understand how the hell you got out of those ropes but, that won't matter when I'm done with you,"
My lips twitched as I remembered Ruby loosening the ropes while we talked. He kicked me hard, making me fall on my back. He knelt both sides, hovering on top of me. I groaned in pain and looked at him.
"Goodbye Kayla," I dodged the hammer as it hit the ground, so close to my ear. Then I punched him on the face, sending him back. I got up, staggering as he also stood up. He smirked and gripped the hammer.
"It's time I taught you a lesson your mum failed to teach you," I said, he scowled and came after me. I held the hammer from hitting me and punched him on the face. He kneeled me in the guts and whacked me with the hammer, sending me to the wall. I groaned, trying to get my bearings. He chuckled and walked over to the table, dropping the hammer and choosing something else. I looked at him as he turned around, holding a crowbar.
"That won't do you any good," I said as we heard sounds of gunshots.
"Oh it will," he said and launched at me. I held it and rammed it on his face, hitting him twice before kicking him off. He shook his head and blinked, leaving the iron with me. I hit him on his side with the crowbar and punched him on the face. He fell down, groaning. I dropped it and knelt beside him, punching him. He smacked my head with a rock, the same side that was hit by the hammer. I fell down, every sound fading. I saw him wipe his bloodied lips as he picked up the crowbar and raised it, then brought it down on my back. I let out a cry. I struggled and crawled away, kicking him back if he got close. Until he raised the crowbar, and brought it down again. This time, at my left leg. I cried out in pain as I felt the metal dig into my skin, hearing the loud sound of my bone cracking. I laid on my back and shifted back as he continued to come close till he was above me.
Then the memories of Cassie and our lives together flashed before me as he lifted the crowbar. I held the iron, inches away from my face and kicked him off with my good leg. He stumbled back while I used to crowbar for support to stand. He grunted and rushed to the table and picked up the hammer. Then he ran and jumped with the hammer in the air, I blocked it with the crowbar, making a loud clanking noise as we fought. Then I swept him off his feet and hit him on the head, with the iron. I knelt at either side of him and threw away the crowbar. Then I yanked the hammer from him and smacked it on his head, then also threw it across the room. I gripped his collar and punched the living daylights out of him. I kept on hitting and hitting and hitting until someone pulled me away from him.
"Let me go!" I yelled and elbowed them on the guts as they sat us on the floor. They grunted, but didn't let go.
"Kayla it's me, Mark," he said.
"He...he killed Cassidy," I whispered as tears fell, no longer struggling. Cole went towards the unmoving Bryan.
"He's dead. You killed him," Mark whispered back, holding me as I hugged his arm. We heard more gunshots. "We need to leave, Kayla,"
I shook my head, "Kayla look at me!" He turned me to face him, "we need to go,"
I regained myself and nodded. He swung my arm over his shoulder and helped me up. Then I saw Ava at the door, looking at me with worry. I averted my gaze and we limped off.
We ran past the first hallway, making our way to the second and last. But I was slowing us down.
"I hear more gunshots. Who else's with us?" I asked Mark.
"Just a couple of friends," Cole answered, still firing.
Two men appeared in front of us, raising their guns, but they were shot down immediately. I glanced up to see Ruby, holding a gun. Ava clicked her gun and pointed it to her.
"No!" I extended my arm, stopping her.
"She brought you here," Ava said, eyes still glued on her. Ruby raised an eyebrow at her.
"And she's coming with us," I said.
"You sure?" Cole asked.
I looked at her. She gazed back at me. "Yes," I replied. Ava made to pull back her gun, I stopped her. "But not as a guest."