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I stiffen my spine, refusing to back down. "You can't have it both ways."
"If Lucas has earned your loyalty above mine, then so be it." He puts down his gun and walks up closer towards me until I can feel just how big of a presence he takes up despite being slightly shorter than myself by an inch or two. "Why are you defending him so much when he's betrayed you, too?"
"Because he's a human, and I know that you are a good man," I reason helplessly.
"I'm not," he spits.
I touch his chest, right over his heart. "You can be."
Xavier's eyes lock on mine, his gaze piercing and intense. "You don't know what you're talking about," he growls. "This has nothing to do with us being criminals. This is about loyalty, about trust. And Lucas betrayed us."
I shake my head, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "You're wrong," I whisper. "Lucas is a good man. He's loyal, he's brave, and he's doing his job to protect people."
Xavier's jaw clenches as he considers me. For a moment, I think I might have gotten through to him - but then he shakes his head and raises his gun again.
It hits me that this is it. There's nothing I can say or do to stop them. I walk towards the door but turn back to give one last plea.
"Please think about this," I say, tears threatening to spill down my face.
The men ignore my words and tighten their grips on their weapons.
Suddenly, I realize that if I'm going to do anything to save Lucas - it has to be now. In a blind burst of courage and desperation, I run across the room towards them. Before either man can even think about pulling the trigger, I run over and throw myself between them and Lucas, wrapping my arms around him.
"I love him!" I declare defiantly while they both stare at me in shock.
Tears pour down my face as my arms tremble with emotions too powerful for words; fear of what will happen next but also an intense desire to protect this man.
The two men look startled by my sudden outburst but don't relent their grip on their weapons; instead they tell me to move so that Lucas can pay with his life in penance for following his childhood dream of becoming a police officer. An innocent boy's dream of being a hero.
I grip him tighter. “If you care about me, you’ll let him live.”
46
MIA
Afew days after I pleaded to spare Lucas's life, I can't help but notice the pain and disappointment in Xavier and Antonio's eyes. A heavy sense of guilt washes over me, realizing that my actions unintentionally caused a rift between them.
"Fine," Xavier had finally ceded, much to Antonio's frustration. "But I can't promise you the condition he'll be returned in."
That was enough for me, just knowing that he'll live. I don't regret convincing them to save Lucas, or leveraging their affection for me, but I didn't anticipate the cold shoulder they've been giving me. It's like they've shut me out completely, and it weighs heavily on my conscience.
Doubts start to creep into my mind. Did I misjudge their capacity for forgiveness? Should I have approached things differently? I find myself second-guessing every move I made, questioning whether I could have avoided this situation.
Yet, despite the guilt and uncertainty, I hold firm in my belief that saving Lucas was the right thing to do. I cling to the hope that, with time, Xavier and Antonio will understand my perspective and see the value in choosing compassion over revenge.
Xavier and Antonio remain distant, barely acknowledging my presence. Every time I catch a glimpse of Xavier or Antonio in the halls, I can't help but feel a tug at my heartstrings. I try to respect their space and keep to myself, but the constant tension in the air is suffocating.
One night, unable to sleep, I find myself wandering the halls of the mansion. It's quiet, save for the occasional creaking of floorboards and distant moans of soldiers in agony. As I turn a corner, I almost collide with Xavier.
"Sorry," I mumble, trying to step back.
He grabs my arm before I can move away. His grip is firm, but not rough.
"You saved him," he says quietly, his eyes boring into mine. "But at what cost?"
"I know it's caused a rift between us," I say softly. "And for that, I'm sorry. But I couldn't just sit back and let someone die."
Xavier's grip tightens for a moment before he lets go.
