Page 19 of Rough Love

They made their way home in silence while they both thought about the Omens. They knew that they had to do something but there was no chance of them running. It was too late for that. It was clear that the Omens wouldn't stop until the Screaming Demons paid for what they had done to their ringleader. It was frustrating to think that they couldn't just let the past go.

"Don't you think it's pathetic that this is all over their stupid ringleader?" Mia asked as they parked in the driveway.

"I think it has something to do with you too. I mean if you hadn’t turned on them in the first place, none of this would've happened," he replied.

"I suppose you're right," she said. The Omens would have to be completely shut down for them to ever have a normal life together and it was scary to think that way.

It was only 3 pm when Sage and Mia arrived home after the little party at the bar. Sage was a little on edge because of the news from Adam. He still couldn’t believe that they had to burn all the folders and then also wipe all the hard drives clean so nothing could be traced back to anyone in the Screaming Demons. He wasn’t sure what would happen next but he had a feeling in his chest that he would find out soon enough. It seemed as if the Omens were just about ready to attack and Sage had started to get a little worried. Of course, he could handle whatever was thrown his way but there was a huge part of him that wanted all the drama to end. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could go on living in constant fear of something happening to him or to Mia. He honestly didn’t want to constantly put Mia in danger.

“What are you thinking about?” Mia asked as they entered the house. He looked at Mia and saw how worried she looked. He wasn’t sure if she was worried about him or just worried in general. Sage wished for a distraction for the rest of the evening; he didn’t want to spend too much time thinking negatively and he also needed to stay focused because if he got too emotional before anything actually happened, he might not be able to protect either of them properly. The next steps would be vital in the grander scheme of things. If either of them messed up, it could all be over and not for the Omens but for them.

“I’m just thinking of what could be the Omens’ next move. They’ve literally taken us by surprise so far and I can’t for the life of me figure out what’s happening. The thing I don’t understand is why they’ve ratted us out to law enforcement and then tried to trick me into believing Laura wasn’t dead. Why?” he asked. He didn’t want to worry Mia but he had found that he felt better when they talked things through, especially when he was a bit confused.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing and I’m also confused as to why they haven’t attacked yet, like what’s the plan you know?” Mia wondered.

Sage really enjoyed the fact that he and Mia had grown so much together that it meant they could talk openly about almost anything. He wondered if she loved him considering she still hadn’t said it back but a part of him knew that she did. He could tell by the way she looked at him and for him, that was enough.

“I feel as if we should be prepared for just about anything. I don’t know what their next move will be but I can only assume it’s going to be big,” Sage replied. He wished that they could leave so they could be as far away from the Omens as possible but he also knew that they wouldn’t stop looking for them, they wouldn’t walk away until someone was dead.

“Well let’s try and enjoy the rest of the day, shall we?’ Mia suggested. Sage appreciated Mia’s idea but also knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about the Omens, not until they made their next move.

Sage watched as Mia made her way to the kitchen and started to prepare them some lunch and within no time they were at the dining room table eating. They both felt a little more relaxed, grateful that they had this house that they shared together. As he watched her from across the table, Sage realized that he wanted to be with Mia for the rest of his life and not just as boyfriend and girlfriend; he knew he wanted to marry her. It shocked him as the thought went around in his mind. He knew he cared for and loved her but he never thought he'd be ready to think of marriage again. It brought a smile to his lips as he realized how much he liked the idea.

"What are you smiling about?" Mia asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just really enjoying the lunch you made," he replied. She eyed him suspiciously as she took a bite of the chicken and mayo sandwich she made. He knew he would have to wait for the right moment to ask her to marry him and their current situation was definitely not it.

Once they were finished with their lunch, they made their way to the lounge. They were both ready to just relax for the rest of the day. They both needed a bit of a break from everything and because they had to stick around, they would have to settle for staying at the house. It wasn't too bad considering they got to be around each other. The toll of everything weighed heavily on their shoulders and within 30 minutes of the movie they put on, they were both fast asleep on the couch.

Sage woke up a few hours later and found the house covered in darkness. He could hear Mia breathing softly next to him while she continued to sleep. He looked at the digital clock that beamed in the corner of the room and saw it was almost 9 pm. He had slept solidly, without any dreams again as he had blacked out completely. He couldn't believe that they had slept for so long. He was about to get up and switch on the lights when he heard someone yelling from outside the house. He sat still for a moment so he could listen, It didn't take him long to figure out who it was.

"Sage, come out, come out wherever you are!" the person yelled. He recognized the voice as Lorraine and he knew the next part of the Omens plan had begun.

"Mia, wake up," he whispered. He wanted to look outside to see exactly what was going on but he also didn't want to leave Mia defenseless while asleep. She woke up a little shocked as he shook her gently.

"Sage, what's going on?" she asked as she noticed the yelling that had started to get louder from outside.

"They're here, Lorraine is here and I don't think she's alone but I want to peek through the window to see what we're dealing with," Sage replied as he got up off of the couch and walked toward the nearest window. Mia followed close behind him. Neither of them turned any of the lights on. Sage gently pulled back one of the curtains and peeked through. He tried to make his movements a little as possible so he wouldn't be seen. He knew that there was no way out of the house but maybe if they kept quiet, Lorraine would leave.

He could make out eleven figures, one being Lorraine. It was two against eleven which meant defeat. His heart sank as he realized that they were trapped.

"We know you're in there! We've been watching you for a while, Sage," Lorraine shouted. Mia and Sage looked at each other. Neither of them knew what to do, there was nowhere for them to hide. They watched quietly as Lorraine and her men made their way toward the house. They heard a stone go through the window as they started breaking into the house. Sage grabbed Mia and pulled her away from the windows so she wouldn't get cut by any broken glass.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. Sage could hear the worry in her voice. He knew that there was nothing he could do but fight when they eventually made it into the house. He made a run for his office to get one of his guns.

"Shouldn't I have one too?" Mia asked when he returned. He considered getting one for her but decided against it. He knew she didn't have much experience when it came to guns and he didn't want to risk her falling short if a fight broke out which he knew was inevitable.

"Just stay with me and you'll be fine," he replied. He knew he'd throw himself in front of bullets for her if it came to it. It dawned on him that it could be the end of the line for them both and he decided to do one last thing because he may never get the chance again. He turned to Mia and leaned into her, locking his lips with hers in one final kiss between the two of them.

“Just in case,” he said as he pulled away from her. Mia looked shocked for a moment before she smiled at him gently.

“We’ll get through this,” she said. Sage loved her attitude and willed himself to believe her but it was hard to look on the positive side of the situation.

They heard laughing as Lorraine and her men made it into the house. It was clear that the Omens were enjoying themselves as they knocked furniture over and broke things on their way toward Sage and Mia. Sage's heartbeat sped up as he waited for them to get closer, he tightly gripped Mia's hand and pulled her slightly behind him. If they started shooting, he wanted her to be safe. Soon enough, Lorraine and her team were standing in front of them, guns in their hands as they scanned the room. Lorraine smiled sweetly as she stared at Sage.

"You know, all of this could've been avoided if you had just believed me," she said as she waved her gun in the air, emphasizing what she was talking about.

Sage felt sick to his stomach as he noticed that they all had guns. He knew that if they opened fire, it would be over almost instantly.