Chapter 22

He shrugged casually and took a large swig of the bottle, eyes crinkling with sadistic thoughts as he stared at me while taking a much longer sip from the bottle. It didn't seem to make him tipsy or react in anyway, he just continued to hum, enjoying the drink.

"How much longer till we get there son?"

He spoke up and Edward finally looked into the rear view mirror, purposefully avoiding my gaze as he made eye contact with his father.

"Two hours."

With his short reply, he returned his attention to the road, completely ignoring the fact that I had tried to make eye contact with him. The moment I started thinking that he might actually feel guilty, he threw me a smirk in the mirror. Not his usual smirk but one that resembled the smug one he had given to me while holding my bullets in his hand.

All thoughts of him feeling anything at all vanished completely from my head as I understood that he had nothing to loose at all in all this. The people might've believed him to be following orders because the ex-boss had me hostage and if he managed a few bruises and cuts, then he would really look like the victim instead of the oppressor.

He looked back to the road and his eyes widened in shock before he swerved the car to the right and stepped on the brakes. I clutched the empty seat in front of me and managed not getting another bruise.

The man coughed and glared outside the window, I glanced out and a hopeful smile immediately took over my face as I spotted another car that had come to stop barely a few feet from ours.

Edward stepped out as my father-in-law yanked me out of the back. The gun pressed tightly against my waist in case I tried to make a run or in case help had arrived.

My eyes widened in shock as the drivers door burst open and Severus stepped out. His suit coat was messed up and his left hand was pressed tightly over his right pec, it was then that I noticed the blood trailing down his arm.

I froze as our eyes met, he was glaring past me, right at the man who held me hostage. He was smirking as Severus stood straight. Somehow succeeding in masking the pain with anger.

"Well Well, what do we have here? Prince charming comes running to the rescue of his princess."

Severus gritted his teeth, about to retort but he stopped short when his eyes landed on me. Particularly on my cheek, the next thing I noticed was the storm that brewed in his eyes, it seemed to have gotten worse as he pieced together what had happened in his absence.

His eyes then moved to Edward and his face went blank, I felt the supposed betrayal that he hid from us. His eyes narrowing to slits as he took in the gun pressed against me, in a non to discreet way.

"Let her go."

He gritted out, wincing when his chest moved quickly due to his words. The father hummed in fake thought, bringing his other arm around me to hold me in place.

"How about... no?"

He replied rebelliously, letting out a manic laugh that echoed through my head.

"Let.Her.Go. father, she has nothing do with this, this feud is between me and you."

The man behind me snorted in a very disgusting way, I could smell the alcohol on him but he didn't show any sign of being drunk.

"You think there would've even been a feud if she wasn't here? Because there wouldn't have been one."

I swallowed focusing on my husband and his rapidly leaking wound. The blood was dribbling down his arm and had managed to make a small pool by his feet. I was stuck on it, my eyes remained glued to it. Fear for him settling deep inside me.

He wasn't okay, and the fact that he was pretending to be didn't settle well with me at all. He needed immediate medical attention.

"Exactly."

His father continued, taking his silence as an answer.

"Think of it like a love triangle son, You and I both want the same girl. It can end one of two ways, either one of us acts smart and backs off or The girl dies."

I froze at his words, looking to Severus in panic. If it comes to a decision of life and death between us, don't doubt that I'll give away my life to protect you. I shook my head as I recalled his words, fearing that he might actually go through with it.

He looked at me and smiled calmly, while I shook my head in return. Mouthing 'no' over and over again. I needed him, he couldn't leave, he couldn't go, he couldn't die.

"What must I do father?"

His father cocked his head to the side towards a cliff behind Severus.

"If you want her safe then jump off that cliff over there."

I stiffened before turning back to a nodding Severus.

"You can't."

I muttered, wincing through the sharp stinging pain that ran all the way to my skull. Severus turned around, hand still pressed to his wound as he stalked towards the edge. We followed close behind him, slightly delayed in comparison to him because of my struggling.

I flinched as the nozzle pressed hard into my side, sending a piercing pain through my waist, that had my body resenting any type of movement. But the man pulled me along, yanking me if I slowed him down, not afraid of landing another blow when I tried to escape.

"You know son, I really didn't see it coming to this. We didn't get along well but I never would've imagined throwing you off a cliff you know, I thought about a more normal practice like... say, a bullet through the head. Not painful and terribly quick."

What kind of a sick person would imagine killing their own kid?

Severus ignored him and looked back at me.

"You'll let her go?"

"I swear on my black heart."

The man chuckled as Severus threw me an apologetic look before mouthing a final 'I love you'. My jaw refused to collaborate as I tried to scream for him to stop, the only thing I could focus on was his retreating back and the final look he threw to me over his shoulder.

"You'll be fine, love."

"No..."

I muttered, sobbing as I fought against the hold I was in. Severus smiled calmly before turning around and looking to the setting sun in silence. I fell to my knees as he disappeared off the cliff.

"Severus!"