Chapter 32

Arthur dashed forward, trying to tackle Julian to the ground. But Julian skilfully moved to the side, removing Sia out of the way in the process.
“Go! Get out!” he yelled at Sia while shoving her roughly toward the front door while trying to avoid Arthur’s punches at the same time.
“No, Julia—” Sia began but was cut off when she saw Arthur landing a punch in Julian’s stomach.
Julian hunched over in pain but quickly swallowed it up and stood, just in time to block another one of Arthur’s punches. He drew back his fist and landed a solid punch on Arthur’s face and heard the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking. Arthur fell to the floor, groaning and clutching his face in his hands. Julian staggered a little. The fight and his injuries were starting to wear him out.
But Julian had to give him this much as the bastard didn’t stay down for long. He got up and ran towards Julian once again, taking advantage of his weakened state, and punched his face. Julian staggered back again as his lips split open and blood spilled down his chin.
“What’s the matter, puppy? Can’t handle a fifty-year-old?” Arthur smirked, kicking his leg out at Julian’s, trying to knock him down. “If anything else, being in jail has taught me the value of patience. I’ve had eleven long years to plan out what I’m going to do once I get out. It took a hell lot of patience.”
But Julian saw it coming and caught his leg and twisted it, throwing Arthur to the floor. “You take care of your patience, I’ll look for an opportunity,” he said as he slammed his leg down on Arthur’s stomach.
Arthur caught his leg and tripped Julian onto the floor. Julian landed with a loud thud, shattering a glass table in the process. The glass shards embedded onto his back, drawing blood instantly.
“Julian!” He heard Sia yell from somewhere in the room. Sia hadn’t left. She was still here with him. As much as Julian hated for her being in the midst of danger, a part of him was glad that Sia had stayed back for him. She had stayed for him.
“Ah! You’ve turned into such a disobedient slut, haven’t you? Well I should punish you for that too, shouldn’t I?” Arthur smirked. “How about I take you in front of him?”
That did it for Julian. He grabbed a shard of glass from around him and shoved it in Arthur’s thighs. Arthur roared in pain and Julian took that opportunity to push him down on the ground and repeatedly punch his face until it was all bloody and broken.
“Julian! Julian, stop! You’re going to kill him! Julian!”
It took him a while to realize that Sia was pulling his arm to stop him from killing Arthur.
He stopped when he saw that Arthur had nearly passed out, bleeding. He got up with a lot of difficulty with Sia’s help and stood up. He was about to fall again when Sia’s arms wrapped around his middle, holding him upright.
“Sia . . . go. Get out of here while you can,” Julian whispered to her, his voice coming out raspy. “I’ll wait here until the police arrives.”
“I won’t leave you alone in here. Not with him!” she told him, hugging him tightly to her chest.
“No . . . Come on,” Julian said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and backed away slowly, taking little steps while still facing Arthur’s form lying on the floor. He was too beaten up to move, of that Julian was sure, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Arthur had slipped out of his hands way too many times for him to not have his guard up.
They were halfway to the door when the loud blaring of police sirens reached their ears. Both of them turned towards the door, hope blooming in their hearts.
“Come on, let’s go! Let’s go!” Julian whispered urgently and turned his back to Arthur as they sped to the door. Big mistake.
That one mistake gave time for Arthur to get up and rush towards them, taking out the knife that he had hidden in the waistband of his pants. Julian and Sia were already at the front door by then and they could see two police cars outside along with Christian, getting down from their cars and rushing toward them. They were halfway out the door when suddenly Sia was ripped out from his arms.
Julian turned just in time to watch in horror as Arthur jammed the knife into her stomach and twisted it.
“You bitch! If I can’t have you, then no one can!” Arthur spat as he pulled the knife out of her and tossed her limp body at Julian.
“No!” Julian screamed and caught Sia as she fell.
“Sia! Sia, please stay with me! Stay with me, please. Sia!” he yelled at her as her eyes fluttered close.
He looked up, startled, as he heard several gunshots in the background and watched Arthur drop to the ground beside him with several bullets in his body. The bastard was finally dead. He should feel pleased but, with Sia dying in his arms, he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything other than agony.
“Sia please, please! Stay with me. I can’t live without you Sia, please! I love you! I love you so much!”
There, he had finally said it, but he never wanted it to be like this: her bleeding and broken in his arms. He’d wanted it to be special, because she deserved nothing but the best.
“Julian! Let’s go! We have to get both of you to the hospital, quick!” Christian said, snapping Julian out of his trance.
Julian swiftly gathered Sia into his arms and stood up, stealthily following Christian to his car and getting in the backseat with Sia in his arms. He was in no better condition than her, but he didn’t care about himself at the moment.
“Hang in there, Sia. Please,” Julian whispered, kissing her forehead lightly and cradling her to his chest as Christian started the car and drove on.