Split-second rescue

Your fists pound his face and neck, trying to hit any critical points, but your hate-addled mind is only made cloudier by the sudden lack of oxygen, and you're so focused on getting yourself free that you can't hear the grind of tires against gravel. You don't hear the footsteps rapidly approaching from the same direction. You do, however, hear the deafening crack of three gunshots ring out as the side of your face is splattered with something warm and liquid. Loud, hacking breaths fill your lungs with air as you struggle to recover, not even trying to move as your blood begins to cool.

When you're finally coherent enough to think, your steel-gray eyes register a pair of vibrant green ones flickering over you in alarm. A bit of alarm strikes you in return as you struggle for words.

"I didn't," you gasp hoarsely, "I didn't start--" You cut off abruptly with a series of coughs. "I didn't--"

"Shut up!" Alessa half-sobs as she grips your face in her hands, tucking your head into the crook of her neck and rocking you gently.

You obey without question, and gingerly bring your bruised hands up to hold her back as you feel something wet on your scalp. That reminds you...

You look to your left, just under the curve of her chin, and see the blank expression and dead eyes of the man who'd tried to strangle you to ****. Then you see the three red-stained holes in his clothes, one at the left shoulder, one just below, and one in his neck, right where you'd guess the jugular artery should be. Even in your half-panicked, half-relieved, half-delirious state, you manage to get one coherent thought.

She's a really good shot.

And then it all hits you. The injuries, the fight, the two bodies on your front lawn, one of them undoubtedly dead. And you finally find the words you'd meant to say earlier.

"I didn't start this fight."

Alessa pulls away from you and stares into your eyes with a frustrated, borderline angry look on her face. "Of course you didn't start this fight. Why would you even say that?"

You're confused, so you say nothing.

"God, you--" she freezes up again and closes her eyes as her face twists in pain, "--just...go inside, okay? I'll call it in, get this cleaned up, and then get you cleaned up."

Another pang of fear jolts through you at the thought of more police, and it must show on your face.

"Hey," Alessa says suddenly, getting your attention as she cups your blood-spattered features. "Trust me?"

Your lips and hands tremble before you nod slightly, accepting her help upright and catching sight of the thug you'd landed on, noticing the uneven but consistent rise and fall of his chest. "He's still alive," you manage to get out in a pretty even tone. You glance back to see a sharp, deadly expression on her face.

"Let's find out if he can still talk," she hisses, reaching down to grab the discarded switchblade and carry it over to the leader, crouching next to him. "Hey." She jabs the sharp tip into his skin just hard enough to get his attention. "Got a few questions for you."

He gasps and claws for air, eyes wide in fear as you also hover over him.

You look at Alessa, and she nods to you, then to the house. You purse your lips, but nod in acquiescence. The rest of their conversation occurs outside your hearing as you wait in your bedroom, staring absently at a far wall and letting your jaw hang partway open. You jolt out of your stupor some time later when a loud noise startles you and whirl around to see Alessa standing in your doorway, staring at you with a mixture of relief and exasperation. She starts toward you with a fast stride that immediately makes you worry.

Your hands rise as your eyes widen in panic. "Alessa, I'm s--"

You're immediately silenced by a pair of arms that crush her to your chest, your shirt becoming damp as she sobs against your body. That feeling in your chest seizes control of your body, and you sweep her up into your arms, grip tight around her as one hand goes up to stroke her hair. You bury your nose in her hair, taking in a long drag of her scent as you hold her close, mind blanking out as you try to figure out what to do. After about a minute, her sobs fade to small trembling, and she pulls her head away from your pectorals to look up at you with tear-stained cheeks and reddened eyes.

"We should--" she coughs, "--we should get you cleaned up."

You blink once, twice, then look down to see yourself covered in dirt, grime, and no small amount of blood. You must've been right about the jugular. She gently takes your hand and leads you to your bathroom, and the next few minutes are a blur as she strips your clothes off, sits you down on the edge of the tub, and begins cleaning your injuries.

"Alessa," you say softly.

She stays focused on her task.

"Alessa," you repeat more firmly, taking her working hand with one of yours and using the other to tip her chin up toward you.

Her eyes fill immediately upon locking gazes with you, and she hiccups back another sob. "I can't do this again," she whispers, barely audible over the sound of rushing water.

Panic fills you at the ambiguity of her statement. What does she--

"I can't...lose..." She sighs hard, shaking her head at the floor. "Damn you, Jace." She looks up at you, viridian eyes tinged with red. "You've made an absolute mess of my life."

You open your mouth to speak, but you can't considering it's covered by hers a second later. When she finally pulls away, you're left breathless and confused, but not quite as panicked as before. There's something she's trying to say, but like you, is struggling to find the words. You decide to give her the time to find them.

"I'm...damn it all, where did my words go?"

The question quirks your lips with a smile. When she's silent for a while longer, you decide to distract her from that. Sometimes it works to give you inspiration. "What happened with those thugs?"

Alessa blinks at you, her expression shifting and a fire erupting in her eyes. "One is being driven to the nearest trauma unit for several compound fractures and a punctured lung. The other went straight to the morgue."

You frown. "And what about me?"

Her head shakes. "You were never involved. I came home to find those two trying to break into your house and when they resisted arrest, I subdued them and was **** to put one down. If the patrol cops they sent were suspicious, they didn't say anything."

A massive wave of relief pulls a sigh from your throat as your eyes briefly flutter closed, then open to give her a look of gratitude. "Thank you."

The corners of her lips twitch upward, and all you want to do is kiss whatever's giving her that pain right out of her. She frowns before you can take that thought further. "Before they shipped them off, the live one told me without naming names that he was hired to coerce you into not fighting your conviction."

Your face darkens. "They threatened you if I didn't cooperate."

Her eyes widen.

A smirk with a small hint of insanity tugs at your lips. "So naturally, I broke them before they could follow through."

Alessa's face twitches with an unreadable emotion, and for a moment you fear you've gone too far. "I saw the switchblade near your hand. It had blood on it."

You tense.

"Would you have killed them if I hadn't shown up?"

You blink a few times, then sigh. "Maybe. Not if I could help it, though. Last thing I need for my case is to add two counts of homicide to the list of charges." You frown. "But if I'd had to...yeah. The guy you shot was **** me out, as I'm sure you noticed, so if I'd still had that knife in my grip, I'd have perforated his jugular myself." You lean back a little. "But the one on the ground? He was already done. I saw that as soon as I landed on him and collapsed his rib cage." You shrug. "Anything more would've been unnecessary. Might've felt good, but...I know I'd have been sick after."

Your eyes widen as a thought occurs to you. "Oh...is that what this is all about? That you had to kill--"

"No," she interrupts, taking your hands in hers. "Well...technically yes, but not the way you think. It's..." Alessa sighs and closes her eyes briefly, then looks up at you with that look. "I just wish I'd have had the courage to do something like that for William."

You tense at the mention of her husband, and then a wave of sympathy and heartbreak falls over you as everything falls into place. That feeling in your chest intensifies.

"Oh," you exhale. "Oh, Alli..."

You curl one hand around the back of her head and pull her toward you. She complies silently, pressing her lips against the side of your neck and gently stroking the other side with her hand. You're both quiet for a while, you rubbing soothing patterns into her back and stroking her hair while she lays periodic kisses on your neck.

"Say that again."

You blink at the quiet statement. "What?"

"Say that again," she repeats. "Call me that again."

A smile twitches at your lips as you turn to face her, eyes alight with affection. "Alli."

The effect on her is visible, though indescribable as yet. "Again," she repeats.

You lean forward a little, lips brushing against her earlobe. "Alli."

You practically whisper it in her ear and watch in rapt, youthful fascination as her gorgeous green eyes flutter shut, the pulse point on her neck visibly twitching with each rapid beat of her heart. She opens her eyes a moment later, looking up at you through half-closed lids, and parts her lips slightly. Her jaw trembles a bit, tightening for a second, then opening as she speaks again.

"Kiss me," she pleads, and you comply without hesitation. Alessa pulls away long enough to speak. "Jace...I need...oh God, I need you. Please. Please."

You take her hands firmly. "What do you need me to do? Anything."