Escaping the Contract Marriage

Ella's POV I'm flying down a dirt road. A bullet in my leg and blood seeping from my wound. The make-shift tourniquet on my leg has cut the circulation off, making my toes go numb. I pulled out my phone and searched for Colin's number. "Ella! Where are you? Are you okay?" My brother-in-law asked urgently. I'm glad I called him because not only is he a former Marine, but he also runs a security company with a few buddies of his. And, right now, I need security. "Colin, I'm five minutes out. Jill and the kids are asleep, right?" I asked him. "Yes, El. They are asleep. I called my buddy, he's also on his way. We are going to come up with the best course of action. Hopefully, tonight", Colin answered. "Thank you, Colin. I don't know what I'd do without you", I said. "Just get here safe, little sis", he said, before hanging up. As I made my way down the deserted Colorado road, I had time to think about the past 24 hours. How my argument with my husband went from mundane to attempted murder. I confronted him about the women he had been sleeping with. Yeah, that's right, women not woman. He was sleeping with any woman who would open their legs for him. It was a contract marriage. One that I was not happy about at all, but that is a long story. What happened when I confronted him? He shot me. So, now, I have a nice, red-hot, bullet in my thigh. If I hadn't reacted the way I did, the bullet would've ended up in my head. My brother-in-law's two-story home came into view. He and my sister live on ten acres of land, down a deserted dirt road. They loved their privacy. Which I completely understand. Colin spent ten years in the Marines. I think the amount of time he served made him a bit paranoid, but I'm also glad for that paranoia, because had he not told me where the tracker on my jeep was, I'm sure my soon-to-be-ex-husband would have already found and killed me. I could make out the silhouettes of my brother-in-law and another man, standing in the yard, waiting for me. They both started walking towards my jeep as I pulled in and parked. I stepped out of the jeep with a hop. When I closed the door and my left leg came into view, Colin and his friend stopped dead in their tracks. They both had looks of disbelief written on their faces. "Colin", I rasped. This seemed to push him into action. He dropped to his knees infront of me to examine the wound. "Jesus, El, Is this a bullet wound? You didn't tell me you were shot", he exclaimed. "It's still in there Colin. I didn't have time to remove it", I explained. "f*****g Hell, El", Colin said, standing and scooping me into his arms. Colin's friend opened the front door for us, all while not taking his eyes off me. "Did you remove the tracker on the jeep?" Colin asked, as he set me down at the kitchen table. I nodded my head, "Yeah", I rasped out. "Good", he nodded. Colin walked off towards the bathroom. I assume to get a first-aid kit. His friend knelt down beside me. "I'm going to have to rip your pants to expose the wound. I assume you don't want to drop your pants, so this is the best option. Also, the tourniquette is the only thing keeping you from bleeding to death right now", he said, peering up at me. I nodded my head, "Just do it", I said, through gritted teeth. "I'm Darian, by the way", he said softly, as he carefully ripped my pants open to expose the hole in my leg. Colin walked back in with the first-aid kit, alcohol, and towels. He handed the alcohol and towels to Darian. "Ella", I finally spoke. Darian looked up at me with forest green eyes. "It's nice to meet you Ella. Although, I wish the circumstances were different", he said. "I need something to bite", I said. Darian wasted no time standing up and removing his belt. He folded it in half and put it in between my teeth. He, then, poured alcohol on the wound and started cleaning it. The sting from the alcohol was strong enough to bring the dead back to life. So you can imagine how badly I wanted to get out of the kitchen chair. "You'll have to hold her. It's not going to feel nice when I remove the bullet and cauterize the wound", Colin told Darian. Darian shot me an apologetic look before he wrapped his arms around me, pinning me to the chair. I had just enough slack in my arms to reach up and grabbed the arm that Darian had around my chest, for support. I took a deep breath and nodded towards Colin, signaling him to begin. "f**k!!", I screamed, through the belt in my mouth. I tightened my grip on Darian. Who returned the gesture, as Colin dug a pair of hemostats into my legs to extract the bullet. It took him a minute of digging around in my leg to find it. All the while, I'm screaming profanities, and trying to get out of Darian's hold. When Colin pulled the bullet out, I began taking deep breaths to regain my composure. Darian's hold on me loosened just enough to allow my chest to expand enough for deep breaths, but he still didn't release me. "It's almost over", Darian whispered in my ear. My eyes were closed and I had my head leaned back on Darian's shoulder. When I felt him tighten his hold, I immediately snapped my eyes open and looked down at Colin. He had a glowing, red-hot piece of metal in his hand. I knew what was coming next, but that didn't stop my eyes from widening or my body from flailing, trying to escape Darian's arms. "You have to hold still, Ella. I know it'll hurt. But you have to stay still", Darian cooed in my ear. Colin pressed the glowing red end of the metal to my thigh. I bit down hard on the leather belt, sure that I'd bite through it at any moment. The smell of burning flesh filled the dining room. My burning flesh. Accompanied with the sounds of my muffled screams. I thrashed in Darian's hold, clinging to his arm for dear life. The whole process of cauterizing the wound only took a few seconds, even if it did feel like hours. When Colin finished, I slumped back onto the seat. As Colin removed the belt I had tied around my leg as a tourniquet, the blood rushed back into my leg, bringing a burning sensation and pain with it. I whimpered at the new feeling. I yanked the belt out of my mouth as Darian released me and grabbed the bottle of liquor that was used to clean my wound. Tossing it back, I took two long swigs. The burn in my throat was much more welcome than the one in my leg. "What the hell happened, Ella?" Colin asked, taking a seat at the table. "I f****d up. Okay?" I said, resting my head in my hand. "How? How did you f**k up so badly that you were shot? Who shot you?", he asked. I sighed, "Micheal shot me", I answered. "Micheal? Why would your husband shoot you, El?" Colin asked, getting agitated. "I have evidence that he has been cheating on me. For a very long time. I confronted him about it. And s**t got out of control when I told him I wanted a divorce", I tried to explain the best way possible. "Out of control?" Colin asked with disbelief. "He f*****g shot you", Darian said, from beside me. I looked at him with a complex look and nodded my head, "Yeah, I think that classifies as, out of control. I didn't expect that response when I confronted him. Or I wouldn't have", I said, trying to keep my temper in check, it always gets the best of me. He nodded his head in understanding. I pulled out the USB from my pocket, "I have the proof here. I don't know why he'd want me dead for having proof of his cheating, but he wanted this and I didn't let him have it." I said. "You think that there may be more to it? That it's not just about him cheating?" Darian asked with an arched eyebrow. "I'm not sure. I wouldn't put anything past him. He is a ruthless, cold-hearted man", I said. "Well, Darian, here, is our tech genius at the company. Mind if he takes a look at the USB?" Colin asked. I nodded, "Go ahead, this was everything that the Private Investigator was able to find", I said, as I slid the USB drive over to Darian. "Auntie?", a little voice chimed. I quickly grabbed an extra towel from the table and draped it over my leg to hide the wound and the blood. I turned around in my seat to greet my niece. "Hey, butterfly. What are you doing out of bed?" I asked, as I hugged her. "I had a bad dream, then I heard voices. When I heard your voice, I had to come and make sure you were really here", she said sweetly. "I'm really here, butterfly", I said softly, as I smoothed out her hair. "What are you doing here, Auntie?" she asked with a head tilt. I copied her action, "I had to come see my favorite niece", I said playfully. "Auntie", she exaggerated while rolling her eyes, "I'm your only niece." I heard Darian chuckle next to me. "Precisely", I told her before catching a glimpse of Darian. He was watching Raine and I interact, with a grin on his face. Raine snickered and shook her head, "You're silly, Auntie." She then looked around the kitchen and dining room area, as if she was looking for someone. "Where's uncle?" she asked, her little hand on her hip. "Uncle Micheal couldn't make this time, sweetie", I answered. "Why?" she asked. I froze up for a second. Everything that happened, flashed through my head. The yelling, fighting, his cheating, me trying to avoid him at all costs, then finally the gun shot. "He had to work, baby", Colin said, picking his daughter up from my arms. "Why don't we get you back to bed, huh? You can catch up with Aunt Ella in the morning. Okay?" Colin asked her. She nodded her head, "Goodnight Auntie, Goodnight Dar", she called out to Darian and I as her dad started walking away. "Goodnight Raine", we both called back to her. When Colin left the room, I rested my head on my hand. I let out a long shuddering sigh. How do I tell my 7-year-old nephew and 4-year-old niece that their uncle won't be coming around anymore because he tried to kill me? "Would you like something to drink?" Darian asked, startling me out of my thoughts. When I turned and looked at him, he raised an eyebrow. "I can get you a glass. You know, so you don't have to drink straight from the bottle", he joked lightly. I gave him a small smile and nod, "Thanks". I hadn't realized that he hadn't taken his eyes off me this whole time, until I no longer felt them on me anymore. It was weird. Usually, I feel uneasiness when I have eyes on me, but with him it gave me the feeling of safety. I was brought out of my thoughts by a glass of bourbon being slid in front of me. I looked up at Darian as he sat down on Colin's seat. "I'm not going to ask if you're okay. I can tell you're obviously not. So, instead, I'll ask if I can do anything to help you. Are you hungry? I can make you something", he said softly. I shook my head, "No, I'm not hungry right now. Thank you though", I said. He nodded his head, "Just let me know." I nodded in return, "I want to take a shower and get out of these bloody clothes before I scar my niece or nephew for life." I said. A small smile played on his lips, "That's understandable", he chuckled. "Ella!" My sister's voice rang through the dining room. "Jill", I said, standing up and hugging her. "Colin told me what happened. Are you okay?" she asked, holding me at arms length and checking me over. "I'm fine", I answered. "Except you were shot!" she exclaimed. I held my hands up in surrender, "I'm still fine", I said. "Do you have some clothes I can borrow? I really need a shower", I asked. She nodded her head, "Of course", she answered, as Colin walked back into the room. "I moved your jeep to the garage so it won't be seen", he said, as Jill walked passed him. "Thanks", I said. My phone started vibrating on the table. Micheal's name popped up on the screen. I silenced it and watched it ring. "Can he track it?" Colin asked. I looked up and realized him and Darian were both watching the phone ring, too. I shook my head, "If he tries now, it'll say I'm in Russia. If he tries tomorrow, it'll be Taiwan." Colin nodded his head, "Good. Tomorrow I want to start teaching you some self-defense moves", he said. I looked at him questionly, " I already know self-defense. Thank you. And as for training tomorrow, you've got me f****d up. I'll be lucky to walk after my adrenaline wears off", I retorted. "If you know self-defense, then why did you show up with a bullet in your leg? Why didn't you defend yourself?" Colin snapped. Oh, there's that Marine f*****g attitude. "Oh, because it's completely insane that someone who knows self-defense still got f*****g shot. Right?" I snapped. I was seeing red. "Let me go ahead and burst your f*****g bubble for you real quick. If I didn't know self-defense, I'd be dead. Why? Because I don't know very many people who walked away with a bullet in the leg when the barrel was pointed at their head a second before the trigger was pulled. Do you?" I asked, my blood was boiling, it was taking everything in me not to scream at him. His face paled and he took a step back like he was just smacked in the face. "I didn't f*****g think so", I said, taking his silence as an answer to my question. My phone started vibrating again. Micheal. "Ugh! I'm going to shower. f**k this!" I yelled, turning and limping from the dining room. My sister was in the living room as I walked through, with a change of clothes for me. "El?" she asked softly. " Yeah?", I responded. "I'm really glad you're alive", she said quietly, she had tears forming in her eyes. f**k! She heard me. I pulled her into a hug, "Me too", I whispered. I released her and headed to the guest bathroom on the first floor. It was a beautiful bathroom. Spanish tiles covered the floors, walls, and shower. The sink was porcelain and shaped like a sea shell, and to accent the room a black bear claw tub. Yep, definitely going to need to bathe in that soon. But, first, shower. I turned the hot water in the shower on to the temperature of hell, just the way I like it to be. Then, I peeled my bloody jeans from my body. I bent down and examined my wound. It was ugly, burnt, and fused skin. It looked like an oversized cigar burn. After taking the rest of my clothes off, I stepped into the shower and began trying to wash away the last 24 hours of my life. Darian's POV When my best friend and business partner called me at midnight and told me that he had a family security emergency that he needed help with, I didn't think twice about jumping my ass out of bed, on my Harley and heading to his house. It is only a fifteen minute drive from where I live. He told me that his sister-in-law called him and asked for protection from her husband. He said she didn't go into any details over the phone, but he assured me that if she was asking for help then she needed it. I didn't think too much about it. I work in security. If someone asks for my help, I help them. Plain and simple. However, I did not expect the most gorgeous girl that I've ever laid eyes on to show up. With a bullet in her leg, no less. I was completely side-lined by the fact that she drove herself, almost two hours, to Colin's house. Or the fact that she was walking with said bullet still in her leg. I thought for sure that when Colin dug the bullet out and cauterized the wound, that she would pass out. But she didn't. She took the pain better than most men I have fought alongside. Now, I'm sitting here, at the kitchen table. I just watched Ella and Colin have it out, and Colin make a fool of himself. Ella just stormed out of the kitchen, barely keeping herself together. But, walking by herself to go shower without help. Her words keep replaying in my head. He had that gun held to her head right before it went off. That means that whatever technique she used, saved her life. She's right though, I personally don't know anyone, other than her now, that has walked away with a bullet in the leg when it's original destination was the head. She is a very lucky and very brave woman. Colin is still standing in the middle of the kitchen as white as a ghost. I know he is internally kicking himself for the words that carelessly fell from his mouth. That and the realization that she could be dead right now and not showering inside his guest bathroom. "She's a... warrior", I said. Colin finally looked at me, then took a seat at the table. "She is. She always has been", Colin said. "She's right, you know? About a lot of things, but about the possibility of not being able to walk tomorrow." I said. f**k, she shouldn't even be walking now. "I know, but he might come for her. And if he does, she needs to be ready", he said. Always such a hard ass, no time to rest. "How about, I shoot you in the leg, and in two hours we will mercilessly dig it out, cauterize the wound, and tomorrow you can train with her", I smirked. I'm not trying to be a total ass, but god damn. He wouldn't do it, so why does he expect her too? This woman is his wife's sister. She asked him to protect her. Give her refuge until she can sort all of this out. She needs rest, both mentally and physically. When Colin didn't say anything, I continued, "Look man, we can have some guys come out and take shifts, keeping an eye on the property. I will stay too, giving twice the protection inside the house. I can even pay the guys from my pocket if that helps. But she is your family, therefore, worth protecting. She's strong, there's no doubt about that. But we also don't know the kinds of things she has been through. Less than three hours ago, she had a gun pointed at her head, for the sole purpose of taking her life. From the way she is handling it, tells me that this is most likely not the first time this has happened to her. She needs time to rest, for both her mental and physical health", I explained, hoping he would see it from a more logical and reasonable side. I wasn't quite sure why I was so hell bent on helping her. I just felt like I needed to protect her. "You're right. She's smart and strong and now she's safe", Colin said. I nodded, "Do I still have an overnight bag here?" I asked. Colin smiled and nodded, "Yep. In the hallway closet. Do you want one of the extra rooms or the couch?" he asked me. "The couch is fine. It gives me a better advantage", I answered. Being on the couch gives me the advantage of hearing everything in the house and outside. Plus, it allows me to keep a close eye on everything. I looked over at Ella's phone, which has ten missed calls and a few texts from Micheal now. Then I looked over at the USB. The USB, that has proof this man had been cheating on her for quite some time. Evidence that he was literally willing to kill her, over. But, I'm starting to wonder if there isn't more to it. Did he really try to kill her because she had proof of his infidelity, or was it something more? "I'm going to grab my briefcase real quick", I said, standing away from the table and heading outside. As I walked to the front door, I could hear the shower still running. I quickly ran outside and grabbed my briefcase from the satchel of my Harley, then ran back inside. I sat down at the kitchen table and opened my laptop. Then, I grabbed the USB. Let's see what's on it.