RISEN: BURNING FLAME

Part 1 - Chapter 2

Ava POV

“What happened?” I managed to say in a croaky voice. I hadn´t expected Barry to answer but he took my hand in his.

“Ava, you passed out… it´s been 3 days…” He said, his face showed different feelings, concern as not one of them. I turned to Roger and he slowly nodded.

“May I have a minute with my brother? I am just so confused…” I said to Barry and after a long stare contest between Roger and him, he conceded.

“Fine… but I want to take care of you, Babe…” He said and a shiver ran down my spine, nothing good ever came out of Barry´s fake concern.

I managed to pull out a forced smile because he usually got violent when I didn´t seem compliant toward his mock concern. Barry finally left…

I looked up at Roger… and he quickly walked towards me and took my hand. “Ava, when I got back from the Ball, you were in the front door, passed out… Do you remember what happened?” He said and I shook my head.

“No, a guy from the Ball was chasing me, and then, everything went black…” I said, now completely worried about what could have happened to me.

Roger nodded, and sighed… “I couldn´t leave you behind, Ava…” Roger said, and I nodded. We were planning on using the opening to finally get away from Barry, and now… I just blew it, and the only one who would be paying for this would be me… Each passing day, Barry had becomed more violent and more unpredictable.

“It´s OK, we will find another chance…” I said and he nodded.

“Was I really, out for four days?” I asked him and he nodded.

“Yeah, Barry has been glued to your side, he even called a special doctor and checked you up for about an hour. I am surprised that Barry has been so concerned about your well-being…” He said and I nodded.

“You know nothing is free with Barry…” I said, looking away from Roger. It was something we never talked about, and it was a heavy burden between the two of us. Roger suffered silently because he couldn´t protect me from Barry, and I carried the burden of keeping him safe. We were all we had in this world, and I was not going to lose him, not to Barry not to anyone.

“Ava, Barry is sending me on a mission… I need to deliver some merchandise… it is risky, and I am sure he is doing it on purpose…” Roger paused and I nodded. I was no foreigner to those kinds of missions, and it was not unusual for Barry to send Roger to the most lethal ones. It seems that Roger was a big obstacle for Barry´s main target… whatever that was… some days I even thought I was that target.

“When?” I asked him,

“Tonight...” He said in a serious voice while tears welled in my eyes. Roger is my safe haven and the idea of not having him in my life is heartwrenching.

“Be safe… and promise me to come back to me…” I said and usually, he made the promise, but today, he averted my eyes,

“Ava, if something happens to me, take the saved money and run… far away from here… take the first plane available to the furthest corner of the world…” Roger said, and I cried harder. It was not a farewell, but sure, it seemed like a goodbye.

“Promise me…” I said again and he lowered his face and kissed my temple. A very usual treat of him.

“I promise…” He mumbled, and when he moved away from me I could see the fear in his eyes. Yes, this mission was unusually dangerous, and I was certain Barry wanted him out. Why? Why now? Why my brother?

“Roger, you need to prepare…” Barry knocked on the door and barged into the room. Roger gave him a silent nod and made his way to prepare for his perhaps, the last assignment of his life.

“Why is he going?” I knew Barry didn´t like to give any explanations, but I felt compelled to ask.

“Because I need the best out there, and he is the best…” Barry lied, Roger was good, but I knew of a couple of guys that were even better for a risky mission than my brother. I knew Barry was hiding something, and it scared me to find out what.

“Now, sleep… you are tired…” He said and patted my head, leaving me be. Thankfully.

A week later, things got back, to normal, and there was no sign of Roger. I started getting afraid that indeed, something bad happened to my brother…

“Barry, have you heard from Roger?” I asked him, and he looked my way, rage showed in his eyes. He walked towards me and smacked me with the back of his hand.

His eyes showed fury, something didn´t go the way he was expecting. “On your knees…” He instructed and I knew what would be happening next…

“Now, be the good b***h you are and suck my d**k…” He said pulling his member out of his pants, and pushing it inside my mouth.

He started f*****g y mouth roughly, taking his anger out on me. He was unusually aggressive, but I was thankful it was a blow job and not a full f**k. He grunted and finished in my mouth making me swallow. I had tears in my eyes because despite being the lesser of two evils, I didn´t want to do it in the first place.

He pulled his d**k inside his pants, fixing himself, and then lifting my chin he looked at me… “He will be back tomorrow…” He said with an evil smirk.

The next day, Roger was back, and thankfully he was not harmed. We went back to work and continued with our lives as normal as it got. Roger doing half shifts and random deliveries for Barry… while I worked in the coffee shop earning money for Barry to snatch away. The catering company was happy with our overall work and kept requesting me and Roger to attend special events. The money we earned there we kept it in a hidden place, and we were enthusiastic that soon we would be able to pull again another escape attempt.

My days were busy, but my nights were a nightmare. Barry was increasing his assaults and his levels of violence during his s****l intercourse. It was nasty, painful, and overall revolting. I knew Roger worried about me, so every morning I gave him my best smile and tried to forget about the horrible nights I endured.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, while each passing day a gaping hole in my chest kept growing. Something was missing… but what?

Roger POV

I have so many regrets, the one that pulls a heavy weight on my soul is what Ava has endured all these years. I tried to protect her, but I took her from one awful situation to a lifelong trap. I need to get her out of here because it is a matter of time, one day Barry will stop being patient and have me executed… somehow now I am not convenient for him, even though I have done everything he has requested out of me.

Am I scared of dying? Not really, this life sucks… Do I want to die? Of course not, but if it comes to that, I just hope before that happens Ava is safe, she deserves the best. She is a pure soul, I could feel it.

When I met her at the Flannigan´s it was as if our souls were so compatible, as if we were blood siblings. I loved her as my own and I would die my last breath trying to save her.

Several months had passed and it tortured me to see Barry be more aggressive towards her. His abuses increased in frequency, and I could see Ava about to break completely. She has always been strong, but this time, he was too much. I have heard her screams, and it kills me to know that she is going through so much. I feel responsible and the first opportunity I get, I am taking her away from here for good.

Ava came two days ago telling me that the catering company we double shift for, is asking us and Barry to help them serve a banquet at an Art Gallery. It will be interesting, for me to say the least, because I am completely the opposite of an artistic guy. Ava was thrilled, because art was her thing, and she was dying to see the upcoming exhibition. It was her dream gig, but for me, it was a nightmare. Especially since Barry will be tagging along. I wanted the exhibition to be an opportunity to flee his claws, and now is gone.

We arrived earlier, Barry would be coming later. We helped with the prepping of the food. Our boss gave us extra hours to help us. She knew Barry would take away our money so she made sure to give us extra time and pay us on the side and in cash. We have been working for the catering company now for a bit of time, and she knew that we needed the extra money to get away from our current situation.

Ava was in a cheerful mood, she even joked around, and I admired her spirit. Last night Barry was on the brink of breaking her, and now she bounced back, with a good attitude and soft smile. She is the most f*****g resilient woman I have ever met, and she is my responsibility… I am failing her.

The event started and Ava moved around the Gallery with grace, but also with slow steps hoping to get more than a glimpse of the art on display. Suddenly two security guys came towards me and asked me to follow them.

I saw from the corner of my eye Ava's concerned gaze following me. I tried to give her a reassuring smile. I had no idea what they wanted, but I have done some criminal s**t for Barry, and maybe it was catching up to me. My only hope was that if I was going down, Barry would go down too, and Ava would be finally free.

I was taken to a closed room, and there was a guy. He was tall and scary-looking. Right from the start, I could tell he was a supernatural, one who had been trained to kill. I was in deep s**t.

He asked me some questions, and I tried to reply sincerely. That night Barry gave me a drink to hand it to a girl with hazel eyes in my area. I didn´t suspect a thing, but he said the drink was poisoned with a potion, and they were looking into it.

He introduced himself with the name of Corey. He asked me some questions… I was sure Barry didn´t stand a chance against guys like him, so maybe this was my chance to free Ava. The more questions he asked, the more I made up my mind. I will make a deal with him in exchange for our freedom.

“But, I am not going to cooperate anymore until you give me something back…” I replied to his last question.

“And what do you want?” Corey asked. I was certain that this was not a one-man job, I could tell by the ear-piece Corey was wearing

“Protection… for me and my sister…” The guy looked around and suddenly a tall blonde guy walked into the room and sat in a corner.

“Start talking…” Corey said, and I was completely afraid, they wanted their answers and I have heard that supernaturals are not patient beings.

After Corey assured me, they wanted to help us, and for it to happen I should start telling them why we needed protection… I relaxed a bit and started telling them a bit of what we have endured for the last four years, and why I wanted to protect Ava. His eyes flashed gold, from time to time, and his demeanor changed, from cañm to furious. I had no idea why, but it was terrifying.

Corey said something about telling another guy called Dom about our situation, and when another guy walked in, I recognized him from the Ball. He was standing right next to the King and Queen up on the stage. He was someone important.

He ordered to keep eyes on Barry, while the blond one said he would be taking Ava to safety. I was worried, because I had no idea who these guys were, and I was risking my sister´s safety in this risky move. If everything goes right, Ava and I would leave this nightmare, but if things go wrong… then there was no escape.

This was a do-or-die situation… and there was no turning back.