Just The Right Black

Chapter 55

Ariana felt the pinch of the broken glass on her skin from the dining table she crashed into. She knew what just happened and she knew she had to be on her feet and ready for what came next. The house was pitch black and foggy which made it hard to see anything at all.

She pushed herself up, feeling shards of glass in her back and beneath her palm. She pulled up her straps and heard Jace groan.

"Ariana." He groaned her name as he winced in pain, his hand resting on his head.

"I'm here." She was barely audible as she struggled to pull herself away from the broken glasses around her.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he struggled to get up

She didn't say anything. She was finally on her feet just at the same time Jace was up.

"Was that what I think it was?" He asked

"Yes." She replied lazily

A grenade. 

How the hell did they find Jace?

Knowing she had to get Jace out of here and protect him at the same time, she walked with shards of glass still poking into her skin and headed into the kitchen. Opening the cupboard right under the sink, she pushed the red button that was underneath it. The fog was clearing now and her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she didn't have time to waste.

"You need to get upstairs now." She ordered.

"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you here alone," Jace said with the same authoritative tone she used on him.

"There's no time to argue Jace." She regretted leaving her gun upstairs thinking tonight was going to be just her and Jace.

Just then the front door blasted open.

"Go! Now!" She said searching the drawers for anything she could use and picked up some knives. She turned and saw an outline of him still standing there. "If anything happens to you, it'll be on me."

He walked towards her then stopped a few feet away. His eyes might have adjusted too. "If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Just as they stood in the middle of the kitchen, they both heard light footsteps on the hardwood coming from the hallway. Jace and Ariana both went ducked down and Ariana slowly made her way to the entrance of the kitchen where she silently waited for the approaching footsteps. She turned to her other side and knew Jace wasn't there. She couldn't feel him near her anymore.

Where was he?

The footsteps drew closer and she knew the intruder was getting nearer.

Thank goodness it was dark, she couldn't see but that meant the intruder also couldn't. Which meant she had the upper hand in this situation seeing as he didn't know where she or Jace were but she could hear where they were.

Just as the outline of a leg came into view and then another, she immediately came up and grabbed whoever it was pressing herself into the masculine back as gunshots rang out while he tried to get her off him. She sliced his throat just then making him fall lifeless to the ground and then made her way silently towards what she assumed was the entrance to the living room. She heard gunshots just then and froze.

Jace.

It was coming from the other side of the room where she and Jace were before they were blasted across the room.

"Jace." She called out making her way back there.

The gunshots stopped then she heard groans and punches.