Chapter 22: His Sacrifice

Hey Ghoulies!!!

So I know you've guys have been waiting for this!!! Let's see who 'dares' to interrupted the psychotic but hottie of an Uncle.... by now... Y'all probably already know....

Let's jump straight in!!!

Enjoy!!!

Onee-chan

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Jaden's POV

My eyes had opened up to a Brad that I did not recognize. He seemed like a total stranger to me.

No. Brad was looking through me with intent as he had approached me on the bed. Why was looking like that? I didn't even know. He appeared gaunt, completely haggard, tired, with bags under his eyes and rumpled work shirt; nothing like what the Brad who gave off that neat-freak vibe. It was as if he was suddenly not exactly here.

Was this my fault?

What was he planning? With the knife in my hands, this was my only protection against a Brad who didn't seem like he was connected to reality. He kept calling Susan. Even in this condition, will I ever let myself be raped just because Brad had gone mad.

"I am not Fucking Susan!" I yelled at him, my trembling hands unable to get a good grasp of the weapon. If I was going to die that night, I'd die knowing that the last person to touch my body was Blake.

The Blake that loved me, more than I now knew I deserved. The contents of that paper I was handed, flooded my mind. I wanted so much for the facts to be lies. Maybe Brad himself orchestrated those results. Anything could be true or false at this point.

Why did Susan bring me into her fucked up world? The remaining carcass of what she left behind had been rotting inside Brad and no one even knew. I pitied him, for no matter how much wealth he accumulated just for being an Arons, he'd never be truly healthy.

Not like I was anyone to throw stones but we were rocking in the same boat; he and I.

The back of my head was hammering streaks of pain every times I moved my neck. I felt the taste of blood in my mouth from my busted lip. The cut on my upper leg was still bleeding, staining the floor little by little. My thoughts were in disarray, and somewhere in my panicked state of mind, I forced myself to calm down.

Come on! I urged myself trying to focus on my surrounding. There was someone banging on the door, Brad was still a little lucid but confused as he stared at me like he was seeing a ghost and lastly, there was no sign of the gun.

Was it in his coat? I did not know. All I knew for sure was that Brad wasn't himself and was stunted.

"Listen, Brad... you need to stop! Okay... please stop. I get it. I-I'm y-yours, okay?" I spoke calmly, even though just by listening you could hear that I was anything but.

While my body felt numbed by pain, I knew I had to find a way out before he lost sight of himself again. I was so near to passing out when his hands were basically crushing my wind pipe. I thanked the Gods that my foot connected to his groin.What would I do if I died like this?

This was all because I so stupidly selfish. This was what I sowed.

Why did I have to do such a stupid thing?!! Things could have happened differently but I have a feeling that, it wouldn't have changed anything. What I was seeing before me, was the true form of Brad Arons. His rivalry towards Blake was as tangible as the hands that I still felt ghosting my throat.

I wanted to scream out for joy when I heard the banging at the door.

I didn't even miss a beat. I was filled with renewed fighting energy and vowed to stay as safe as long as I could to see Blake again. "HELP! I'M HERE" Anyone at the door could've probably hear me.

"That's Jaden! Jaden!" I heard the person yell back in low urgent tones from the outside.

"Jaden! I'm coming!"

I wanted to melt when everything in my system told me that the second voice belonged to Blake. He was actually here for me! I started to cry, but not out of fear. I cried because he came. He had been too late the last time, but the point is that he reached.

Controlling my hysteria was never one of my strong points and I started to cry even more. "Blake! Help me!" I continued on.

In my joy, I didn't notice the expression on Brad's face. His eyes had gone dark and dangerous as his body tensed upon hearing Blake's voice. The deadbolt on the door, made it impossible for someone to just easily break it down. Blake's desperate lunges at the door made the cabin shake. I could hear my name coming from his lips like silent pleas.

If he knew the truth, would he still love me? What if he didn't? Would he resent me for having to go through so much trouble for someone like me? That in itself, would break me more than any physical abuse ever would.

"Brad! I know you are in there. Let Jaden go," Blake shouted angrily.

The pounding at the door shook the entire front of the cabin. It was like more than one person was ramming their bodies against the lock door. The fury on Brad's face was suffocating as he heaved in wrath. The hate he breathed out scorched me as he pressed the knife steadily into my neck.

"So you've finally made you choice," Brad breathed out but his eyes weren't looking at me. They were looking completely pass me. Was he even talking to me in the first place? or to Susan?

I took my eyes off him for a mere minute as I rushed towards the door, but Brad's hand was way too quick. I was yanked back by my hair, my only weapon falling to the floor. He pulled me into a sleeper hold and no matter how much I struggled, his gripe only tightened some more. His forearm was tightly crushing my windpipe and I was literally holding on the his arm in some efforts to pry him off of me as he dragged me into the middle of the room. My entire body was already weak due to the gash on my leg which was still bleeding.

Fighting back tears that fell nonetheless, I weakly cried out to Blake, whom kept calling back to me. I could feel the oxygen deprivation debilitating me but even with the blotches of black flashing in my vision, I still clawed at Brad's hand.

"Jaden!! I'm coming !!!" I heard Blake scream when suddenly, the lock on the door broke and the door flew open. The top hinges coming undone as screws scattered on the floor. Blake and to my surprise, Bax as well, landed on the floor along with the splinters of the broken down door.

I could feel Brad's hand tense up even tighter around my throat. Suddenly, the missing gun appeared out of nowhere kissing my temple. The coldness of the barrel electrified and terrified me. I could look nowhere else except in Blake's eyes.

"Blake!!"

Through a hazy vision, I could see Blake's heaving form. Bruises were already forming on his arm. His hair was messy as if he had been pulling at it, and worry lines were etched all over his face. Both Blake and Bax were standing at the front of the room. I could still hear a car running in the background, and instantly began to fret that it was the two goons returning back to the scene of the crime.

Blake calmly got up and took in the scene before him. Even though he emitted calm, I could still feel the fear in his voice. "Brad, you're hurting him. He's bleeding..."

"Why do you keep taking away things from me?!" Brad interrupted icily. "You're such a fucking burden on everyone. You preyed your way into Susan, preyed your way out of being an Arons, and even preyed your way into Jaden. How shameless can you be??!!"

Blake's eyes were unreadable; his eye bore into Brad like hot knives. "Brad, let's calm down a little. Okay? You need to put the gun down."

"What for? You wanna take it away from me as you did everything else?" Brad asked sarcastically. His mask was falling so quickly that it unnerved me. He spoke like a crazy man and his voice wobbled in an unstable fashion.

Even in this state, my heart hurt. For Brad to be like this, what has he had to endure? what has he been up against? and how was he able to hold it in for so long without anyone noticing?

"Brad, I know I've been selfish over the years, I'd never betray you like that. You are my brother, why would I do that to you?" Blake asked as he walked slowly towards us.

"Don't you fucking give me that! You knew Susan was mine! Susan had always mine, but you suddenly decided to get hitched with her! You had never obediently followed through with any of Father's demands, but for some reason, you went along all too happily with their forced marriage," Brad screamed at him. I could feel his chest heaving from behind me, and his grip tightening even more. I was trying my best to keep as calm as possible, but my windpipe was being crushed excruciatingly so, and I started coughing.

"You know fully well that Susan played us both! She wasn't there for either of us. She was sick! Look, let's just talk; you and I..." Blake tried as he saw me choking for air. "Jaden has nothing to do with it."

Brad just started laughing maniacally. "Oh really? So big bro wants to talk now, huh? You have a helluva timing to decide that you wanna have a brotherly chat."

"B-Brad--C-can't ... breathe," I all but wheezed out to him but he wasn't paying me any attention.

"I gave her everything! Unlike you, whom gave her nothing. She said so herself---"

"Because I stopped enabling her. Don't you get it? She never loved any of us. She loved drugs. She came to you because she probably could see through you. She knew you'd give her whatever she asked for," Blake interrupted as he explained still trying to get closer to where we stood.

"She loved me!" Brad shouted with his face now red with emotion.

Blake was inching closer at a snails pace, but I couldn't hold it anymore. I even would've liked to just be shot there and then, instead of feeling myself slowly dying in Brad's chokehold. My lungs couldn't stand to be crushed under his death grip. I tried screaming but it only came out as a throaty, hoarse sound.

"Can you hear him? This Jaden of ours. I bet if he wasn't conceived, we wouldn't be in this situation," Brad accosted.

"You're choking him!" Blake shouted at the now incoherent Brad. I prayed that Brad didn't say it like that. I didn't want Blake to know. Not now.

"I've seen the marks you've left on him. I'm sure he doesn't mind being choked a little. Go on, tell Daddy how much you love it?" Brad leered in my ear. My tears silently fell as I felt myself on verge of blacking out. I could feel my eyes starting to get heavy as the oxygen to my brain started to prove insufficient. Even so, I shook my head at his questioning. "Come on. Tell Daddy the truth?"

At that, I whimpered. No, please don't.

My heart was breaking. I was being eaten by my guilt! My eyes flew to where I had thrown the document he had given me. Brad's attention was solely on Blake. He didn't even notice, Bax inconspicuously moving to pick the paper.He said nothing; only stuffing the papers in his back pocket but I know he had seen it's contents. It was clear as day.

Brad was too unpredictable at that moment. No one was sure what he would do next. A wrong move, and Brad's finger could just slip unto the trigger.

"Don't cry, Jaden," Blake whispered to me.

By now, his voice sounded so far away. It echoed in my ear like the night's wind.

"Now it's my turn, to take away something you love," Brad mocked.

With that same steel, he grabbed my chin painfully and planted a crude kiss unto my already swollen and bleeding lips. The pain lighted up my nerves and I groaned as the ache made my whole face hurt. The punch that I had been given definitely messed up my jaw bone and with his grip on my chin, it pained me even more.

Apparently, he thought I liked it and even proceeded to shove his tongue down my throat. There was no expression on Blake's face, but I felt like I unwillingly committed the utter betrayal. This was my all my fault. There was no way in hell I'd let him kissed the lips that I had already given to Blake. My rage flared up anew and I bit down on Brad's tongue as hard as I could manage. I felt really weak, and thought that it wasn't going to be enough until I felt his gripped loosen.

For that moment, everything slowed down.

Not only did it loosen but the gun fell from his hand and I heard him howl in pain. I gasped at the air that filled my lungs, only to feel something smash against the side my temple. Pain didn't register till I hit the floor with stars swimming in my eyes. My hand instinctively reaching out protect myself from the fall, only to sprain my wrist in the process.

I heard Blake say my name, but it was drowned out by Brad's 'you piece of shit!' comment. Looking towards Brad through a dazed view, I could see the gun back in his hands.

Everyone seemed to shout at the same time, but everything sounded muffled and inaudible. Blake was starting to leap towards me. Bax then caught sight of Brad raising his gun towards me. "I can't end Jaden but you, I can do without," Brad exclaimed. With eyes of which I noted were now cold and dead. I knew he meant every word he said as I sat there watching Blake running towards me; running towards the direction of the gun.

My senses screamed at me, blaspheming against a God whom I'm pretty sure didn't exist. I wanted to stop Blake from coming towards me, but it would be too late if I spoke up. Without even thinking, I got up on my feet rushing towards Brad intent on tackling him to the ground.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

With everything moving in slow motion, I hadn't noticed that Bax had intercepted me in a flash. Prepared for crashing into both of Brad and Bax, I closed my eyes as the blast of the gun shot went off.

The echoing sound made my ears throb, yet I felt myself being pulled back firmly by someone warm. My eyes flew open to find Blake's hands wrapped around me. He held me tightly, cuddling my head in the palm of his hand.

Looking over Blake's shoulders, I saw that Bax had brought down Brad. Bax had Brad's hands hooked behind his back, face planted to floor, and a knee set permanently in the middle of his back. Then I saw other men rushing passed us, their boots pounding on the floor, as they ran to restrain Brad as well.

Blake spread kissing across my forehead, my head snug against his chest where a heart raced wildly. Whether he loved me in the way I loved him or not; didn't matter anymore. I was just too relieved to be back in his warmth. I was vaguely aware of the turmoil happening around me, but the only thing I wanted to memorize was that look on Blake's face. His green eyes were full of unshed tears; and that in itself, made my heart beat faster.

"I'm sorry Blake. It's all my fault! I'm so sorry," I sputtered as new tears started all over again.

"Shhh Jaden. I'm here now, okay? It's okay now," he breathed as he proceeded to hug me even tighter; that is, until I felt Blake sag against me. My hands flew around Blake, clasping unto him for comfort. "All I've ever wanted was to protect you Jay; even if it's from myself... 'c-cause I love you."

Blake started shivering in my arms. "Blake... what's wrong? Blake!" Blake looked very sickly and pale all too suddenly. That's when I let my eyes roam over him. As I looked down, I noticed a red stain gradually growing darker and darker around his abdomen.

No. No. No. This can't be!! Did he get shot?!

"I'm sorry Jay. I-I think I got hit," Blake chuckled dryly, following the direction of my gaze.

I had already been crying, but now I was in hysterics. "Why are you laughing?! This is not time to laugh! Goddamnit Blake!!! Pleeeaase!" I cried out.

"I'm a useless guy, Jay. I'm glad I was able to be of some use to you," he breathed out weakly. The paramedics tried to peel me off of him, but I just wouldn't or couldn't let go. What if I let him go and he dies? I couldn't even bare the thought. It would only make me suffer more if he was to die in his attempt to save my useless ass.

I heard Bax's voice bombarded a frozen Shelby. I hadn't even noticed that she was here. "Take Jaden in the car. These guy will handle Brad."

With little hesitation, Shelby dragged me to her car as the ambulance I hadn't even heard, whisked Blake away. I sobbed silently feeling the guilt weighing in on me. I vaguely took in the sight of about 1 police car and 3 black Jeeps without any plates, parked in front of the cabin. It didn't seem so scary now, but from where I sat, the scariest sight was Blake's ashen face floating in my head.

"Blake," I whimpered his name hoarsely. Hugging myself tightly, I tried to control my breathing. "D-do you think... it's just... a f-flesh wound?"

Shelby tensed up. "I don't know kiddo, but we'll meet up with the ambulance at the hospital... and then deal with the rest."