[Music: Hearing Damage By Thom Yorke]
It happened in an instant.
Ares ripped my thigh garter and fired shots that drowned the sounds of my shrieks.
I shook profusely, covered my mouth, and my eyes widened in horror as bullets pierced the man's chest repeatedly, unleashing blood into the air in a red mist.
His gun slipped from his hand, back slamming against the wall as he dropped down in a sitting position, neck hung low, and blood pooling on the floor.
H-He's dead!
A sharp ringing filled my ears as I momentarily lost touch with reality. I couldn't look away from the bloody display.
"Catherine."
I snapped my gaze to Ares, his voice like fading echoes.
"Breathe, baby. Breathe."
Breathe? Was I not breathing?
He cupped my cheeks and repeated the words until I could finally breathe. But I couldn't stop shaking in his hold. There was a soft look in his eyes as he waited patiently for me to collect myself, stroking my cheeks to keep me grounded.
