Chapter 23: Eye of the storm

"Ren!" he cried out.

For Louis, time had suddenly stopped as he gazed at the horrific view in front of him. His blood boiled with anger as he realized that he had literally caught Will with his pants down, pinning his sister on the wall. What made him angrier was the sight of his sister: Ren trapped against a wall with her disheveled clothing. It looked like Will was only halfway finished undressing her, which was a good thing. Louis would never been able to forgive himself if he came in a second later.   

Simultaneously, Ren planted her good hand on Will's shoulder and shoved him away. He stumbled back easily, with his pants bunched down just below his hips, preventing him from keeping his balance. He didn't had the time to turn around and see who it was who interrupted them.

Louis wasted no time. "Get the fuck off my sister, you son of a bitch!" Like an angry bull, he charged towards Will. They both fell against the stack of chairs and tables by the corner. A loud crashing sound echoed as Louis slammed Will on the ground.   

Cradling her left arm, she squinted at the figure before her. "Louis?!" She exclaimed in incredulity, but at the same time in absolute relief.

Immediately, Louis rushed to Ren and held his sister in a tight embrace. "Ren, oh my god, are you okay?" he worriedly asked.

Hot tears were flowing freely from her cheeks. Ren could not help but breakdown and cry. The emotions she has been trying to control – fear, anger, desperation and relief all at the same time – finally broke through. Her knees buckled as she shook in her brother's arms. The exhaustion from this ordeal – both physical and emotional – has finally gotten through her.

"I – I really th-thought that nobody was going to fi-find us here," she stammered in between sobs. "I was afraid that…" Ren trailed off as her whole body was racked in sobs. Like a small child she clung to Louis for support, shaking in fear.

To see his sister like that felt like a huge wrench was violently twisting his insides. Since they were kids, Louis witnessed how Ren overcame every obstacle that she has encountered. It was her strength that he admired the most in his sister. And seeing Ren now, so vulnerable, so helpless so… broken… he could only imagine the anguish Will must have caused her.

He gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "Shhh, it's okay Ren," Louis whispered in a soothing voice, stroking her head. "It's okay. There was no need to panic, really. You know I'd always come for you." He told her with a smile. "It's just that I got a little late this time, but it's okay… I'm here." Both of them stood there, silent, still holding each other. They were brother and sister, siblings, in every sense of the word.

A few minutes later and Ren had finally calmed down.

Louis let her go and examined his sister, cupping his hands on her face. He noticed for the first time the damage inflicted by Will. There were cuts on her face, one on her lower lip and one just above her right eyebrow. A bruise had also formed on the right side of her face. Louis also noticed the rings of blood on her wrists, as well as her swollen left hand. "Here, take this," he said, taking off his jacket. "Let's get that hand checked. It doesn't look good to me." He motioned towards her.

She smiled at him, her cheeks slightly pink in embarrassment, as she tried to fix herself in vain. "Thanks, Lou," Ren answered meekly.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Ren, who was, oddly, slightly hunching over. Delicately, Louis swept her still unbuttoned shirt sideways and noticed a big ugly bruise, about the size of a fist, on her smooth stomach. He wrapped the jacket tightly around Ren's shoulders, with his jaw was set in anger. "Come on, let's get outta here," he said, hoping that Ren wouldn't notice him shake in anger and disgust for Will. The guy was beyond being a bastard. He was a freakin' monster!

Seeing his sister limping, Louis supported Ren by talking her good arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. He then put his other arm around her waist to hold her up. Slowly, they ambled their way towards the door.

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Will just lay there, unmoving. He could hear hushed voices, male and female, talking to each other. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was still on the floor. Will blinked a couple of times, completely disoriented. He rubbed his aching head, trying to remember what had just happened. Yes, now he remembered. Someone bastard came in and slammed him to the ground, hence the headache.

Didn't Ren call him something? Now he knew that name sounded familiar to him. Wait, did she say Louis?! Everything just clicked into place. Louis… the bitch's little brother?! How the hell did he know she was here?!

As quietly as possible, Will gathered himself up. He stayed within the shadows, careful of not being seen. His eyes were burning with anger as he gazed at the two. Will quickly fixed himself and put on his jeans. Those two have done nothing except ruin his plans.

He will have his revenge on the Stevens siblings. Nobody crosses Will Coulson and gets away with it. He winced as he ran his hand on the back of his head. If there was one thing that hurt more than his head, it was his ego, which made it even worse. Will Coulson's ego was the size of Texas.

Will stood still in the shadows, watching their every move. At the same time, he was planning on his own. He can't just let them get away. Imagine the reaction of the people when they found out what has happened here… or what he has planned to happen here.

"Let's get outta here." He heard Louis said. Taking that as his cue, Will swiftly moved towards the door and slammed it shut. The sound echoed deafeningly around the place. Again, the room was plunged into complete darkness. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked menacingly.

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Louis almost jumped at the sound of the slamming door. Instinctively, he stepped in front Ren. Both of them were absolutely surprised when they heard Will's booming voice.

"Stay behind me," he whispered to her. Ren could only give him a weak nod. He blinked a couple of times and waited for his vision to adjust.

"Listen Will, it's all over," he said. His eyes darted around the place, searching for Will. "Why don't you just let us go, huh? And we'll pretend that nothing has happened."

He scoffed at his remark. "Yeah, right. You'd do that, uh-huh." His voice had suddenly grown serious. "It's you who should listen."

There was a pause. Louis was still unsuccessful in trying to find him.

As if sensing what he was doing, Ren whispered something from behind. "Listen to his voice, Lou."

"I can't let you out of here," Will said, "because if I did, it would certainly create a scandal. And scandals, well, scandals are not good."

Louis focused on the sound of Will's voice. It sounded as if it was coming from their right side.

"Imagine what would happen to my reputation. More importantly my family's reputation." Will didn't notice it but he was shaking in frustration. "The media would surely feast on this story."

Even though Ren could not see him, she knew that he was completely and utterly enraged, judging by the tone and sound of his voice.  

"Just imagine the severe consequences if this whole thing blows." The sound of his voice shifted from their right side to the left. "So, you see, I really don't have much of a choice. I have all the reason to keep you guys, and this thing, in here."

Louis laughed out loud. "Dude, you have totally lost it! What are you going to do, kill us and keep our bodies in here?" His question was met with eerie silence.

A large knot formed in both Louis and Ren's stomach. Was the guy actually serious?!

Has Will Coulson turned from an opportunistic horny bastard to a full time criminal?

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