Chapter Nine

We arrive home in no time, where Austin begins to make dinner. He wasn't kidding when he said he ordered some shopping, the whole kitchen area was full with shopping bags that were also full with food. I offered to help him cook and put the shopping away, but both times he told me he had this and I should go and have a bath to destress from work. I did really appreciate this and thanked him before getting all my stuff rounded up, where as I pass to go to the bathroom I see him unpacking the shopping doing a little dance as he went. With a shake of my head and a smile, I walk into the bathroom to have my well deserved bath. Once I was finished in the bath, I leave the bathroom with wet hair to see Austin had unpacked the shopping but was still cooking. I was in the bath for over an hour, what could he possibly still be cooking? "Are you sure you don't want any help?" I ask drying my hair with the towel, now it was wet my hair was mega curly. "As I've said dear Payton, you can relax while I handle dinner" he replies in a chief kind of accent, this does make me laugh as I walk fully over to see what he was cooking. I didn't have a single clue at what concoction this man was creating, it looked like pasta sauce but had lumpy bits. I have to give him credit it did smell amazing, but even the smell didn't give me any clues at what it could be. "This is my great great grandmothers secret recipe, it was passed from generation to generation. My mum taught it to me as I was her only child" he smiles explaining the story to me, that was a really sweet family tradition. "I wish my family had family traditions, all we have are issues" I smile jumping up on the counter as I spoke, which is the main reason I haven't saw many of my family members since I moved in with Roman. "Then we'll just have to make our own" Austin smiles looking back at me for a second, I smile nodding my head as the front door begins to knock. "Don't you move a muscle m'lady, once again I will handle everything" Austin says putting on the accent once again, I laugh as he throws the dish cloth on the counter before making his way to the front door. From where I was sitting I couldn't see the front door, but I heard it open. "Austin, you need to let us in man" a guys panicked voice says, once again I couldn't see the front door so I didn't know who was there. "Why would you believe I would let you into my home, leave" Austin says where I hear someone smack the door, did Austin try and close it on this guys face?! "You don't understand man, when we were doing that job the guys tried to kill us. We don't know if they've followed us here" the guy says pleading this time which does make fear enter my body, if someone is trying to kill them why have the came here?! "This is a work situation, if you haven't already realised I've clocked out so really, this isn't my problem until tomorrow" Austin simply replies while I jump down from the counter, I didn't want his food to burn while he was talking to these guys. "Why are you acting like this, you're supposed to be different than all those other guys, but right now you're acting just like em!" Another man's voice shouts, but this voice I did recognise from somewhere, I couldn't figure out where from. "When I'm at home it's not just me I need to think about, I'm not willing to put the people I love and care about in danger for you. Now as I've said, get away from my door and go bother someone else" Austin replies where this time I do hear the door close and lock, but was soon followed by loud bangs on the door. I turn the dinner off as it looked done while Austin rounds the corner, he smiles at me like what I just heard happening didn't happen. "I see you turned off the dinner, that was a very good judgement call miss Payton, but now I will politely ask you to step back so you can continue to relax" he says in the accent while pushing me away from the cooker and back where I was standing by the counter, so he's not even going to comment on what just happened? "Who were those guys?" I ask jumping back on the counter as he returns to the cooker, I was hoping if I approach the situation nonchalantly, he'll be more likely to tell me. "It's some guys from work" he tells me opening up the cupboard to take two plates out, I think I gathered that they were from his work by the things that were being said, but I remain calm knowing if I blow up he won't tell me anything and he's been so kind to cook dinner for me. "They sounded worried" I say watching him shuffle through the cutlery draw, it's the first time I'm seeing Austin hold any kind of those things. "One thing you need to learn about guys like that, they are way too overly dramatic" he laughs beginning to serve up the dinner, once they were both on the plates he places them on the table. "Now enough with the talk about work, this was supposed to be a time where we forget about work and just sit to enjoy some old family recipes" he says picking up a piece of bread and shoving it in my mouth before I could talk, I smile whilst chewing deciding to leave this matter alone for awhile so we could enjoy this food. We eat dinner and spoke about our days, but Austin made sure we steered away from any topic of work or anything that would stress us out. I still didn't have a clue what this was but let me tell you, it's probably the greatest thing I have ever tasted! Whoever came up with this needs to be given an award, this beats anything that I've ever been made. "Now you've made dinner I'm going to clean it all away, no arguments" I say pointing at Austin slightly when he went to protest, he smiles thanking me as I pick up both the plates and move them to the counter. "What did I tell you, I may not cook but that doesn't mean I can't" he smiles proudly sitting back in his chair as he spoke, I laugh nodding my head turning the tap on to fill the sink. "Well I'm going to have to think of something special to pay you back for doing this" I smile looking back at him before reaching for the washing up liquid, he gets up from his chair walking towards me. "You don't have to do anything Payton, you being you is enough" he smiles standing right beside me looking down, I turn my head to look up at him where we hold each other's gazes. "I'm so lucky to have someone like you in my life" he says getting closer to me as he spoke, which caused us to leave no gap. Before we could do or say anything more, loud bangs begin to erupt from outside. I immediately jump back as the bangs get louder, I've never been around gunshots but it definitely sounded like them. "Get on the ground!" He shouts pushing me down to stay low, while my heart rate just picks up. "What's happening?" I ask holding tightly onto his hand as the shots get even more intense, my whole body shaking with fear. "You need to trust me okay, we are gonna stay low and make our way over to your bedroom as it's the furthest away from the door. Stay close to me and we'll be alright okay?" He asks looking me in the eyes as he spoke, I nod my head as he turns us to move towards my bedroom. The gunshots continue to fill the air, while we crawl through the house. I didn't let go of Austin hand as he guides me through the house, whilst reassuring me that we were going to be okay and it wasn't far. In no time, we arrive at the little hallway to our bedrooms, where mine was at the very end of the hallway. Austin pushes me in front as we run into my room, where he closes the door behind us. "Get over to this corner of the room, I'm gonna go head out to see what's happening" he says about to move but I take his hands to stop him. "No Austin, please don't leave me" I say pulling him back, he looks at my face before nodding and sitting beside me. I lay my head against his chest as his arm wraps around me, where we sit and wait for the horrible noises to subside.