Rico held tighter and backed up a little, but the door was closed.
“Don’t move. Put down your weapon and we’ll talk this through,” the man in the suit stated.
“No talking. She’s mine. I leave with her, dead or alive, I really don’t care.”
Suddenly the back door to the building flew open and the sound of gunshots filled the air. Nina dove to the ground and Rico was firing his weapon. The police fired theirs. She felt a sting to her arm and the ricochet of bullets by her head and body as they hit the pavement. She kept screaming and screaming even as the shots stopped and people surrounded her. Johnny, Trent, and Buddy were there yelling for an ambulance, asking for help. She saw their angry, concerned faces, and she twisted around to see Rico, bloody and dead on the ground, multiple bullet wounds to his body. Then she spotted Miguel, just as bloody, dead on the ground as troopers kicked his gun from his hand. She realized that Rico had only shot Miguel once in the chest. He must not have killed him upstairs in the hotel room.
“You’re going to be okay, baby. We’re going to get you to the hospital,” Johnny told her as he looked at her arm.
“I’m okay. Let me up.” As she tried to move, she felt pain, a burning against her legs and knees. Her arm throbbed, and her face hurt.
“Fuck, she’s all cut up!” Trent exclaimed.
The paramedics were there.
“I love you, baby. God, I’m so sorry we weren’t there to protect you,” Trent said as the paramedics helped to turn her over and place her onto the gurney.
She cried out in pain but somehow reached for Trent’s hand. “I love you, too. This isn’t your fault. But it’s over now. It’s all over.”
He leaned down and kissed her hand. As the paramedics strapped her in and Johnny looked at the flesh wounds on her arms, his expression so serious, she smiled.
“I really was looking forward to that chicken Marsala of yours. Will you save me some?” She cringed as the paramedics lifted the gurney, making it shake. She closed her eyes.
“I’ll make Marsala for you whenever you want, Nina, if you promise to not get into any more trouble ever again. I just can’t handle it,” Johnny told her as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
She smiled and looked at Trent. “Now what fun would that be?”
“We’ll talk about that comment later, Nina,” Trent warned, and her heart lifted with confidence that a better life, a safer, happier life would now be achievable, with Rico gone and her past just as it should be, behind her.
* * * *
Six Months Later
Nina took a deep breath as she looked around her bakery. Everything was perfect. All the tables and chairs were set up and the display case looked exactly how she wanted it to, or at least for right now. Cindy yelled at her for changing it around a thousand different ways. She looked at her friends, who’d gathered around for the grand opening, and she smiled. A quick glance behind her and Nina saw that Cindy was by the counter, Mel by the register, and Michaela by the front entrance waiting for Nina’s signal.
Nina looked at Buddy, Trent, and Johnny and smiled wide. “Well, this is it. The moment of truth.”
“Go open the door, Nina, and let all those people inside. They’ve been waiting for hours for this grand opening,” Johnny told her and she smiled. On shaky legs she walked to the door, flipped the sign from closed to open, and let the crowd in.
She greeted every customer, talked to them about her pies, about relaxing on the porch, and also about the recommendation box by the front door.
Before long the place was running smoothly after a few computer glitches that Trent helped with. She needed extra help behind the counter. Johnny helped with that. And finally Buddy helped her by placing the first twenty-dollar bill she earned as a new store owner in Treasure Town onto the wall by the register. She was so in love with them. They set her heart on fire and she would never be the same woman ever again.
She met other store owners on the block, took numerous catering orders for private parties, and even hired two other young women looking for part-time work. By the time the store closed and all her friends gathered around the tables, she was smiling wide and filled with energy.
“Aren’t you exhausted, Nina? That was one hell of a grand opening,” Cindy said.
“It sure was, but you know what? I’m so happy right now, filled with feelings of accomplishment and love,” she said as she hugged Trent while sitting on his lap. “And like I belong here, with my new family and friends. I’m blessed because of all of you, and because of Treasure Town,” she said.
“We’re happy for you, Nina. The pies were such a hit. This place is going to do fantastic,” Jake told her.
“Hey, what kind of pie is this one?” Cindy asked. “I didn’t try this one yet.”
“Well, try it. It’s something different.”
“Different? Am I going to like it?” Cindy asked, looking concerned as she held the fork in her hand by the pie. Nina looked at Trent, Johnny, and Buddy.
They smiled and replied in sync.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
THE END