He holds his gun up at Antonio. “Untie her.” He growls.
Antonio smiles darkly. “Not a chance.” He raises his gun and points it at Stace. I rock my chair back and forward. I need to distract him. The chair falls and in that split second Stace runs at Antonio and tackles him to the ground. They go flying onto the hard concrete with a thud. He hits him hard three times and smashes the gun from his hands. Antonio rolls on top and hits Stace and blood spatters up everywhere. The sounds of the hits are so brutal.
Stace gets the upper hand again and rolls on top as he smashes his head on the concrete and my father walks out of the shadows with his gun drawn on Stace
No… dear, God, no.
“No!” I yell.
He turns and shoots me in the upper thigh and I scream out in pain.
The fighting immediately stops and Antonio is only semi-conscious as he lies on his back.
I scream in pain. Oh God, I’m going to die.
Stace stands covered in blood and holds his hands in the air in surrender.
“No,” I yell. “Run, Stace!” I scream as the burn of the bullet burns my skin and I see the large sea of deep, dark red blood puddle around me on the floor.
He has a deep gash on his cheekbone and his nose is obviously broken, the blood trickling down his face.
“Don’t kill her,” he whispers.
“Why not?’
“Kill me instead.”
Vikinos holds the gun at Stace. “On your knees.”
“Stace, no,” I cry.
Not again.
No, not again.
Stace drops to his knees.
“Hands behind your head.”
Stace slowly brings his hands up to behind his head.
“I love you, Rosh,” he whispers almost to himself.
My father walks around behind him and places the gun to the back of his head.
“Stop it!” I scream. “No, please,” I beg.
Two gunshots ring out.
“No!” I cry.
But it is my father that drops to the ground.
A bullet hole right through his forehead and another through his chest.
My eyes fly up to the ceiling above to see two men in black with sniper rifles hidden in the beams.
My face screws up in tears of relief and I drop my head and weep. Stace falls back to the ground from his knees.
He is covered in blood and exhausted.
A siren rings out from outside, and suddenly, after a commotion, ten policemen come storming through the doors in full swat gear.
They run to me. “Roshelle.” The policeman unties me. “Are you okay?” He lifts his face to meet mine. “What happened?”
“A man came in and shot him,” I whisper.
“What man?” the policeman asks.
“He left in a car,” I whisper as my eyes find Stace.
The hit men came through.
I need to cover for them because they just saved our lives.
25
I inhale deeply as I try to get comfortable. I’m half asleep, groggy, and incoherent.
“Shelly,” a familiar voice whispers.
I frown in the semi-lit room. Who is that?
“Shelly,” the voice whispers again. “Come back to me.”
I frown as I drag my eyes open and the pain in my leg throbs. It’s semi-dark, dusk, maybe. I glance around at my surroundings. I’m in a hospital room.
What? Where am I?
“Shelly. Oh my God. I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispers as he drops his head to rest on the bed.
I frown. What the hell? “Where?” I stop myself.
Todd takes my hand in his. “You’re safe now.”
I shake my head as confusion sets in. Stace. Where is Stace? My thoughts are interrupted by a nurse as she walks into the room.
“Oh, she’s awake.” She smiles, she walks over and takes my blood pressure and vitals.
“Do you know where you are?” she asks.
I look around the room in despair. “Hospital?” I whisper.
She smiles broadly and Todd picks my hand back up in his. I cough. My throat is so dry. The nurse passes me a glass of water and I sip it slowly.
“What happened?” I whisper.
Todd brushes the hair back from my forehead and I swat his hand away. “Don’t,” I whisper, annoyed.
“You have been through a horrifying ordeal,” Todd replies softly. “You are home now.”
My eyes hold his, and although I’m still foggy, I know I didn’t imagine him and Melissa at that nightclub.
“Home?” I ask.
“Yes, I’m here, and I’m not leaving your side. I’ve been frantic.”
I frown.
“I thought I had lost you forever.” He smiles softly.
My eyes flicker to the nurse in confusion and she smiles. “I will go and get the doctor.” She leaves the room.
“I know about your father.” Todd pauses. “I know about everything.”