𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒐 𝑼𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 | ✓

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇɴ

"Damn it!" Tobias cursed when his .45 Colt fell from the waistband of his jeans and hit the ground with a bang. He picked up the gun before straightening up and staring at the bullet hole in the wall with a huff. He might be ticked that he'd dropped the gun, but at least it didn't accidentally shoot anyone. He left the beer bottle he'd been trying to pick up and plopped down into the old armchair. His head throbbed and he massaged his temples to try to ease the pain. He was hungover, that much he knew. After all, how could he not be after the last five days he and Pietro spent drinking and rowdily playing card games until the wee morning hours.

Pietro stormed into the small garage apartment through the side door. Across his face raced a mixture of alarm and cautiousness. He sighed with relief as he saw Tobias unharmed in the chair and jammed his hand on his hip. "Gosh darn it Toby you scared the shit outta me. What just happened?"

"Went to pick up a bottle and clean up the place and my damn Colt fell out my waistband," Tobias answered, crossing his arms irritably. He rubbed his blurry eyes and leaned back into the cushions with a grunt. "Glad the bullet hit the wall and not me."

"Me too. I dunno how I'd explained it to the girls if you'd have accidentally killed yourself," Pietro stated, slightly shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. He already knew that wouldn't have gone well with Esmeray if that had happened. He shifted his weight to his other foot and crossed his arms. "What did they go out for anyways?"

"I'm not sure, but I think they mentioned something about getting groceries or something," Tobias answered with a slightly furrowed brow. He was unsure himself what the girls were up to be he figured they'd spend as much time together as possible especially with the news Cora had brought with her once she and Pietro had arrived. He tilted his head and ran his front teeth along the inside of his bottom lip. "How's it feel to know you're gonna be father?"

"Amazing and scary," Pietro admitted as he stepped over the scattered beer bottles and fell back into the couch. He had a few months left before he could officially be called a father, but to him, he already was since Cora had his baby on the inside. "I'm not sure me and Cora was ready for this. . .or even wanted it. . .but it happened and I'mma man up and do right by our child."

"Well congratulations man." Tobias blinked and rubbed his eyes for a moment. His hungover mind drifted on what it would be like to give Esmeray a baby. Would it be a girl or boy? One, or two? He honestly wouldn't mind if she did have twins or even triplets because the way he saw it, the more the merrier. He could only hope their little girl would be just as beautiful as Esmeray. It's all he could ever ask for. "I wanna family with Esmeray, I really do. But right now. . .I can't. She can't. We just can't, y'know?"

"I do. Maybe after everything is over?" Pietro suggested. He understood all too well what Tobias was feeling since he had the same fears. It was one of the many reasons why he and Cora hadn't become more than what they were.

Tobias rubbed his scruffy chin and sighed. He wasn't sure if his battle with the law would he over anytime soon if at all, but a guy could hope, couldn't he? "Yes, definitely then. I wish I didn't have to wait. I wanna do things right by her but yeah."

"I understand that," Pietro said with nod. He crossed his arms loosely and sighed. "I'm thinking of asking Cora to marry me but I ain't sure she would even say yes."

Tobias's brows lowered and he bit his lip. He couldn't imagine how that felt. If he didn't think Esmeray loved him enough to marry him, then what was even the point? He tilted his head and stretched for a moment. "Damn."

A comfortable silence settled of them and they relaxing in their seats, each of them becoming lost in their own thoughts as they waited for the girls. Around fifteen minutes passed and the door to the apartment opened as Cora and Esmeray stepped in with a bag on each arm.

"Take a look this, Tobias," Cora prompted as she slapped a newspaper down on the bottle strewn table. She ruffled Pietro's hair on her way to the makeshift kitchen with her bags in tow.

Tobias blew Esmeray a kiss while she followed Cora with the rest of the bags before he shared a curious look with Pietro and grabbed the newspaper. He dropped the paper in his lap after his eyes scanned the headline and he took a deep breath before sighing. The bold typeface blazed across the front of the newspaper stuck in his head. Esmeray Dixon and Tobias Matheson: A Murderous Couple With Ungodly Intentions. He rolled the paper and tossed it to Pietro before motioning Esmeray over and pulling her into his lap. He kissed her cheek as he thought about what he just saw. He hadn't even read the article and he didn't even want to.

Pietro's eyebrows shot up and he put the paper down to look over at Tobias and Esmeray. He slowly shook his head and laid the newspaper back on the table. "Damn. The article is wrong but that's beside the point."

"The fact that we're in the newspaper here in Arkansas means we must be in newspapers across the states," Esmeray stated in a small voice. Sure she always knew their actions would come with consequences of sorts, but the last thing on her mind was the press.

"And apparently they know we're here," Cora spoke up as she looked out the window from her position in the kitchen. She watched five cops pile out of the two police cars and she stopped mid step. "The cops are outside."

Esmeray and Tobias got up from the chair and looked out the window before Tobias shared a look with Pietro and grabbed his BAR from the corner of the apartment.

"What do we do know?" Esmeray asked, arming herself with a shotgun before standing behind the men.

Tobias watched Pietro grab two pistols and chewed on the inside of his cheek. He turned his gaze from the window to Esmeray and jerked his head back at Cora. "I want you to get Cora out of here through the back door. Me and Pietro will cover you and draw attention to us. Got it?"

"Got it," Esmeray repeated, reaching out for Cora. She could care less what happened to herself as long as Cora was safe. She owed as much to the baby Cora was carrying. "C'mon let's get outta here."

Tobias watched the two slip out of the back door with Snowball on their heels. He drew in a deep breath, his fight instinct kicking in as he shared a look with Pietro before kicking open the door and opening fire with the sound of shattering glass ringing in his ears.