Gangster's Girl (Complete)

Chapter 7 - Part 1

I don't know how long I had been in the passage when the door opened and the light streamed in to reveal Angel in the doorway. The play on lighting made him look like some sort of guardian Angel.

"Kira?" he said when he approached me slowly like he would a frightened animal.

He bent down to level his eyes with mine. I didn't know what to say, I had no words to explain what I had seen. He reached out and touched my cheek gently. He looked tired.

"Bruno?" My throat felt so dry as I waited for his answer.

"He is fine. The doc is busy stitching him up. None of the bullets hit any organs."

It was unbelievable, Bruno was going to be fine. It had to be some sort of miracle, surely. Just the amount of blood he had lost should have been enough to put him in a very grave condition.

"But there was so much blood."

He nodded. "Let me take you upstairs," he said softly.

I nodded and he helped me to my feet. The young man who had given me the sugar water hovered just inside the study.

"I've got her Jack" Angel said and Jack nodded. He closed the entrance to the passage as Angel led me to the doors.

I stopped when I realized where he wanted to go. "I can't go back out there." I shook my head, and felt like I was going to go into a full blown panic attack.

He took me by the shoulders. "It's been cleaned up."

I breathed deeply, fighting against the panic to turn in the opposite direction.

"I'm going to open the door and we are going to head straight to the stairs. Okay?"

I nodded slowly, trying to keep my panic at bay. He put his arm around me and held me close as he opened the door. I concentrated on following his lead and each step I took. I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, trying to avoid anything that could set me off again.

My relief was palpable when we made it to the landing and then he surprised me by leading me to his room and not mine.

But I still too shaken to question him. For the first time I could remember I allowed him to take control which I never thought I would ever do but these were extenuating circumstances.

"I got to shower. Are you going to be okay here for a little while?" he asked as began to unbutton his shirt.

My eyes were fixed on the dry blood mark on his face and the blood stains on his shirt. I breathed through the thought that he was covered in someone's blood.

I nodded. "I'm fine." That wasn't the complete truth but I couldn't stand to see Bruno's blood on him. I tried not to think about the sight of the pools of blood on the kitchen floor.

He studied me for several seconds. "You're not going to disappear as soon as I turn my back?" Clearly he believed I was still a flight risk.

"I won't." I felt safe with him. It was on the tip of my tongue but I didn't say it.

"I won't be long. Make yourself comfortable."

I watched him head to the adjoining bathroom and he closed the door. I heard the shower start.

I looked around his room. The last time I had been his room had been the night I had tried to seduce him, it reminded me of my fledgling feelings for him and how swiftly he had crushed them.

I had no idea what time it was but I felt so tired. The adrenaline that had carried me through everything had waned and I was left exhausted. My eyes went to the inviting pillows. He said I could make myself comfortable. I lay down on his bed and allowed my head to sink into a fluffy pillow. I lay on my side listening to the sound of the water running.