Bittersweet

Chapter Twenty:

**Brian**

I should've looked through the peephole. If I had, I could've prevented this. Instead, I stared into Noah's wide eyes as he pulled back the safety on his gun.

He smirked. "Hello, Brian, I have demands, so either comply or, " he stepped into our condo, gun to my nose, and lifted his chin, "I start shooting."

Shooting? Fuck. I inched back to try and put distance between me and him. He barely allowed that to happen.

He shifted the gun's direction. "Put that phone away, " he hissed. "If you call the police, I'll kill him. Or better yet," he pulled the safety again, "maybe I should kill you now and avoid the hassle."

Kay whimpered behind me, something fell, but I side-stepped in front of the gun. I lifted my hands. "Don't," I said. "If you have demands and want me to come, fine, I'll go. But please, please," I gulped so hard I heard the sound echo, "don't touch Kay."

Noah sucked his teeth. "Awe, isn't this some precious shit. Where was this energy before?"

My heart hammered away and I closed my eyes. The gun touched my temple.

"You poked the hornet's nest, Brian, and I'm here, provoked." He pressed the metal so hard against my skin, I moved my head and hissed. He laughed. "All you had to do was pay me my money."

I stared at the floor. Yes, I should've just coughed up our savings, but it wasn't an option then, and I couldn't now.

"Please, just stop," Kay whimpered. "I'll do anything."

"Don't say that sweet cheeks," Noah cocked his head. "Last time a woman said that to me, well, she isn't here anymore."

My heart sank. Was he talking about Katerina? Just out there, so bold. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think but I knew I couldn't fight. The last time I tried, I fumbled, I failed, and I knew I couldn't risk it again. Not with Kay here.

"Just," I turned my head against his gun, "let's talk and do what you want. Let's leave and you can list your demands."

"Only if your wife promises to sit the fuck down," Noah sneered.

I gulped as Kay whimpered behind me. "Baby, you heard him, sit down."

"But Brian—"

"Kay, please, sit." I couldn't yell at her but there was a hint of fear and frustration in my voice. I was afraid, and I was scared if we didn't comply, he would kill us both. "Just sit down and do what he says."

I happened to look back. Kay nervously sat on the couch, tears streaming down her face as she silently cried. Her eyes met mine and we stood there, staring, waiting. I couldn't say it would be okay because I didn't know.

But she didn't need to know that.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered, then felt Noah's gun in the back of my head. I closed my eyes. "I'll move, I'll move, where are we going?"

Noah chuckled behind me. "Wouldn't you like to know."

I didn't, but as he grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward the door, I knew I didn't have a choice.

*

**Kay**

I watched the door slam. I watched my husband leave with a crazy man. And I did nothing to stop it.

As the shouting faded through the halls, tears erupted. I was screaming, crying, unable to stop the fearful tears streaming down my face.

I pushed up from the couch and grabbed my phone. My hands trembled as I unlocked the screen. I couldn't scroll through my contacts fast enough; this was a phone call emergency, not a text message.

I called Rianne. If anyone could get help, it was her.

The phone buzzed in my hand as I rang. It was only a second; Rianne picked up almost immediately.

"Kay?" she yawned.

I sniffled but couldn't hold back my cry.

Something rustled on Rianne's end. Movement? Possibly. Blankets? Sure.

"Kay, what's wrong? What happened? Where's Brian?"

I dropped back down onto the couch and brought my legs up against my chest. As tears slid down my chin, I balanced my chin on my knees. "Noah took him..."

"Took him?" Rianne was panicked. "How could he just—"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "He had a gun, Ri. He was going to shoot me if Brian didn't go with him..."

"Oh my fucking God." I heard Rianne's feet as if she ran through her apartment. "Did you call the police?"

"He said no police, no phone calls, yet—"

"You called me," she sighed. "I think you should call them anyway because this is crazy."

Even though she couldn't see me, I frantically shook my head. "I can't... if they find them and Noah freaks out and kills him, it'll be my fault."

"Kay, calling me won't help, I—"

"No, you can." I jumped up and stood directly in front of my TV. "You're best friends with Leeny and I know Brian's been talking to her father about all of this. He can help. He's got friends in law enforcement, right? Maybe he can—"

"Kay," Rianne huffed.

"—Call them and get them to trace Brian's location without making a scene. Or maybe—"

"Kay..." she whined.

"—We just need his location. We can go get him. We can sace Brian. All of us against one man can't be hard."

I was panting, talking fast to get my point across. But I needed to. Rianne had to understand.

"You said he has a gun, Kay," she said.

I turned in a slow circle and stared at the light in my kitchen. I gulped. "Doesn't Kyle?"

A/N: This chapter is a little short, so, DOUBLE UPDATE COMING!