Dark.

IX. - Barton Hollow-

Song for this chapter:

1. "Barton Hollow" - The Civil Wars

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Nicomaine took a deep breath before she went up the stairs and into Richard's room. She displayed a confidence smile on her face even though her inside are already shaking. The young woman can tell that something is wrong, she just can't figure out what it is yet.

"You look beautiful." Richard said, filling the room with his voice.

"You don't look bad yourself." She answered and gave him one of her sexy smirks. Richard grinned and walked towards her. Nicomaine then quickly noticed that he's wearing David Beckham's perfume called Homme by David Beckham. She smiled; it's a scent that suits him well. He extended his arm out and she held onto it.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's go."

--

Harry took a deep breath and waited for one whole minute before he made another move. The silence started to become too loud for him. He can tell that the guy is still downstairs because he has not heard another sound of broken glass being stepped on. Taking a peek below would help him. However, Harry doesn't want to risk the possibility of being shot in the head. He and Nicomaine have dealt with scenarios like this for as long as they both could remember. They survived all of it but the risk still made them feel uncertain. Harry's not afraid of his own death. He already willed himself a long time ago that he will die protecting Nicomaine from the world. They're partners, a formidable duo, ride or die buddies.

The young guy reached for his phone. But before he could dial the emergency number, the first gunshot went off. Harry immediately ducked down and saw a bullet hole right in front of him.

"Shit." He uttered and immediately run towards his room. The assailant started firing on the wooden floor below him. Harry hastily made his way towards the room at the far end of the hallway. That's the only space in the second level that has a cement floor. Harry can hear the guy coming up the stairs. He turned around and fired one shot at the wall to stall him. After doing so, he quickly slid inside the room and locked the door. He backed on the side wall and crept towards the window.

Harry took a deep breath and let himself fall twenty feet down to the trash bin below. He felt a blistering amount of pain right on his left shoulder. Harry sat up and saw a shard of glass pierced through it.

"Fuck." He said and slowly made his way out of the trash bin. Harry did not remove the glass and risk his chances of losing too much blood. It's about the risk, life's always been about the various risks. He can tell that it went deep because of the excruciating feeling that quickly traveled his body.

Harry made his way towards the entrance of the shop and went in. He carefully avoided the pathway to the stairs filled with broken glasses.

He stopped on his track when he reached the staircase under after a few minutes of figuring out how to get to it. Harry took a deep breath and raised his gun.

"You're not going to die tonight, fucker." He said to himself and slowly walked upstairs. When he got to the top landing, Harry took a peek. The guy is checking each room.

"Amateur" he whispered and fully showed himself. Harry took a deep breath and the assailant turned around.

One of them died five seconds later.

--

Richard and Nicomaine reached the fancy hotel restaurant an hour and a half later. After the twosettled on their table, she asked him about the business partners.