Nightly Confusion

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Mom was safe now and that’s all I cared about. I stood with my back against Nick Giovanni’s chest as he held me in place with one arm and aimed his gun at my head with the other.

The house phone rung within minutes after everyone was outside safe. He kept the gun on me and answered it. “What? I’m not letting her go until I’m out here safe from the cops. I want a way out.” I guessed one of the cops called to negotiate with him.

I couldn’t seem to get my hands to stop shaking, I wasn’t stupid I didn’t doubt for a second that he’d kill me. I tried to think of something else besides my death but that just reminded me of everything I was leaving behind if I died. Tears began to run down my face like I happened to turn on a sink and I couldn’t turn it off. “Why don’t you just let me go and escape through the back or something?” I asked after the phone was hung up.

“This place is crawling with cops, right now you’re the only thing stopping them from shooting me.”

“So you can’t kill me.”

“Don’t try anything stupid.”

Stupid? Heh, I wouldn’t think of it. I didn’t say anything else to him because there was no point, Elena had been right he was cold and selfish and didn’t care what he had to do or who he had to kill to get his way.

The phone rang again. “No, I don’t let her go until I get proof of full immunity from a judge that I won’t serve time for any of these crimes. I’ll let her go when I can walk out of here a free man.” He slammed the phone down.

“Do you really think they’ll let you go?” I couldn’t shut up.

“You better hope so.”

Where I stood gave me a view toward the hall that led to the kitchen, and I saw we weren’t alone anymore. I saw him and he saw me, he motioned for me to be quiet. Giovanni couldn’t see him or this wouldn’t end very well. I looked back to Giovanni. “I know what it’s like to want someone you can’t have. I know that feelings of hoping they’ll notice you and you think it’ll all be perfect after that. But it’s not the end of the world if they don’t, you have to learn how to move on. You’re throwing everything away for a woman that never loved you.” I wanted to keep him talking with his focus on me so I used what I knew.

“What do you think I’m stupid? I knew that and that’s why I gave up on her all those years ago. This is all Art’s fault, somehow he figured it out and found Elena. I had to fix it but his son couldn’t leave well enough alone.” He turned around sharply. “Nice of you to join us De Luca.” Damn Nick Giovanni was everything but stupid. He grabbed me tighter, the gun aimed at my chest. “You don’t want me to kill her do you?”

“You’re not walking out of here alive Giovanni. I can’t let you live after killing my father. Only a coward stands behind a woman, let her go and we settle this.” Joey had always been serious since I knew him but now there was something so focused in his eyes, determined.

He tightened his grip on me with lethal force.” I don’t think so.” He said, he had his gun on me and Joey was aiming toward us, two guns and I was caught in the middle. I would rather be kidnapped by the Mayor again because with him I had hope of getting out alive.

I seemed pretty calm except for the tears running down my face and my insides jumping around. I looked at Joey and he met my eyes, we simply looked at each other with nowhere to go, nothing to do next.

“Make a choice Joey, put the gun down and walk away or I put a bullet in her head.”

“You should’ve stayed put.” Joey said with his eyes still on me like he didn’t hear Giovanni.

“I don’t know how to listen.”

Joey nodded. “Neither do I.” his eyes finally left mine as he pulled the trigger. I managed to jump out of the way now because Giovanni loosened his grip in the middle of his little speech. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be so cocky.

I turned around and saw he was lying on the floor bleeding with the gun hanging from his hand. “He’s dead.” I said, amazed it was finally over.

“Come on kid.” Joey helped me up and that’s when I realized my arm was bleeding. “Sorry.” He said as we looked at my arm. “It’s just a graze.”

“You shot me?” I met his green eyes.

“I grazed you; it was either that or Giovanni kills you.”

He had a point, I couldn’t be mad. “Thanks.”

“You ok?” Joey asked with his hands still on my arms holding me up.

I felt fresh tears as I shook my head. “No.”

“It’s over now.” He wrapped his arms around me.

“I had to do it, I couldn’t let him kill my mother and if I would’ve waited I knew he would’ve.” I rested my head on his shoulder and tried to collect my running emotions.

“You had the right idea and if I was you I would’ve done the same thing but that doesn’t mean I’m happy you got your self caught in the middle.”

I pulled away from him and dried my cheeks. “It sounds like you almost care.”

“I do.” His words caused me to look at him again. We were silent for just a few seconds. “Come on let’s get out of here so you can get your arm checked out.” We walked past Giovanni’s dead body then the guard’s body to reach the door. I had never seen so much death before and I never wanted to again.

As soon as we stepped outside I spotted Zack standing next to one of the police cars, he looked up and met my eyes. I ran into his arms. “We have to stop getting involved in hostage situations.” He said as he squeezed me but I didn’t mind, I never wanted him to let go.

I laughed. “Agreed.”

We pulled away from each other, he looked at me at brushed my hair away from my face. “You scared the hell out of me.” He said and left his hands along my cheeks.

“I love you too.”

Zack placed his lips over mine and gave me a hell of a kiss. “I do love you but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let any of this pass.”

“I didn’t expect you to but how about we leave it for later?”

“Deal, because right now we have to get you to the hospital.” He said looking down at my arm.

“Ah I hate hospitals.”