CHAPTER 05

An Unlikely Hero Pt II

"I'm tellin you, Sonny, the guy stormed my place and basically told me he was gunning for every mobster in town. And just now, when I saw him chasing Ana, he seemed a little out there, ya know? Like the wheel was turning but the hamster was dead?" Johnny spoke bluntly as he sat in the chair across the desk from Sonny, who was looking at him with a brow raised, as if he were considering the situation.

"And he said he's gunning for Julian first?" Sonny mused as Johnny nodded and said calmly, "He did. I'm gonna make a move on the bastard first though. Just thought I'd bring Ana home." Johnny insisted as Sonny nodded and gave him a hard glare as he said "Doesn't mean I like you. But thanks. I swear to God I've got no idea why she'd leave this house without Max or Milo. She won't be again though, you can bet on that. You can go now. You did your good deed for the week." Sonny said as he waved his hands at Johnny dismissively. Johnny laughed at him and then standing said "She's grown, Sonny. Just telling you. Sooner or later, man, she's gonna get with a guy."

"And it won't be you." Sonny said firmly as Johnny shrugged and said calmly, "Never know about that." just to push the man's buttons a little. He walked out of the den, past Ana who stood in the hallway, looking at him with a confused look on her face. He said calmly, "What? Were ya listenin at the door?"

"Long enough to hear you try and force my father's hand into an arranged marriage. Kind of archaic, don't you think? And pointless considering you hate me and I'm indifferent to you."

"Yeah? Well maybe you don't know me like you thought." Johnny said with a calm smirk as Max showed up, escorted him out the door. Ana stood there, watching him go, shaking her head, fuming in anger quietly. What made Johnny do that?

They'd never liked one another before, she'd liked him even less when Claudia had been married to her father. He went out of his way then to tease her or hurt her feelings.

'It's just Johnny, being Johnny, as usual.' Ana reminded herself firmly as she walked into the den and sat down. "Before you say a word, dad. I went out without Max and Milo tonight because I just wanted to get out on my own. I wanted to think, I needed time alone. Without everyone breathing down my neck about everything. You have to know how that is, right?" she said calmly as she fixed her eyes on her father and waited on the explosion.

Instead of an explosion, he nodded and said firmly, "It's not going to happen again. I take it you heard all that just now, huh? That kid's got balls." while looking at her. She muttered quietly "Yeah, he does. And he needs to be kicked in them." to herself but Sonny heard and laughed.

"That wasn't a joke. I'm not even sure why he made that offer to be honest. Guy hates me and the feeling is mutual. I mean it used to be one sided hatred, now it's pretty much both of us." Ana stated calmly as Sonny looked at her a few moments and then said quietly, " Or maybe you just think you hate him, huh?"

"Nope, daddy, pretty sure I hate him." Ana said as she took a few deep breaths and said "I'm sorry. For leaving tonight without guards." before kissing her father on his forehead, going upstairs to her own room to sleep. She flopped back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling for a few hours and raised a brow when she heard what sounded like stones being thrown at the walll next to her bedroom window. She slid off the bed and walked to the window, peered down into the yard. Johnny stood there, arms crossed, stone in one of his hands.

"What do you want?"

"Wanted to talk to ya.. Let's take a walk. Your dad's gone to sleep now." Johnny said as she looked at him with a raised brow and hissed "Why do you want to talk to me?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay, damn it. Why do you ask so many damn questions?" Johnny asked as he started to scale the trellis of flowers that ran up the wall, lead to her bedroom window. She glared at him as he tumbled through her window and flopped onto her bed.

"Make yourself at home then." she muttered as Johnny looked around the soft colored room and at her, held up a stuffed animal and snickered." Kiss my ass, Zacharra."

"You still have stuffed animals?"

"Why not?" she asked defensively as he snickered again, shrugged. She looked at him and asked warily, "So.. you wanted to talk to me, so talk."

"That offer I made earlier.. I wasn't doing it for a bad reason. And I'm not the guy you think I am, Ana."

"Sure you're not, Johnny. You've done nothing but make fun of me, try to piss me off or hurt my feelings as long as we've known each other. How the hell am I supposed to actually believe anything you say?" she asked as he looked at her, raised to a sitting position and leaned in, muttered calmly, "Okay, fine, that's how you want it to be huh? Well I guess I'll just have to do that." before looking at her a few moments and then calmly climbing back down the side of her father's house.

"What's with him tonight?" she wondered aloud as she flopped onto her bed again, holding the stuffed Pegasus he'd been laughing about against her chest a few moments as she tried to figure things out as they stood currently.

And even after all that thinking, she had no idea what to make of the 3 very different men trying to be in her life right now. But she did know that it was still too soon and she was still on the mend.