Meant to Be - PG-13
Pairing: Danny/Mary
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.
Chapter 26
Mary struggled violently in Jake's arms as he dragged her down the stairs and out the front door.
"LET ME GO! DANNY!"
"Danny can't help you now," Jake spat as he forced her into the backseat of the Suburban.
Mary kicked and scratched at Jake as he jumped in behind her and tried desperately to restrain her.
"Go, you idiot," he yelled at the driver.
When the car still did not move, he yelled again, "Did you hear me? I said GO!"
Jake shoved the driver's shoulder for emphasis this time and watched as the man slumped over in his seat. It was then Jake and Mary both noticed the stream of blood running down the side of the driver's head.
The momentary distraction was all she needed to make a run for it. Mary threw herself out the door and ran as fast as she could towards the house—determined to get to Danny.
Jake laughed as he watched her run up the steps and back inside.
"No one's going to help you in there, Mary," Jake called after her, "Danny's dead!"
"Guess again."
Jake stopped in his tracks as he looked straight down the barrel of a gun clutched in the hands of a very pissed off Danny McCoy.
"What? How?" Jake sputtered in disbelief.
"I told you to never underestimate Ed Deline," Jack said as he joined Danny outside the door.
"You son of a bitch," Jake screamed, "you're supposed to be working for me!"
"Tsk tsk tsk," Ed said as he joined the other men, "the number one thing I learned in all my years is Jack Keller only works for himself."
Jack and Ed both laughed, but Danny's hard expression never changed and he never took his eyes off Jake. His hand flexed instinctively around the gun—itching to pull the trigger.
"Come on, McCoy. Show us how tough you are. Pull the trigger," Jake taunted.
Danny stepped closer to Jake until the muzzle of the gun was pressed against his forehead.
"Danny, don't," Ed spoke softly, "he's not worth it."
"I can't let him hurt her again, Ed."
"He won't. The authorities are already on the way. With all his ties to the drug cartels down here he'll probably spend the rest of his life in a Venezuelan prison and no amount of money will get him out of it this time."
"You're wrong, Deline. Money is the key that opens every door," Jake replied smugly.
Danny cocked his weapon. At that moment, he finally saw fear in the other man's eyes. He reacted quickly and brought the butt of the gun down hard across the side of Jake's head. As Jake fell to the ground, Danny caught him and delivered an uppercut to his jaw. Jake stumbled down the steps and out into the driveway. Danny holstered his gun and quickly followed. As Jake struggled to get to his feet Danny kicked him hard in the ribs sending him sprawling again. Jake gasped for breath as he lay near the Suburban. Danny grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up just enough to hit him square in the face. As Danny prepared to hit Jake again, a voice stopped him.
"Danny, please stop. Don't let him turn you into something you're not," Mary pleaded from only a few feet away. Ed had made her promise to stay in the house, but once she heard the fighting she refused to stay hidden.
Danny stared at Jake's bloodied face for a few moments before finally standing up and backing away. He turned to Mary and all but collapsed into her arms. All the emotions he'd tried so hard to control over the last few months suddenly burst to the surface and he buried his head in her neck and sobbed.
"Ssshh. It's over, Danny. It's all over now," Mary told him as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. One of Danny's hands wound its way into Mary's hair while the other gripped her tightly around the waist, pulling her closer to him.
Ed turned away from the scene, feeling like the moment was too private for him to witness. When he noticed Jack still staring at Mary and Danny he cuffed him hard behind the ear.
"What?" Jack asked, exasperated.
"Let's give them some privacy," Ed ordered.
"Fine," Jack sighed dramatically and turned to head back into the house. A glint of something caught his eye and he turned just in time to see Jake pulling a gun from the dead driver's coat and pointing it at Mary and Danny. Before anyone else could react Jack drew his weapon and fired two rounds, Ed did the same only a half a second later.
At the sound of shots Danny fell to the ground, shielding Mary beneath him. He covered her body with his own until he was sure the danger had passed. In the silence that followed, Danny cautiously stood and helped Mary to her feet. They both stared, stunned at Jake's body lying in the drive. Blood seeped from the wounds in his chest and his eyes stared unseeing at the sky.
Mary finally tore her gaze from the gruesome scene, hiding her face in Danny's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and turned to Jack and Ed who stood with their guns still drawn.
"Now it's over," Ed whispered to himself, lowering his weapon.
Jack did the same and looked at Danny. He started to speak, a witty comment on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself-- realizing this wasn't the time for humor. Danny gave him an almost imperceptible nod in thanks before lifting Mary into his arms and carrying her inside to wait for the police to arrive.
The next chapter is the last. Thank you to everyone for reading and letting me know what you think!
parmakai66- if you didn't like mushy Danny you probably won't like this chapter either. I like strong, confident Danny too, but I just figured the poor guy who is afraid of losing everyone he loves was due for a breakdown. But thank you for bringing that up and I will definitely keep that in mind in any future stories.
ooljeeaingeal - glad you liked the dialog! I have so much fun writing dialog between these two that sometimes I have to stop myself and go back and fill in the rest of the story.
ccabello - thanks for being a faithful reviewer.
SinCityChick - glad you liked the story and hope you enjoy the ending.