This chapter is going to be a bit different from the norm, so bear with me...and review!
Marcus Valentine's POV
He had watched Barney Ross take the woman in the cab of his truck. And then again when he got back to his house. And again.
Rage boiled in him. Barney Ross killed his brother, destroyed his life. He had no right to pleasure, to happiness. This woman, Avolene Hart, was proving to be a difficult asset to remove from his life. First her fucking mammoth dog gnawed off half of Abel's damned fingers, then she shot and killed Thomas. Now they watched her around the clock, she was never alone.
"What's the game plan boss?"
"We wait. We watch and we wait. The opportunity will come, we just need to be patient."
The man nodded his head and walked away. To anyone walking by, he just looked like a regular guy, waiting at the bus stop, reading his newspaper. When he realized ruining Barney Ross's life might not be as easy as he first thought, he pulled in a few more guys. They looked like dog walkers, runners, cable repair men. All ready, all waiting for the right time, for the perfect opportunity to grab the pretty little woman.
Sure, he could just take a shot, cut her down. But he wanted a more...personal touch to it. He wanted to watch the light fade from her green eyes, feel her heart slow down and eventually stop. Then he would dump her rotting corpse somewhere she would be found, but not before she began to fester and stink.
He was so lost in his thoughts he missed them leaving the house. They got into Barney's truck and headed west.
"West on Ferris, Marcus."
"Don't lose them," he hissed as he stood up and jogged over to his parked rental.
Avolene's POV
"Stay calm, sit low. You'll be fine," Barney assured me as we drove off.
"I still don't understand exactly what is going on?"
"We're being watched."
"What? Who's watching us?"
"Marcus."
"How do you know?"
"I saw the same cable repair guy yesterday."
"So maybe this is his area."
"Nah. Doesn't work like that. Technicians aren't assigned specific area's. They go where they need to."
"What are we going to do?"
"Your going to hide. I'm going to kill them all."
My eyes widened as I looked over at him.
"Don't you think that's a bit..."
"What?"
"Crazy? Scary? Wrong? I don't know. I can't get use to the way you all talk about taking a life, like it's no big thing."
"It's not. At least not for us, not anymore."
"Is there a peaceful resolution to all of this?"
"In his eyes, I killed his brother, ruined his business. I fucked up his life, and now he's going to do the same thing to me."
"By wrecking your business..."
"And killing you."
I ran a shaking hand through my hair.
"Should have run for the hills when you had the chance," he mumbled to himself. I let my arm fall down heavily into my lap before reaching over and putting it on top of his where it rested on the shifter.
"I told you I wasn't going to rabbit, and I meant it. I'm here, for the duration."
He took his hand off the shifter and gripped mine for a few seconds.
"Now would you quit doubting me?"
A small smile graced his lips before he shook his head. We remained silent for awhile, as I tried to digest everything that had just happened. I can not say that I was in disbelief of the situation, as Barney and Tool had told me before that a man was trying to get revenge on Barney by killing me. But I had a kind of...I'm not sure what I could call it. Dismissive attitude? Towards it. Perhaps I didn't really believe. Not really.
Barney's tense body, his constantly turning head, was creating a symphony inside of me. And it was reaching a crescendo. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes, but I blinked them away. I could not let my fear win, I needed to stay calm.
"How are you doing over there?" Barney asked, as if he could sense my inner storm.
"Working through it," I whispered. It was all I could manage. I felt like if I opened my mouth any wider, a scream might tear it's way up my throat and spill into the cab.
"It's gonna be okay Avie. I won't let him hurt you, I'll die first."
I nodded, still unsure of my voice. A weight dropped into my stomach and nestled there. I knew at once what it was. I didn't fear for just myself. I was afraid for Barney. Afraid, because I loved him. Strange that my realization would come now, but come it did.
"I love you," I said, the words slipping out of my mouth unbidden. I heard him inhale, felt his gaze upon me. I didn't move. I didn't breathe.
"You don't mean that. It's the situation," he replied, brushing off my declaration. I had a few seconds before I was angry, and hurt.
"I wouldn't have said it otherwise," I clipped back at him. Who was he to tell me how I felt? I did love him. Do love him. All these crazy experiences, all the bad shit we had been through, it was just more fuel to the fire. It drove us closer together.
"I don't expect you to say it back, I just wanted you to know."
"I don't expect you to say it back, she says," he was looking everywhere but at me. He made it sound nasty, like I meant it to hurt. But I didn't.
"I didn't mean it like that Barney. What I should have said was you don't have to say it back. I would never be that callous to you."
He visibly relaxed, his shoulders loosening up. But he still remained silent. I unbuckled and scooted across the seat until I was flush up against him. If I had learned anything in the past weeks being with Barney, it was that he was more of a physical being. He was better at expressing himself physically, then with words. He picked his arm up and draped it over me. He leaned down and kissed the side of my head.
At Tool's-
"Where you want me to take her?" Tool asked, putting some of his things into a bag.
"Far away."
"This is going to get bloody brother. You make sure none of that is yours. That little girl won't never be able to forgive herself."
"You just worry about keeping her safe. I'll be fine."
Tool nodded his head.
"Tool, I didn't know you were such a good artist." I exclaimed, looking at the drawings littering the walls around his shop.
"Thank you darlin," he said, walking out of the office where he and Barney were talking. I smiled as they came out but it dropped suddenly when a man walked around the back of one of the trucks. I don't know how I knew he was here with nefarious intentions, but I knew.
"Look out!" I screamed as I dove for Tool. The blast was loud, and I felt something sting my side as Tool and I crashed to the ground.
More gun fire echoed above us as I did the best I could to shield his body with mine.
"Are you hit?" I asked him.
"No."
The gun fire ceased and I felt arms pulling me up and off of Tool. I saw blood on his shirt.
"Oh shit, Tool!"
"It's not mine," he said looking at me. I looked down and saw the corner of my shirt covered in blood. I lifted it up and saw multiple little round holes. I touched one, and it stung like fire. Then I looked up at Barney and Tool.
"Caught some of the shotgun blast," Tool explained, running a hand over his face.
"I...I need tweezers to get the pellets out," I stammered, trying to remain calm. They couldn't be in very deep, the pain wasn't terrible enough.
"Avolene," Barney whispered looking at me. I turned my head to look at him.
"I'm okay. Just, startled me is all. I need a first aide kit."
"You need a hospital," Barney replied.
"Gunshot wounds mean police, it's standard procedure. The pellets aren't in very deep, I can get them out."
"What the hell is going on out here?" Gunner, Yang and Caesar came running out from somewhere in the back, guns drawn.
"Oh shit little hen," Gunner said, walking over to me.
I looked up at the giant of a man and smiled.
"Hi Gunner. How are you?"
"Better than you sweetheart."
"How's...everything going?" I kept my voice down, unsure of what the others knew about Gunner and my unique situation.
"Good, real good. I'm three weeks clean."
"That's fantastic Gunner. I'm really proud of you."
"Gunner, where the hell have you been?! I been calling you for weeks!" Barney yelled as he came thundering over. Gunner sent me a look before he turned around to face the wrath of Barney.
"I been takin' care of me."
Barney blew out some air before laying into him about needing him around, and telling him everything that had been happening.
"I went to rehab, Barney," Gunner finally said, running his hand through his greasy blonde hair.
"Quit bullshitting me Gunner."
"He's not," I added, moving slowly around Gunner. "I brought him there myself, three weeks ago."
"You brought Gunner to a rehab facility?"
"Yes. I got a call from the hospital, Gunner had over dosed. Two days later I checked him into the Fairview Rehabilitation Center."
I couldn't tell who he was more mad at. Me or Gunner.
"Don't be mad at her Barney, I asked her not to tell you."
"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, looking at Gunner.
"I was ashamed. I just got back into the teams good graces and I went and fucked it up again. She was the only one I could think of who could help me Barney. And she did. Got me moved up the list at Fairview, got me a private room."
"How much time you got?" Barney asked.
"Three weeks."
He nodded his head.
"Should have come to me Gunner," Barney said with a finality that said he was done on the matter.
"Come here sweetheart. Let's get them bb's out of your side," Tool said, slipping on his glasses. He had set up a little trauma center. Bandages, gauze, tweezers, hemostats, abd's, you name it.
It hurt, but not as much as I thought it would. Barney sat in a stool next to me as I lay on Tool's tattoo table. He held my hand, but I could tell he was a million miles away. Gunner kept up a steady stream of conversation, and occasionally handing Tool things he asked for. I was glad for Gunner.
"So little hen, how does it feel to be one of the gang?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, rolling my head his direction.
"You saved Tool's life, took a bullet, well, bullets, little ones, but..you know what I mean."
"I never thought of it like that. Everything went so fast, I saw the man with the gun, and Tool. I just did what I thought was right."
"Mighty grateful for that conscience of yours honey," Tool said as he worked. "Saved my life."
"Just returning the favor," I smiled. He and Gunner laughed. I rolled my head to see what Barney was doing, but he was gone. I hadn't even realized he let go of my hand.
"This one's gonna hurt a bit, give Barn's hand..." He seemed to notice Barney was gone now too. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses but he continued like nothing happened.
I clenched my fists as he dug a deep one out, biting my lip to keep from crying out. Someone grabbed my left fist and I quickly uncurled it to grasp onto their hand. I looked down to see Gunner intertwine his fingers with mine and pat our linked hands once with this free hand. It was the same thing I did to him when he first woke up at the hospital and was frightened and alone. I smiled at him and he nodded his head.
"Hang in little hen, he's almost got it."
"Done. I'm just gonna clean ya up a little darling."
"Thanks Tool."
"No problem sister."
When Tool was done, he headed upstairs. So Gunner and I talked about his rehab, what some of this long term goals were. They weren't fantastical, he wanted to pay off some outstanding bills, who didn't?, and start getting serious about putting some money away for retirement.
"Little hen, you ever do custom work at your shop?"
"Like what?"
"Carving, framing, that sort of thing."
"Yeah, sometimes people want special little touches added to their pieces. Why, need a job?" I teased.
"Something to keep my hands busy," he said, looking down at his large hands.
"Of course. I could use a strong back at the store."
He smiled at me and that's when we heard the shouting. It was muffled, but it got through loud and clear.
"Your just gonna run out on her?"
"I'm not runnin'! Look what's happened to her! Ever since she moved in she's been nothing but a victim! Beat up, stalked, almost kidnapped, shot! I'm no good for her."
I felt the sting of tears in my eyes. I didn't want to hear anymore. I got up.
"Will you take me home?" I asked, turning to look at Gunner.
He swallowed and shook his head.
"It isn't safe for you little hen."
"Then a hotel? I don't want to be here."
He nodded and got up. I followed behind him.
"Where are you going? Barney said she doesn't leave," Yang asked as he saw us approaching the door.
"Little hen wants to go," Gunner said, looking at Yang.
"It's not safe," he replied.
"Yang please, I really don't want to be here right now."
"What happened? Why are you crying?" He looked confused. "Are you in pain?"
"Of course she's in pain idiot, she was just shot. Barney and Tool just got into a screaming match. He's leaving her man."
Yang looked at me as my tears spilled over and shook his head.
"Idiot," he sighed and stepped out of the way. We walked out into the cool night. Gunner and I hopped up in his truck.
"He's going to come looking for you, Tool too."
"I don't want them to find me right away."
"I'll call you a cab, drop you off where ever you want to meet them. Find a motel or a hotel that only accepts cash, and check in under a false name. If they want ID, tell them you lost it and will pay extra if they look the other way. Write this number down, it's 564-0981. That's my prepaid, it's untraceable. Once you get the room set up, find the nearest pay phone and call me. I'll come as soon as I loose Barney and the others."
I nodded my head, committing everything he was saying to memory.
"And take this."
He handed me a .357 revolver. It was heavy and large.
"Anybody you don't know approaches you, and it feels wrong, shoot them."
I nodded.
"Little hen," he said, and I turned to look at him. "It's going to be you verses them. They want your life, and you need to fight for it. Remember you told me if I wanted to live, I was going to have to fight for it? Now I'm telling you. Don't let them take it Avie. Fight. For. It."
"I will," I sniffled.
"Don't cry for him little hen. If he could leave you like this, after everything you've been through, after everything you've given us, then he doesn't deserve you."
I looked at Gunner, who was focused on the road once again. Maybe he was right. I could have ran, who would have blamed me? But I stayed. I gave him everything. And now it's his turn to be scared.
Only difference is, I overcame my fear. I stayed, and now he was running.