Chapter 9

"In hiding"

Niko had arranged somewhere for us to take cover while we were on the run. Thankfully, the Bellic's knew a few people who were willing to lend a hand. Mallorie's cousin owns a shotty apartment place. It was not what I would call livable conditions, but atleast we had cover. Niko was still hush hush on his plan. I guess he figured I wouldn't know what he was talking about in the first place. Which is true. I let him do what he needed to do.

My brother came around about a few hours ago, starving and thirsty. Niko grabbed a bottle of water before we fled his apartment, and he offered the water to my brother.

"I don't think we should order any food. It wouldn't be smart." Niko added.

"What do we do then?" I ask. It's been a full ten hours since either of us ate, and maybe even longer since my brother ate.

"I'll call up Roman. He'll help us out."

As Niko called Roman, I checked up on my brother. The only thing I could offer was my presence.

"What do you want?" He asked with disgust.

"I was wondering if you were hungry. Niko is going to have his cousin bring us something to eat."

"Who's Niko? Your boytoy? Actually, I don't even want to know. I don't care."

"Listen, I am sorry I was so mean to you. I was furious that you said those things about me not caring about you. You're my brother, and I do care."

"It's a little too late to start caring."

"I never stopped caring about you."

"Bullshit."

His word verbally slapped me in the face. I remembered what Niko said about having more patience. I go back into the living room and Niko is pacing again.

"I am asking you for a favor now...I did what you asked, now it's time for you to help me...Screw you... I'll turn you into the feds"

He was having some sort of heated conversation about something. I sat down on the couch, and he turned to me. He stared at me while the caller was chewing out his ear.

"How about all those times I hung out with you when nobody else would?...I did that because I loved you, and you tore my heart out...I did for that time we were together, now you're a whore for the government...You dragged me into that mess with Elizabeta!...You fucking bitch!"

I had no idea who he was talking about on the other line. Nor did I envy that person when Niko was ticked off.

"Will you atleast think about it?" He asked.

There was another long pause from him while he listened. For a moment I thought he was going to slam his phone on the floor as his face turned red with anger.

"Well, fuck you then!" He tossed his phone on the couch and he soon followed. He dropped on the couch putting his hands over his eyes.

"Niko, who was that?"

"An old girlfriend of mine." He said to the floor.

He was seeking help from an ex?!

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Karen. Or I knew her as Michelle. She could have helped me. Instead, the bitch turned her back on me."

"You don't think she'll turn you in, do you?"

"No. She and I were friends for a while after we broke apart. Now I see she's still in love with her job. The bitch, she couldn't help me just this once!"

"Do you think she will think about it?"

"If she has a brain, she will. I'll let her think about it for a few days, then I'll call her back."

I gently soothe his nerves by massaging his back. God, he's tense! I'm surprised he didn't burst from being so enraged.

He eventually loosened his nerves, and I felt him relax. I sensed his relaxation and climb behind him and massage his lower back as well.

"Where did you learn to do this?" He asked listfully.

"I just have strong hands, I guess. I didn't learn how to do this. I just do it." I shrug behind him.

"I called Roman before I called Karen. He said he will run something for us to eat."

"He knows where we are? And the whole story on why we are on the run?"

"I told him everything. That way he can help us, too."

"Do you think it's a bad idea to tell him? He could be an accessory for aiding us."

"As long as he keeps his head low."

"And the government won't come looking for him because his last name is Bellic?"

"All he has to do is deny knowing where we are. If he can do that, he'll be okay."

"Roman won't sell us out, will he?"

Niko half turned, and looked at me at the corner of his eye. I insulted him again. Damn it.

"Do you have faith in me, or no?"

"I do, I just don't want this to turn bad for us. The government watches people like us. It's only a matter of time that they involve more of my family or my friends."

"With a case like this, they want as less of people as possible. That way stories don't get screwed up."

He seems to know a lot about this, but I am still not sure. I keep thinking the police are going to bust down the door any second.

There was a knock at the door. Niko shot up from the couch. He grabbed a shot gun from his duffel bag and had it ready to fire. There go those nerves. He's tense again.

He looked through the peep hole, and for a few seconds, I thought it actually was the police. Instead, it was Roman with three pizza boxes, three leiters of soda, and a large bag.

"Here you go, Niko. You're no stranger to being on the run, are you?" He said, putting the boxes on the table. It almost collapsed from such little weight.

The smell of pizza filled the room, and I had no shame as I dove in. Niko chuckled at my ravenous behaviour.

"Why don't you see if your brother wants to eat?" Niko prodded.

I scolded myself for thinking about myself when there is a starving person in the other room. I take a couple of pieces and a drink to him. I see that he has turned to his side a way from the door. I can't tell if he is sleeping or not

"Get away from me." He said in misery.

"I brought you something to eat. It's pizza.

"Who'd you screw to get it here?"

That comment set me off again. I tried being nice, I tried being angry. Now I'm going to try being forcefull.

"Look here you trash, if you don't want to eat, I'm going to shove this down your throat!"

That seemed to alarm Niko and Roman as they both came into the bedroom and saw me holding him down trying to get him to eat something. Both Roman and Niko grabbed my arms and legs to tear me off him.

"She's fucking crazy! I'm outta here!" He jumped off the bed and tried to run away. Niko tackled him from behind and wrestled with him. My brother twisted his body around and elbowed Niko in the nose. His hands covered his face and swore loudly as he rolled in pain. Roman joined in and grabbed my brother's arms from keeping him from hitting Niko in the face again.

"Tie him down with something. I have half the mind to just leave him here to starve!" I shouted.

"You better stop talking like that to your brother!" Niko said, still holding his face. He had a bloody nose from such an impact. It dripped onto the floor where he sat. Some even got onto his shirt.

"It's not like he wants me to be his sister. He's being an asshole whenever I want to help him!" I snap back at Niko.

"What did I tell you before?! It is not him saying those things! You can't talk to him like that!"

"I tried being nice to him. All he did was call me names!"

"He doesn't mean it, Sharon!" His shout boomed throughout the apartment. I stepped back from him and ran into the bathroom. There I sobbed. I never thought I'd be in this big of a mess.

I heard a tap on the door a few minutes later.

"Sharon? It's Roman. Let me in, okay? Let me talk to you."

I hesitate before I let him in. He seemed to be on neutral ground, so I agree to let him in. He sat down on the floor with me and consoled me. My cheeks were burning with frustration, and the cold tears cooled them off. I had a headache that made things much worse.

Roman offered me a bottled water. I notice it was actually Niko's water bottle that he grabbed. It was filled up with tap water. I cry a little more when I think of him.

"Don't let Niko get you upset. He's just under a lot of stress since he took on your brother. He's dealt with tons of drug addicts. Most of them end up getting killed. He's just afraid he might lose your brother too." He stated calmly.

"Why dies he care about my brother so much?"

"Niko thinks that family is the most important thing in the world. He will stop it nothing to see your brother come clean. He's doing this for you, too. He told me that as soon as he saw that the government was after your brother, he wanted to help out. Niko is really a good guy, but he is quick to his temper if his family is in danger. Including you and your brother."

I look at Roman for a second and hic a few times as I calm down a little.

"Do you want to go talk to Niko? He's in tears too. He's really sorry he yelled at you."

That thought of him crying too brought back tears of my own as I plow through the door and run to him. He stands up from the floor where he remained when I was in the bathroom and holds me tightly as I sob hard into his shoulder. I feel him holding back tears of his own as he burried his head into me. His hands gripped my clothes tightly like he's afraid he's losing me.

He pulls me away, and I look at him. He was cleaned up a little with Roman's help. He was already forming a black eye aroung his right eye. I take his face in my hands and fight tears with him.

"Get a room, will ya?"

I hear my brother say, but I ignore him.

"I got to get back to Mila and Mallorie. Just make sure you call me if you need something." He grabbed his keys and turned to us before he left. "And make sure you three don't kill each other?" He said quickly before Niko could retaliate.

"I'm very sorry I yelled at you. I'm sure Roman explained why." Niko said.

"Yeah. He did." I said still hiccupping.

"I just want this to come to a successful conclusion. I don't care what happens to me."

"Well, I do. I want you to be happy with the result along with us. I want you to get what you want."

"I will." He reassured.

We kissed as an apology for the both of us, and all three of us sat and ate. My brother ate alone in the bedroom, but atleast I could be assured he was eating something.

After we ate, Niko tried to look for something to watch on his phone before we all decided to go to sleep and put the rough start behind us. I cuddled closely to him as he searched though movie titles. Finally, he gave up his search saying there's never anything interesting to watch anymore. I laugh a little, too exhausted to have a full laugh. I pick a movie for the both of us. Much to Niko's distaste, it was a romance movie. Something I think we both need to see to help us get back on track on our relationship.