Chapter 18: Doubt
Johnny woke up in the backroom of the Lost clubhouse, he was feeling like shit from the night before. He and The Lost partied hard and Johnny was paying for it. He looked over to see a half empty bottle of beer, he looked inside it and saw a cigarette butt. He didn't care, he drank the flat warm Pisswasser and it started to help his hangover. He stood up and walked out to the bar, the rest of The Lost were laying around passed out. Johnny walked behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of Mount Up, he poured a shot and drank it, followed by another. He walked outside, the summer sun blinded his hungover eyes. He grabbed his phone and dialed Kiki, the phone rang and she answered. "Hello?" She asked. "Hey, Kiki. It's Johnny. Any word yet on my case?" He asked her. "As it happens, there is. Congressman Thomas Stubbs has had the case against you dropped. I was informed this morning, our business is done. So please lose my number, and do not contact me further." Kiki replied before hanging up. Johnny breathed a sigh of relief. He got on his bike and rode down the street.
Meanwhile
After Kiki hung up the phone, she looked up in the penthouse loft that she and Niko lived in. She felt relieved, yet ashamed at her behavior. She felt her pregnant belly, that was still too soon to show. "Things will be good little one. Daddy is a good man." Kiki said softly. She stood up, and walked to the counter. She fixed herself a cup of coffee and walked back to the sofa. She drank the coffee, and thought about things. Her bottom still hurt from the escapade a few days prior, she didn't question what Niko did to Linda. The concept scared, yet thrilled her. Kiki knew that the fantasy about being with a criminal was not romantic, it was actually frightening. But Niko was pure, he was raw, passionate, and sensitive. Kiki still loved Niko, but she was scared of him. Scared that he might go off at any minute, afraid he might have animosity. She started to shake as she sipped her coffee.
Niko woke up, he got out of bed and walked into the living room. He saw Kiki sitting there drinking coffee. She wore a short purple night gown with spaghetti straps, he wore boxers. He walked over to the counter, he poured himself a cup of coffee out of the percolator. He poured a little vodka in the coffee and took a sip. "Good morning, beautiful." Niko told Kiki. She just looked at him, like a deer in the lights. "What's wrong?" He asked her. "I don't know, I'm having doubts." Kiki replied. "What do you mean?" Niko asked Kiki. "I saw the news, they described the state Linda was in when they found her. Niko, I'm going to be honest. You scare me." Kiki replied. Niko sighed, he took a sip of coffee and sat down next to her. "I was in a bad place, the whole day was shit. Kiki. I am not a psychopath. I am troubled, maybe I am just making excuses. I acted the way I did, because I love you. I love our baby that is on way. I want us to be a happy couple and family." Niko replied. "I know, as much as I am frightened. I am flattered and turned on by your raw passion. Maybe in time, we can get over this." Kiki told Niko. The two kissed, she looked down at her coffee.
Niko stood up, he walked back into the bedroom to get dressed. He wore his striped button up shirt, stonewashed jeans, and blue tennis shoes from Modo. Niko walked out and grabbed the keys to his Infernus off the counter, he walked over to Kiki and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you beautiful." He told her. "Love you too." She said bashfully. Niko walked onto the elevator and left, Kiki drank her coffee. Niko walked outside, he got into his car and drove off. The tavern was closed that day, so he had the day off. He called Dwayne Forge, a friend of his who gave him the penthouse. "Yo, Niko. What's up?" Dwayne asked him. "Hey, man. I'm on my way to your place, wanna go shoot some pool?" Niko asked Dwayne. "Hell yeah, come on over." Dwayne replied. "Cool, man. On my way." Niko said before hanging up the phone.
Niko pulled up in front of Dwayne's apartment, something caught his eye. Two vans full of gangsters pulled up in front of Niko, several men got out with automatic weapons. "That mofucka gotta be in there, storm the place and take him out." One of them said. Niko grabbed his Desert Eagle from his glove box, he got out of the car and watched the incedent. "Dwayne Forge! Mofucka you done!" The gangster shouted. That was all Niko needed to hear, he shot the gangster in the head. The gangsters that remained outside started shooting at Niko, he took cover behind his car. He took out the gangsters with ease, he then ran inside the apartment. Niko immediately ran inside Dwayne's apartment, he saw Dwayne's dead guards all over the corridor. "Shit." Niko said. A blast from the second floor caught his attention, the ceiling caved in. Niko dodged the falling debris just in time, flames started to overcome the building.
Niko ran upstairs to Dwayne's apartment, he ran inside to find Dwayne, along with the gangsters, in pieces all over the room. A gaping hole in the floor and the walls were in flames, Niko ran outside of the building. He heard sirens, so he ran to his car and started it up. He sped away from the scene, he breathed a sigh of relief when he got away from the area. "Poor Dwayne, at least he is at peace now." Niko said to himself. He got on the phone and called Kiki, she answered the phone "Hey, Niko." Kiki said. "I'm coming home, bad shit has happened." Niko told her. "Okay, I'll be here." Kiki replied. Niko hung up the phone, he was driving back to his apartment when a police cruiser pulled up behind him flashing their lights. "Fuck!" Niko shouted. He pulled over, he reached out his visa and driver's license. The policeman approached him, he looked at Niko. "Niko Bellic?" The policeman asked in a Hispanic voice. "How did you know…" The policeman knocked Niko out with a pistol whip, he grabbed Niko and pulled him out of the car.