I scoff and he utters, “I needed a chance to meet you. I needed to have something on you. Something you owed me for. I-I love you, Lexi.”
“You got a funny way of showing it,” Turning to him, I sneer, “Antonio.”
Standing in front of me, blocking my exit, he snatches my hand and places it over the small thirteen tattooed on his cheekbone. His frantic eyes meet mine. “Feel that scar? Know how I got it?” His lip quivers. “You should. You were there.”
Cupping his cheek, I dip my chin and cry softly, “I still love you. So I need to walk away from you. You need help.”
He ignores me, “This angel appears in front of me. I think to myself that God sent her to me. That I was going to die and that she was there to guide me to heaven.”
My shoulders shake with every heaving breath, I stutter, “P-please, stop.”
Catching my face in his hands, he goes on, “She was bossy as hell. And I fell in love with her. But I thought she’d never want someone like me. And my life got complicated, and my brain stopped working like other peoples. Somewhere between then and now, she fell in love with me too.”
Kissing my mouth, he utters, “She’s in danger, though. And I need to keep her safe. Because I love her.” Another kiss. “I’d kill anyone who tried to hurt her.”
“You’re hurting me. You’ve been hurting me from that first day. And my heart can’t take it anymore. I’m done.”
The lift doors open and he pulls back, “You said you’d never leave me. And I’m holding you to that. Because when you’re safe again, I’m coming for you, Angel.”
Leaving him in the lift, I turn and start to walk backwards. Watching him watch me, I tell him, “I’m pregnant.”
His face contorts in pain. A tear falls past the thirteen on his cheek. Sniffing, he turns his head to wipe the tear away. He sounds so determined as he says, “Then I’ll come for both of you.”
Realizing there’s no point in arguing with Twitch, I turn and walk my broken self towards the main entrance. A man holds the door open for me. He smiles sweetly, and I return the smile. No point in being angry at a man I don’t know. Especially one who wears an eye patch.
I walk a short distance before I hear Twitch shout, “Lexi! Run!”
But I don’t. I turn to the sound of his voice.
The man with the eye patch has his gun aimed at me. A chorus of panicked shouting erupts, and people scatter like ants.
I don’t blame them. If I wasn’t so petrified, I’d run too.
The man smirks at me and shouts back to Twitch, “You should know better, old friend.” Holding my gaze, he utters, “No one wins in war.”
Closing my eyes tightly, my hands cover my stomach protectively as I await the inevitable.
Today, I die.
The shot rings out, and I’m amazed by how little I feel.
Another three shots ring out and I open my eyes. Twitch has the man on his back, with the gun pointed at his forehead. The man laughs, “Oh well. It was worth a try.”
And those would be the last words that man ever said.
The man’s body jerks uncontrollably as Twitch pulls back on the trigger and places a bullet into his brain.
Twitch kneels over the man’s body, panting. Reaching up, he cups the side of his neck, and from this angle, I can’t tell how badly hurt he is. My brain finally tells my feet to move and I run towards him. My mouth won’t work. My eyes move down to the side of his neck where he clutches his palm. Blood trickles from between his fingers and I choke out, “You’re hurt.”
He chuckles, “Just a graze, babe. Seriously, it’s nothing.”
I watch as the trickle turns to a gush. His eyes flutter as he says weakly, “Go get Happy. Right now.”
Standing quickly, I run back into the building and screech, “Happy! I need help!”
Not a second passes before I see Happy exit the door to my right and run towards me. Not allowing myself even a moment away from Twitch, I run and Happy follows. He yells out, “What happened?”
I shout back, “He’s been shot. In the neck.”
When we reach him, my rapidly beating heart stills. He’s not moving. Happy runs right to his side and lifts him. I see the bullet hole in his neck. With every beat of his heart, more blood is pumped out of his body and onto the sidewalk. Happy says, “C’mon, man! Wait! Just wait! Twitch! Wake up!” Happy shakes him and he stirs.
Pulling out his cell phone, Happy dials and says, “Gunshot wound to the neck. Losing a lot of blood. He’s barely conscious.” He rattles off the address while Twitch and I stare into one another’s eyes.
He murmurs, “Too stubborn to die, babe. You know that.”
I do know that. At least, that’s what I choose to believe right now.
Blurry-eyed, I whisper unconvincingly, “Okay.”
He forces a smile and says weakly, “Had worse wounds than this one.” His eyes flutter. “Tell me what we’re naming our baby.”
I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to distract me.