"What?" Side eyeing him, I aimed the gun and missed the cans again. Damn it.
"Shooting me, it's written all over your beautiful scowling face, now point it at the can and fucking shoot, it is not that hard."
"I hate you."
"Nah, you don't."
"I do too!"
"Look," he pulled his own gun out, aimed and as soon as he released the trigger, the can in the middle of the lineup on the rock flew backwards.
"Maybe you’re just a shit teacher, ever think of that?"
"You are angry today."
"Watch it, Diablo," I nodded to the gun, "You don't want the one time I hit what I aim for to be your dick."
He instantly dropped his hand down over his package, "Don't even joke, Sneaks."
"Who said I'm joking?"
"You're the fucking devil, little one."
"Watch who you're calling little"
The night was my least favorite when we were in this forest. The bleak darkness filled me with anxiety. Fear that they, anyone, was watching us at any moment. Hiding in the darkness, just waiting to pounce. Especially after our trip back into civilization after so long only being around each other.
"If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?" This was how our evenings went, asking random and stupid questions.
For example, I discovered one-night last week that when he was a child, he had a slight obsession with Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. His mom had made him a little costume, and he would walk around trying to bite people, to turn them into a vampire. I lost count of how many minutes I laughed my ass off at that one. In fact, I almost passed out from the lack of oxygen.
"California" I told him, sipping on my warm tea.
"Not aboard, somewhere on a beach?"
"They have beaches in California, Noah"
"No. Do they?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice. Do not hit him, Val. "Why, California?"
"I always wanted to live on a ranch with a view of the ocean, don't get me wrong I love New York. Its where I was born and raised, but sometimes it can feel so suffocating. Everything can feel like it's on top of you. California seems like it’s much more, open and free"
Swallowing his tea and nodding slightly "You make a good point"
"What about you?"
"Sometimes I think that I would like to go back to London, but then I remember that I don't actually like it when it rains. And god the wind, they say Chicago is the windy City but the wind In England is a whole other level sometimes"
Laughing at this, I actually agreed. "Back when Allie and I went traveling, she had these thick heavy bangs that she used, like half a can of hairspray on it every morning. One day we had been walking through Covent Garden, and it was pretty windy. So, in Allie fashion, she held her bangs down with the side of her hand to stop it flapping. I kid you not, that thing moved as one from the amount of hairspray, you could literally pick it up in one piece.
Anyway, this man who was walking towards us laughed out loud. Allie being, well, Allie shouted 'I don't know what he is laughing at' I didn't have the heart to tell her he was laughing because she looked like a crazy person"
"She sounds like a fun friend"
"She is the best, we have known each other almost eighteen years, I don't know what I would do without her" I admitted "She is the sister I never had"
"And I really hit on her in that bar?"
"Yep" a chuckle leaving my lips. "She was so mad at you, what was it she said? Something about you being the most arrogant prick she had ever had the displeasure of meeting. Something along those lines anyway" I wonder what she would make of what had happened between the two of us since I had last seen her? Would she hate that I had slept with him, repeatedly? Knowing her, she would tell me to threaten to kick him more than I already did.
"I don't even remember that at all, how bad is that?" cringing, he took a swig of the lukewarm tea I had made us.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Raising my eyebrows, I tried not to smile, but when his eyes connect to mine, I couldn't help myself. There was just something about this man that confused every fiber of my being.
"I remember our little rendezvous in the elevator though"
Sighing, I dropped my now empty cup on the floor. "Nothing happened or was going to happen in that god damned elevator Noah, and you haven't had a chance to forget that, you've been stuck with me ever since" Back then, I had thought that he was such an asshole, I mean I still think that but now I know there is more to him than that. He would do anything to protect me while we were on the run.
"Ahh, but if I had shown you my tattoos back then I have a feeling you would have dropped to your knees for me"
"Keep dreaming, Diablo, keep dreaming" we both knew he was probably right.
"You know, I don't think any woman has ever reacted the way you did to my tattoos, the way you did in that gas station bathroom or that motel one”
"Maybe I just have a thing for bathrooms" my tone was teasing.
His eyes dropped to my mouth, and I knew what he was thinking. My legs instinctively clenched together, remembering our first time together in that motel shower.
Feeling like time started to move in slow motion, he leant towards me, eyes consuming me in a way that only he could. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, anticipating his touch. God did I want his touch. I was like an addict when it came to this man, and I didn't know what I was going to do when this was over. Would I even see him again once we weren't on the run anymore?
A sound made us both freeze instantly. Less than a second later, another, that of a twig snapping in the distance made me feel sick. With a hand on the back of my neck, our lips an inch apart, we just looked into each other's panic-filled eyes. Someone was out there. Loosening my arms from around his neck, I jumped up, putting my back to our tent and facing the woods. "What was that?"
"Get the guns" was all Noah said in a whisper as he stood up watching the dark forest, as though he had night vision and would be able to see them, whoever it was out that was out there.
Standing by his side after getting both of our guns, we both just stood in silence. The only sounds were our nervous breaths as we waited and listened for another sound, only it never came.
"It was probably just an animal" Noah said, tucking the gun into his waistband.
"If you think it’s an animal, why are you whispering?" Wait, an animal? "What kind of animal Noah?" When he didn't answer my mind came up with wolves and bears, and I was on the move "I'm sleeping in the car"
As I stomped away, he grabbed my hand "Calm down and sit" he nodded to the log I had not long since vacated “I’ll make another hot drink"
Between the fear and the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins, I didn't think I would be sleeping tonight, and I was not in the mood for more chamomile tea either.
We stayed silent, sitting around the fire until almost an hour later when we had settled down again. Neither of us in the mood to sleep or anything else for that matter, when someone stepped out of the tree line arm raised. The outline sent shivers down my spine.
Noah didn't wait to see who it was or what they had to say. He just pulled the trigger on his gun before I even really registered what has happening. The shadowy figure dropped to the ground instantly as a bullet ripped through the air and through their chest.
Another sound came from behind us, and raising my own gun, I pulled the trigger before Noah could, the shot echoing around us. This person stumbled forwards into the light of the fire, dropping onto his knees, laughing.
The adrenaline from shooting the gun was making me feel sick to my stomach.
It was them.
It had to be.
How had they found us out here?
Knowing that it must have been on our trip into town for supplies my stomach sank even further. How had we not seen them following us?
As Noah moved closer to the man I'd shot, holding a torch, I was more shocked than I should ha
ve been to see that it was one of the men who had been with the green-haired one when they found us in that town. When we had been in the diner.
With his long ratty hair tied into a low ponytail, I could feel my body trembling from adrenaline and fear mixed together.
What do we do now?
Were there others out there waiting to step into the clearing we had set up camp in?
An evil laugh trembled from his pale and cracked lips as Noah stood over him, "You think this is over? It's only just beginning. Others will be out there looking for you. You're both already dead, it’s only a matter of time” my feet had moved me closer without realizing it, the gun shaking in my hand I didn't know what to do.
Pulling two guns off of him, Noah threw them on the ground, towards my feet.
"Get in the car" he was angry, and when I hesitated, he practically screamed at me, "Now Val, get in the fucking car!" Picking up the guns that he had thrown at my feet, I did as he asked, no, as he ordered.
Opening the car door slowly my eyes couldn't help but look over towards them. Watching Noah's hand raise high into the air before crashing down like a ton of bricks, using the butt of the gun to knock the guy with the ponytail out. He then went over to the first one, the guy that he had shot. Watching as he crouched down too low for me to see what he was doing before returning to me. Holding another gun, much bigger than any of the others, and silver.
My stomach dropped. Were they dying, if not already dead?
Was I responsible for killing a man, taking a life?
Even if they had been after us, willing to kill us. I don't know how I could live with the knowledge that I had played a part in them losing their lives.
Unable to speak, I stayed silent, dropping myself into the passenger seat and closing the door with a slam as Noah began to speed his way through the woods. We were driving so fast I was surprised we didn't end up wrapped around one of the trees.
"Where are we going, Noah?"
"Home" that one word sent shivers down my spine.
We were going back to New York, and instead of the delight, I should have been feeling at the prospect of seeing my family soon. Now I only felt sick.
Were we making a mistake by going back to the City, to our home?
Only time would tell.
Knowing that I would rather go and regret it than never try and live with the what ifs.
I kept my eyes on the road as he drove as fast away, putting as much distance between them and us as he could.
Neither of us knew what was going happen next, but we had each other. Maybe that was the most important part of this.
Chapter Eighteen
Valentina
"What about that motel" pointing over at a place that honestly looked worse than any we had stayed in before and that was saying a lot. "Yeah, okay, no, it’s awful," I said when he just looked at me with a look that clearly said, 'Are you crazy?'
"Fine, not that one, but we need to stop soon Diablo." I needed to wash properly, after being in those woods for as long as we had, that lake was no shower. In fact, it was like washing in cold dirty dishwater.
"You know, I think that is the first time you have called me that in almost a week."
"I very much doubt that" was he right? Had I really not called him Diablo recently? Huh.
"True story." He nodded and smiled to himself, turning into another motel, "stay here, I'll be right back."
We had been driving for days without stopping properly. We just kept swapping over who was driving and who got to sleep every time we had to stop for gas. I needed an actual bed to sleep in and hopefully, a decent shower. Hell, at this moment in time, I would take anything that had hot running water I could use to clean myself up.
Watching as he walked away to the reception, I found my nervous eyes darting around. Looking for anyone who could be watching us that little bit too closely. They'd said that others were out there, after us, but was that true? Or had they just been trying to scare us to save themselves?
Almost five minutes later Noah finally came strutting back towards me, keys dangling from his fingers.
I tried to fight the grin that took over my face, I really did, but seeing those keys and knowing we would be able to clean ourselves up and sleep in a bed, even if only for a few hours. God, that filled me with just a little bit of happiness.
“You’re lucky that you calling me the devil turns me on so much because that receptionist just offered me the key to her room” his eyes were twinkling at me but at the same time there was this look in them that told me that was true.
Swallowing a lump in my throat I wanted to ask if he took it but stopped myself. Knowing that I liked him a lot more than I cared to admit. The Valentina who had met this man, this asshole, back at that wine bar would be screaming bloody murder at me for the thoughts running through my mind these days. The trouble was I had no claim to him so if he did take her keys, or anything from her for the matter, what could I say?
“Calm it Sneaks, I declined” he winked before grabbing our bags and turning his back to me once again.
Being back on the road, I began to feel sick. Nerves filled me as street signs I recognized came into view, meaning that we weren't that far from New York. Only another couple of hours and we would be at our destination. Home.
"You okay?" Noah asked, passing a stick of gum to me.
"Yeah sure, we're about to walk into the pits of hell. I'm freaking on cloud nine, Diablo".
Snickering, he turned the radio up. "Relax, Sneak's, we have a little while before we get there. May as well enjoy the ride" He gave me a wink and turned his concentration back onto the road.
When the car finally came to a stop, both of us just stared out at the view I had once loved to look at, but now, well now, it made me want to burn the place to the ground.
"It's time," the man next to me said with trepidation, giving me one last glance under his lashes before starting the car again, driving us straight into hell itself. Ready or not, we were home.
Ditching the car on the outskirts of Manhattan, we jumped on the subway, heading towards his apartment. Hoods up and eyes cast down, we tried not to call any attention to who we were. Mainly for the fact that I was still a missing person who had been plastered on the news, and god knows where else. We both had nerves about being here, being back in this city. We just internalized it all, not wanting to panic the other.
Pulling the baseball cap low on my face and keeping my head down, I stayed as close to Noah as possible. Unwilling to be separated from him, no matter what happened right now.
There was every chance that walking into the devil's lair that was New York City was the dumbest idea I had ever had, but we couldn't run forever, and yeah, we may have possibly ended the guys who kidnapped us, well, two of them anyway. With no idea what had happened to the one with the neon green hair, we had to assume he was locked up somewhere for shooting a gun in a public place, but in America, in this Country, you just never knew.
A warm hand surrounded my own that was laid limply in my lap. Noah gave a small squeeze, reassuring me without saying a word. Sighing and squeezing his hand back I tried to suppress the smile threatening to break out on my face.
I had forgotten how loud New York could be and how rude New Yorkers were. A small group of teenagers pushed each other around as the older people on the subway just rolled their eyes or shot them dirty looks. Thankful that they were taking the attention, we were able to slip off the train with no-one noticing us.
Getting out into the un-fresh air that was New York, we stopped on the sidewalk and just looked at each other. Fear in my eyes and optimism in his. I don't know how we had agreed to go to his apartment, but it seemed like a solid option before we got here, now, though. I didn't know if we should have just found a hostel or a hotel or something. Could you get arrested for breaking into your own apartment?
"You can just go home now," he was almost too quiet to hear, interpreting the tho
ughts I was having incorrectly.
"Stop it. I told you, I'm following this through, Noah." With him.
"I still think I might change my name to Diablo, legally, you think they would accept it?"
Snickering at his comment, I just started to walk down the street. Soon catching up to me, I was almost shocked when he laced his fingers with mine again. Keeping us connected as we walked through the busy streets that neither of us had stepped in months. Keeping our heads down, hoping not to run into anyone either of us knew.
Devil In The Elevator: A Hartman Romance Page 16
