How had it been so long since we had been here and yet felt like no time at all?
Sometimes It felt like living here was another lifetime ago, and in one way, it was. I wasn't sure how I could ever go to go back to that life, and in honesty, I don't think if I even wanted too. Not after having Noah in it, even if he was the devil and pain in my ass at times. The thought of not having him by my side felt wrong.
The trouble was yeah, we had been having sex, a lot of it, and we had been on the run all over the Country together. But at the end of the day, we were still just a couple of strangers who got thrown together because of a shitty situation. We weren't dating, he wasn't my boyfriend, and I sure as hell was not his girlfriend. I had no idea that when, if, this was all over how I would be able to just go on with life and not have him in it. It felt wrong in every sense.
"You okay over there, Sneaks?"
"Yep," nodding my head a little too vigorously.
"Sure," it wasn't a question, but I knew that he was not buying what I'd said. I was not okay at all. Not even in the slightest.
One of the guns was digging into my hip, making my heart rate sore and my head was just full of worry. Worry of all of the things that could go wrong, not about what we were going to do, but about losing him because of it.
How was anything possibly okay?
This whole situation was the most fucked up thing in the world, and yet it was my life.
Chapter Nineteen
Noah
We had been holed up in my old apartment for two days, after climbing the fire escape and smashing a window to get in undetected. The trouble was after spending so much time with Sneaks, this didn’t even feel like my home anymore. With its cold gray walls and depressing black furniture, it felt like an empty shell of who I had made myself be for far too many years.
It had never really been my home I guess; it had just been somewhere I slept occasionally. I’d never actually brought a woman to my place before her. She had wormed her way into a place where my heart had once lived and was trying to bring the shriveled, dead muscle back to life. I was letting her, hell in all honesty I wanted her to get it pumping again and she was doing just that. Maybe she was the key to everything I had never had in my life before her.
We had not discussed anything between us and with the end of this thing in touching distance. I didn’t know if there was even a point to these feelings I was having. If my plan went anything like I imagined it might, there was still a chance I could lose my life, that I would not make it out of this. The most important thing was that I get her home to her family, I had promised her after all.
Throughout my life I had never lived up to many of the promises I had made but I was determined that this was one I was keeping. No matter what happened Valentina Borroni was going home to her family. Even if I never got to see it.
A buzzing sound stopped my musing and listening out to check that Sneaks was still in the shower I hesitantly answered the call. This could backfire completely on me. This could cause a storm of bullets to rain down on me, on us, but I had no other choice. This had to end, and it was going to end on my terms if I had anything to do with it. Not my fathers.
Finding Sneaks in the bathroom attached to my bedroom I couldn’t help but smile. She was doing this thing were she just starred at herself in the mirror. It was as though she couldn’t recognize herself anymore and I could understand that. I was feeling the same way, apart from mine was not just because of my darker hair, and the beard. No, she was just as much, if not more beautiful now than when I had first seen her at The Lilac Orchard. A twinge in my chest made me place a hand over where my heart should be, the only patch of skin not tattooed. She had never asked me why it was blank, but I often caught her running those delicate fingers over the area when we had been in bed, legs intertwined.
“Sneaks?” The sound of my voice made her jump, banging her hip into the sink “What yah thinking about?”
“Nothing” she answered way to quickly and I could tell from the look on her face, we both knew that was bullshit.
“A-huh, sure” smiling I closed the distance between us, pulling her back against my chest “whatever you say Sneaks”
“You’re one to talk” she gave me suspicious eyes “What are you up?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” my voice was a whisper as my lips dropped onto her exposed shoulder.
“Oh no you don’t” wiggling out of my grip “you are up to something Diablo; sex is not going to get you out of talking”
Well it had been worth a shot.
Looking down into her deep and yet bright green eyes I could feel that dead muscle clench in my chest. Unable to stop myself I tugged on her hand and placed it over the area that was as empty on the outside as it was on in inside. The trouble was I don’t think, no I knew that was no longer the case.
“When my mom died a part of me died along with her” as I spoke the smallest gasp left her lips, but she otherwise stayed silent “When I, when I lived in England. Dating Jessica was when I realized that I was my father’s son through and through. Cold and callous and without my mom in my life I could never love another person, not in the right way” the reason for all of the one-night stands.
For the sleeping around and hitting on any woman who so much as breathed near me. Going for those social climbers gave me the excuses of not settling down, ever. Meant that I would never hurt someone like he did, break someone.
That is not what I wanted anymore though; it was just her.
“Noah” sighing I had to stop her from saying anything else so pressed a finger over her pink, pouty lips.
“The trouble is Sneaks I don’t think that, no” getting frustrated with myself for not being able to explain I closed my eyes, breaking our connection “This” pressing her hand harder against my chest “I kept empty of any tattoos to show how empty I am on the inside”
“No” opening my eyes I was almost shocked to see tears filling hers.
Dropping my forehead onto hers I found myself whispering “Don’t cry for me Sneaks, I think you’ve wormed your way into trying to fix it” before pressing my lips against hers.
Chapter Twenty
Valentina
Noah was up to something and no matter what I said, even when he declared that I was acting crazy, he would not let anything slip. I could just tell that something was going on, even after his confession in the bathroom. So, I stuck to him like a bad smell, worried he would go off and try to deal with his father without me. I wouldn't put it past him at all.
"Seriously, Sneaks," he groaned. "Give me some breathing room, will you" as I followed him into the kitchen.
"You're up to something." Aware I was sounding like a broken record; I couldn't stop myself.
He was about to reply when the sound of keys sliding into the front door lock echoed through the apartment. The both of us stopped, frozen still looking wide-eyed at one another as the door clicked open before closing with a bang.
"Shit" Noah was the first to speak.
Fear ripped through me and the fact that I had left the gun in the bedroom made me shrink back a little. The sound of footsteps of whoever it was gave me a fight or flight feeling. Without the gun, I don't know how much use I would be in a fight. I mean sure, I could kick a guy but not much else. Especially not if they had their own weapons. Shivers ran down as my spine in fear.
Who would have a key to his apartment?
Was it his father?
A whistle sounded out, and we both dropped down behind the counter. Hiding behind the island in the center before whoever it was came into the room.
"Who is that? Is it him?" oh god, what if it was someone he had hired again. "Do you have your gun?"
Cursing, he dropped his head. It was probably in the bedroom with mine.
"What the fuck” someone shouted "who the fuck is in here? Don't make me call the fucking cops, I will."
"Don't freak out" was a
ll Noah said with a smile before standing up from behind the island to face whoever it was. Reluctantly I followed him and found myself shocked to see the guy who he had been at the bar with all of those weeks, months ago. The big dark-haired guy with the dimples who had smiled at me when I got caught staring at Noah. God, that really did feel like another lifetime ago.
His big shoulders raised like he was ready to start throwing punches, but he dropped them, taking one step closer to the island that separated us. Eyes squinted, "Holy shit Noah, is that you?" when he realized it was, he smiled, showing us those dimples, I had remembered, "you're alive."
The man beside me stayed silent, and when I cleared my throat, the big man's eyes slid over to my own.
"Oh my god, you're that missing girl!" Eyes bouncing between Noah and me, he raised one eyebrow, just like my Diablo did. "Dude, did you two like, run off together?"
Wait a minute, was this his brother?
Was this the infamous Jack?
"Noah?" As I said his name his fingers intertwined with mine, hidden from view of this giant man in front of us. Why was he here?
"Jack" he gave just one nod "What do you mean 'you're alive'?"
Looking up at him I could see anger beneath the surface, ready to explode at any moment.
"People are saying you went off the rails, you know" giving me a wink "in your style. People think you got drunk and fell into a ditch or something”
What the hell did that mean?
"Would these 'people' be our father?"
At this, Jack began to slide from one foot to the other, a big awkward smile on his face. Giving Noah and I the answer to the question without ever opening his mouth.
"Our father had me kidnapped. Sneak's was just unlucky enough to be caught up in it."
"Wait. What?" The smile that had been on Jack's face disappeared instantly, "You're shitting me?"
Nodding his head, Noah continued, "He paid someone to kidnap and kill me."
"Bullshit" Jack took a stumbled step backward as if he had been hit by an invisible force.
"You think we have been on the run and you think I dyed my hair, that I grew this fucking beard" he grabbed a handful of the black hair, with a small amount of blond roots, “for some kind of a joke? This is not like your practical joke kidnappings for vacations Jack!”
Turning his eyes to me once again, I just glared at him, try me. I wanted to speak but daren't. This may be his brother, but I didn't know him. Neither of us knew what he was really capable of. He was, after all, Nicolas Hartman's son.
"Woah, you got attitude."
Growling out loud, I wanted to hit him. What was wrong with these Hartman men?
"Calm down Sneak's, your devil is showing," Noah turned to whisper in my ear, before turning back to his brother, "what's been going on here?"
"Dad has had people out looking for you. As I said, people are saying that you have gone off the rails."
"Oh, he's had people looking for me, alright. He sent three men with guns to shoot at us. Those fuckers have chased us all over the damn country."
"Where have you been?" Jack's voice still seemed to be filled with disbelief.
"Are you in on it?" He asked, mirroring my exact thought, "Sneaks go to the bedroom," bending down to whisper into my ear again, "He may be my brother, but I can't rule anything out."
Was he telling me to get my gun, our guns? Looking up into his eyes, I knew that yes, that is precisely what he was telling me.
"Why are you in my apartment?" I heard Noah ask his brother as my feet carried me as fast as possible, without running to the bedroom we had shared since coming back to the city and pulled both guns from the bedside table making my way back to the brothers as fast as possible.
With his back to me Jack didn't know I was back in the room yet and as my eyes watched his every movement, I couldn’t help but feel on edge with him being here. We had spent so much time with it just being the two of us, it felt wrong in every way for there to be another person here.
"You can't be serious, Noah. There is no way Dad would do that to you."
"You've always been blind to what that man will do to anyone who doesn't do what he says, I went against him with the board, and suddenly I'm being thrown into the back of a van and tied to a god damned chair with a gun aimed at my head. This isn't some kind of joke, Jack, and if you're in on it, I will…" We both knew it was not the only reason he and his father had issues. He'd told me many times he did everything he could to wind the man up somehow.
"You'll what, Noah?"
Sensing things were about to turn south, I rounded the kitchen island, with both guns behind my back, discreetly handing Noah his.
"What are you going to do, Noah?" His brother demanded again, looking torn. Part of him not wanting to believe what he was hearing, but the other part, the more dominant part, feared that it was all true. The look in his eyes told me he had no idea what was going on, but Noah knew his brother better than I did, so he would be the one to make the judgment call on if we could trust him.
"I'm going to make this right. He can't do what he has done to people all of his life and get away with it."
"What does that mean?"
Lifting his hand with the gun in it, and placing it on the kitchen island, clasped tightly in his grip, "You need to decide who you are with, brother."
Jack's eyes paled at the gun in Noah's grasp, and it wasn't even pointed at him.
"Noah?" Jack's voice was just above a whisper.
"I won't let him hurt her again and if you are going to stand in the way of me stopping that from happening, then I need to stop you".
"You're not going to shoot me" swallowing visibly, Jack added, "Are you?"
"I'm not, I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me, but you have to understand that I can't let you, you can't leave the apartment now, not until this is over."
Nervously he glanced at me, "You guys were really kidnapped?"
Nodding my head at him, Noah was the one who spoke, "I heard him on the phone. We managed to break free and when one of the phones rung, it was his voice on the end of that call asking if we were dead yet".
Dropping down onto a chair, Jack's large frame almost broke it with how heavily he went down, "I'll help you."
"Can we trust him?" I asked Noah not caring that Jack could hear me at all.
"Hand your phone over." Ignoring me, he walked over to his brother, still clutching the gun tightly in his hand.
"What?" Squinting his eyes at his brother Jack hesitated, confusion filling his eyes as his lips turned slightly downwards.
Sensing that this could go south quickly, Noah repeated himself louder than before as he took another step closer to his brother, "Your phone."
Reluctantly Jack handed it over, one last glance at me, and then looking back at Noah, he asked, "What's the plan then?"
"Stand up." Noah ordered, not answering him either. What was he up too?
"What?"
"Stand up, Jack," he pointed the gun loosely at him, "Bathroom."
Once he had locked his brother in the bathroom across the hall from our bedroom, he turned to me with unsure eyes. We were in a situation we didn't even consider that could happen.
"Can we trust him?" Following him into the bedroom we had shared, I gave one last glance behind me to the bathroom we had locked Jack in. If he really wanted to, he would be able to break his way through that door within seconds.
"I'd like to think so, Sneaks" he placed the gun, still cocked down on the sideboard as he wrapped both arms around my body. "But after the last few months, I don't know how I can trust anyone else around the man I call my father."
Enjoying his hold on me, I was disappointed when he released me suddenly "I need to make a call, stay here and if he tries to get out, don't be afraid to give a warning shot."
"Oh, that's just what we need, Diablo, the cops knocking the door down because of a gunshot."
"So, god damn dramatic" he shouted over his shoul
der as he walked back out into the hallway.
A chuckle came from the other side of the bathroom door, opposite the bedroom where I was still standing.
"What's so funny?"
Devil In The Elevator: A Hartman Romance Page 17
