Billion Dollar Hearts (Inconguity Series Book 3)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  Our gazes lock and I slip a hand up my dress to get the gun that Max gave me, thrusting it into Gideon’s lap. His eyes narrow and I can see the violence in his gaze and I know he isn’t happy with me right now—hasn't been since I walked in here—but I ignore that and start sawing through the confines that keep him bound to the chair.

  “Fucking sign this shit or your brain bits will be all over this beautiful study of yours! I know the one thing you are afraid of, Giovanni and that’s dying! I’m trying to help you by keeping you alive. Your son wanted you dead, I’m doing you a fucking favor you, asshole!” Alexander shouts at Giovanni, both of them not paying Gideon and I any mind.

  Where is Tom? I wonder if he knows where we are now because I fucking need help with Gideon. How the fuck are we going to make it out of here alive. All too soon, I manage to get Gideon’s feet and hands free but before sweet relief can fill me, silence has now fallen in the room.

  I turn and there they are, both Giovanni and Alexander are looking down at me as I finish cutting loose the rope that was around Gideon.

  “Oh no please, continue. That was highly entertaining.” I say with a careless shrug.

  “I was saving you for last because you are the pain in my ass that got us here. But, I should thank you for all of this, or else I would have needed another plan to get here regardless.” Alexander says in a cool voice and then aims his gun at me.

  An animalistic growl suddenly fills the room and Gideon pushes out of the chair, startling Giovanni and Alexander who shifts his aim from me to Gideon and then he shoots, hitting Gideon in the chest but at the same time—with the gun I gave him—Gideon aims at Alexander and presses the trigger, shooting Alexander in the chest five times and the old man falls to his knees, right beside Caleb’s dead body.

  As he sinks to the ground, his startled gaze meets mine and for some reason, I don’t feel anything at all. I know I should feel remorse, watching human life being taken but Alexander wanted to kill me. He wants to kill Gideon and he definitely killed my mother and father. I feel nothing as I look at him and I’m glad Gideon’s aim was precise. Clearly Gideon didn’t want Alexander to die immediately and now I know why.

  “Where is it?” I question. My voice isn’t mine. It’s cold, distant and strangely detached from all of this. It’s almost as if I’m asking for a weather report.

  “Never.” Alexander whispers, but his eyes hold a plea. He wants to die now.

  “No, I think we’ll let you die slowly.” I say as I get to my feet and watch as Gideon falls back into the chair. I make eye contact with him and watch as he pleads with me. I know he wants me to leave it and we should go but I need to know. I take the gun that Max had and aim it at Alexander, but this time, I shoot his thigh, right in the middle and hear as he howls in pain and cusses me in that weak voice of his.

  “Please. . .” Alexander tries again.

  “Where?” I question again.

  “Your mother’s gravesite.” He simply says.

  “You murdered my family.” I respond as I hear the now clear sound of the police and FBI right outside. They must have this place surrounded. Where is Tom.

  “I’m so. . .sorry.” He stammers but all I can see is the vacant look of death in my mother’s eyes and the coldness of my father’s skin.

  And with that last thought, I aim the gun at Alexander head as I hear the pounding of several feet rushing towards where we are. I aim at him—unaware of Giovanni moving—my focus and all my senses zeroed in on Alexander. The man who took my family away— and with that, I pull the trigger, relishing in the forceful vibration of the firearm as a bullet leaves the chamber and makes a clean break between Alexander eyes. A loud bang echoes through the room at the same time as I pull the trigger.

  I’m not cognizant of anything else. I don’t hear Giovanni’s laughter. I don’t see that Gideon isn’t breathing anymore but when I do—a sharp piercing pain goes through my chest and I fall down to knees as Tom tries to revive Gideon.

  “No!” I scream. “Gideon, wake up! Please!” I scream but he doesn’t respond.

  Because while I was focused on killing Alexander, Giovanni had managed to get Alexander’s gun that had scattered towards him—and then used it to aim and shoot Gideon again.

  It’s all my fault.

  Incongruity

  An unusual, inconsistent situation or a non-conforming aspect or issue that does not follow suit to the manner of being in a given surrounding.

  Chapter 30

  Gideon

  I feel numb. I can’t move. I can’t open my eyes and I can’t breathe. I’m not breathing at all. I feel pressure at my chest but I’m just so tired. I can’t do this anymore.

  “Gideon please! Wake up!”

  I know that voice! That voice electrocutes me and I feel like waking up. She needs me, her voice is in distress and she needs me. I need to get away from the haze of darkness that is around me. I need to get to her.

  “We have a pulse!” Someone shouts but I don’t care. I need to get to Charlotte. I need to open my eyes and see her.

  “Hang on, Gideon. You fucking stay alive damnit!” She screams at me but her voice is faraway now. The more I fight the darkness, the more it overpowers me and I lose.

  I want to tell her that I’m right here and everything is alright. I want to tell her that she is alright and everything will fall into place but I feel numb again. I feel empty once again.

  The darkness is closing in and closing in on me faster than I can fight it.

  “We are losing him! Fucking hurry up!”

  The shouts and screams all get lost as I give in to the bliss of silence and peace. . .

  “I’M LOST, GIDEON.”

  I come to at the sad, heartbroken and pain-filled voice that reaches my ears. I can feel her gripping my hand and brushing my hair back. Her soft touch makes me almost moan in delight and pleasure but no sound comes from me.

  I fight to open my eyes but I can’t. I want to see her but I can’t open them. My fucking body isn’t cooperating with me but I can feel the wetness at my hand. She’s crying—fucking crying and I can’t do a damn thing about it.

  “Please wake up! I feel lost and I don’t have a home, Gideon.”

  You are not lost baby, I’m right here!

  “I don’t have anywhere to go because you are my home, Gideon. Without you here I don’t know what to do with myself. I was so hell bent on getting revenge for my parents, I forgot to actually take a breath and be alive in the moment with you.”

  She is crying crazy tears, her words gutting me, slaying me until I feel like I want to rip my own heart out to give it to her. Stop crying baby, please.

  “Everything is dark without you here. Please come back to me, please. . .”

  Her voice breaks on a whisper and she starts crying, deep and hard sobs that I can feel the vibrations shaking her entire body.

  “I’m in pain here and I need you to open those gorgeous eyes. I love you Gideon. I think I’ve been in love with you since the day those beautiful, beguiling green pools of gorgeousness sliced me, cutting me open right in front of my office building. I’m in love with you. . .”

  She loves me? Did she just fucking say she loves me?

  A piercing alarm cuts through the room and I suddenly can’t breathe.

  “Oh my God. Nurse! Somebody help!”

  I can hear her shouting, I can hear the alarm going but I can’t catch my breath. I don’t think I’m going to survive but at least I’ll go knowing one thing. She loves me. She is in love with me and so am I with every inch of her.

  Chapter 31

  Chloe

  They dragged me out of Gideon’s hospital room, as countless of medical personnel flooded the room, bringing all kinds of machines in there.

  That was eight hours ago.

  I’m pacing the halls because they took him to surgery again after Gideon’s body started convulsing on the bed, thrashing and I don’t fucking know what was happening to him. All I
know is he was dying. In that moment he was dying and no one is telling me anything now. But I keep pacing.

  Tears have since fallen down my cheeks three days since Gideon was shot three times while we were in Chicago. And now we are at a private hospital in New York state. According to Max, Gideon is much safer here than he could be anywhere else.

  I demanded to know why and that’s when he told me that Max actually owns this hospital and It's the very one where Gideon’s grandfather has been recuperating all this time.

  I keep pacing.

  Oh God, please. I say a little prayer. I have always believed that there was a power out there, a higher force that grants and takes life. And if He can take life, then he can definitely give it back as well. Please not Gideon.

  I think back to the moment in the library when I realized that Gideon had been shot again.

  Tom and some men in SWAT gear run into the room and I watch as Tom quickly assesses the situation and then he quickly orders the men he came in with to get Giovanni.

  The men quickly walks over to Giovanni who is still laughing hysterically and I watched fascinated as they gag him, and then put a black bag over his head and lift him up and the next thing I know, they open a window that I hadn’t noticed before and then leave with Giovanni between them.

  “Gideon.”

  That’s when I hear Tom’s panicked voice as he tries to wake Gideon but he was unresponsive.

  “What. . .?” My voice is a broken whisper.

  “I’m sorry Chloe, but he doesn’t have a pulse.”

  “MISS. SMITH”

  A soft voice disturbs my twisted reverie, jarring me out of the damn memory that I see when I close my eyes trying to sleep and when I'm awake, I still hear that gunshot going off.

  “Miss. Smith, are you okay?” That’s when I turn to see Dr. Brown standing there, looking at me with a look of concern.

  “I'm sorry, doctor. I just. . . that doesn’t matter. How is he?” I question him as I walk faster to stand next to him.

  “Are you sure you are alright? You haven’t let me look at you and examine if there is something wrong.”

  “No, I’m sure Doc. I’m alright it’s him I’m concerned about.” I say hurriedly, wanting him to tell me what I want to know. I can’t face the look of concern in his eyes. I don’t need that right now.

  “We had to do an immediate surgery. Gun powder is a lethal thing to the blood cells but we managed to get the last of it out of him.”

  “So, the surgery was successful?”

  “Yes and no.” He answers, now looking down at the clipboard he was holding.

  “What?”

  “You know, three days ago we tried to tape up his left lung that was punctured by the bullet?”

  “Yes. . .” I’m not sure where this is going but my palms are now sweating and I don’t know what to do now. I feel restless and dread goes down my spine.

  “Well, that lung failed and we needed to immediately give him another one or else we were going to lose him.”'

  Oh my God. It always fucking gets worse before it gets better doesn’t it. I gasp and tears start to silently fall down my cheeks.

  “But a lung transplant doesn’t just come around. . .” I say in a broken whisper, choking the words out. I can’t breathe.

  “Yes, which is why I have to tell you that we found a donor who was willing to give his lung. The match was exactly 100% and we have already done the surgery.”

  What?

  “Who?” I question but as I really look at the tired doctor, I see the sadness in his eyes and I just know. Oh my God. I can’t. . .

  “Samuel Black, Gideon’s grandfather, I’m sure you met him a day ago—he passed away a few hours ago and gave us permission to donate his organs as a donor. It just so happened—under the grace of God, that his own grandson needed a transplant and he was there to give it.

  Samuel is gone? “Does Gideon know?” I ask as I turn feeling a heavy gaze on me and see Max—whose arm is in a cast—and Sam standing there watching me. I know they heard the entire conversation, judging by the look on their faces.

  “Not yet.” Dr. Brown answers with heavy regret. “But he is awake and asking for you. He was muttering your name and as soon as he woke up, it’s you he was asking for.”

  I look at him, feeling a sense of relief and yet, pain fills my insides.

  “My dear friend, Samuel, also penned this letter for you both.” Doctor Brown says as he extends an envelope with the Black House seal at the back.

  With a shaky hand, I reach out to receive it but I’m shaking like a leaf.

  “Thank you. And I’m so, so sorry.” I say to him, tears falling silently down my cheeks.

  “It’s alright.” He says then turns to give Max a look that I don’t understand and he disappears down the hall.

  “Go, Chloe.” Sam whispers to me and that’s all I need. Turning on my heel, I run down the hall in search for him.

  Chapter 32

  Gideon

  ELECTRICITY CHARGES through the room as our gazes connect. She stands there, in the room yet she hasn’t taken a step further into the room. I can feel my pulse thrumming as she takes me in.

  Her grey stormy eyes take me in from my feet that are covered by the hospital sheets, all the way to the top of my head as she takes me in and I feel like I’ve just been burnt. She doesn’t say anything but I watch as her breath catches on a heave and her red rimmed eyes start glittering with more tears.

  “Come here.” I demand. I can’t keep feeling like this. I just can’t handle the distance between us anymore nor can I handle the tears that fall down her cheeks.

  “Gideon. . .” She starts but that twisted, masochistic answering need in her—the need to do as she is told by me, the need to appease me—kicks in.

  “Lock the door behind you.” I instruct because I don’t want to be interrupted. I need time with my woman and I’m going to make sure that we both don’t get out of here without solving our issues. I can still see the turmoil in her. Even though she doesn’t want to run now, she still has a bit of fight in her. Fighting the inevitable between us.

  I watch as she turns to shut the door then turns the lock and then she starts walking over to where I lie in the large hospital bed.

  “Get on.” I instruct as I force myself to move, gritting my teeth.

  “Are you sure, the doctors. . .”

  “I said come here Chloe.” I cut her off and I watch delighted as she kicks off her sandals and then she crawls onto the bed with me. I love the fact that she is wearing a summer dress. Easy access.

  “Look at me.” I instruct as she keeps staring down at my chest where bandages are wrapped around me. I feel like a fucking mummy and I can’t move as much as I want to, seeing as I’ve just underwent a lung transplant on me.

  “Are you alright?” I question when our gazes lock but at my question she looks away, making me angry. “Don’t you fucking look away from me.” I grit out. I can’t not see her eyes right now. I need to search the depths of them to get her to understand me.

  “God, Gideon. You were shot three times, had two surgeries in the past three days and then you just had a lung transplant—and yet here you are, asking if I’m alright.” She looks up at me with disbelief in her eyes but i don’t see the problem. Just as long as she is not the one in this very bed, I’m fine with whatever.

  “So long as it’s not you in my place.” I grit out as I tuck her body closer to me. I need to hold her, her luscious frame fitting perfectly into mine. Her soft curves in perfect contrast with my hardness. Fuck, I’m turned on.

  “Gideon, I’m so, so sorry.” She starts after a pause. We stare at each other. “I know we never actually talked about it but I lied. I kept a lot of things away from you and it landed us in trouble.”

  “I know. I knew all along.” I say.

  “But you didn’t say anything.”

  “Because I was still working out some stuff. I knew some things just didn’t add
up. Fucking Hamilton was a dog right from the start and my grandfather had me on him for a long time.”

  “Which is why you tracked me down.”

  “Yes and no.” I figure now is the perfect time for us to lay down our truths, lies and secrets. “Initially, my grandfather told me that Hamilton was looking for someone but I didn’t think much about it at the time. That was days before his accident.” I explain as she looks up at me wide eyed. Her arm softly laying around my torso and her plump, sexy breast pressing into my side but I need to talk about this before I can take her

  “It was only a few days later when he gave me your name. He was actually about to slip into a coma, whispering your full name. So, I looked you up and there you were, working for Stefan Demetri.”

  “So that wasn’t the first time you had seen me? When we bumped into each other?” She questions but I know she already knows the answer to that.

  “No, it wasn’t. I had Fred and John follow you and then they came back with surveillance pictures of you and that’s when I knew I had to see you for myself.” I admit, thinking back to the moment I looked down at the picture of a stunning, haunted and tense woman.

  “I think I wanted you then too. I just knew I had to get you with me.” I says, not at all bothered that I practically stalked her. If I was given the option, I would do it all over again, just to have her. “I watched as you worked for Demetri, followed you as you went home but you never saw me. I followed you for three days before the day we met.”

  She gasps looking up at me with disbelief and I chuckle. “What? You should really be aware of your surroundings. But I don’t plan on putting you in a dangerous situation because while I was busy watching you, I didn’t notice someone else was watching us.”

  “Tabitha.” She says, her voice now hard, sharp and cold. “I swear if Max hadn’t killed that bitch, I was going to do it.”