Chapter 9 #2
“Gwen.” Amelia’s soft, fear-coated voice hit my ear, causing my gut to drop. I stood and made my way out of the bar to hear better, glancing back to see Stasia following.
“Gwen, what’s going on?” Stasia called.
I held up a hand to silence her as I urgently said, “Amelia, sweetie. What’s wrong?”
“Please help. There’re men here, Gwen. T-they’re in ski masks and have guns and knives and—and—” Another whimper escaped her as I heard banging in the background.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
My heart lodged in my throat. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Stasia. She curled an arm around my shoulders and ushered us to a quieter corner as I spoke to my sister.
“Okay, okay, slow your breathing for me, Melly. Where’s Felix and Greg?”
She mewed but managed to say, “In the l-living room. We were at the front door when they came at us. Felix pushed me through and told me to run to the panic room and call you.” Another whimper sounded. “Gwen, there were gun shots and yelling. I-I think they’ve hurt them.”
My gut hit my ass, and it felt like my feet had been swept out from under me.
No. Please.
My sister squealed as another gunshot went off in the background before I heard loud pounding.
They were trying to get in to her.
Shit, shit, shit.
My body shook, but I needed to remain calm for her.
“Stay quiet for me, Melly. Stay exactly where you are, all right? You’re safe in there.” I drew in a deep breath. “I need you to listen to me and do as I say. I’m going to hang up—”
“No! Please don’t go, Gwen,” she cried.
“Okay. Okay, sweetie. I won’t. I’m going to pass you to Stasia so I can use her phone to call someone that will come and help.”
“Will they get here quick?”
“I’ll make sure they do.”
“I love you, Gwen,” she whispered.
“I love you too. Always. I promise, everything’ll be okay,” I rushed out before handing it over to Stasia. I grabbed her phone, and while she took a step away to reassure Amelia, I scrubbed a hand over my face to wipe tears away and then pressed in the number I’d memorized.
“Fuck, shit,” I muttered to myself as my body broke out in a cold sweat.
I needed him. I needed his help again. He could possibly hate me for bringing something else to his doorstep, another one of my problems, but it was my family, and he was the only one I could trust with this.
I needed him.
He didn’t know how close we lived to each other, but I knew he could be quicker than any police officer.
Gripping the phone, I waited as it rang and rang.
Please pick up.
Please help my family.
Please, Malice.
“Speak.”
“It’s me,” I choked out, a sob caught.
“Gwen? Doll, what’s wrong?” Worry was thickly etched into his tone.
“Please, Malice, I need your help. My family’s in danger, right this second, and I don’t know what to do,” I rushed out.
“Tell me everything.”
Comfort and relief warmed my body. Just hearing his voice talked me off a ledge.
“Amelia, my little sister, just called me from the panic room. There’re men in our house, and gunshots sounded in the background, Malice.
Felix, my brother, and Greg, our elderly neighbor, are out in the house with the men where there were gunshots.
Someone was hitting the door where Amelia’s hiding.
They’re trying to get to my sister. They’ve got my brother and neighbor.
Please, Malice. Please go there and help. ”
Through a watery gaze, I looked at Stasia, who was still talking on the phone.
“What’s the address?” Malice asked, and I dropped my head back as the relief immediately washed over me.
He’d get there.
He’d help them.
And then I’d deal with any consequences when my family was safe.
I’d do anything for them.
Holding back a sob, I straightened and sniffed before rattling off my address.
“Thirty minutes from your place. You’re home, right?
God, please be home. You have to make it, Malice.
Please. I-I’m scared. I don’t know what they want or how much harm—” I snapped my lips closed, but the whine had already escaped.
“I’m home. We’ll make it to them in fifteen, if not sooner.” I could hear movement from his side before he barked, “Get Reaper and a few of his men. We move in two.”
A sense of gratitude enveloped me. “Thank you, Malice. Thank you. And… I’m sorry for bringing more drama to your door—”
“No apology. I told you I protect what’s mine.”
Then it suddenly dawned on me how far away I was from my family. I gasped.
“Gwen?” he asked on the move.
“I-I have to go. Stasia and I need to grab a taxi.” We needed to get back to the hotel and our car. “Please call me when you get there. I— Fuck. I won’t be there for a few more hours.” I winced. “I know I’ve already asked for a lot, but can you stay there until I get back?”
“Where are you right now?”
“Vegas—”
“Baby, I know that. Give me the street name.”
“Okay, hang on.” I ran to the exit and stepped out on the busy street to give him the name. Thankfully, Stasia had followed.
“Right, I need you and your friend to stay where you are. I’m sending Vincent to come get you. He’ll be there in five. You can’t drive while worried. Vincent will get you to me safely while I stay with your family.”
Vincent. Wait, did he mean his younger brother? What the hell was he doing in Vegas? Unless…. No, Malice couldn’t have sent him here because of me.
Not that it mattered right now, but it was something to think about later.
“Okay. We’ll wait right here. Tell your brother I’m in a white dress.” I glanced around and saw there were other women in white. “Shit, just tell him I’ll be the one about to have a breakdown, standing with a woman in a red top and jeans.”
“Everything’ll be okay, doll. I’m already on my way to your place. See you soon.”
And with that, he was gone.
Please get there. Please make them safe.
God, please protect them until the Devil can arrive.
The gunshots.
No. I couldn’t think about them or the fact that Felix and Greg were out there with those men.
If I did, I’d be a sobbing mess.
I bit down on my trembling bottom lip and turned to Stasia.
Be strong for your sister.
When I held my hand out for the phone, Stasia whispered something back to Amelia before passing it over.
“Melly, sweetie.” I took Stasia’s hand in mine. “There’ll be help arriving soon. His name is Malice. You can trust this man and his friends, all right?”
“Okay, Gwenny.”
There was more pounding in the background, louder and harder. They were still trying to get to her.
“I love you, sweetheart. Stay in the room and hide in the furthest corner. You’ll be okay.
Can you tell me what you hear?” Just as I finished my sentence, a black SUV pulled up in front of us and a window rolled down to reveal a man with long, dark hair thrown into a messy bun and a cigarette between his lips.
Vincent. I recognized him immediately from my research.
He blew out a puff of smoke before flicking his butt to the ground and lifting his chin up toward me. “Gwen?”
I nodded and pulled Stasia with me toward the car.
“The men are still banging on the door. They keep saying they want me to open it, or they’ll hurt Felix.”
“No. Don’t.”
“That’s what Stasia said.”
“Good. Help’s coming,” I told her as Stasia went for the back door and I climbed into the front passenger seat. “If they say anything else, let me know.”
“Okay,” Amelia responded softly.
I tried to yank the seat belt, but it got stuck over and over. I let out a frustrated grumble. Vincent reached over and locked it into place.
“Hotel and room keys.”
I removed mine from my pocket while Stasia handed hers over and told him the name of it. Vincent put his arm out the window, and another man in a suit took them.
“He’ll get your things, your car, and get them home. I’ll take you two back right now.”
Nodding, I let go of more tension and sat back in the seat as Vincent pulled out of his spot.
“Gwen?”
“Right here, sweetie.”
There were more gunshots and voices shouting.
“I think your friend is here.”