Those glorious footsteps coming down the hallway.
I scrambled to get onto my feet. Somehow, I had found myself laying on the floor, pointing the gun right up to the ceiling. The second I heard that amazing sound, though, I scrambled to get to my feet. I took my finger off the trigger. I held the gun at my side, ready to give it over to someone—anyone—who was much more versed in firearms than I.
And when the doorknob turned, a smile peeled across my face.
“God, I didn’t think you guys would ever get back up here,” I said as I walked toward the door.
However, when the door fell open, I was greeted with none other than the Devil himself.
Who had a gun pointed straight at me.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” he said as he steadied his gun. “I missed you.”
My arm quickly raised up, pointing the barrel of that gun straight at his chest. I moved so quickly that it almost shocked me.
Almost, being the key word there.
“Brainwashing,” he said with a chuckle, “that’ll be a fun charge to oversee.”
I shook my head. “I’m not brainwashed. You know that as much as I do.”
He took a step through the door’s threshold. “Well, you’re currently holding a gun to your fiancée’s chest. So, I’d say something has happened.”
I took a step away from him. “What happened was the truth. The truth about you finally came out, and I’m disgusted with what I see.”
He holstered his gun and held up his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever it is you think you know, I promise you don’t know the half of it. So, can you put the gun down so we can talk?”
He wanted to talk? Fine. But, I was cutting straight to the chase.
“The mafia, Gordon? Seriously?” I asked.
He stopped dead in his tracks as his face turned a shade of red I’d never seen in my life. “What? You’re just going to shoot your fiancée? The man you love? Over some dumb bullshit a bunch of criminals have shoved down your throat?”
“I saw the proof,” I said flatly. “I saw you with that Griggs guy.”
His eye twitched. “Clearly, they’ve done something to you. And I don’t know what they’ve done, but if you’ll just come with me--.”
I took another step away from him. “I’m not going anywhere with the likes of you.”
He scoffed. “Do you even hear yourself right now? I’m here to save you! I’m here to take you home, Naomi!”
I held my head high with pride. “I don’t need saving. I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Where the hell was everyone? Where were the guys? And the guns? And the traps? And the guards?
Something was wrong, and I had a hell of a time fighting back tears of fear as Gordon stood there, unimpeded by any tactics the guys may have set up.
“You’re out of your mind right now, sweetheart,” Gordon said as he tilted his head, “and I don’t know what they did to you, but--.”
I didn’t want to kill him. I didn’t want to gun him down. But dear God, he needed to hear me. He needed to realize that I was serious. So, I lowered the gun to where I thought his crotch was and I pulled the trigger.
Before the kickback of the gun stunned my shoulder as a bullet pierced the ground just in front of his toes.
“What the fuck!?” he exclaimed as he jumped back.
“How long?” I asked as I raised the gun to his head.
He threw his arms into the air. “How long what, you crazy bitch!?”
