“Coltello decides,” he growls. Then he turns very slightly and calls out his name again.
Nothing.
“Fuck,” he says, wiping his brow, staring at me. “Where’s the boss?”
The last words are spoken to himself. His eyes tear themselves away from Piper and rest on me. Clearly, he realizes I’m the threat.
And he’s fucking right. The only thing keeping me from lunging straight at him is the girl in my arms. I’m trying to figure out how to put her on the ground without him perceiving the movement. I need to get to him without putting her in danger.
A sad little gun could never stop me.
He clutches his hand around the gun, and though it’s dark out, I can imagine his face growing pale. He knows he’s got a killer in front of him. The kind that is born, not made. I grit my teeth, slowly edging Piper toward the ground.
But she’s clinging to me, and I hiss out in frustration. She won’t let me save her. Doesn’t she realize what I need to do?
The man standing in front of us fumbles in his pocket, his eyes still glued to me. That would be the perfect time to jump him, but Piper has taken her arms from my neck and has locked them instead to my torso. I start to sweat, beads pricking at my temples and tickling down the sides of my face, realizing that I’m trapped. Helpless to save her. My hands tied, and it’s all because she won’t let me go.
It’s a cruel twist of fate that I’ve at last succeeded in getting her to stay by my side. Just when I need her to let go.
I sway slightly, darkness feathering my vision, but I grit my teeth down, and by sheer force of will, I manage to stay focused.
I guess I’m getting a little woozy from the blood loss. But it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but Piper. I need to get her to safety.
The opportunity to jump at the man at a moment when he’s just a little distracted is gone too soon. He manages to press on the contact without ever removing his eyes from me. Then he brings the phone up to his ear. “Got her, Coltello. What do you want me to do with her?”
I didn’t think it was possible for Piper to squeeze me any tighter, but she does.
Well, one of her arms squeezes me. The other inches up to my shoulder, and I inhale sharply when she pushes her hand down on my wound.
It stings like hell, and I can’t understand at first why she does it. Does she want to make me suffer, finding an open wound andslamming her hand against it?
But then, the darkness creeping into my vision recedes, and I feel a little stronger. I suddenly realize she’s keeping me from bleeding out.
“Right,” the man grunts into the phone. “Okay, boss. Sure thing, boss.”
Despite his words, he looks more than a little nervous as he hangs up. “C’mon,” he snaps, waving his gun at us. “Get the fuck up.”
My jaw clenched, I wonder what my best shot is at getting to him. If I get up, I can maybe manage to pull Piper off me in the same movement, and rush at him. But if I don’t succeed, she’ll be fully at his mercy.
Piper makes the decision for me, by still clinging firmly to me, her arm pressed against my wound. I couldn’t even get up if I wanted to. I’ve lost too much blood. I’m weak as fuck, utterly helpless.
Clinging to her just as much as she’s clinging to me now, I sway harder. It’s all I can do to pierce through the darkness enshrouding me, to stay conscious. Pins and needles prick at my arms, and soon, they’re going numb.
The man’s smirk is back, and it’s deeper than ever, as he notes my rapidly deteriorating state.
“Maybe I’ll just let you bleed out,” he gloats, “and then I’ll take your girl. You know what? Maybe I’ll grab her now. What the hell can you do to stop me? I’ll take her and I’ll fuck her right in front of you. How’d you like that?”
Piper hides her head in my neck, hiccuping in fear. I may be semi-conscious, but it would take a lot more than bleeding out to allow him to come near her. I hiss at him as he edges toward us, my entire body shaking with the strain of staying awake.
He looks at me a little uncertainly, realizing, I guess, that I’ve still got some fight in me.
But then, biting down on his nerves, he closes a hand around Piper’s wrist. She gasps, grabbing onto me, and I topple backward, breathing heavily, feeling more helpless than I ever have before.
Every particle of strength I have goes toward holding her to me. I can’t even manage to grab the gun that’s now hanging limply from his hand.
“She’s gonna be bleeding by all of her holes by the time I’m finished with her,” threatens the man with a twisted smile. “And then, I’ll bet the other men will all want a turn with her before we shoot the capo’s granddaughter down.”
Goddamnit, I hate myself. All I can do is grab her other wrist as the man begins to slowly but surely pull her away.
