Ollie took another step back, and Noble wrapped his arms around his waist protectively, as Franko turned to Raymond and let out a string of very angry-sounding Italian, that he refused to let his brain translate, because, well, it was probably best he didn’t know. As the two men started to argue in Italian,Raymond notably shifted his body in a way that fully hid Ollie from the other side’s view, as the mob boss’ bodyguards closed ranks.
Quickly glancing around as things continued to escalate, mostly focusing on the large crates all around them rather than the shelves full of boxes, he was a bit relieved that it looked as easy to hide as it had the last time he’d been there. Ollie was even more relieved by that fact when the first shot rang out. One shot was followed by many, many more, but he never got the chance to flee himself, as Noble picked him up and leapt with him in his arms behind one of the large crates, as guns continued to go off and the shouting went on.
Still in Noble’s arms, the man crouched down before setting him on the floor. His boyfriend’s eyes were wide with concern as his hands started roaming over him. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, but then, they were probably too busy shooting at each other to care about me.” Ollie shrugged.
Noble’s face pinched, and he looked entirely baffled as he asked, “Ollie, how are you so fucking calm right now?”
He blinked, tilting his head slightly. “I mean, it’s not the first time I’ve been in a shootout. To be honest, I found panicking made it so much worse, so I just…decided to…not?” Ollie said the last bit hesitantly, as the look on his boyfriend’s face seemed to worsen with each word.
“Baby, why would you agree to work with him again after the first shootout?!” Noble snapped, before oddly wincing and grabbing at his right shoulder.
When the man’s hand came away covered in blood, Ollie’s stomach dropped. His gaze flicked to Noble’s shoulder in search of an injury, and he cried out when he saw the tear in his black shirt that was clearly a bullet hole. “Oh, God, oh God! Y-you’re hit! I mean, y-you were shot!? Y-you sh-should lie down! I need to—I need to put pressure on your wound!”
Ollie’s breathing sped up in panic, his heart aching over the pain he had caused Noble, because this was HIS fault! It was all Ollie’s fault! Looking around for anything to stop the bleeding, he began to wheeze as his tears broke free. He then gave up looking, and just reached out with shaky hands, to try to put even just a little bit of pressure on the wound, while the man still crouched there.
Noble grabbed his hands and held them away. “Baby, I’m fine. Slow your breathing. The last thing we need is for you to pass out. I’ll be fine.”
“N-no—”Wheeze!“—you’ll bleed out!” Ollie choked out, his head swaying with a wave of dizziness.
“Slow your breathing,” Noble ordered sharply.
Whimpering as his tears still fell, he forced himself to take deep breaths, slowing his breathing even though his heart continued to race in fear. He no longer felt calm. In fact, he felt stupid that he’d really thought none of them were shooting at him, and Noble had gotten hurt because of it.
“I’m so s-sorry,” he sobbed, feeling helpless as his boyfriend continued to hold his hands back. “I’m s-sorry.”
Noble hugged him to his chest tightly. “Shh, Baby, it’s not your fault. I’ll be fine. First, we need to?—”
The man’s words cut off, them both flinching and pulling back from the hug to look at each other as a loud voice shouted over a megaphone, “FREEZE, THIS IS THE POLICE!”
In the brief, deafening silence that followed, they looked towards where the fighting had been going on, even though they couldn’t see through the crate. But as the police started throwing orders out, and reading people their rights, Ollie snapped out of his stupor when he realized Noble needed help. And the sooner the police knew they were there, the sooner he could get it.
“We’ve got injuries!” Ollie cried out, before taking a shuddered breath as a different type of calm washed over him at knowing Noble would be fine.
“Ollie…I didn’t—” Noble started to say, but cut off with a sigh, an odd, resigned expression appearing on his face.
He frowned at the look, and was about to ask what was wrong, aside from the bullet hole, but winced when Detective Jamison’s voice rang out. “Goddammit, Ollie, really? Again?!”
Ollie smiled hesitantly, handing over the signed form to the man behind the counter. After grabbing the baggie full of all the things that had been in his pockets when the police had taken him in, he turned to Detective Jamison. “Okay, I'm ready to get my release paperwork signed.”
Jamison sighed heavily, but said nothing. Then again, the man had gotten to lecture him for a good three hours before they caved to his lawyer, so there wasn’t much else to be said. He wasn’t involved in the shooting—aside from being present for it, and possibly causing it since the seller hadn’t liked what he said—and he hadn’t been doing anything illegal. Not to mention, thankfully, no one had died, even if there had been a few injuries.
There was nothing they could charge him with that his very expensive and well-trained lawyer wouldn’t be able to get cleared up. But he couldn’t say he didn’t feel bad that they’d likely be able to succeed if he weren’t so well financed.
Following Detective Jamison to the front of the station, he’d just finished signing his paperwork, after several more warnings that he could be called in for further questioning, when his lawyer, Brittney Darrow, appeared from the back of the station. Jamison sighed as he eyed her before silently walking away, clearly feeling grumpy about the whole situation.
The tall brunette smiled as she reached him. “We're all set here. Your boyfriend should be out in just a moment.”
Ollie smiled back sheepishly. “Heading out?”
“I am, until next time.” She nodded and left.
“Ollie.”
Looking back at the sound of his name, he spotted Raymond approaching, with what he knew to be a very expensive lawyer by his side. “Managed to get out quickly this time, I see.”
The older man shrugged, his face a bit grim. “Always good to have cameras, and to never shoot first. I do apologize for this. As I have done previously, there will be a hefty fee for the inconvenience. Not to mention, I’ll cover whatever legal fees or medical charges have occurred due to this unfortunate incident. So, please, send me whatever bills come in.
