“Please, you don’t need to take them. It’s me you’re after,” I plead with the officer. I’m not sure he’s a real one at this point, but it doesn’t matter. His badge says Woods on it.
“You’re uninviting me?” Marks huffs, actually sounding offended.
“What it sounds like to me.” Cosima nods in agreement. The two of them have lost their minds. Why do we all need to be taken?
“All of you shut the fuck up,” he barks, clearly frustrated with the three of us.
“That was rude,” Cosima says as though she’s not talking to a crazy man wielding a gun.
“I’m sick of your mouth.” I gasp when he backhands her across the face. Cosima falls to the floor. A whimper comes from her. I start to lean down to check on her, but Woods steps forward, putting the gun in my face. “Don’t.”
Low sobs come from Cosima, making my own eyes burn with tears. “How are you even going to get us out of here?” Marks asks him. “What’s the plan, Legohead?”
Legohead? Where does she come up with this shit? Though the more I stare at Woods, the more I realize that his hair is rather box-shaped. I suppose he does resemble a Lego head.
‘You let me worry about that.’ He glances to the curtains and quickly back to us. ‘There has to be an exit.’ Woods starts to move around the room, searching for one. He obviously hadn’t thought his little plan through. It would be hard enough getting me alone out of here, never mind three of us. I’m happy he’s distracted; it gives me time to check on Cosima.
I peek down at her. She turns her head so that I can partly see her face. Then she winks at me before turning back away, the sobs returning. She’s up to something. I have no clue what, so I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.
“He’s high,” Marks whispers without moving her mouth.
“Fucking hell!” Woods shouts. “We’re leaving.” He marches back over toward me.
“Think about this.” Marks jumps in front of me yet again. “She is War Marino’s wife. He will kill you. No, scratch that. He won’t just kill you; he’ll make you wish you were dead.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Woods starts ripping at the buttons of his uniform shirt until he reveals his chest. “It wouldn’t be my first dance with War.” Angry red cuts are all over his chest. They’re not new, but they aren’t old either. They are still healing.
I take a step back. “Does that gross you out, little mouse?” I swallow, hating that he used Warren’s nickname for me. “It was your husband’s doing. He’s the fucked-up, gross one. He cut me up all while talking about your wedding that was happening the next day.”
“So War was telling the truth,” Marks mutters for only me to hear. This is the man Warren said he’d gone to the Bourbon Street to deal with. I want to mutter right back, I told you so, but I keep it to myself for now.
“I’m going to give you matching ones.” Woods licks his lips, sending a shiver of fear through me. “Get something to tie them up. They’re staying, but you’re coming with me.” He motions to me with his gun.
“Shut up already. Sick of hearing your whimpers. Your mouth isn’t so big now, is it?” He turns his attention back to Cosima, who is continuing with whatever act she’s putting on.
“Buy us time,” Marks whispers again, her eyes letting me know she is also up to something.
I do exactly that. I begin to pretend I’m looking around the room for something to help this maniac tie my friends up.
“What the fuck is taking you so long?” Woods says after a few minutes, coming over to where I’m standing by the rack of clothes. “I’ll do it myself. Get back over there.” He gives me a shove back in Marks’ direction.
He rips an item off one of the racks, heading back over to Cosima.
“Stand up.” He nudges her with his foot. “And hands behind your back.” Cosima lifts her head.
“Last chance,” Cosima tells him. Woods lifts his fist to strike her again, but she’s quicker. I barely see the knife in her hand before it is jammed into his thigh. He screams, but he lifts the gun toward her. She twists the knife, her hand coming up to knock his arm with the gun. “Run!” Cosima shouts at the same time.
Before anyone can react, the lights go out, everything falling into darkness. I expect the emergency lights to come on, but they don’t. Marks grabs my hand, but another hand wraps around my upper arm, digging in.
“What the fuck is going on?” Woods shouts, yanking me to him. I let go of Marks’ hand, not sure what this man is going to do.
“That’s Z,” Cosima huffs. “I can’t go anywhere without him showing up.”
“Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch!” My heart sinks when he fires the gun twice, making all of us scream. He presses the gun into my side. “Don’t get any ideas,” Woods says next to my ear. I nod. “Turn the lights on or I’ll shoot her.”
Tears start to spill down my cheeks in fear that Cosima or Marks might have been hit. “Do it! I swear I’ll kill her.” The lights flick back on. I blink, momentarily blinded by the light. When I finally focus, I see him. Warren is standing in the doorway, a gun pointed at Woods.
Woods shifts more behind me, pressing the gun into my side.
I’ve seen a lot of expressions on Warren’s face but nothing like the one he is wearing now. It is one of pure, unadulterated rage. I swear his eyes are even darker. He doesn’t blink, watching Woods’ every move.
I can’t control the tears that are streaming down my face, but seeing Warren has also brought a weird sense of calm to me. I know without a doubt that he’s not going to let anything bad happen to me.
“You’re a lucky man.” Warren’s voice is ice cold. “If you’d have killed her, this would have been a lot worse.”
Woods opens his mouth to respond, but it’s too late. The gun isn’t loud. It’s not till Woods is dropping to the floor that I realize Warren shot him in the head.
“Motherfucker.” I spin around, not knowing who is there. “I thought you wanted him alive. You got blood all over me. I was about to grab him.” Ronan wipes his face with his arm. Where the hell did he come from? Ronan is the biggest built out of the three men; he shouldn’t be able to move so quickly and in the freaking dark. Everyone in the Marino family has their own set of skills, clearly.
“That shouldn’t be hot.” I hear Marks say it, but I’m not paying attention. Warren spins me around, lifting me off my feet.
“Tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay.” I cup his face in my hands. “I’m okay,” I repeat.
“Hey! I was going to buy that,” Cosima shouts at Ronan, who is wiping the blood off her with a piece of clothing.
Warren is ignoring everything, burying his face in my neck. I feel him take a deep breath, breathing me in. I wrap my arms around him.
Z comes storming into the room; he too has an expression on his face I’ve never seen before from him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He storms over to Cosima.
“You know, I think it all started when I was four and—”
“Don’t!” he bellows, making all of us freeze. Cosima is even smart enough to shut her mouth. “You think everything is a fucking game and joke?” Z steps in closer. “And you wonder why we keep you in Europe.” Cosima flinches like he hit her. “Do you still think it’s funny? You think I haven’t put together what you were really up to?” He walks over to one of the racks, pushing it over, and then another. “This game you were playing?” No one utters a word, but Warren does lift his head. “Got nothing to say?” Cosima shakes her head no; I can tell she’s fighting tears.
‘All right, that’s enough,’ Ronan says, cutting in.
‘Take her back to the farm and give orders she’s not to leave.’
‘Hey, that—’ Z cuts Cosima a glare that silences her.
“I’ll handle it,” Ronan tells Z, who nods before turning and leaving.
“Did he just leave?” I whisper.
“Call in the cleaning crew,” Warren finally says. His words are directed at Ronan. “Make sure Cosima and Marks get back to the farm safely. I need to be alone with my wife.” It’s then I realize that Marks hasn’t said a word since she called Ronan hot. I lift my head, looking around the room, but I don’t see her anywhere. What the heck?
“Where the fuck did pink hair go?” The second the words slip past Ronan’s lips, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I know it’s Marks.
“She’s gone.”
“Where?” Ronan demands.
“The ceiling?” Cosima tries to tease, but it comes out halfheartedly.
“She’s Marks?” Ronan glances up.
“Are you okay?” I ask Warren. I can still see that darkness in his eyes.
“We have things to talk about.” Crap, I’m in trouble. “I love you, little mouse.”
“I love you too.” I press a kiss to his mouth. “Now take me home where I have a feeling I’ll never be leaving again.”
“You’ll be lucky if I let you leave the bedroom.”
“Don’t tease me with a good time,” I joke, but Warren doesn’t laugh.
“Too soon, Tova, too soon,” Cosima says.
That’s the last thing I hear as Warren carries me out toward home.
