by Kendra Riley
Nichole was scared. Tashka might get shot. Victor might be dead. Tashka began to whimper and the body that had entered the room, dropped to the floor. “Nichole,” Victor whispered, “call for Tashka and Zap but don’t leave your area.” Nichole did as Victor told but wanted to see what was going on. Tashka walked into the large, walk-in closet and sat quietly. Zap ran into the closet with the group but watched through the crack in the closet.
“What’s going on,” Nichole cried.
“It’s okay. Everything is going to be all right. Did you call for help?” Victor whispered.
“I did. Are you okay?” Nichole began to cry again.
“I’m fine,” Victor replied. Nichole could hear the lie in his voice. Before she could speak, she heard more footsteps coming up the stairs. They were slow and heavy. They walked straight to the room and opened the door. They walked around the room and started going through the couple’s belongings. Nichole wondered where Victor went when she heard a thud and two men grunting.
Nichole covered her mouth and tried not to scream. The police sirens increasingly became loud and the fighting stopped. The police entered the house and searched the rooms, looking for Nichole, Victor, and the perpetrator or perpetrators.
“It’s the police. Is anyone here?” they announced. Nichole inched out of the room and saw the two bodies on the ground.
“Help! Help! In here!” she screamed. The police barged into the room and cut on the lights. Nichole saw Victor surrounded by blood and the man that had shot him was unconscious.
“Help my husband please!” Nichole screamed as she saw blood leaking out of his side. Zap ran up to Victor and tried to wake him up. One of the police officers checked for Victor’s pulse.
“We need an ambulance!” he screamed. “Quickly!”
The paramedics put Victor in the truck and drove to the hospital. Nichole rode with him and held his hand. Tashka and Zap rode along because Zap wouldn’t leave his side. Weakly, Victor opened his eyes and touched Nichole’s face. Then he passed out. “Stay with me, Mr. Barbosa!” the medic screamed.
“Please, Victor! Not now! Please be okay! I can’t lose you!” Nichole sobbed.
“Ma’am, everything is going to be fine. He’s lost a lot of blood, but the bullet will be easy to get out and we already have him on an IV,” the medic replied.
“You have to stay calm ma’am. Think about your children,” the medic continued. Nichole felt her stomach and let her tears fall. She rubbed Tashka’s fur and watched Zap attempt to wake up Victor. It didn’t feel like they were speaking because time slowed down to Nichole. She sat quietly, and thought about all of the good times she had with Victor. Thinking that it might all be over, tore her apart.
They finally got to the hospital and the nurses stopped Nichole from going into the emergency room with him. Nichole sat in the waiting room with her beloved pets. “Mrs. Barbosa?” the doctor called. Nichole hopped up and walked over to greet the doctor.
“Yes? I’m Mrs. Barbosa. Where is my husband?” Nichole asked.
“Your husband is in stable condition. He’ll have a full recovery. The bullets missed any vital organs. Your husband’s going to live,” the doctor replied. Nichole cried tears of joy and felt her stomach. “How far along are you?” the doctor asked.
“Seven months and three weeks,” Nichole replied.
“You can’t afford any stress right now. Maybe you should go home and get some rest,” the doctor said.
“I can’t go home. That’s where he got shot. I can’t go back until he does,” Nichole demanded. A nurse approached Nichole and the doctor.
“The police are here to talk to Mrs. Barbosa about the intruders that invaded her home,” the nurse said as she pointed at the officers by the front desk. Nichole walked over to them and they greeted her.
“Hello, ma’am. I’m Officer Jenkins and this is Officer Brock. We have the guys that broke into your house. They’re both in holding right now and we’re sure you’d like to hear what they have to say.” Nichole agreed and headed to the precinct.
When she saw the men, the anger in her grew larger and larger, and she charged at one of the men. “How dare you!” she screamed. A police officer held her back and helped her into a seat to calm her down.
“Would you like anything to eat?” he asked her.
“Yes please. Can you go get me Chick-fil-A?” she asked with tears in her eyes. The officer agreed to it and left her with the other officers.
Chapter8
“Why did you do it?” Nichole asked.
“I don’t think we should tell you, since you’ve become so hostile,” replied one of them.
“What are your names?” Nichole asked.
“I’m Don. This is Tony,” replied Don.
“Why did you break into my house and shoot my husband?” Nichole asked.
“We were paid to, but we weren’t supposed to just shoot him. We were supposed to kill him.” Tony chuckled.
“Who hired you?” Nichole asked.
“A good friend of yours. He wanted us to tell you he misses you,” Don replied. Nichole grew wide-eyed.
“Derrick?”
“Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the lady a prize!” Tony shouted. The police wrote down what the men said and finished it.
“I guess we got the mastermind behind this. Do you want to press charges against these two?” asked Officer Jenkins.
Nichole ignored him and continued to ask questions. “Do you have proof Derrick sent you to do this?” Nichole asked.
“We do,” replied Don, “but if we give you the proof, what’s in it for us?”
“You’re in no place to make demands,” Nichole snapped.
“It’s in my voicemails,” Tony replied. “I’m just tired of you always trying to negotiate. It gets annoying. Look, we’re hit men that take special orders. Derrick Lawson wanted your husband dead. He told us to tell you he misses you and that getting Victor out of the picture would make you see how much he loves you.”
Tony handed his phone over to the police so they could hear the voicemail. “I’m pregnant! I can’t take this kind of stress! You break into my house, shoot my husband, and have the nerve to tell me this! You’re monsters!” Nichole exclaimed.
“We were never told you were pregnant. If we would have known, we wouldn’t have accepted the job, honest,” Don replied.
“Your job is disgusting! How are you alright with hurting people and breaking people apart?” Nichole asked.
“It’s a living. Not everyone was able to get to the top like you, sweetheart. If you wanted someone taken care of, we’ll get it taken care of. We’re living in sin but they say the good die young anyway, so we’ll live long lives before we deal with the consequences,” Don answered.
Nichole gasped and put her hand on her heart. “That was a little harsh. What my partner was trying to say was that we had hard lives and we’ve had to do things we regret and will hold with us for the rest of our lives. We’ve been to prison. It’s nothing new to us. Yes, it’s evil. However, we have been desensitized. The things we have seen growing up have made us—”
Tony attempted to finish but was stopped by Nichole.
“Stop!! That isn’t an excuse. I have lived in rough neighborhoods. It wasn’t always big houses and nice cars for me, okay? I have had friends lose their lives over petty arguments. You cannot tell me your life has been rough when I had to do everything I could to help my mother with the bills when I was fourteen years old.”
“Well, I guess things just went differently for us, but it doesn’t matter. We’re here, doing what we do. We do what we’re good at. We just didn’t expect the Brazilian guy to come downstairs. It would have been a successful day’s work, had he not come downstairs.” Don shrugged.
“You could have killed my baby,” Nichole growled. “You would have killed my husband and left me to be a single mother.” The police returned from the secluded area they were in and told Nichole it was Derrick in the voicemail.
“I’ll see you two and Derrick in court.” Nichole smiled.
“We cooperated! Lady, we cooperated! You weren’t supposed to press charges!” Don screamed.
“I’m ready to sign the paperwork,” Nichole said as she turned towards the police. She signed all of the papers and headed back to the hospital.
Nichole, Zap, and Tashka all stayed by Victor’s hospital bed while he slept. Nichole prayed over him and Zap lay on the pillow next to Victor. Tashka had her head on Nichole’s legs. Victor woke up the next morning to see the three sleeping in his room. He noticed Nichole’s face was puffy and red from crying. He tried to move but felt a sharp pain in his side. He grunted and took a deep breath.
Okay, Victor, take it easy, he thought as he recollected the events that took place the night before.
He slowly sat up. Zap woke up and saw his owner moving. He squealed and jumped into Victor’s lap. This triggered Tashka to wake up and bark. Nichole jumped up and looked around. Victor and Nichole’s eyes met and she ran over to kiss him.
“I missed you,” Nichole cried.
“I missed you too,” Victor admitted.
He sighed. “I thought it was over.”
Nichole tried to speak through the tears. “I couldn’t lose you. Not now. Not ever.”
Victor took Nichole’s hand and pulled her closer to give her a hug. “I wouldn’t leave you. The world can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Nichole ignored the joke and continued to sob. “Derrick hired two men to come to our home and kill you.” Victor grew wide-eyed. “I’m pressing charges against all three. I’m going to call Larry.”
Victor was entirely shaken. All he could do was nod. He understood the threats upon their lives. He had to do everything he could to protect his wife and his children. He couldn’t hear what Nichole was saying because all he could hear were his own thoughts but he saw her mouth moving. His heart was beating really fast and Nichole realized he was too far in thought.
She continued to call his name until he came to. “Victor! I know you’re upset right now but I need you to stay calm,” Nichole said.
“How did you know?” Victor asked.
“You’re hooked up to a heart monitor. It was beating a mile a minute,” she replied as she held his hand. The doctor walked in and told them Victor’s status.
“The bullet was stuck in his side but we got it out last night. You will come to a full recovery. You’re lucky it didn’t hit anything vital. You don’t need any counseling or anything to regain function anywhere.
“After I take a look at the wound and re-bandage it, you four are welcome to go home,” the doctor said as he looked at his charts.
“Thank you,” Victor replied. “Nichole, can you hand me my phone?” he asked as the doctor took off his bandages.
She did as he asked. Victor dialed a number and began speaking in Portuguese. After about ten minutes of being on the phone, he hung up.
“Who was that?” Nichole asked.
“Friends that can help us with our little problem at the house,” Victor responded.
Nichole decided not to ask any questions and helped him get ready to go to the house. Melissa picked them up and asked what happened. Nichole explained everything on the ride home.
Melissa listened and when the story was over, she cried. “I can’t believe I could have lost you all!” she sobbed. “I couldn’t live without you guys,” she continued.
“Derrick is such an evil bastard!” she screamed.
Nichole calmed Melissa down. “We’re going back to court,” Nichole finished. Melissa agreed it was a great idea and they pulled up to the house. They saw men in suits walking all around the house.
Two of the men stopped the car. One man came to the driver’s side window and the other man went up to the passenger’s side.
“What is this? What’s going on?” Nichole asked. The men began to speak another language. It was Portuguese. Victor responded to the men and they let them go through.
“I called in security after you left last night,” Victor admitted. “The call I made this morning was to confirm their arrival. I can’t let anyone get close enough to hurt us anymore,” he finished.
“I wish you would have told me ahead of time,” Nichole replied.
“I’m sorry but I have to do what I can to protect our family,” Victor responded. They got into the house and Victor went back out to give the guards their own locations. Nichole and Melissa sat inside of the house, making food.
“So, when do you go to court?” Melissa asked.
“Due to the case’s severity, next week. Larry will be here tomorrow,” Nichole responded.
“Good. Nothing can jeopardize the babies.” Melissa nodded.
“I know. I’m so scared. I’ll have my children in only a few weeks,” Nichole replied.
“I’m sure you’ll be a great parent. You’re already a great parent. You raised Tashka well,” Melissa joked. “But who knew going on a date with one crazy guy could threaten your life months later?” Melissa asked.
“I know, right. I just wish I had met Victor before Derrick. He almost ruined my entire life,” Nichole admitted.
“I’m just glad my best friend is okay.” Melissa sighed. Nichole hugged Melissa and they talked about other matters. Victor was still outside giving directions. He was still speaking in Portuguese but it translated to, “Don’t let anybody that isn’t approved come near the house. If they’re the mailmen, take the mail and bring it to the house. Nothing gets left on the porch, unless it’s signed off by any of you. If you see anyone snooping around here, send me a picture of them, and I’ll tell you how to handle it. Understand?”
They all responded, “Yes sir.”
Victor made his way back inside and laid in the bedroom. He fell asleep and woke up to Nichole offering him food. He accepted it and thanked her.
“I love you,” Victor said as she turned away from him.
“I love you too,” she said as she turned back towards him.
“It was awful not having you there with me. All I could think about was you when I was in the hospital,” Victor admitted. A tear flowed down his cheek. Nichole quickly made her way over to him and moved his hair behind his ear.
“I won’t ever leave you again,” she replied.
“I wasn’t afraid for myself. I was afraid for you and the kids,” Victor said as he held Nichole’s hand.
“I know,” Nichole replied. “I was afraid for you and the kids too.”
“I heard you praying for me. I couldn’t open my eyes at the time but in my dream, I was sitting in a white room and I was in a chair. I listened to you pray for me and I prayed with you. You pulled me through it. Without you, my love, I feel like nothing. I know my name is large in the industry but what is it to you? I must know,” Victor begged for an answer.
Nichole looked him in the eyes and spoke. “Your name is my name. To me, your name means everything. You are my husband and the father of my children. Your name has meant more to me than my name meant to anyone before I took on your last name.
“Through sickness and in health, for better or for worse, your name will always be worth more than any amount of money we possess. You’re my soul mate and without you, my heart doesn’t beat correctly. It used to beat normally but I realized I prefer for it to skip a beat. I am Mrs. Barbosa.” Victor held Nichole in his arms and told her he loved her.
“Nothing could make me love you less,” Victor responded.
***
The two fell asleep and Victor ended up having a nightmare. Tony, Don, and Derrick managed to get inside of the house. Victor got up and headed downstairs for a drink. He heard Tashka whimper from the kitchen and he walked over to see what was wrong. He turned on a light and saw blood on the floor leading to Tashka and there was a gash in her side. She looked at him and dropped her head.
She was weak and he couldn’t do anything to help her. She cried and he put pressure on the wound. She yelped and he heard
Zap’s cries. He ran over to where he heard the noise and saw Zap lying on the ground in the living room. Zap saw Victor and wagged his tail a couple of times before screaming in pain again. He looked fine until Victor noticed glass sticking out of Zap’s paws.
He walked over to the window. It was broken. He then heard screams coming from the bedroom. He ran upstairs and saw Nichole being held down by Tony and Don. Derrick had a knife to Nichole’s stomach. “You think you can get her pregnant and get away with it?” Derrick asked.
“Please, don’t!” Victor screamed.
“Too late, Diego! Don’t worry, Nichole. A real man is here to get those disgusting creatures out,” Derrick said. Before he could stab Nichole, Victor ran and tackled Derrick. Don knocked out Nichole.
Don and Tony ran over and pulled Victor off Derrick. They then held his arms and he was on his knees. “I love this job,” Don said as he watched Derrick stand.
Derrick wiped blood off of his mouth and chuckled. “You know, Ricardo, you’re starting to really get on my nerves!” Derrick kneed Victor in the face and Victor’s head flew back. Tony looked like he felt bad but he still lifted Victor’s head back up. “You just won’t leave us alone, will you?” Derrick asked.
“You’re sick,” Victor replied.
“I can’t understand anything that comes out of your mouth. This is America, speak English,” Derrick responded. Derrick walked up to Victor and stabbed him in the side. Victor screamed in pain. “Let’s finish this once and for all,” Derrick said as he took the knife out of Victor’s side and forced it into Victor’s chest. Victor gasped, coughed up blood, and dropped to the ground. Everything went dark.
***
Victor woke up gasping for air. Nichole woke up and asked him if he was okay. He called for Zap and Tashka. The two approached him and he gave the three of them kisses. He kissed Nichole’s stomach twice, once for each baby in her belly. “Let’s go out today. Larry will meet us for lunch,” Victor said as he got out of bed.
He walked into the bathroom and changed the bandage on his wound and put on his clothes. Nichole watched his every movement. She saw how his muscles winced at every motion that caused his side to feel pain. She got up and got dressed. They headed to the mall. Nichole was shocked they were being driven around by security in a black SUV. The windows were tinted and it made Nichole feel safer.