Nowhere to Run (Stephanie Carovella)
Page 39
***
Jase cautiously walked down the hallway, freezing at the sound of Stephanie’s raised voice coming from the kitchen. Standing in the kitchen’s archway, he surveyed the scene in front of him. Gena sat against the wall, blood covering her hand as she held her side. He turned his gaze towards Stephanie, watching in disbelief as she brought her gun down hard against the side of Rafe’s head. Quickly striding to where she stood, he grabbed her wrist when she went to bring the gun down onto Rafe’s head again. “Stephanie, don’t,” he said.
She turned to him, her expression savage. “Why not? After everything he’s done, why can’t I hurt him the way he hurt me – the way he hurt Angel, Carolyn, and Ana?”
Jase turned his head when Rafe slowly laughed, lifting his head to look at them both. He spat blood onto the kitchen floor, rasping. “They begged for it. They were begging for it even when they gasped their last breath.”
Jase noticed for the first time Rafe’s arms were tied around his back. He grinned at Stephanie. “You’ve been busy.”
“I wasn’t taking any chances,” Stephanie said, shrugging carelessly. Glancing over at Gena, she said, “We need to get her to a hospital.”
“Rafe shot her?” Jase asked, lifting an eyebrow when Stephanie shook her head.
“She shot me,” Gena growled, weakly lifting her head to glare at Stephanie.
“I was saving your life,” Stephanie retorted, glaring at Rafe when he laughed coldly.
“You shot me. How is that fucking saving my life?” Gena said between gritted teeth.
Jase glanced back at Rafe, who was inching closer to Stephanie. Aiming his own gun at him, he stared straight into Rafe’s cold eyes. “Don’t even think about it.”
Rafe ignored him, his eyes on Stephanie. “You and I are alike. We are one and the same. You know it deep down inside,” he whispered, a smile of pleasure creeping onto his lips. “You enjoyed shooting her. I know you did, just as I know you enjoyed hitting me. I could feel the pleasure coursing through you.”
Stephanie watched Jase move away, smiling when she realized he was calling 911. Locking her eyes with Rafe, she spat, “We’re nothing alike, you and I.”
Rafe smiled mockingly at her. “We’re exactly the same. You can deny it all you want, but I know differently.”
Stephanie shook her head. “No, we’re not the same. Either way, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s over. The game is over. You lost.”
“I think not,” he whispered softly, closing his eyes, a smile of pleasure creeping onto his face. “Every time I close my eyes, I will see all their faces as they beg me. They died because of you.”
Stephanie shut her eyes tightly, whispering, “Shut up.”
“Not just them, but Dominic. Your precious Dominic, who you claimed to have loved more than anything, yet who you walked away from. You walked away from him without a backward glance, all because I asked you too.”
“No,” Stephanie said, unconsciously raising the gun to aim it at Rafe.
Jase turned his attention from where he was kneeling beside Gena, trying to keep her conscious. Hearing the anguish in Stephanie’s voice, he watched her aim the gun at Rafe. “Stephanie, no, this isn’t the way,” he said, stumbling over his words as he moved to her side.
“Yes,” Rafe said, focused on Stephanie, amber eyes clashing with grey. “Killing your friends was a pleasure, but the pleasure I felt each time with them was nothing like the pleasure I felt when I killed your husband. It was almost orgasmic.”
“This isn’t over,” Stephanie whispered, tearing her eyes off Rafe to where Jase stood with an outstretched hand. “Jase, this will never be over.”
“Stephanie, please give me the gun,” Jase said, reaching out to take it from her. She jerked away from him, tearing her gaze back to where Rafe knelt, sneering at her.
“We will always be linked together,” Rafe gloated, straightening his back and lifting his chin to stare at her.
Jase took a step towards Stephanie, keeping his eyes on her. “Honey, you don’t want to do this. If you do this, you will never forgive yourself. If you do this, he’ll win.”
“It will never be over. Not while one of us is still living,” she whispered.
“Yes.” Rafe hissed out, not tearing his eyes off Stephanie. “You know what you have to do.”
She nodded, turning her head to look at Jase, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry Jase, but I can’t do it. I can’t live like this anymore.”
“Stephanie,” Jase said, stepping towards her.
“No, Jase, it has to end. While one of us is still breathing, he will never stop. There’s nowhere left for me to run, nowhere left for me to hide. This ends tonight.”
Looking at him again, she whispered, “I’m so sorry.” Turning back to Rafe, she gripped the gun tighter, aiming at him before she pulled the trigger.
Again and again, she pulled the trigger. Her face devoid of any emotion, she emptied Gena’s clip into Rafe’s convulsing body. When the clip was empty, she looked to where a stunned Jase stood and held the gun out to him. “Now, it’s finally over.”
Epilogue
Stephanie knelt at Dominic’s grave, a single red rose in her hand. Closing her eyes, she swallowed convulsively, her throat tightening with anguish. “I did it, Dom. I killed him. I did it for you, Dom. For you, Angel, Carolyn and Ana.”
Opening her eyes slowly, she let the tears fall freely down her cheeks, whispering, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I walked away. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I’m sorry you had to die because of me.”
Gently placing the rose on the top of the headstone, she lovingly traced her fingers along his name, Dominic Delaney. “I’m finally free from him, Dom. And all it took was losing everything and everyone I ever cared about,” she said bitterly, dropping her head in anguish.
A hand touched her shoulder. Lifting her head, she turned it slightly to see Gena standing behind her. Silently, she clasped Gena’s hand, a sob escaping from her throat.
“It’s finally over, Stephanie,” Gena whispered, looking down into her friend’s grief-stricken eyes. She realized she was seeing, for perhaps the first time, Stephanie’s real emotions stripped bare. She closed her own eyes at the stark pain revealed to her. Opening her eyes again, she gripped Stephanie’s hand tighter, squeezing it gently.
Stephanie nodded, turning her head back to the headstone. “He can’t hurt me anymore.”
Gena grinned, shaking her head. “Stephanie, he can’t hurt anyone anymore. You shot him sixteen times.” Holding Stephanie’s hand more firmly, she helped her to her feet, wincing when the movement caused her pain.
Smiling weakly at Stephanie, she said softly, “I guess I should be glad you only shot me once.”
“Gena, I’m sorry…” Stephanie began.
“I still can’t believe you shot me,” Gena said, shaking her head.
“You know I had no choice,” Stephanie said quietly. "If I hadn’t shot you, he would have killed you. I saved your life.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would avoid saving my life in the near future. I don’t think my body could handle it.” Gena said, wincing as she shifted from foot to foot.
“Gena, I am truly sorry.” Stephanie said quietly.
“I know you are,” Gena said quietly, watching Stephanie’s eyes drift back to Dominic’s headstone. “Stephanie, it’s over,” she repeated firmly.
Closing her eyes, Stephanie took a deep breath, whispering to herself, “It’s over.” Her lips curving into a smile, she said softly to Gena, “Let’s go home.”
***
The man opened the L.A Times, spreading it out onto his lap. Carefully reading the words, he already knew so well, a smile on his lips. He reached out to stroke the photo of the woman he’d circled in red.
Lifting his head, he turned to stare at the woman kneeling in front of the grave. He studied her before he turned his attention back to the article.
Stephanie Carovella. He s
poke her name aloud, savoring the feel of it on his lips. He smiled. He remembered her. He wondered if she remembered him.
Turning his car’s ignition, he cast a glance towards where she now stood solitarily. He smiled coldly. Soon, they would meet again.
Soon, there would be nowhere left for her to hide.
Thanks…
Where to start? Thank you first and foremost to Laura Babcock Dunaway, for allowing me to use you as a sounding board relentlessly. I’m surprised I didn’t drive you up the wall.
Thank you to my editor Jennifer Roberts-Hall and proofreader Emily Dawson. Your positive feedback, constant support and talent have helped shape me into the author I am today.
Emily – you’ve been my personal cheerleader right from the beginning and I adore you for it. Now hurry up and write your own damn novel, so I can do the same for you!
To my Beta Babes– Holly Rose, Shannon Lee-Smallpage, Leighta Bennett, Shelly Pratt, Laura Babcock Dunaway, Paula Phillips, and Emily Dawson. Thank you for the support and for telling me what I couldn’t always see. You were a blessing in disguise.
To the gorgeous Melissa White – thank you for just being the person you are. You’ve been right beside me, cheering me on, from the moment I said to you, “So, hey, I think I’ll write a book.”
To the real Ben and Jase – who let me steal their names and turn them into fictional characters. I love you boys.
To the Writers Club - You guys and girls are my cheerleaders. You’re the ones who support me when I am down and kick my ass when I’m too hard on myself. It means everything to me to have found people who share my passion for words.
And lastly to the ones who told me I’d never get anywhere with my dreams…well…
About the Author
Nina D’Angelo is a freelance writer and photographer. After graduating from Deakin University in 2005, with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and Public Relations, Nina briefly worked in P.R. Not satisfied with her profession, she returned to freelance writing. Since graduation from University, she has written her own TV series, produced a music show for three seasons, worked for several music magazines and her photography was published in Aqua Pulse.
In 2012, she decided to take the plunge into the fiction world and started writing her debut novel, Nowhere to Run. Nowhere to Run is the first novel in the Stephanie Carovella series. Its release date is February 14th 2013.
Nina has already started working on her second novel – and the second in the Stephanie Carovella series. Nowhere to Hide is slated for an August release. Nina also plans on releasing her third novel in December 2013, which will be part of the Live and Let Die series.
To find out more about Nina D’Angelo, please see below:
Official Website: http://www.ninadangelo.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ninadangeloauthor
Twitter: @janinedangelo
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ninadangelo
Nowhere to run at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16959937-nowhere-to-run
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Epilogue
Acknowledgments