Desired Too

by Lessly, S. K.

I helped her stand, placing her gun in the front of her shorts and hugged her. I kissed her forehead and kept her close. When I pulled back, I wiped her cheeks with my thumbs.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded and looked around. “Did they get away?”

  “For now, but I’ll find out what happened. Why don’t you go inside, change and I’ll be in there in a minute? There’s no way anyone could get into the apartment without me knowing, so you’re safe. The cops, I’m sure, are on their way. I don’t want you anywhere near this shit, okay?”

  She looked around and found two of my people she recognized around me. I nudged her on. “Go on, baby. I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, and I waited until she disappeared into the apartment before I turned to face Tiko and Stretch.

  “What the fuck just happened!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Raquel

  I couldn’t stop my body from shaking. I walked into the bathroom closest to the kitchen and splashed cold water on my face.

  Holy shit that had to be, by far, the scariest moment I had ever experienced.

  My emotions were already on an all-time high. From finding out Ira was a ratfink son of a bitch who purposefully put my life in jeopardy to hearing Angel Leonetti tell me, in his native tongue, that he was in love with me. I should have passed out from that alone.

  Ironically, though, I was charged up. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins at an unbelievable speed. I didn’t think my heart could keep up.

  I’d never witnessed anything like that. I should have been flipping out. I’d just seen three dead bodies lying in the street. After that, I had stared at the grim reaper, again, as bullets flew all around me. What’s crazy, what had me studying myself in the mirror, was my lack of hysteria. It was odd to me that I wasn’t losing my mind. No, what I felt was something else, something disturbing and deep.

  I was horny. Yes, I was, because something was totally wrong with me, I couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of Angel’s body tight and hard up against mine, shielding and protecting me. His instincts were enough to make me warm and fuzzy. Just thinking about his quick thinking sent chills all through me. However, watching his badass yield two Glocks in his hands, shooting them both with accuracy, skills, and deadly results, had my panties soaked.

  I ran my hands through my hair, pushing it away from my face. Something is definitely wrong with you, girl.

  I shrugged the feeling off, moved quickly to the back room, and took off my shorts. I grabbed a pair of jogging pants and threw them on over my sneakers. I grabbed my gun, pulled the magazines out of my shorts, along with my wallet and placed them in the pocket of my pants.

  I walked back into the glass and bullet debris-filled living room and surveyed the damage. There were bullet holes everywhere. Glass and chunks of brick was strewn all over the apartment. One thing that I thought was odd was the second and fourth windows. They were still intact. I wasn’t sure how that was, but I was thankful nonetheless.

  I went to grab the broom to start to clean up the mess, but after a few seconds, I was over it. I was too pumped up to stay inside. I needed to get out there and be next to Angel.

  What I couldn’t do, though, was go out of the front door or the garage. Angel would see me instantly and tell me to get back inside the apartment. I understood that he wanted to keep me out of harm’s way, but he didn’t understand the need I had to stay close to him.

  I remembered Angel had a door in the garage that led out to the side of the building. I figured once he saw me already outside, he wouldn’t have the energy to argue. He’d have to understand that I couldn’t just sit around and wait for him. As I moved quickly to the garage door, I wondered why I hadn’t heard any sirens yet. All of that shooting that had just gone down; you would think the entire Philadelphia Police Department would have zeroed in on this place. However, it was silent.

  I didn’t bother with the lights from the garage. I knew where the door was and went there with ease. The door I needed had an alarm panel next to it. The panel’s LED light allowed me to punch in the code and once I heard the click, I stepped out to the side of the building.

  I looked to my left quickly, then my right, and I saw Junior’s truck sitting there to the right of me.

  I frowned. I knew Angel was cussing him the hell out right now. When he’d dropped me off earlier, his truck was in the front of the building. Why would he move it?

  I started for the truck, then stopped.

  Something wasn’t right. I could literally feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

  My heart started beating out of control. I swear you could hear it in the still of the coming dusk.

  I pulled out my gun and took it off safety. I looked around again and listened for any movement around me. All was quiet, except for the pounding of my heart in my chest and the blood pulsing in my ears.

  I couldn’t see inside the cab of the truck through the back and side windows because of the tint. I needed to get to the front.

  I moved slowly and realized the passenger’s window was down. There was no glass on the sidewalk so I figured it was just down. I took a quick peek and caught a figure sitting on the driver’s side.

  Shit!

  I didn’t move. I crouched down against the truck waiting, listening for sounds of footsteps around me or any other threatening noises. If this was Junior just sitting in his truck after all that gunfire, something definitely wasn’t right. I also needed to be prepared to handle him if it came to it. I needed to have Angel’s back.

  After a few seconds, I willed myself to keep moving. Being careful as to not give away my position, I crept painfully slow, until I was parallel to the front of the truck.

  I leaned cautiously forward and saw Junior sitting there with his head lulled to the side.

  Is this idiot sleep?

  I moved closer to see inside the cab and my hands went instantly to my mouth to muffle the scream that was undoubtedly about to burst. I closed my eyes for a second, trying desperately to get a hold of myself. I took a few deep breaths and opened my eyes. He wasn’t sleep. Junior was dead, with part of the back of his head was missing.

  Oh, God! Junior…

  With my initial cursory glance, I figured he was the product of the drive by, but as I looked further into the cab, a few things caught my attention. First, if someone came down the street, shot, and killed him, I would see glass on him, and I didn’t. Second, there was no way he would be sitting there, leaving Angel exposed. I had been with Junior all day. All he cared about was making sure I was safe for his boss. I could tell his head and his heart was where it needed to be. Third, Junior wouldn’t have had his window down for anything. That alone hinted he knew his attacker. Lastly, there wasn’t much blood in the car. You would expect from a vicious head wound to see brain matter and blood all over the truck, but the blood was minimal.

  No, Junior was shot somewhere else, placed in his truck and he and the truck was moved from the front of the building. If I was right, then whoever shot Junior had to be close by.

  I needed to warn Angel.

  Forgetting the fact that he’d blow a gasket because I didn’t listen to him, I charged around the corner at a rapid pace getting Angel in my sights.

  Angel was talking animatedly to Tiko and Stretch in front of the building.

  I moved as quickly as I could and when I was close, I called to him.

  Angel whipped his head around and bared a set of angry eyes in my direction. I ignored his gaze and got ready to go on defense when I literally saw his life flash before my eyes.

  Everything happened in slow motion, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was as if I was watching a damn movie.

  Angel looked back at his men, then turned to come towards me. It was then that I stopped walking and was about to tell him about Junior when I noticed Stretch step back from Tiko. The disappearance of Stretch’s hand behind his back put me on instant alert, and I took my e
yes off Angel for a split second. I looked around wondering if there was someone else creeping up on us. As my eyes returned, I saw Stretch pull out his gun and aimed it in front of him. I screamed for Angel to look out at the same time I saw the front of Tiko’s head explode. Brains and bones sprayed everywhere and before Tiko dropped, Stretched turned his gun on Angel.

  I screamed again, but I wasn’t sure of the events I was seeing. Angel was already turning to come to me, but I guess he saw Stretch go for his weapon or he sensed it because in that moment, before Tiko’s dead body dropped to the ground, Angel was rolling on the ground, trying to get away from a bullet that Stretch had aimed for his head.

  Angel, in mid-roll, pulled out his guns and without hesitation put multiple rounds into Stretch’s chest.

  I started running, but, damn, it was as if I was running in five feet of snow. My legs wouldn’t move as fast as my brain willed them to.

  I needed to get to him.

  I couldn’t be certain of the chain of events. Did Angel fall to the ground before or after Stretch fired his second shot?

  I suddenly noticed a hint of a light reflecting off black metal. At first, I thought it was just the streetlights reflecting off a car next to me, but as I turned, I saw Adriano creeping up alongside the parked cars.

  He was heading right for Angel, and I knew in an instant that it wasn’t to have Angel’s back.

  I pulled up my arm, gun still in my hand, and held back. I set my feet and brought my left hand up to support my right. Shit, my arm felt like it was made out of lead.

  Again, I couldn’t get my body to react as fast as I needed. However, I managed to get the gun up and as Adriano came into my sights, I tapped my trigger, sending one bullet through his shoulder. The momentum of the shot and him running, caused his body to turn to face me. Before he trained his weapon on me, I sent two directly center mass.

  What felt like a lifetime, probably took seconds, and then everything was over.

  I stood there in my stance, looking around frantically for any more threats. I was ready, my trigger finger taunt and waiting.

  I didn’t feel him at first. Hell, I didn’t even see him. After a few seconds, I finally heard his voice through the haze in my brain.

  “Mi amore, baby, it’s all right. It’s over. Everything is fine, and we’re safe.”

  His voice was soothing, warm, and safe. I blinked a few times as my reality came back to me in full force. It was then that I could feel his hand wrapped around my grip on my gun.

  “That’s it, baby. Relax. Put the gun down.” As I did, he continued to coax me. “That’s it. Nice and slow.”

  I finally let out a breath that I had to have been holding for decades because the release in my chest was palpable.

  Holy Shit!

  I turned and looked up at him and found his reassuring eyes on me.

  “Are you okay?” I managed to croak.

  He smiled and shook his head, in disbelief of my concern for him. “Yes, baby, I’m okay. Thanks to you.”

  I let my arms fall to my sides and collapsed against him.

  “I got you, baby. I got you.” I felt him take the gun from me and wrapped me in his arms.

  When we started to hear the sirens in the distance, Angel snapped into action. He took my gun and laid it on the ground with his. He handed me his phone and told me to call Darrell and tell him what happened.

  He then moved away from the gun and laid on the ground, arms laced behind his head.

  I stepped back and called quickly as the cops screeched to a stop in front of the building. I wasn’t sure if Darrell got what I said to him before I dropped the phone in my pocket and placed my hands high in the air. I could hear Angel telling the cops that I had nothing to do with the shooting, but I refused to let him take the heat for this.

  I did the best thing I could do for Angel, I unleashed my deadliest weapon; my mouth.

  I started talking about how I was going to call my father, who had the mayor and the Chief of Police on speed dial. I announced how heads were going to roll, jobs lost, stuff like that. I told them we had proof of everything and this was self-defense. Of course, they didn’t listen to me. Shoot, the only person that was listening and thoroughly entertained was Angel.

  When his lawyer, Darrell and Hugo arrived, things started to move a little faster. The detective assigned to the case, Devarro, finally came as well, and Angel and I told our story of the events of the night. When they asked Angel if he knew who attacked him, he said no, but I knew he was lying. I could sense him tense and his anger almost subdue him.

  Angel didn’t lose control in public very often. You really have to push him before he would show such weakness. Oh, I’ve witnessed him go off on people, like the pale guy he thought I was going home with some months back. What he has never done was show that anyone had any power over him. I couldn’t tell if Devarro believed him or not, but he never showed either way.

  Angel told him that he had proof of the events that occurred tonight and brought Devarro and a few others into his garage where he kept his security equipment. The cameras caught everything on video, from the mysterious car, then truck that shot up his apartment and us, to Adriano walking up to Junior and shooting him, and Angel’s own people turning on him. Once they looked at the recording and saw that indeed it was a hit on Angel, they let him go. They did keep our guns, though, which we couldn’t fight them on that. They were evidence.

  They asked, or shall I say demanded, that we go down to the station for our official statement, but Angel’s lawyer told them not tonight. He told them we’ve been through a lot, namely me, and that we needed some time to wrap our heads around what happened.

  Angel promised we would go to the station first thing in the morning.

  I will say I was proud of Angel. He remained calm and quiet through it all. I knew Angel was inwardly beyond belligerent, but he remained as passive as he could.

  When the police detective allowed us to leave the area in order for them to continue gathering evidence, Angel moved to Darrell.

  “Let me have your keys,” Angel ordered.

  Darrell fished out his keys and handed them to Angel.

  “Do you have what I need inside?” When Darrell nodded, Angel added, “I’m going to take Raquel somewhere safe, either to my father’s house or her father’s. While I’m gone, one of you find out why Ducci just declared war. And how in the fuck did they know where I live.”

  Darrell and Hugo looked at each other and then Darrell asked, “Are you sure it was his men in the truck?”

  “Yes,” was Angel’s only reply.

  “What about Stretch and Adriano? Do you think they were working for Ducci?”

  “No, I don’t, but I have an idea who is.” Angel didn’t elaborate but it looked like Darrell and Hugo knew who it was.

  Angel snapped the silence between the men by barking more orders to his men, set an appointment with his lawyer for tomorrow, then headed to the suburban parked a little way up the street.

  Angel tossed me the keys. “Drive.”

  “Where to?” I asked as I caught the keys.

  “Head to your father’s house. I’ll get someone sitting on his house to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I doubt anyone would go all the way out there to his place just for me. I’m nobody.”

  We climbed into the truck and Angel said to me, “You’re not a nobody, Raquel, in my eyes or anyone else’s.”

  Angel and I stared at each other, and I could feel my heart starting to race as the adrenaline continued to pump inside me.

  “Drive,” he said finally, and I obeyed.

  I drove in silence, trying to concentrate on the road and not on the countless calls he made on his cell. He spoke freely, mentioning going to war, how bodies would be dropping like flies, about a meeting he was having that night, and how retribution was evident.

  Seeing all the violence that day, listening to him talk about more violence to come, really started to bri
ng everything home for me. This was his life. Was I ready for it?

  What if one of those bullets that flew through the house had hit me? From what I could gather, the ones that hit the apartment and had us pinned behind the car were from the Ducci guy. What beef did he have with Angel? Was it over? What if Tiko, Stretch and Adriano hadn’t shown up when they did? Even though two of the three were there to kill Angel, still I couldn’t help but wonder.

  I could be dead right now.

  The blood.

  The bullets.

  The bodies.

  “Oh, God!” fell from my lips as reality of what happened and what could’ve happened sunk in.

  I looked at my shaking hands and I started to see all the blood that I saw in my mind’s eye.

  I thought it was on my hands, and I freaked out. I let go of the wheel and shook my hands.

  “I’ll call you back.”

  I looked over at Angel.

  “Hey.” He smiled and placed a hand on the back of my seat. “You were amazing back there.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I couldn’t follow the shit you were saying to the cops, but thank you for trying.”

  “I was trying to stall,” I breathed out.

  Angel stroked my cheek softly with his fingers. “I know. Thank you for that.”

  I shook my head. “Angel,” I could feel myself losing it. My breath started picking up, my heartbeat and blood pressure was going out of control. My whole body was beginning to shake.

  “Don’t, baby…” he started to say, but I was already there.

  Tears started falling from my eyes. “Junior…”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  “Tiko… all that… blood. Angel, I killed…”

  When we came to a stop light, Angel took off his seatbelt and moved closer to me. When his hand touched the back of my neck, I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath, despite the feeling of having a three-hundred-ton elephant on my chest.

  Angel placed his right hand against my left cheek and moved me slightly closer to him. He kissed my head, leaving his lips against there.

  “Try not to think about it,” I heard him say against my ear and I shook my head.