Zoey p. o. v
I thought after the gunshot comes to the agonizing pain, but I didn’t feel anything. Nothing at all, not even a slight ache or a pang of pain.
Nothing.
I opened my eyes, ready myself to see the bullet hole, maybe I am going to die a painless death. But I saw a nervous boy, looking around confused.
It spiked my interest when I didn’t see any wounds on my body. I could swear I heard the sound of a gunshot, surely my ears weren’t deceiving me.
The gun sound came again, and this time was accompanied by the sound of my name.
“Zoey!” I’ve never heard Marco’s voice more restrained, sounded a mixture of urgency and fear. Oh my goodness, Marco is here, a smile broke on my face only to dim a minute later.
Oh, no! Marco can’t meet this kid here, he’ll kill him undoubtedly. I turned to the boy, who looked more panicked, cursing under his breath.
His hands were shaking and his eyes darted around, searching for where the sound was coming from.
“You have to leave, now!” I told him, snapping his attention to me, he looked conflicted. Maybe because he almost killed me a while ago, but now I’m helping get out of here alive.
“You should leave before he gets here, or he’ll kill you,” I said with urgency. I can’t let him die, if this is the only thing I could do for their family, so be it. I’ve already almost killed his elder brother, and I know just who is responsible.
“Go now,” I yelled at him, snapping him out of his dazed. He nods at me and immediately runs off in the opposite direction of Marco’s voice.
He wasn’t far gone when Marco emerged from the bush, he aimed his gun at the boy and I did the one thing I never thought I could do. I ran in front of the gun and stood there, blocking the boy from Marco’s view.
“Move.” I shook my head stubbornly.
“I said fucking move, Zoey.” I still stood my ground.
“No,” I replied. He reluctantly lowered his gun and looked away in annoyance.
I ran to him, embracing him as if my life was depended on it. He returned my hug with an equal amount of emotion or more. I sobbed badly against his chest, I cried from the fear of dying without living a life of fulfilment.
I cried because I caused someone to almost lose their lives, and I forced the other to commit a crime that would have got him killed as well. Furthermore, I cried because Marco came for me, I don’t know how he found out I was in danger, but I’m grateful he didn’t leave me alone.
“Let’s go.” Marco broke the hug, holding my body close to his, we walked to where he parked his car. He opened the door for me, I got in quietly, and he went to his side.
“Thank you,” I said once we started moving. “For saving me,” I added.
“I would do that all over again, even at the cost of my life, Zoey. You mean more to me than you know.” He grunted, he held my gaze and I could see all the feelings in his eyes.
His love, his care, his possessiveness, his passion, his fear, his protectiveness, everything was on full display. As if he wanted me to see them, I choked back a cry.
I don’t know if I’m considered selfish, but I can’t just get over the fact that he hurt me in the past. Why would he do that when he has these feelings for me, do you hurt the person you love just because you feel like it?
No, I don’t think so.
I looked away, blinking back the tears and swallowing harshly. I’m eternally grateful for what he did for me, I’m indebted to him even, but I can’t overlook our past.
“And thanks for sparing him,” I said instead.
“I’m still going to hunt him down, my boys are on it as we speak,” Marco spoke, causing me to stare at him wide-eyed.
I gaped like a fish out of water, searching for words to say.
“What is wrong with you?” I couldn’t help but scream, I just lost my patience with this man.
Here I thought he let him off.
“Why can’t you just let him go, that’s the least you could do for that family.” I’m not even bothering with toning down my voice.
Before Marco got the chance to reply, his phone was blaring in the air. I picked it up, knowing it was one of his men.
And answered the call.
“Boss, we caught the bastard.” The man said, he sounded like the tattoo guy who came to me at the store.
“Let him go,” I shouted at him, there was a pause on the other side.
“I’m sorry, Donna. But I only take orders from the Don.” He replied, much to my annoyance.
“Tell him to let the boy go.” I passed the phone to Marco. He stares at me for a complete minute, not making any move.
“Tell him to let the boy go, and without a scratch,” I repeated myself. This time he took the phone from me.
“Release him.” He gave that single order and tossed the phone aside. His grip on the wheel was so tight, that his knuckles turned White.
“That boy almost took your life, if I were a second late, you would be laying dead on the ground.” He grits out.
I know, but killing him is not the best way to go about it.
“I don’t want him dead, and I’m not going to file a case against him either. You have no idea what that boy is going through, if anything, I’m responsible for his actions.”
He didn’t say anything immediately, he took his time to process the information. I was panting hard, I’m still so shaken up by all this.
“What the fuck do you mean.” He seethes.
“Remember Jayden Sawyer? That’s his kid brother, the same Jayden who has been laying in the hospital for three years in a coma.” I took a deep breath. “He got into the accident that almost claim his life on his way to the school you got him transferred to.” I emphasize more on the ‘you’ because he did it.
He remained fazed by my accusations, his expression remaining masked, not giving anything away.
“I transferred him to another school, but I had no involvement in the accident. That’s purely fate’s work.” He blurted.
“Why did you have to get him transferred, he was doing pretty well in our school.” I just couldn’t make sense of all of Marco’s threatening him and getting him transferred.
What crime did Jayden commit, and how did he cross paths with the Italian Mafia?
“He was going to ask you out.” He sounded as if the words left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I don’t see why he shouldn’t.” The scowl that appeared on his face when I said that was disturbing. He glares at me, gritting his teeth together and fisting his palm around the wheel.
The car screeched to a stop at the side of the road, narrowly dodging an incoming car from behind. I held my chest in an attempt to calm down the racing heart, I swore my heart leaped out of my throat and came back.
I threw a dirty glare at Marco.
I’m so getting out of this car, I rage inwardly. What the fuck, he could have got us killed, for Christ’s sake! Just as my hand reached the door, a hand grabbed at my waist and pulled me back to my seat.
I gasped in surprise. He was fast, I blinked at him when he came up to my face. His breath harshly fanned my face causing me to lose mine.
“I fucking dare you to repeat that bullshit.” He growled in my face. It was silent for what seemed like forever, but was a few minutes. The air was thick with tension and suspension.
“I don’t fucking see why he shouldn’t ask me out.” I stare eyeball to eyeball as I repeat those words.
The vein in his head pulsed, like a ticking bomb. I could practically feel the heat from the anger burning through his body, I tell you. Standing before a hungry lion is better than being in an angry Marco’s presence.
“The fuck you can’t. You. Are. Mine.” He snarled out each word. The flames in his eyes are enough for me not to argue. “This?” He grabbed my boobs, and every part of my body, labelling them as his.
“They all are mine. You. Belong. To. Me. Just as I belong to you in every aspect. You better let it sink in that pretty little brain of yours. ” I was mute by the end of his speech, I didn’t know what to reply.
He went back to his seat and started the car, he broke onto the road. Both of us not saying anything else, maybe because I would rather not reply or because I love it when he stakes his claims on me and I would rather not deny it.
“This is not the way to my house,” I spoke after the long, tense silence between us.
“I’m not letting you stay there any more. After what has happened, I’m not letting you my sight again.”
“I will be fine, I just take me to my flat.” I sighed, right now all I want to do is just sleep and wish when I wake up, all this would be just a dream.
“It’s not up for discussion, Zoey.” He throws me a glare.
I didn’t argue back, I was too drained to fight back. I need the comfort of a bed. When he didn’t get a response from me, he glanced at me with a light frown.
But we both went back to our minds, I fell into thought. Thinking and visualizing how everything took place, barely up to an hour. And how I could have been dead.