Classified ☑

[ chapter 19 ]

"Out."

The grip around my arm tightened and I gritted my teeth in pain.

The guy behind the counter froze, his jaw half open with chewed tobacco in his mouth. He held his hands up defensively. "You want cash? I got cash?"

He reached for the register, but tattoo guy fired a warning shot at the man. Cigarette packs flew off the shelves as my ears rang because of how close the gunshot was. Before I could comprehend what was happening, tattoo guy moved his arm so he had me in a chokehold.

He tilted the gun towards the back. "Get out and leave. If you call the cops, I'll make sure you're dead. Got it?"

The guy behind the counter made eye contact with me, his eyes briefly flashing to the register and back up at me. He held his hands up as he maneuvered his way behind the counter and towards the back exit, tattoo guy keeping his gun on him the entire time.

Once the man was out, tattoo guy shoved me into the counter. Sharp pain radiated through my side, causing me to double over. Next, he grabbed hair near my scalp and pulled me up to standing. My eyes pricked in pain as I try to slap at him, but his hand moved so it circled my upper arm.

"Come on, Nina. It's okay to cry," he taunted, his voice cold. Not an ounce of compassion was to be found as his eyes pierced into mine, like he wanted something, a reaction of some sort.

I refused, putting on a front. "Why do you get to know my name and I don't get to know yours?" I asked, playing along with his game.

"Dante," is all he said as his body became rigid.

As he leaned closer to me, I shoved the heel of my hand into his nose. His head fell back as his hand released its grip around my arm. On the floor with my knees, I tried to crawl away but he kicked my hands out from underneath me.

My face collided with the ground and finally I let out a scream of pain, a familiar taste of metal filling my mouth.

He grabbed my arm again and yanked me backwards onto my butt, dragging me away from the double doors leading into the convenience store. "Just in case we have any unexpected guests. Don't want them to see us first."

I tried to grab at his hands, kick my feet, but nothing worked.

Dante slammed my back into the doors of the reach in refrigerator. He bent down and placed his gun against my temple. The cold metal dragged along my face and to my jaw, his eyes tracing the trail of the gun.

I gulped as my my breathing started to become erratic, a slight whimper escaping my lips. Panic mode was setting in and this wasn't looking good for me.

Dante leaned back, giving me some space. His demeanor seemed to change in that instant as he watched me closely. I was struggling and he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "I didn't want to kill your dad."

My heart stopped and I froze. "What?" He whispered the words so quietly I thought I hadn't heard him. I let my eyes wander over his face, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

His gaze turned distant, as if he was remembering a different time. Something in him seemed to snap as he slightly shook his head before refocusing his eyes back on me."My mission at first was to bring you both in. But then the car flipped after it hit the pothole."

His words hung in silence for several seconds.

"And my dad died," I finished for him. A couple of tears made their way down my cheeks as I fought to keep them in. There was no way I was going to give this guy the satisfaction of crying, even if I already had shed a few tears. "You knew him, didn't you?"