Roses & Ruin

Chapter 45 (Lexi)

After we heard the initial loud bang and shouting voices I went to investigate what was going on. I left Giana in the room we'd been sitting in and peeked out the window that overlooked the front lawn of the property. I didn't know what was happening, but I saw people running towards the back lawn. Guns were drawn.

I didn't want Giana to panic. She's like 80 months pregnant right now and round and swollen as a ball. "I don't know the layout of this house, Giana. Is there a place we should go?" I asked her. I could see panic in her eyes, but she was trying to keep it together.

"Um...um, I don't know!" She exclaimed, about ready to ball her eyes out.

"Okay, just breathe a second here. Any safe rooms, hidden bunkers or some shit? Come on Giana" I tried helping her along. It's a safe house. There has to be more to this place. A loud POP, POP, POP shattered some glass in the other room and Giana screamed. I ducked.

"Oh my god, we're gonna die. They're gonna kill us! They're gonna kill my baby" she started yelling and sobbing. I pulled her behind another wall to keep our cover and told her to shut up. She was starting to hyperventilate and I needed her to keep it together for me.

Now, in Russia I was with my father and brother's once when there was an attempt on their lives. There was a lot of shouting, glass shattering, and gunfire just like we have here. But we'd been in an armored car, and they all had guns. I remember Vitaly and my brothers leaving me after it was safe, and when they returned to me again they were wiping blood off their hands.

I don't have that here, so think Lexi.

If I don't save Giana I might as well die with her or else the Italians will kill me for sure. Okay, save the pregnant mafia princess. Think Lexi. Think.

I jumped back when I heard a splash and gaped down when I realized that splash was Giana's water breaking. "You gotta be fucking kidding me!" I exclaimed. This isn't happening. This is a bad dream. A joke of a nightmare when everything goes wrong all at once and it gets looney.

"EGH" Giana grabbed her belly and bent slightly over. A contraction.

"No, Giana, don't do this to me. You keep that kid inside you" I pointed at her like I was warning her she better not mess with me. Too bad you can't keep a kid inside you. It comes when it comes, which means we need to get the fuck outta here.

"Oh my god, I'm going into labor and we're about to die. Lexi, do something!! " she begged me.

She had black mascara already starting to run down her cheeks and she was all wet, which was gross. She was grabbing at my arms pleading with me like I knew what the fuck to do about it. Okay, you know what to do. Just be brave enough to do it. Come on, Lexi. I amped myself up and let my adrenaline carry me forward.

"Okay, Giana, I need you to stay here a second. I'm going to see if we have a clear path out of here. We'll take one of the cars. Do you know where the keys are?" I asked her, remembering I saw SUV's and other cars lined up.

Giana shook her head no and hiccuped.

She started groaning through another contraction again and I knew I needed to hurry. "Just stay here" I quickly moved out of the room and down the hall. I dropped down and practically crawled to the window.

There was a guard, one of our guys, and he was on the ground. His head was lulled to face me and he had a blood soaked shirt. The side of his head also has some blood like maybe a bullet grazed him there too. Poor guy, but I was looking for two things right now. Keys and a gun.

I know how to shoot. Vitaly made me learn.

Fear gripped me. I knew I needed to run out there and search the man for some keys. I could see his gun carelessly dropped beside him, out of his dead hand. I would go for that, but we need a way out of here and I have no idea who is shooting from where.