baby [h.s.]

forty two

  I jumped back from Harry. He held my waist and pushed me up the stairs.

"Go, go to Vinny. He'll get you out." he said.

I glanced over his shoulder at the chaos erupting down the stairs. "Are you fucking nuts? I'm not leaving you."

The guards at the bottom of the stairs were gone. Harry leaned in and kissed my forehead. He squeezed my waist and pulled away. He lifted his shirt and plucked his handgun from the waistband of his pants. He motioned for the guard beside the room in which we saw Vinny to come.

"I wasn't asking. Baby, please just listen to me. I love you, I promise I'll see you soon."

The guard lightly grabbed my upper arm. My chest felt heavy as Harry started down the stairs. He looked at me one last time and nodded. I didn't want to let him go alone, but I had no weapon. I was wearing heels. I would've been useless.

"Styles," I barked. "I love you." The guard tugged me toward the door and I didn't turn until Harry was out of side. The door slammed behind me, and once I was inside, it was just Vinny and another man. The sounds of gunshots and breaking glass were muffled by the walls of the room. He looked surprised to see me.

"You're not with Styles?"

I shook my head. "He wouldn't let me come with him. Told me I needed to get to you."

He nodded. "He wanted to protect you. Let his heart get in the way of the job. You are his partner, after all." Vinny paused. "I don't blame him for a second."

Vinny stood from his seat and walked to the table in the corner of the room. He gathered up a folder sitting a top and threw back the rest of the liquor in his glass. He nodded to the man still sitting, then to me.

"They'll come looking for me soon enough. I've got a plan in place for myself, it changes with an extra guest." Vinny said. He turned to the man. "You know what you've got to do. Go."

The man stood, nodded to me, and exited the room. I looked to Vinny.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a burden."

He shook his head. "I owe him a favor. Besides, wouldn't want a thing to hurt you. We'll head out the service stairs and out the back exit. I've got men already positioned at every vulnerable point. We move fast, we stay on guard, we get in the car, and we go."

"What about Harry?"

Vinny opened a case on the table and picked up a gun. He loaded the magazine of bullets into it.

"He's a smart boy." Vinny said. He offered me the gun. "He knows what he's doing."

I took the gun and followed Vinny, who opened a different door in the corner of the room. He held his finger to his lips, then pointed the finger through the door, down a windowless hall. With a nod, he took off. He walked quickly, and I kept up, holding the gun low at my side.

The only other door was at the end of the hallway. I heard the gunshots below us and shook my head. I couldn't let it get to me.

At the end of the hall, Vinny paused and listened to the door. After a moment, he opened it, revealing a staircase lined with armed men. They all nodded to him as he hurried down, and I ran close behind him. The door at the bottom of the stairs opened, revealing the open door to a black SUV. Vinny practically threw himself in, and I followed. It all went so fast. The door shut, we sped off, the firing guns and falling men became a blur around us.