Hold On To Me

Chapter 53

There was a crash, a flash of white light. Somewhere in the far distance you could hear groaning, and then nothing but silence.

A man with a smirk walked off the scene, tucking his revolver in his jean pocket. He was gone by the time the ambulance arrived.

"What do we got?" The doctor asked as soon as the paramedics loaded off the patient.

"41 year old gunshot victim, shot in the neck. He's bleeding out and in respiratory distress."

"Let's get him to the trauma room." The doctor calls. "He's in V-Fib" the doctor screams and soon other doctors run in to help him. It might be too late. It might not.

"Do we have a name for him?"

The paramedic checks the ID he found drenched in rain water.

"He's a cop." The paramedic sighs, "Detective Jay Halstead."

**

It's been three days – three excruciating days – since Sienna walked out for the second time. No, this time she's not filing for divorce. She's not even thinking of leaving him. They have crossed that bridge – she knows he cheated.
She's just...God, she's just feeling sorry for herself.

She's the problem. She's the fucking problem.

He can have a family at the tip of his fingers, yet if he stays with her he won't ever have one.

Antonio calls again. This time she answers. The other thousand times he's called she pressed ignored.

"Baby. You answered. I'm sorry for what I said, I'm sorry I screamed. God, I had no right screaming at you if it was me who fucked us over in the first place. Please forgive me. I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry."

He rambles on not once catching a breath. She smiles softly, "Meet me for breakfast?"

Antonio's breathe hitches in his throat as he tries to comprehend what she just said.

"B-Breakfast?"

"Yeah, at Courtney's Café. If you want?"

"I'd love nothing more" He murmurs smiling brightly. "I'll meet you there now"

Just before she hung up, she murmured 'I love you' not bothering to wait for a reply.

**

Antonio's in a tailspin getting ready for a breakfast date with his wife. God, he thinks with a smile, she told him she loves him.

He's a bit more confident than before that she won't serve him papers.

'I love you'

He loves those words coming out of her mouth. Damn, he misses her.

**

She's wearing that blue dress he loves so much. Her hair is curled to perfection. He breathes her in when she's near him.

"You look so beautiful" He whispers watching with love sick eyes how her face contorts in a smile. "I missed you" She whispers

"I've missed you too."

There was an awkward pause until she broke it by closing the space between them. Sienna gets on the tip of her toes and kisses him softly. Antonio deepens in and then pulls away, leaning his forehead against hers as his hands find her hips. "I'm sorry"

"It's long forgotten" She replies back honestly. "You want to grab breakfast now?"

Antonio's eyes find the building behind her. He shakes his head and smiles brightly. "Not yet. Take a walk with me?"

Upon her nod, he grabs her hand and pulls her into him as they walk to the grey and blue building.

Her eyes travel to his, "We're going in here?"

"You want to?"

She smiles brightly, "More than anything"

**

A friendly older woman smiles brightly at them upon entering. "Welcome to Paws, adoption agency for animals. How may I help you?"

"I'm Antonio Dawson, this is my wife Sienna. We" He turns to look at Sienna with a soft smile, "We would like to adopt a pet"

"Alright. We have quite a selection of dogs and cats. Which do you prefer?"

"I'd take all the animals here if I could" Jokes Sienna. The lady grins and Antonio chuckles, "She really would."

"But" Sienna continues on, "A dog, please."

"Come with me" The lady escorts them to the kennels. There are so many puppies; and big dogs; and cats.

"We're getting more than just one, right?" She asks Antonio. The tone of her voice indicates he doesn't really have a choice.

He smirks, "We'll see babe"

"Yeah, we're getting more than one."

Her eyes caught big brown eyes staring back at her. A pink tongue zips out of the Labrador's mouth. "Hey gorgeous" She crouches down in front of the dog. "You are so gorgeous."

The lady smiles, "This is Oreo. She's a one year old. Her owner passed away"

"Oh that's terrible. Hi Oreo, you are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. Yes you are, yes you are."

And soon they're walking out of the agency with Oreo; a Corgi named Peanut; A Schnauzer who doesn't yet have a name and another Corgi named Flapjack. Antonio, who didn't really have a say in the amount of dogs he's adopting, quickly buys the necessities and then join his wife and their...fuck, their 4 dogs outside.

"I wanted one dog" He complains. "Now we have four"

Sienna grins, "You don't always get what you want Dawsey"

He rolls his eyes and starts walking with Oreo and Flapjack, "We're changing their names, right? I'm a cop, I can't have dogs with names like these."

"We're not changing their names. But, you can name the Schnauzer."

"Fine" He sulks, "Hi Rover."

"Such a boy's name"

"He is a boy!" Antonio laughs. "He's the only boy surrounded by ladies. I feel for him, but we'll stick together right buddy?"

The dogs all get excited over Antonio's voice and starts licking him when he crouches down to pet Rover. Sienna immediately takes a photo. This might not be a child, but she knows they'll be so incredibly happy with their four dogs.

Dread fills her stomach when she remembers the Riana girl, and the alleged pregnancy.

"Tony, what are we going to do about that girl?" Sienna asks as soon as they sit down at the coffee shop. The dogs get to know each one better as they play around their new parents. Antonio grabs her hand, "I promise you, I'm not the father. I'll prove it."