Keep Me Close

Chapter 2

Nalley P.O.V.



I began to face defeat and numb my senses until I heard the sound of a gun c*****g from behind Giovanni. My eyes shot open as I saw a huge muscular figure holding a gun straight at us. I didn’t know whether to be terrified or relieved at the sight of him. He was wearing a black ski mask; all I could see were his deep brown eyes. I could, however, see the outlines of his muscles straining against a black hoodie. I then redirected my gaze back towards the gun that was pointed in our direction.

The hand holding the gun appeared to have a tattoo that ended near his knuckles, but I couldn’t make out the images due to the angle. Now that I think about it, the angle at which the gun is pointed seems to be pointed slightly more toward Giovanni. The unknown man began to place the muzzle of the gun against Giovanni’s head. Only then did I notice that Giovanni had already pulled his hand out of my pants and onto my hip. I cringed and tried to slip from his touch, but I had forgotten that his other hand kept its hold on the arm that was currently above me.

“Why don’t you make this easy for yourself Santos and back away before I do it for you.” The man’s voice was steady and strong and it left zero room for argument. Giovanni knew he had no other choice but to listen to the mysterious voice. However, this is Giovanni Santos and he was a known force to be reckoned with.

It all happened so fast and the next thing I knew, I was being pulled close to Giovanni’s chest with a gun pointed at my temple. The man didn't seem to have moved an inch, it was as if he was expecting him to do this. His cool demeanor was a major difference when comparing it to Giovanni’s tense form. Whoever this guy was, Gio knew him and it made him uneasy. I’ve never known him to lose his composure which meant I was dealing with someone who was in an unpredictable state of mind.

"Where's Luca?!" Giovanni stated as he looked back to see that no one was guarding the alley like before. The stranger stared at him nonchalantly before saying. "He's no longer your concern, Santos." His answer was vague and I began to wonder what happened to Giovanni's little pet.

I began to feel my breathing become shallow as I realized my predicament. “P-please,” I trembled. “J-just let me go.” At this point, I was desperate to get as far away from the situation as possible. I didn’t know what either man was going to do and the thought of it terrified me beyond belief. I looked over at the deep brown eyes and I felt my body heat up at the intensity of his stare. Without taking his eyes off of me, he pulled the trigger.

~Bang!~

"Argh!" I fell to the ground as Giovanni released me from his grasp. I tried to get up and run, but my body felt numb and frozen from the shock. I screamed at myself to get out of there and never look back except I couldn't stop watching the scene in front of me unfold. There stood the mysterious figure and The Great Giovanni Santos bent down nursing his wounded knee. The stranger then leaned down to Giovanni's level and whispered something into his ear.

Whatever he said caused Giovanni to look at him with an expression that held a mixture of fear and anger before the man pistol-whipped him on the side of his head and knocked him out cold. The man stood there staring at Giovanni's motionless figure for a second before he turned his attention to me as I began to shake uncontrollably. His eyes met mine again with the same intensity as before as he slowly took a step towards me.

I finally willed my body to move backward with each step he took towards me. It was only when I had hit a brick wall that I was once again trapped in an alley with a dangerous man. He kept walking towards me only stopping once his feet stood just a few inches away from my figure. He looked at me for a second before shooting his out towards me causing me to flinch involuntarily.

I waited for him to grab me and drag me to God knows where, but nothing ever came. I slowly opened my eyes to see the hand patiently waiting for me to grasp onto it. Only then did I realize that he was offering his hand to help me up off the ground. I ignored the gesture and willed my limbs to push my body up.

As I rose, the man began the straighten out and I took in the monstrous size of him. This man, compared to my five-foot and four-inch frame, was a giant. He stood a little over a foot above me and I couldn't help but feel tiny in his presence. This man could bring me down with a touch of his thumb if he wanted to.

When I finally got to his eyes, I was met with a force unlike any other. His brown eyes looked like he could burn me alive and I couldn't get myself to pry my eyes from them. It was as if I was drowning in them and I wasn't sure I wanted a way out. I was snapped out of daydreaming at the sound of Giovanni groaning. I knew I did not want to be anywhere near him when and if he woke up.

In a panicked state, I pushed the stranger aside so I could escape from the alleyway. I didn't even attempt to grab my bag off the ground as I fled. My only thought was to maintain a considerable distance between me and the alley. I knew I didn't want to be on my own when I got home, so I went to one of the few people left in my life that I could trust.

After running for what felt like hours, I finally made it to the front steps of the apartment. I began banging on the door like some deranged lunatic until I heard someone yelling from the other side. I could hear the clicking of the locks coming undone before the door began to open. "Someone better be dying out there or I swear I'm gonna--" Genesis paused at the sight of me with a look of pure shock.

I can only imagine that I look as frightened as I feel because she pulls me into her apartment without saying another word before slamming the door behind us. Once I heard the locks engage on the door, I began to feel every bottled-up emotion from the past couple of hours begin to seep through. Only then do I start to collapse onto the floor as I feel the beginning stages of a panic attack consume my being. I feel like there is no stopping it once it has started and that thought alone terrifies me more than anything.