If You Can't Handle the Heat (On Hold)

Chapter 11

I dedicate this chapter to my dear and sweet sister @LivingOnAFanstasy. Love you so much sis. Well enjoy my friends!!!

 Feeling better about the situation with my father and Tristan, I parked my car and made my way to the back entrance of the restaurant.  As soon as I stepped through the door, I realized that the alarm wasn't turned on.  That was odd, I thought to myself.  Frank our dishwasher who locks up as he is the last to leave , has never ever forgotten to set the alarm .  Well I will be going to have a word with him about that. 

I walked straight to the coffee machine and was about to turn it on, when I hear a noise coming from my cooler.  I stopped dead in my tracks and listen .  A minute passes and there was no more noise.  Come on Sav, you are hearing things, must be getting old.  I laugh at myself.  Shaking my head, I went to finish the coffee. 

The smell of coffee permeates through the kitchen, making me want a baked something to go along with it.  Heading to the freezer, I pass the cooler. 

Thud…  Something heavy dropped in the cooler.  The hair on my arms raise and a chill ran down my spine.  "Fúck" I whisper to myself.  Creeping closer to the door was probably not the smartest idea, but hey, I’m curious.  There are more sounds.  I should call someone...  Right?  But I won't.  With my hand on the handle I took on last breath, grabbed the sharpest knife off the rack and pulled open the door. 

As the door swung open someone quickly turned around.  There was shock written all over his face, and most probably mine as well.  We stared into each other’s eyes, neither moving a muscle.  Fear creeping into me.  What the hell do I do now? Do I rush at him,  hoping I don't stab myself in the process,  or do I turn and run my ass off in the hope that he won't catch me.  Fuck...  Fight or flight ......

As I'm battling with myself, I don’t notice him reach behind his back and pulls out a gun.  After a heartbeat, the gun catches my eye.  Now the only thing I can focus on is the gun.  Fúck...  Fúck...  Fúck...  Is he going to shoot me?  A throat is cleared and I look up.  For the first time since I opened the door, I noticed that this man in front of me was just a boy.  He must have been about 15. I stared at him. He was so young and skinny, like he was starved. His face was dirty and his clothes were torn and tattered. Looking at him, my heart broke a little. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still scared shitless, but looking at how frail he looks, makes me sad. Someone so young, someone with a future ahead of them, yet has seen hardship already. I want to reach out my hand to him, tell him it’s okay, but then again here I am, and there he is with a gun. Reality hits me like a ton of bricks. Now is not the time to make friends and feel sorrowful. React god dam it. He starts to speak to me. His voice was soft and sad.

“Sorry Miss… I need you to back-up” His voice shaking a little more. His eyes were so sad and helpless.

I began to back up as he walked out of the cooler.

“I don’t want to hurt you… Please let me leave.” Tears began to stream down his dirty cheeks. The hand with the gun, started to tremble.

“Why are you here?” I speak to him, my voice, just as soft as his. I dont want to sound too harsh or angry. I take a step closer. As I did, his eyes widened as if I was going to hurt him.    I stopped when I saw the fear building in him.

“I’m not going to hurt you kid. I just want to know why you are here in my cooler, robbing me.”

“Please Miss… Stay back.” The gun was still shacking in his hand. “I just want to take this food back to my dad and baby sister. They need it.”

Hearing that, I really want to take him into my arms and tell him everything will be okay.

SAVANNAH, my inner voice screams at me, SNAP OUT OF IT. YOU NEED TO END THIS NOW.

“Okay… Listen to me kid. Put down the gun and we can talk about this, like two adults.” I’m trying to make my voice sound soft yet confidant. I don’t want to show him how scared I am right now.  I need him to leave, before my “quick to act!”  Father arrives. Who knows how he will react to this. Taking another step forward, I place my hand on his shoulder. He doesn’t retreat like before, but doesn’t put aside the gun either. Right now I am well aware, that there is a gun pushing against my chest, and one wrong move and its lights out Sav.  I definitely don’t want that. I take a deep breath, calming my nerves and speak to him again.

“Hey, what is your name?” Blinking a couple of times, it seemed as if he didn’t know. After a few seconds he shakily spoke.

“Mmm… my name is Cccc…Christopher”

“Hello Christopher! My name is Savannah.” I give his shoulder a little squeeze, just to reassure him. “Now let’s see if we can’t work this out”

No sooner did those words leave my mouth, there was a noise coming from the back door. In two point two seconds the situation went from calm to panic. Christopher’s shoulders tensed up and I can see his grip on the gun tighten. Panic coursed through his eyes. Shit… Shit… this is not going to end well. I was making leeway with him, and now it’s all going to get out of control.

“Christopher! Christopher, look at me. Don’t worry about the sounds you hear. Just focus on me. I need to get you out of here.” I can see that what I’m saying is not sinking in. I am losing any sway that I may have had with him. As if a switch went off in his head, Christopher’s face began to harden. The fear slowly ebbed away making room for a sterner glare. His grip on the gun tightened. At this point, I know I’ve lost and that things are not going to end well, for both of us.

As we stare at one another, voices float in from the restaurant. I can hear my father talking to Tristan. He sounded angry. Shit… Angry father and daughter at gun point. A potent mix if I ever saw one. The voices were getting closer and closer. And I know they will walk into the kitchen at any moment. No sooner as the thought left my head, Tristan and my father walked in. My body freezes. I don’t know what to do. All of a sudden Christopher reaches forward and pulls me towards him. He spins me around so I’m facing my father and Tristan and jams the gun to my temple. Inside my head I am screaming bloody murder, but on the outside, I try to remain calm and collected. I will not let them see the fear in my eyes which will only make things worse.

Tristan and my father stop dead in their tracts. My eyes met my fathers. I could see the confusion in them, which quickly turned to anger. Then I glance over at Tristan. His eyes were full of fear, but there was determination there was well.  Without a second though, I saw Tristan walking towards us.  His body was firm and commanding.  If my life wasn't peril right now,  I'd jump his bones and fuck him till next week,  but alas,  I'm here being held at gun point.  Shut up, be quiet I yelled at my inner self.  Now is not the time.  You could die at any moment. 

Before I knew it, Tristan was standing in front of us.  I can feel Christopher’s grip tightened, and pull me closer. 

"Don't come any closer, I iiii'll hurt her. I will!" even though Christopher was trying to sound tough and in control, he couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice.

"Kid, don't do anything you're going to regret.” Tristan took a step closer “I don't want to hurt you,” and closer still “but I will. You are holding a gun to the head of the woman I love, and that is... ". Not finishing his sentence Tristan rushed at Christopher and me.  I can feel my small body being sandwiched between the two of them. The gun was being pushed harder against my heard. Fuck, if something goes wrong, my head will be shot to smithereens. I was been pushed away, not sure who did it. 

All of a sudden in the mists of the struggle, my body slammed into the wall. With so much force, my head hit the wall.  Fuck that hurt.  I'm going to murder who ever push....  What the hell.  My vision began to blur.  I can feel my body start to slowly slide down the wall. Then with a thud, my ass hit the floor.  Focusing on Tristan and Christopher was getting harder; my eyes began to close on their own.  And just before they closed completely, I heard a gunshot and saw Tristan slump to the floor.  I tried to cry out, but it was too late.  My world was plunged into pitch black darkness…