Five of Hearts

Chapter 43

Author's Note: Please don't forget to comment and vote! I hope you're enjoying Five and Hearts and thank you all for the support you've been giving. I appreciate it immensely!

"Let her go, Ciro. It's over," Thane spoke from across the room. Ciro's grip on my neck tightened and lifted me off the ground a bit. He held his gun in his other hand and pushed it into my side. I held onto his arm to keep myself from choking. "Hand her over, let us leave, and we'll let you live."

"Speak for yourself," Keegan muttered, keeping his focus and gun on one of the men in black clothes trying to stand up from the rubble around the door.

"If you don't get your hands off of her in the next five seconds, I swear-" Atticus started.

"Wait!" I finally found my voice. Ciro tightened his grip again, lifting me so my toes weren't touching the ground anymore, and stiffened behind my back. Atticus' eyes grew wide as his gun stayed trained on Ciro. "Wait, don't shoot him. I need answers."

"You heard her. Lower your weapons," Ciro commanded, though his voice sounded shaky and unsure.

Atticus stared at me, refusing to lower his weapon, his eyes cloudy with a mixture of anger, confusion, and pain.

"Not gonna happen," Cash finally said through clenched teeth.

"Just let me talk to him. I need to know what the hell is going on," I said firmly.

"Hattie, we have to get out of here. We can only hold this room for so long," Thane said calmly, staring at me. His voice caused a painful stir in my heart.

Even as Thane spoke, Hudson shot off a few rounds down the hall from his position at the destroyed dining room doorway.

"Please, just give me two minutes," I begged. After a moment, Atticus nodded curtly but kept his weapon on Ciro.

I turned around in his stiff arms to face him. One hand on his gun still pressed into my side, he moved the other so that it grabbed my lower back, grazing my butt, and pulled me unnecessarily close to him. His eyes moved up from my face to, I assume, Atticus', and his mouth formed a triumphant smirk.

"No, eyes on me," I said through my teeth. I need to know what he knows before Atticus kills him. He stared down at me, still smiling. "Tell me what I need to know. Now."

Ciro just grinned down at me in response.

"Stop stalling; tell me. What do you mean Ben and Alice weren't my real parents?"

"Leave with me," Ciro said suddenly, desperately. I balked. I hate him. Gunfire sounds grew closer and closer down the hall. "Call off your boys, tell them to let us leave, and I'll tell you. Everything."

"Not going to happen." His hand on my back pressed me closer to him and I fought back frustrated tears.

"We don't have time, Hattie!" Hudson yelled.

"Very well then," Ciro chuckled.

He doesn't think I'll do it.

He doesn't think I'll let Atticus kill him.

And he's right.

I won't let Atticus kill him.

"I'll take it to my grave," Ciro smirked.

"Sooner than you think," I said through clenched teeth.

Because I'm going to do it.

I brought my knee up as hard as I could right between his legs.