Cold Brew and Bullets (Part 1 of the Syndicate Series)

Chapter 30- Plummeting

Eliana:

The weightlessness was temporary as I went headfirst out the window. The feeling of descent was very different, until all of the sudden, the entire weight of my falling body was yanked onto my ankle. The fall turned into a swing face first towards the building, not having enough time to totally cover my face with my arms before I felt the impact of the brick wall. I hung there, feeling suspended in time and space before the pain set in and I could process the words being yelled above me.

There was panic between the two voices I had come to know so well, Alessio's yelling out, "Eliana!"

Angelo's voice was much weaker than I had ever heard from him, his usually strong and intimidating tone was almost desperate and begging for help, "I've got her, boss."

It was his hand that I must have been feeling around my ankle, clenching tightly the part of my body that was suddenly screaming in pain. Catching and dangling my whole weight on one joint definitely broke something, but it was better than the alternative.

Niklov's body was strewn on the ground three stories directly below me, twisted in unnatural ways as blood pooled larger around his head. The realization struck me that if I were to fall now, I would land on top of his disfigured corpse, and panic gripped me as my adrenaline finally settled, telling me to get to safer ground.

Reason won out over instinct this time, thankfully, because panicking and yanking my weight around would get me dropped much more quickly. Someone grabbed my other ankle, using it to hoist me up and drag me back over the windowsill before I, too, could plummet to my death. The raw side of the building scratched my skin, but the adrenaline from what I had just done was enough to dull it. It wasn't until my ribs almost cracked being dragged over the windowsill that I felt I could breathe again, that I wasn't going to fall.

Alessio seemed to have the same sentiment, that as soon as I was back on solid land, he was never going to let me go. The second I was safe, he had his arms thrown around me so tightly I almost couldn't breathe. Maybe it was a good thing, because the impact of my actions finally caught up to me and my legs completely gave out. I sank to the ground, Alessio gripping my shoulders and shaking them slightly.

I had been so disoriented that I hadn't even noticed him speaking to me "What were you thinking, Eliana?! That was so stupid, how could you even-"

Alessio's voice cracked, and I knew he was only half angry. The other part of him was terrified, it was the same reaction I would have if our roles were reversed. I gripped his elbows, trying to make him understand why I did what I did.

"He was..." I took a gulp of air, breathing heavily, trying to keep my emotions from spiraling. "He would have killed you."

"Then you let him!" Alessio shouted, kneeling in front of me still. "Never do that again! I don't care if someone's about to drive a knife into my chest, never put yourself in danger like that-"

I grasped his face in my hands, wishing I could reassure him so that the lines of worry would leave his face. I hated knowing that I was the cause of them, "I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and I love you, I'm so sorry."

Tears of panic and adrenaline were fighting their way out of my eyes and a wave of exhaustion threatened to take all of the energy from my body. Alessio was frozen, like he couldn't comprehend everything that had just happened. I didn't confess my feelings because I had almost died, or because it was the heat of the moment, but because I knew it for so much longer than I was willing to admit to myself. He stared at me for a moment longer, making sure that I really was sincere in my promise not to do it again.