© Copyright material
CHAPTER 35
James's POV
Rage boiled up in me when I saw he was trying to hurt my Dina. She was mumbling something. I recognized only a few words. I got behind the guy, pulling him up with one hand and hitting him with my leg so hard that he fell backwards. I glanced at Dina to check her condition. She was still dressed.
"Oh, thank God! I came on time.", I whispered.
The guy didn't do anything to her, except making her sleepy. I aimed at the guy with my gun and he raised his hands up. I came to him and handcuffed him to the metal stairs. Then I pulled out my phone and called the police. And I went over to Dina. I talked to her, but she was just mumbling. I didn't understand what she was saying, except a few words again. I took her up in my arms, bridal style, and went up the stairs. Just then the police officer opened the basement door where we were.
I said to the policeman: "Thanks for coming so quickly. I'm agent Miller, SWAT. Here are my credentials.", I gave him my credentials that I prepared earlier, holding them in my hand.
He looked at them and nodded with his head, so I continued: "He's down there. Handcuffed to the metal stairs. Can I give my report later? I should take care of my girl now.".
The policeman said: "Sure, agent Miller. No problem. See you later then. Come to the 'Brooklyn 94th Precinct'. Are you sure she doesn't need any medical help?".
"She'll be fine. He didn't do anything. I came on time.", I replied.
He held the door open so I could go out, still holding Dina in my arms. She was unconscious. We nodded to each other and I went to Dina's apartment. I had a spare key so I opened the doors and went inside, closing them slowly with my leg. I went over to her bedroom, still holding Dina in my arms and placed her in her bed. Then I went outside to the hallway to take her purse and the shoe. I came back quickly to her room, closing and locking the door of her room from the inside. Just in case Zoya comes back. I didn't need her panicking now, and I'm sure Dina didn't either. I sat on the bed beside Dina, caressing her hair and face.
"Baby, wake up.", I said quietly.
I know I've said I won't call her that, but I just couldn't resist. I love her a lot. I went to the kitchen and quickly made the tea for her, taking it to her room and locking the doors again. She was still sleeping. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes.
She looked at me and then said quietly: "James? What happened?".
Just when I opened my mouth to reply, she raised her hand up in the air and said: "Oh, I remember.". She started to cry and she curled on her side.
I took her hand and said: "It's ok, Dina. That guy didn't hurt you. I came on time to stop him. And it wasn't Daniel who you've heard.".
"Are you sure he didn't do anything?", she asked scared looking at me.
"Yes, baby. I'm sure. I got here on time.", I smiled to her.
"Are you sure, sure?", she doubled the question, asking for my confirmation again. I reached my hand to her face, caressing it. I smiled and nodded confirming.
I said: "I'm sure, baby. Everything is ok.".
She smiled back and said: "Ok then. And about Daniel, I heard the girl saying his name.", she said confused.
Did my Dina really cared for my brother so much? She loved him? My heart crushed in my chest on that thought.
But somehow I managed to smile, saying: "Yea. I know what you've heard. But it wasn't him. He's at work now. He works until 5 pm. He switched shifts with a friend. It was that idiot Mark, pretending to be Daniel, even tho I don't know why.". She relaxed a little, and smiled.
"Oh, okay.", she said simply. Then she tried to sit up, but got dizzy, so she laid back down.
"Don't tell Daniel about what happened. He'd kill Mark. Not literally, but, you know. And don't tell him about what happened here, either. Please?", she asked hopefully.
I started with a smile: "Well, Mark deserved to get killed, not literally of course, but I won't say anything. But I have to tell him about what happened here. You know we're agents and basically part of the police, he'd find out eventually anyway...".
And finished seriously: "...and I'd be the one who'd get killed. You want me to get killed?". She jumped up, sitting straight.
She screamed: "No! Of course not!".
Hugging me tightly, she whispered: "I'd never want that, James.".
She snuggled into my neck and continued with a whisper: "I love you so much.".
I was dying to tell her the same thing, but instead I pretended I didn't hear that because she said it very quietly. She probably didn't want me to hear it anyway. I just hugged her tightly. When she let go of me, I didn't move my eyes off of her.
I looked at her for a minute and then she asked: "What?".
"Well, you said something in the basement, but I'm not sure I should ask about it.", I replied carefully.
She nodded her head in 'go ahead' move, saying: "You can ask me anything.". She smiled.
"Well, while you were... Uhm, drugged... And, uhm, half asleep... You, uhm... Asked not to hurt the baby. What baby, Dina?", I finally asked.
"Oh... Did I? Oh well, James, please, don't tell anyone about it. Not even Daniel. I have to talk to him.", she said simply, raising her eyebrows towards me.
Then she said loudly: "Geez, this list of secrets is just getting bigger and bigger!". I was shocked.
"Really? It's for real? I'm going to be... Uhm, uncle?", I asked, not sure how I should feel.
I really hoped it's mine and I'll be the father. That's why I said 'Uhm, uncle'. I was giving her the space to finish the sentence and correct me with 'No, you're going to be the father' part. But that was just my wishful thinking.
She said: "Yea, it's real. I just found out today. Don't tell anyone. You're the only one who knows and...", she stopped talking because Zoya knocked on the door.
She must have heard us talking. Dina told her to come in. Zoya tried to get in, but then I remembered I locked the doors. I went to unlock them and Zoya came inside, looking suspiciously at me, smiling. I went back to the bed and stood beside it. She hugged Dina.
"What were the two of you doing locked in the room?", she said jokingly.
"You're better not knowing.", Dina said teasingly, wiggling her eyebrows, smiling to me. I smiled back to her. Oh, if she only knew how much I wanted this to be true.
Zoya looked at her, then at me and said: "Oh, yuck!". She wrinkled her nose a little.
Then she asked happily, still looking at me: "Wait!! Are you two together again?!".
I looked at her seriously, moving my head negatively. I said that we're not, hoping she won't blurt out about Daniel and that he knows everything. She understood immediately and her smile disappeared. Dina told her that we were just talking.
Zoya said: "Oh ok. Sorry for interrupting. I'll go out so you can continue talking.". Dina smiled nodding her head confirming and Zoya turned to go out, but I stopped her and said that she can stay because I have to go.
Dina said quickly: "No, James, wait. I...", but I stopped her from further talking. I really had to get out of there because I felt like I'm going to explode.
"I have to go. We'll talk later or some other day.", I said.
She just looked at me sadly and said: "Are you sure you can't stay just for a few more minutes?".
"Some other time. I have to go.", I replied.
I was really sad and I couldn't stay there anymore. Before I went away I said 'Happy birthday' to Zoya again, and 'Bye' to Dina. I kissed her on her forehead. As I walked out of Dina's room, a tear fell from my eye. She's going to have a baby, and it's not mine. It's Daniel's. 'Maybe I should take Jake's advice and ask my captain to send me away?', I thought to myself. I took a deep breath to calm myself as I walked out in the hallway. When I walked out of Dina's place, I leaned myself on the wall. I needed a moment to process the news I've just heard. I wasn't sure how will I handle this. Could I really be around Dina only as a friend? And uncle to her baby? I wasn't so sure about that.
At this moment, I was really reconsidering Jake's idea of going away. Dina tried to stop me from leaving, but I really couldn't stay inside anymore. I went out of the building. It was cold outside. It was November. My mobile beeped. It was an SMS.
It was from Dina: "James, please come back. We need to talk.".
I looked at the message for a few moments. I really wanted to be more with her, but I just couldn't. I was really hurt.
"I can't. I'm sorry.", I replied shortly, barely holding my tears.
I had to go to give the report in the 'Brooklyn 94th Precinct' now, then visit Jenny and after that I had to go to work. Today I'm working night shift, from 10 pm to 10 am. And it's almost 4 pm. And Jenny is having a flu.