Dangerous Affairs Ch. 11

Author's note: Here it is the last chapter everyone. Please comment and rate. Thanks for all the support.xx

*

"That old bastard! Son of a bitch!!" Michael kept on shouting obscenities as another empty bottle of whiskey was thrown at the wall. He had been hiding in the abandoned warehouse he used to store his good; goods stolen from Visconti. He knew no one would think of looking for him there because not even his moles had knowledge of this place.

He had been taken totally by surprise when he was told the news about Leigh being held at Visconti's, but Michael was actually furious with himself for not foreseeing the possibility of that happening.

At first, he hadn't been sure if Visconti had found out about his betrayal but now he was certain. Why else would the old man keep Leigh?

This totally screwed his plans. Now, he had to decide on what to do next and he had to do it quickly.

*********

"So, you understand what you have to do?" Gino asked for the third time.

"Well, I am not stupid." Leigh looked at him annoyed with his arrogant demeanour.

"I am sure you're not, however I need to be absolutely certain you know what to do and how to do it."

Leigh studied his face and was surprised to see a hint of honest concern in his eyes. She frowned confused.

"Yes, I do understand."

Gino gave her a brief nod. "Let's go." He said guiding her by the elbow out of the room.

*********

It was late afternoon and Damien was just about to punch the wall in frustration. "Where the hell is Darryl?"

"Will you calm down, you're driving me insane." Brian grumbled.

They had used every informant they knew but so far nothing. Visconti didn't make any move. No one had spotted Michael. They were in the dark and it was killing Damien.

When they heard his phone ring, he somehow sensed it was Darryl with news. He didn't even check the number displayed and started spewing. "Why the hell did you take so long? Do you know anything? Where's she?"

Darryl gave an exasperated sigh. "Fucking hell, man! You don't need to shout! I am on my way, nearly there. Get ready, I've got news."

"We've been ready the whole fucking day!" Damien didn't care if he was being an ass, he was sick of sitting around waiting for news. He needed to do something. Not knowing if Leigh was safe and well was just too much to bear.

Not ten minutes after hanging up, Darryl was outside the house. He never had the chance to knock as the door burst open.

"So?"Damien asked anxiously.

Darryl just rolled his eyes. "I will explain in the car."

"But..." Damien didn't even have the chance to finish speaking because Darryl was pushing him out of the house. Brian was right behind him laughing at his friend's frustration, although deep down he was worried as hell about Leigh.

"Let's go. Got your babies with you?" Darryl asked looking at Brian and at a very wound up Damien.

"Always." Damien replied as he touched his 9mm handgun for reassurance.

They got into the car and Darryl sped off. On their way he started telling them what he'd learned about the situation, or rather what was going to happen.

"I can't fucking believe it!" Damien shouted. His hand was now pretty sore from punching the dashboard repeatedly.

"Calm the hell down Damien. You don't know what made her agree to go along with this, and it doesn't matter now." Brian was serious and ready to start kicking ass.

"I know why." Damien said shaking his head. "That fool was trying to protect us. I know my Leigh." He shook his head in disbelief. "When this is over I am going to kill her."

Darryl smiled knowing well enough that Damien wouldn't stand a chance with Leigh.

"Okay, so Salvatore is taking her to meet Michael..." Brain began, but Darryl interrupted.

"No, Salvatore doesn't get his hands dirty. I bet it will be Gino. My sources told me Michael is pretty much finished. Salvatore will not let him get away with anything. Apparently there are unresolved issues to be settled between him and Salvatore."

"Whatever it is I don't care. Leigh shouldn't be involved in this mess. Damn it, that woman will be the death of me!" Damien threw his head back against the headrest and shut his eyes tight.

Be safe, Love.

After driving for what felt like an eternity to Damien, they arrived at a rundown area of the city. They parked on a street where there were a few warehouses.

Brian and Damien looked at Darryl, expecting him to know where to go. Darryl didn't disappoint them.

"It's that building with the Lease sign over there!" Darryl murmured.

As they approached the building, Brian kept his eye on the street. There were no cars nearby, no one around.

Brian murmured. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Darryl shrugged and averted his eyes from both men. "We have to check out what's going on...come on."

Brian shook his head and pulled Damien's arm slightly. "I don't like this. I think Darryl is hiding something."

Damien stared at his friend for a moment then he nodded. They couldn't talk more because Darryl was motioning them to follow him.

It was now getting darker and they knew they had to act with caution. They could see from the dirt smudged windows that there were people inside.

"Shit! I can't see her." Damien said.

"Good. It's a good thing, right?" Darryl said.

Neither Brian nor Damien answered. They just kept looking through the window.

**********

"...You've got something that doesn't belong to you, Michael. My uncle was very disappointed to know you've breached his trust in you." Gino was standing a few feet away from Michael.

"I needed a guarantee you would help me, I was going to hand it back." Michael said with a smirk. He looked rough and shabby.

"I see, well, what do you need help with, then?" Gino didn't believe one word Michael was saying. He knew Michael was prepared to use the incriminating documents he stole from Visconti's office to bargain with the feds.

"Word is you have something I want too."

"Ah! Are you referring to Miss Grayson?" Now it was Gino's turn to smirk.

"I know you have her, Gino. Where is she?" Michael raised his voice impatiently.

Salvatore and Gino had planned everything carefully. Leigh was supposed to be seen in the house as their captive. They had already found out which member of his house staff was betraying them with Michael. That particular staffer, after passing the information to Michael, had been appropriately dealt with.

But Michael didn't know that. He didn't know that, at this very moment, Gino had her safe waiting in a car two blocks away.

"Well, you won't need those documents now Michael. My uncle sent me here to help you. He's willing to forgive your mishaps if you just hand over what it is ours."

"What about Leigh?" Michael asked suspiciously.

In his present mental state, Michael wasn't thinking clearly, otherwise he would've remembered that Salvatore's never forgave betrayal.

Gino picked up his cell phone and spoke quickly, then after a couple of minutes he said, "Look out of the back window and you will see her." Gino's voice was low.

Michael hesitated briefly, but he just had to see if she was really out there; not far from his reach.

********

Outside the warehouse a car with tinted glass parked slowly. The back window slid down and Leigh's face was in clear view.

"Jesus!" Brian and Damien turned to look at Darryl who had a horrified look plastered on his face.

In an instant, Damien was heading towards the car, when Brian held his arm brusquely. "No!" Brian said shaking his head vehemently.

It was then Damien saw a couple of men moving at the back of the warehouse. They had to act fast but how to know who those men were there to back up? Gino or Michael?

"They're with Michael." Darryl said with certainty.

"How the hell do you know?" Damien was anxious but trying hard to keep his control.

Darryl ignored the question. "I will handle one of them." He said instead as he passed Brian, who followed right after.

"I'll deal with the other one." Brian said as walked behind Darryl. Damien had his eyes glued on Leigh.

"And Damien..." Brian called, causing Damien turned to him. "Don't rush into action, wait for us to return."

Damien gave him an unpromising look. Brian rolled his eyes.

******

Looking through the back window, Michael saw Leigh opening the car door and he followed her line of vision; He saw Damien and he was walking towards Leigh. Anger filled him and he lost his mind completely.

Leigh had been waiting for Gino's man to signal her to roll down the car window so Michael could see her. But when she spotted Damien crouched by the side window with a gun in his hand, she reacted without thinking. She had to reach him before anything happened to him.

It all happened so fast no one could have predicted it. Damien came around the building toward the back door, when through the side window, he saw Michael withdrawing his gun. When Damien realized who he was aiming at his protective instincts took over.

Michael screamed furiously when he saw her running to Damien, who he had spotted crouching under the side window. In one single thought he withdrew his gun and aimed at Damien, totally forgetting that Gino was behind him at the front door of the warehouse.

"Leigh! Get down!!" Damien shouted; his pulse erratic. In his mind there was only one objective: protect her.

On the ground, Leigh could hear shots being fired. She was in such a shock that she lost count of how many.

When she opened her eyes, it took a few seconds to focus on the scene around her. Tears were spilling down her face, her hands were shaking.

"Oh my God!" Leigh murmured, her voice cracking.

Michael was on his back on the ground, arms sprawled and his right leg bent. He looked dead. Was he dead?

She felt her body being lifted and then she looked behind her and saw who was helping her.

Gino.

"You're not very good at following instructions, are you?" Gino said as he shook his head.

Panic set inside of her. "Let me go! Damien! Please, where is he?" she cried and her body convulsed uncontrollably. Gino could only hold her tight.

"Shh...calm down." He spoke softly in her ear, and the sudden urge to protect washed over him. "He seems alright. They're checking him now."

"They? Where?" She said as she turned her head in the direction of familiar voices.

Darryl looked at her with relief stamped on his face and Brian looked pissed.

She actually managed to chuckle nervously as she noticed Damien sitting up.

*****

In all his years in the force, Damien had never been shot. At that moment, he vowed to make up for his friends in the department who had been shot before and never again make a joke out of it. It was definitely not an amusing experience. His shoulder hurt like hell.

"Where's Leigh?" he asked Brian and Darryl.

"She seems fine. Now, you stay put, I need to get assistance." Brian said in a serious tone. He was concerned for his friend and annoyed at the same time. Brian had been on his way back to Damien, after taking care of Michael's minions, when he and Darryl heard the shots.

"I will go check on her." Darryl told them, but when Damien was about to stand up in protest, Brian's stern look halted him immediately. At least Damien had the decency to look guilty. "Don't even think about it. I am not in the mood." Brian scowled as he put pressure on his friend's injured shoulder.

"Ouch! Careful! I'm sorry, but I acted on instinct." Damien grinned.

"I wonder if I should act on instinct when reporting this mess to Captain Harrison." Brian released a defeated sigh. "You gave me a scare, big guy." He said with affection.

"Sorry." Damien closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had been lucky and he knew it.

********

Before going to check on Leigh, Darryl went up to Michael's body and quickly checked his pockets. He found what he was looking for. The act had not gone unnoticed by Brian who wondered for what Darryl had been searching.

Brian didn't have time to ponder too much, he had to call an ambulance and report what had happened.

Darryl approached her and Gino gingerly. He and Gino briefly exchanged a knowing look. "Leigh...Are you alright?" Leigh was already disentangling herself from Gino's arms.

"Let me go see him, please?" She begged softly with tears running down her face.

Gino, seeing that she had gotten a lot calmer, let her go; his head turned to Darryl. "Well, you were supposed to come alone."

Darryl didn't respond. Instead he asked Gino, "Did you shoot him?"

Gino smiled. "Not carrying a gun."

"Of course not." Both men nodded.

"Here...don't forget this." Darryl cocked his head and threw a small envelope to Gino who caught it with one hand.

After a long moment of staring at each other, Gino said, "I'd better go. I wouldn't like to be late for dinner with my uncle."

It was Darryl's turn to smile.

"We're even?" Gino asked.

"You know we'll never be even..." Darryl said.

"One day we will be." Gino murmured with his back to Darryl as he left.

******* Meanwhile, Damien had been holding Leigh so tight she started to become breathless.

"Damien..."

"What were you thinking, huh? Are you trying to make me crazy with worry?" His voice sounded tired, deflated.

Leigh open her mouth to reply but shut it as she had a feeling nothing she said now would make him less upset. She sighed deeply.

They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't see Michael reaching for his left ankle where a small pistol had been hidden.

When Damien heard the click of the safety catch, he threw Leigh behind him in an instant.

"I don't think so!" Darryl shouted, shooting Michael in the hand. He instantly dropped the gun and screamed in agony.

********

In less than half an hour, the place was swamped with local police and the F.B.I.

Michael kept shouting profanities; those mainly directed at Darryl. His fate was now sealed. No more bargains for him; he would stand trial and most likely to go straight to federal prison.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Brian asked Darryl as he was watched Damien and Michael being taken to the hospital.

"What do you mean?" Darryl tried to seem nonchalant.

Brian only cocked his eyebrow. "Look, I will deal with it, and in your report you can say you received an anonymous tip that an escaped criminal was here."

"Right, what about the fact that Michael was shot first by someone else? Forensics will determine it wasn't any of us who fired the gun."

"It wasn't Gino who pulled the trigger." Darryl released an exasperated sigh; it had been a long day. "Don't worry about it; the details have been taken care of." Darryl's tone indicated the end of the discussion.

Brian wasn't happy with Darryl's attempt to cover up for Gino Visconti but he thought it wasn't his battle to fight and that Darryl would have his reasons for letting Gino go. So, Brian decided to let it go too, for now.

********

Leigh was sitting by the window watching over Damien in his hospital bed. People had come and gone, but she remained.

Lucy had come too; she rushed to hug and lecture her friend for being so stupid. Leigh sobbed and held tight to Lucy, the events of the day were finally catching up with her.

"Hey." Damien managed to say, his voice hoarse from the use of the oxygen mask. He had been in surgery to remove the bullet and had just woken up.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Leigh was nervous and Damien noticed it.; she wasn't sure if Damien would be upset with her for not telling him about meeting Michael.

"Been better. Come here..." He beckoned her closer.

"I am so sorry. I wanted to help and be free of him for once." She blurted out.

"I know, it's okay. You're safe now, that's what matters."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course I'm mad. But I reckon that since we're getting married and this won't be the only time I will get mad with you, there's no point in staying mad for long." He said it all in one breath and waited anxiously for her response.

The silence was killing him.

"Is that so?" Leigh was trying hard to conceal her grin. His smiling was fading slowly and he gulped. "Not a very romantic proposal, was it? Are you mad?" it was his turn to ask.

After a long pause, Leigh spoke. "Well, I figure that since we're getting married, you will have plenty of time to make it up to me." She smiled then.

Damien had a wide grin stamped on his face.

She had been sitting on the edge of the bed holding his hand. She was careful not to hurt him as Damien pulled her closer.

"I love you, Leigh." Damien's eyes were glistening with emotion.

"I know." She sighed, feeling fully content for the first time in years.

"I love you too."

The End.

Author's note: By the way, I am working on Gino's story. Since DA was my first ever attempt at writing I think your responses were pretty cool. Thank you so much.I am hoping to write longer stories in the future.