Pros & Cons Ch. 04

If it were anyone else holding a gun to my head, threatening to blow my brains all over the interior of my '58 Corvette C1, I might have believed them. I had lived too dirty a life to assume that people would ask questions before pulling the trigger. I was guilty of shit like that too.

But Sienna? She wouldn't shoot me. She just wasn't the kind of person to take a life. She might think she would, but anyone with a heart like hers and a moral compass that strong could never justify murder. Hell, on the off chance she actually managed to shoot me, she would probably turn herself in. She was just that pure.

"You're not going to shoot me, darling."

She pushed the muzzle harder against my temple, as if that somehow contradicted my statement. But if it were me, I would have shot the other person in the arm or leg, just to prove a point. All she did was hold the weapon, however competently. And I had no doubt her arms were begging to be relieved. That thing was heavy as shit.

"Fine," I announced, taking a risk. "You want to shoot me, go ahead. Before you do that, though, you should know that those guys weren't just after me. They were after your ass too. And right now, I am the only person who can keep you alive and safe. But if you'd rather deal with Magnus alone, then you're welcome to it, sweetheart."

I kept my gaze on the road, trying my best to keep from glancing at her. My heart was pounding so fucking hard in my chest that I was worried it would burst through. Or worse, that she might actually realise how goddamn terrified I was.

Walking into the garage to find some fucker pointing a gun at her head... The possessiveness I couldn't relate to less than a day ago had rushed through me. It brought with it a kind of fear I'd never felt before in my entire life and I'd broken his neck before he could hurt her. It was only after I saw her face that I had paused to consider my actions, but it was far too late by then.

And the way she had looked at me - like I was some unhinged lunatic with a shotgun - had cut me deeper than I wanted to admit. I didn't want to look her way now in case she was still staring at me that way.

"Magnus? What has this got to do with... Wait. How the fuck do you even... You lying sack of wet shit. You work for him, don't you?" she announced, incredulity clear in her voice. She slowly lowered the gun and clicked off the safety before placing the weapon on her lap.

Shit. "Now is not the time to-"

"Stop the car. I want to get out," she demanded.

But I didn't. See previous thoughts for reference. Plus, I could bet a million dollars that a car full of Magnus's goons was following us at that exact moment. If they caught up to us, we were in shit. My guns were still in the trunk and I didn't trust Sienna with that shotgun.

"Axel, stop the fucking car."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

There's a lengthy pause, and she goes so still that I wonder if she might be in shock. Then, adjusted her hold on the weapon and let out a long, unsteady breath. I risked a glance at her, and saw the way she slowly blinked. Then, out of nowhere she lifted the shotgun and aimed the muzzle at the passenger window.

"Stop the car!" she yelled, clicking the safety back off. "Stop the fucking car right now!"

She didn't need the proper stance to shatter that window. But the sound of the weapon going off would probably shatter both our eardrums and alert Magnus's men to our location. With a frustrated curse, I turned into a clearing hidden by a few thick trees. I hit the brakes and turned off the ignition.

She was out of the car with the gun before I could grab hold of her. I watched her go, letting her get as far as a few feet before I shoved my door open. I couldn't hear whatever she was muttering to herself, but I could see her, though, thanks to the dull light of the moon above us. Her hair was a mess on her head, the shirt she was wearing dirty from the crawlspace. Her toned arms had light scrapes and bruises all over, her left leg cut from what I thought was glass. It might have been a twig or shrapnel. And fuck, she was limping. On frozen, wet grass.

"Shit. Sienna, get back in the car!"

She kept going. I ran a hand through my hair, wincing when pain shot through my shoulder. I peered back at it, groaning when I realised I'd been grazed rather badly by one of the bullets.

Fucking great. Now I had to deal with a fucking injury on top of everything else.

I returned my attention to Sienna, and growled, "Do not make me have to come all the way over there to get you."

She didn't pause or slow. If anything, she gripped the gun tighter and limped away faster, determined to get as far away from me as possible. And if the situation were different, and we weren't on the run for our lives, I would have let her go. But she was half naked and injured, and she had to feel the chill in the air.

You should have left her back in Chicago, Axel. The only reason Magnus had sent his goons after you was to keep you from skipping town.

After a cautious glance backwards, I marched after Sienna. Her hobbles were no match for my determined stride, and I'd caught up to her within seconds of her leaving the car. I circled my arm around her waist, lifting her clear off the ground while I carried her back to the car.

She struggled quite valiantly and she managed to get a few kicks and ticklish elbowing into my side before I set her rather unceremoniously on the hood of the car. Before she could protest, I lifted her leg and inspected the cut under her foot. "We have to get the glass out, then disinfect and clean up the wound. If we leave now we can-"

She slapped me.

I blinked, so surprised that it took me a second to process what she'd just done. My eyes narrowed on her face, but she was entirely undeterred by my furious scowl. Instead, she sat up and got in my face.

"My fucking foot is your priority? Really? We're not going to address the fact that some goddamn assholes shot up your motherfucking house and nearly killed us both? That you're working for the same person I'm trying to bring to justice?" Her words were hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowed and glaring deadly daggers at me. "You obviously know what the hell is happening, so before I call the cops and tell them the events of our morning, you had better start fucking talking," she finished, yanking her foot back from me. Her gaze never left my face, and I knew she wasn't fucking around. She was, after all, on the right side of the law.

"Can I get you somewhere safe first? And while we take care of that wound, I'll tell you everything. I promise. Because I don't know if you noticed, but I was getting shot at as well back there. I'm not his favourite person right now. If he gets his hands on me, I'm just as fucking dead as you are."

It was the best she would get. We were sitting ducks out here, and I wasn't about to tell her all this shit now. Sienna's gaze swept over me, as if contemplating her options. Then she lifted that gun again and aimed it right at my heart. I could see now that there was better lighting, how excellent her grip was.

"Give me one good motherfucking reason why I shouldn't kill you and leave you rotting out here."

Okay, now I wasn't so sure. "If my intention was to give you to him, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of bringing you out here. Of hiding you from them. Of killing the man who had a gun pointed at your fucking face."

She accepted that logic, but carefully pointed out, "You could've told him to meet you here. Told him you'd have me alone in the middle of nowhere. Perfect time to kill the naive slut you manipulated into sleeping with you."

Frustrated, my voice came out as a deep growl. "The shit I say while we're fucking is only meant to turn us both on, and make you cum. They were never intended to be insults."

She pushed the muzzle against my chest and spat, "I don't give a fuck about your goddamn intentions. I am not going anywhere with you until you tell me what the fuck is going on! Did he send you to get information on me? Information about the case? Is that why you... Is that the reason you've been sleeping with me?"

Hurt flashed briefly in her eyes, and I stepped forward to comfort her. But she shoved me backwards, immovable. "You lied to me. Again and again. Letting me believe you actually gave a fuck when you were just using me to get a fucking leg up with your boss. Low-life piece of scum!"

She was breathing heavily now, her tits rising and falling rapidly beneath the cotton of my t-shirt. I watched her lovely face scrunch up with every second I remained quiet. I gave her the time needed to calm down, even as my instincts screamed at me to bundle her up and toss her in the trunk if I had to.

It was a while before my hand closed around the barrel of the gun, then I firmly but gently removed the weapon from her grasp. She seemed smaller without it, her petite body folded over the hood of my car. I cupped her delicate jaw, pulled her close and as calmly as I could, said, "I know I owe you an explanation, Sienna. I promise I'll answer whatever questions you might have later, but we cannot stay here. We have to get to safety first, or everything I did back there would be for nothing."

Her hands balled into fists, and she visibly shook before me with pure rage. Her eyes flashed with dangerous intent, and I worried she might have shot me if she had a gun on her at that moment. But then she closed her eyes and yanked.

"Don't fucking touch me," she snapped, pushing me back. The gesture does nothing to distance us. But I stepped back anyway, my hands raised in resignation. "I don't want you anywhere near me. I'll call the cops and have them pick me up here. Then you'll be free to go on your merry way."

She slid off the car and headed towards her side of the car, fooling me into thinking that she was about to get in and drive off with me, despite her words. But then she reached for her purse, removed her phone from the tiny bag. I moved quickly when I realised what she was about to do.

This time when I grabbed her phone, I didn't bother to hijack her call. I threw it on the floor and brought my heel down on it, using all two-hundred and fifty pounds of my body weight to reduce the device to a worthless piece of junk. When I was sure it was dead, I kicked it as far as I could manage.

"What the fuck? What the fuck is wrong with you?" she yelled. Then she screamed out loud and stomped her uninjured foot on the ground, her anger getting the best of her. "I don't want to be here with you. If I'd known who the fuck you were, that you were working with that piece of scum, I would never have waited for you. I should have let them have you!"

Her words kind of hurt, but I didn't take it personally. I'd considered leaving town and abandoning her to the mess she had helped create. Pleading with her obviously didn't work, so I used the only advantage I had. "I'd be pissed too if I were in your situation, but if you don't plant your shapely ass in that seat, I promise I'm going to bundle you up and throw you in the trunk. You can scream and yell all you like, but I will not let you out until you behave. So what's it going to be, darlin'? The cold trunk or the comfy front seat?"

Her temper flared once again, but I knew she could tell I meant it. We were running out of time and we desperately had to get out of here. She shook her head frantically, her eyes welling up with tears. Whether they were caused by sadness from my betrayal, her own rage or the slow realisation of our situation, I couldn't tell.

"Get in the car. Now."

She hung her pretty head, her tangled mane covering part of her face. Her next words, spoken crisply and flooded with such emotion that I knew she meant them. "I wish I had never met you."

It stung. I blinked a few times and pushed my feelings aside as she pushed her hair back from her face and began the slow trek back to the car.

"You need help getting-"

"I'm fine, asshole. Just drive the car."

I shook my head at the insult, and walked around to the trunk to get us a change of clothes: A clean shirt for me, pants, a sweater and one of my jackets for her. I didn't bother with shoes, I had to get that glass out of her foot first.

After carefully pulling on my shirt, I got back in the car and handed Sienna her clothes and my jacket. She didn't take either, just sat glaring at me, her arms crossed over her chest as she drew deep breaths. I threw everything on her lap and turned the key in the ignition. Some of my anger melted away at the roar of the engine, and I put the car in gear before hitting the gas.

I chose not to drive back into the city. The car was riddled with bullets and my back window was all over the back seat. My best bet now was to head to one of my old chop shops. I still had a few supplies there, and some cash stored in a floor safe. Hopefully, it was all still there.

The wind made communication impossible, which was fine with me since Sienna didn't appear to be in a chatty mood. Besides, I had to figure out how best to tell her everything without risk of her running from me.

We made it to the beaten down garage just after the sun had risen. Sienna slowly slipped out of the car, her movements slow and hesitant. She took in the old building with a neutral look while I got the bags and the shotgun.

"We have to assume Magnus tracked us to the cabin. We're going to swap cars and drive down to Mendota. We'll catch a train from there to Kansas. There's one leaving in the morning for Chicago, but we can't take the chance Magnus won't have people looking for us, so we'll catch something in the afternoon. I have a friend there who might help."

She said nothing.

"There's a bathroom in case you need to freshen up a little. I'll get the car ready so long."

Again, nothing. But she limped slowly to the door.

I gave up trying to get a response. I tossed our bags over my good shoulder and swapped the shotgun into the same hand, then shut the trunk. My heart squeezed painfully at the thought of leaving the C1 behind in this condition, but I grit my teeth and approached the old building. Sienna followed slowly, then slipped inside after I unlocked the large steel door.

I flicked on the lights, then hurried to the keypad behind the fridge to disable the alarm. That done, I dumped our things on the closest table and turned to the cars in the space. There sat a blue '58 Aston Martin DB MK11 and a silver '67 Ford Mustang, both of which had taken a while to fix up.

I chose the Ford. It would look less conspicuous on the road, and we wouldn't attract as much attention since it was a national treasure. The tinted windows would keep us hidden just long enough to make it to the next stop, where we could stay until I figured out a plan.

I packed the shotgun behind Sienna's seat and tossed a few rounds of ammo close by. Apart from one Beretta and a few magazines, I kept the rest in the bag, but hid them in the compartment I'd carved for this exact purpose in the trunk. Then replaced the flooring, clicking it back in place. Sienna came out of the bathroom while I was rummaging for food and blankets, slipping quietly into the car to wait. I saw she'd changed into the clothes I'd given her, my jacket wrapped snugly around her tiny shoulders.

Her silence bothered me. I found I missed her usual vibrance, the giggles she let out when I said something nasty as shit. I wanted her to smile at me, to talk to me.

To feel safe with me again.

I handed her a smaller bag. With cash, food, water and a few other supplies. She took one of the granola bars and unwrapped it with bruised hands, nails chipped from the events of this morning. She chewed slowly, her gaze fixing on the window once more.

Ignoring the pang of guilt and regret, I grabbed the keys from the hook and got behind the wheel. After driving the busted Corvette into the garage, we were off. We headed west on Route 20 before I took a left onto 251. We were steadily heading south at the speed limit. The last thing I needed was to get pulled over by the cops.

We arrived shortly before eight in Mendota, and I veered into a parking space in front of the first hotel I could find. I looked over at Sienna, who was scouring the streets for signs of law enforcement. She snapped out of it when I said, "You're coming in with me."

"Then I'll just tell the receptionist about what happened and have her call the cops."

I shrugged. "I'll tell them you're my batshit crazy girlfriend and that you saw me talking to a woman last night, so you're pulling this shit to get back at me."

She scowled in disbelief, so I added, "And if, by some miracle, I do get arrested, Magnus will know you're close by. He'll hunt you down and do all kinds of things to you. You've seen the autopsies of his victims. And those are just people he found annoying. What do you think he'll do to the prosecutor threatening to take his entire empire?"

Her eyes widened considerably and she suddenly seemed uncertain of herself. I got out of the car and walked around to help her. I still held her hand in mine when we walked into the lobby. I told myself it was to keep her from running, but I knew better.

We walked up to the front desk, and I greeted her with the very same smile that had knocked Sienna off her feet. "Hi there. We'd like a room for two, please."

_______________

I didn't think she would let us in.

But after making up some story about our AirBNB cancelling at the last second and being stranded until after six, the woman behind the desk had called over the manager to speak with us. Axel offered to pay double just to stay for the day, and vowed we'd be out before eight.

He chose a room on the second floor, I think so he could easily escape if he had to. The whole time, I remained silent and watched Axel charm the pants off the two women, which irritated me to no end. The younger woman kept glancing at me, as if wondering how someone so tiny and dishevelled could possibly snag a man like Axel.

Only after I crushed two of his fingers - the whole hand would've been too big for me - did he say his goodbyes and lead me to the elevator, our bags in tow.

I waited until I was bathed, dressed and fed to address the issue at hand. Axel had been quiet since we arrived, which was likely a result of his guilt. If he even felt any, after the shit he'd pulled. I'd wanted to throw the trash can at him when he offered to take a look at my foot, but relented when he pointed out that I would have to tend to it eventually. I would need it mended if I had any hope of out-running him.

I noticed he hadn't dared leave me to my own devices for too long. He'd finished showering and was dressed long before I even finished brushing my hair, and he'd left the bathroom door open so he could catch me if I decided to run.

If I got away, I'd be messing up his master plan. What that plan of his entailed, I had absolutely no idea. But I intended to find out, even if it got me tied up and...

I hated the shiver that ran through me at the idea, and the fact that I was still very much attracted to him despite everything. That worried me. It meant I wouldn't be able to think properly where he was concerned. If he realised how badly I still wanted him, then he might use that to his advantage. Like he had this morning.

"How do you know Magnus? How did you become one of his goons?" I asked. My tone was cold, distant. It was the only way I would get the answers I needed. Emotion, I had seen, wouldn't get me anywhere with Axel.

His fingers tightened around my foot, the tweezers in his grasp pausing halfway to the tissue on the table beside him. He didn't look up, and he didn't answer until he got the glass out from my heel. I winced, pulling my foot back, but Axel held firm.