The Mechanics of Love

|23|

I hardly knew what to say. They were still lined against each other with their guns pointed at each other. 

"Damien, why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He said as he waved his gun around and pointing it back on Ace. 

"If this is about me-" 

"It's not. It started that way but I came to the realization that you would never truly be mine unless he was out of the way. And even though I want you, I want someone who will be completely mine." 

"So why are you here then?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm taking over Ace's mafia."

Ace gave a short laugh. "Please, like you and your wanna-be gangsters will ever over-take my men."

"You think this is all the men I brought?" 

"I would hope not, that would be even more stupid than thinking you can overpower us." 

I slowly started backing up back into the house to notify the rest of the members, and call the ones who lived off base. There is a silent alarm right inside of the door that I could push to alert the other members. They would take care of the rest for me. 

One step, no one noticed. 

They kept talking back and forth, I'm sure Damien wanted to negotiate but Ace was ready for a fight. 

One more step, my foot is a pace away from the threshold. 

I noticed one of Damien's men looking at me in his peripheral and decided to wait a while. One of Ace's men noticed too and called him out. 

"Oi, keep your eyes away from her. You don't deserve to look at her." 

"I can look at her if I want." 

This obviously made Ace mad, but he was able to hold it together. 

With everyone not focused on me, I made a dangerous step back. I was only one away from the alarm. 

I decided to go for it and went quickly instead of taking my time. 

This was obviously noticed and I got several guns pointed at me. 

"You lower your weapons or we will shoot you all." Ace said. 

"What did she do?" 

He shrugged. "Probably nothing. Guns scare her." 

Damien chuckled. "You think I'm going to fall for that?" 

Ace shrugged as men came rushing out of the house. Lucien came out last and as everyone was distracted he went to hand me a gun, but as I grabbed it he grabbed me and yanked me into the house. 

"Hey! Lucien! What the heck!"

"Ace's orders." 

"How? He has been outside!" 

"It was something he told me a while ago if we ever were in this type of situation this is what I was supposed to do. I am to protect you and keep you from harm at all costs." 

"No! I need to be out there! You cannot just keep me in here and treat me like a child!" 

"You have only had one lesson in shooting, you are far from ready to handle a gunfight- especially one with another Mafia." 

"At least take me somewhere where we can watch it." 

He took a second to think. 

"There is a window on the top floor that would be difficult for them to see you in."