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Gina’s problems weighed heavily on her mind, and she was exhausted. Sean had already suggested that she call it a day, and she decided to take his advice. Her paperwork could wait until morning. She knew she would have to get some sleep to be ready for the drop off, and there would be a long day of work to get through first. Gina took some comfort in knowing she would soon be one step closer to eliminating the trouble that surrounded her.
Gina rarely made it home so early, and it felt good to walk in the door before dark for a change. She was looking forward to a relaxing soak in the tub, but her thoughts abruptly shifted when she discovered her door was already unlocked. Gina immediately pulled out her gun to investigate. Her apartment was a mess, and she feared she was being robbed until Carlos came strolling out of her bedroom. He seemed surprised to see her. “Carlos! What’s going on?” she asked, lowering her gun.
“Change of plans, Gina. Jimmy’s boss needs the money today.”
“So why didn’t you just tell me instead of tearing up my apartment? Your money is in a safe place, but you won’t find it because it’s not here.”
Suddenly, Gina felt a strong arm wrap tightly around her throat. Someone had her in a choke hold. She didn’t know who until she recognized the nauseating scent of Jimmy’s cologne. She looked to Carlos for help, but he just stood there, frozen. Gina fought for air, desperately trying to break free, but Jimmy’s size and strength made it impossible to escape. Her fear intensified the moment she realized he would overpower her.
“Stop struggling, sweetness, before you hurt yourself,” Jimmy warned, but Gina didn’t quit until his hold finally overtook her and she collapsed to the ground.
“What did you do that for?” Carlos asked Jimmy.
“She’ll just get in our way. We don’t need her waving that gun around. Besides, this is all your fault. You said there wouldn’t be any complications.” Jimmy placed the blame squarely on Carlos as he began tying up Gina. “Now watch her while I keep looking.” He grew more irate the longer he searched without finding the money. “It’s not here, Carlos! You said she had it. So, where is it?” he demanded.
“If it’s not here, then I’ll bet Frank has it. She says he’s not involved, but I know she’s lying.”
“Then let’s go pay him a visit.”
“Hold on. We don’t know what we’re walking into over there. I don’t trust that guy. It would be better if we made him come to us.”
“Fine. You grab Gina. We’ll get her in the car and have Frank meet us in an alley,” Jimmy suggested.
“You mean we’re going to kidnap her?”
“Call it what you like, but we need her for bait,” Jimmy explained. “Do you think Frank will answer his phone?”
“He will if the call is coming from Gina. Then he’ll come running, but I’m still not sure this is a good idea.”
“There’s no turning back now. Just hang in there, Carlos. You go along with this, and Frank will pay for what he’s done to you.”
Carlos nodded in agreement. He had not forgiven Gina’s betrayal, but in his mind, Frank was to blame. Gina wouldn’t have cheated if not for him, and he deserved what he had coming.
“Gina! So glad you’re awake!” Jimmy sneered when he noticed her beginning to stir. “I need you to call Frank and give him a message for me.” He held a gun to her head and handed her the phone. “Here, I wrote it down for you. Just stick to the script!”
“Frank?” she began, her voice quivering.
“Gina, what’s wrong?”
“Frank, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Jimmy and Carlos are here right now holding a gun to my head. You need to bring the money and meet us in twenty minutes if you ever want to see me again,” she read before telling him the location. “Come alone or the deal’s off.” Before she could say another word, Jimmy grabbed the phone from her and disconnected the call.
“Good girl,” Jimmy praised, but Gina just glared at him.
Meanwhile, Frank felt like he was in the middle of a nightmare, but this was most definitely real. What should have been a simple payoff had turned into something else. It was an unstable situation, and he worried what Jimmy and Carlos might do to Gina. He would have to be ready for anything. A war on their turf would undoubtedly be stacked against him. If necessary, he was willing to sacrifice his life for her, but he had to at least give himself a fighting chance.
The drive seemed painfully slow even though he was there in under ten minutes. He parked the car and took a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He held his gun in his hands knowing what it was capable of and wondering what he was capable of. Would Gina ever forgive him if he was forced to take Carlos’s life, or would she forever hold it against him? Of course, it would be a justifiable homicide in the eyes of the law, but what would he become in her eyes? Would she see him as a cold-blooded killer? There was a fine line between good and evil.
When Frank stepped out of the car, his senses heightened. He would be relying on his instincts, his gut, his intuition. Although he had been in dangerous situations many times over the years, the stakes seemed higher now. He could not bear to see something happen to Gina. Then again, what would happen if she survived but he didn’t? She would be left to fend for herself. Jimmy or Carlos would probably kill her eventually. For that reason, Frank knew he had to survive, no matter what, since her life was dependent on his. But if things did go terribly wrong and he was mortally wounded, he would try to do something, anything he could, in his final moments to save her. At the very least, he wanted the chance to tell Gina one last time just how much he loved her.
When Frank neared the alley, he readied his gun and held the briefcase firmly with his other hand. Carlos and Jimmy were also armed and standing behind Gina, using her as a shield. Frank could see the fear in her eyes, yet he detected a hint of hope in them once she caught sight of him.
“Alright. I have your money. $60,000 in 50’s. You can count it if you like. It’s all there,” Frank said as confidently as he could muster, setting the briefcase down and stepping back a few feet for them to examine it. “Are you OK, Gina?”
Gina didn’t say a word but gave him a quick nod of her head. She didn’t want to enrage Carlos by showing Frank too much attention.
“Where’s your backup, Frank?” Carlos taunted while Jimmy counted the money. “Oh, that’s right. You couldn’t go to your police buddies on this one, could you?”
“And you,” Carlos began, turning to face Gina, “must be guilty of something to get this man to bring me sixty grand. Is it his money you like, Gina? Did he promise you things I couldn’t give you?”
“It was never about money,” Gina snapped back. “I didn’t care, Carlos, if you had a dime to your name as long as you loved me, but all you did was hurt me. Frank actually loves me.”
“Sure he does, Gina. You keep telling yourself that. No one could love you but me.”
“Are you high or just delusional?” she shot back.
“We were good together, Gina.”
“You’re right. Things were good as long as you always got your way, and I kept forgiving you all the time.”
“Not to interrupt, but we’re set,” Jimmy announced to Carlos and Frank. “Your debt is paid in full.”
“Let her go,” Frank demanded, “and then I don’t want to see either of you ever again.”
“You’re not in charge, Frank,” Jimmy countered. “I’m not done with Gina yet. She still has a job to do for me, don’t you, sweetheart? That situation isn’t going to take care of itself.”
“Hold on a minute,” Frank insisted. “I just handed you sixty grand. Isn’t that enough?”
“That would have been enough a week ago, but the cost of doing business has gone up. Besides, Gina knows too much now. If she doesn’t help cover up my boss’s little problem, she becomes a liability that needs to be dealt with. So, Gina’s coming with me to go over the rest of the details and make sure she understands what will happen to her if she doesn’t cooperate. After that, Carlos can do whatever he wants with her.”
“That’s right, Frank,” said Carlos. “I’ll do whatever I want with her, and there’s nothing you can do about it because Jimmy’s not letting you leave here. I just have one question for you. Did it make you feel like more of a man when you took advantage of my girlfriend?”
Frank immediately recognized those words echoing what he had said to Carlos the day they met. “I know you feel I deserve that, but we made a mistake. I’m sure that’s something a guy like you can understand.”
“Sure, but you realize that now you’re no better than me. The only mistake in your mind was getting caught.”
“Gentlemen, I hate to interrupt,” Jimmy spoke up, “but Gina and I are leaving now.”
“I can’t let you leave with her,” Frank said firmly.
“Don’t worry, Frank. I promise I’ll take good care of her. She’s leaving here alive, which is more than I can say for you. Take care of him, Carlos! He’s your problem.”
“That wasn’t the deal, Jimmy! You said if I went along with the kidnapping, you would take care of Frank.”
“That’s not exactly what I said. You heard what you wanted to hear, Carlos. I meant I would give you the opportunity to handle it yourself. Now, Frank, don’t go getting it in your head to shoot Carlos. If you do, I’ll put a bullet in Gina’s head. I don’t think you want that.”
“Gina’s worth more to you alive than dead, Jimmy,” Frank replied.
“What’s the matter, Carlos?” Jimmy continued to egg him on. “Don’t want to get your hands dirty? You and I both know it’s a little late for that.”
Carlos turned to face Gina. “Tell me Frank means nothing to you!” He paused for a moment, but she did not respond. “You know what? Save it! I can see the truth in your eyes. Every word from your lips would be a lie to save his life and yours.”
“Carlos, be angry with me, not her,” Frank redirected. “I’m the one to blame. Just don’t hurt her.”
“Oh, I do blame you, Frank! Shooting you might be the only way I can be sure you won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Killing a cop would not be your smartest move, Carlos!” Frank warned. “Are you really willing to commit murder?”
“Carlos,” Jimmy said manipulatively, “you know you’ll never be able to trust her with him around.”
Frank kept his attention focused on Carlos. “Do you really think killing me will make your girlfriend want to be faithful to you?”
Before he could answer, Gina tried a different approach. “I’m worried about you, Carlos. What’s wrong with you? If you shoot Frank, you might as well kill me too.” Then she turned to Jimmy. “You’ll have to find someone else to cover up your homicide because it’s not going to be me!”
For a moment, no one spoke. Carlos stared at Gina. “So it is as bad as I thought. You love him, don’t you?”
“Carlos...”
“Shut up! I already know the answer. I should have known you would do this to me! You’re nothing but a cheap slut!” he shouted before slapping her across the face. “And he’s even worse!” Carlos grabbed Gina and held her in front of him, his gun pointed decisively at Frank.
“Fine,” Frank surrendered, lowering his gun. “You may be a coward, but you’ve got me right where you want me. You know I won’t shoot her to get to you.”
“What are you waiting for, Carlos?” Jimmy encouraged. “Just get it over with, will you? We haven’t got all night! Shoot him!”
“Please don’t do this!” Gina pleaded. “You’re not a killer.”
But Carlos ignored her. “Was she worth it, Frank? I hope she’s worth dying for because you’re never touching my girl again!” Rage consumed Carlos, and his finger rested heavily on the trigger. The gun went off, and Frank fell to the ground.
“Frank!” Gina screamed, dropping to her knees and covering her face with her hands.
“Is he dead?” Carlos asked.
“Go check and grab his gun,” Jimmy instructed.
Carlos kicked Frank cautiously, looking for a response, and got none. “Wait a minute. There’s no blood,” he noticed while bending over to pick up Frank’s gun. Before he could reach it, Frank sprang into action, grabbed Carlos’s arm, knocked the gun out of his hand, and kicked it under a nearby car.
In the confusion, Gina managed to break free from Jimmy. She was unable to separate him from his gun but distracted him long enough for Frank to fire a shot in his direction. At close range, the bullet entered Jimmy’s shoulder and passed right through. It was a minor wound, but it proved effective in scaring him off. He slipped behind a dumpster before Frank could hit him again and fled from there to his car with the briefcase, leaving Carlos behind.
Carlos had recovered his gun while Frank was occupied with Jimmy, but he had no interest in joining the fight. He only wanted to get away. Since Frank and Jimmy stood between him and the entrance to the alley at the time, he had needed another way out. He grabbed Gina and forced her up the fire escape. Unarmed, she was easy prey for him.
Jimmy sped away before they reached the top, and when Frank realized what was happening, he raced up the stairs to rescue Gina. He easily caught up by the time she reached the third floor landing. He could tell something was wrong with her, outside of the obvious. She was not holding up well, but that did not stop Gina from expressing her concern.
“Are you alright, Frank?” she managed to ask, her eyes scanning his body.
“Didn’t even break the skin. I’m fine.”
“I should have known you’d be wearing a vest, Frank,” Carlos broke in. “This time, I’ll aim for your head.”
“Let’s put down our guns, Carlos. You and I can stay and work this out, but let Gina go. There’s no need for her to be here. This is between us. Look at her. She’s been through enough.”
“Fine. She can go, but I’m not giving up my gun.”
Carlos released his grip on Gina, and she staggered to the stairs. When she took her first step down, her legs gave way beneath her.
“Gina!” Frank called out helplessly as he watched her tumble halfway down the stairs. Before he could get to her, Carlos rammed into him from behind, jarring the gun out of his hand. Frank struggled to recover his weapon, but Carlos kicked it off the fire escape to the ground below.
“What are you going to do now, Frank?” Carlos asked smugly.
“What did you do to her?” Frank demanded, ignoring his question. “We need to make sure she’s alright. She might have hit her head.”
“I’m OK,” Gina said weakly. She regained her footing and made it safely down the rest of the stairs a bit battered and bruised.
“Relax, Frank. She’s fine. Jimmy gave her something to make her more cooperative. I guess it hasn’t worn off yet, but you’ve got bigger problems. Looks like I’m in control now.”
“What do you want, Carlos?”
“I want to see you squirm. Aren’t you going to beg for your life or say a few last words? I’m not the best shot, but I know I can hit you from here.”
“Look, I don’t care what happens to me, but you hurt her and I’ll...”
“You’ll what, Frank? You’re in no position to threaten me.”
“No, but I am,” Gina said to herself. She had managed to retrieve Frank’s fallen pistol from the ground and gripped it tightly in her unsteady hands. “Drop your weapon, Carlos!” she demanded.
“You wouldn’t shoot me, Gina.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she responded. “Now drop the gun!”
“You’d shoot me for him? Have you really stopped loving me, Gina? You were mine long before he ever came along.”
“True, but things change. Why can’t you just move on, Carlos?”
“And you move on with him? No! I won’t allow it!” Carlos raised his gun and aimed at Frank’s head. “If I can’t have her, then you can’t either!”
“No, Carlos!” Gina screamed, making the decision to pull the trigger. The bullet struck Carlos in the leg and brought him to his knees. He took a moment to look down at Gina before shifting his focus back to Frank. Carlos made his intentions quite clear when he began to raise his gun for a second attempt. But before he could take a shot at Frank, Gina fired again, this time hitting Carlos in the arm, allowing Frank the opportunity to take control of his gun.
“Give yourself up now,” Frank warned. “No one has to die tonight. We’ll get you the medical attention you need.” He paused for a moment to study Carlos. “Now stay down while I check you for weapons. Put your hands on your head where I can see them. It’s over.”
Carlos ignored his request. “She’s a lot better shot than I gave her credit for.”
“She’s a lot better woman than you ever deserved,” Frank replied.
Carlos winced in pain, nauseated by the sight of his own blood, but he was determined to make it to his feet again and did so. “Look what you’ve done, Gina!”
“What I’ve done? You tried to kill Frank! What choice did I have?”
“You’re running out of time, Carlos,” Frank warned again, “but it’s not too late. I’m giving you one last chance to do what I asked. Now get back down on your knees and show me your hands.” He was well aware of how heavily Carlos was bleeding and was fairly sure the bullet in his leg had nicked an artery. Frank took two cautious steps toward Carlos.
“There’s no way I’m going back to jail!” Carlos stumbled while taking a couple steps backward.
Frank sensed this was about to take an ugly turn for Carlos, but he also feared a trap. He wasn’t sure how much fight Carlos had left in him, and he was reluctant to get too close. Regardless, because he knew Gina would want him to, Frank reached out to grab Carlos. He tried to get a good grip, but Carlos resisted and shoved Frank away. With one final excruciating effort, Carlos flung himself over the railing and hit the pavement below while Gina watched in horror.
Frank raced down the stairs and found Carlos lying motionless, so he turned his attention to Gina. She seemed frozen in place until he noticed her entire body was trembling.
“Gina, honey, let me take the gun, OK?”
But all Gina did was stare at Carlos, seemingly unaware that Frank was there.
“Gina! Did you hear me?” He paused for a moment, studying her with great concern. “Listen, when you feel my hands on the gun, you let go, OK?” Frank successfully made the transfer and safely placed the gun down on the ground. He put his arms around her while keeping a watchful eye on Carlos. “It’s over, Gina. He can’t hurt us now. I have to call this in, and I need to know you’re ready for what comes next.” But Frank got no response from her. He left Gina briefly to check Carlos’s pulse and found none. He made the call and returned to her side.
“Help is on the way, Gina. Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’ll be alright.” He hugged her tighter, desperately trying to get some response, but she did not wrap her arms around him. In fact, she did nothing. She seemed almost as lifeless as Carlos. Frank tried to make eye contact with her, but she avoided his stare. “Gina, are you injured?” He lightly ran his hands over her body, checking for blood and other signs of assault.
Gina remained glued to the spot she’d been standing in but eventually lowered herself to a seated position on the ground. Police officers and paramedics soon arrived, followed by the familiar faces of the homicide department.
“Frank!” Sean called out. “We came as soon as we heard. Tim and I can’t handle this case for obvious reasons, but we wanted to give our support. Is Gina OK?”
“Emotionally, she’s a wreck. Physically, she appears fine, but she fell down some stairs, and there must have been some kind of struggle when she was kidnapped. Apparently, she was also drugged. Her blood should be drawn. We need to know for sure what it was.”
“They’ll be thorough when they examine her, Frank. If there’s evidence of anything, they’ll find it. I should go over to her,” Sean offered.
“You can try, but she’s not even talking to me.”
“They’re going to be asking her questions. You know they have to do their jobs, exploring every angle until they sort this out. I’m assuming justifiable homicide would be the worst case scenario? I can’t imagine this being anything other than self-defense, right, Frank?”
“More like a suicide, but first she had to shoot him twice to protect me. Carlos was armed, and at the time, I wasn’t. He threatened my life and had his gun pointed right at my head with his finger on the trigger. He’d already taken one shot at me, so there was no doubt he wanted to kill me. I knew it, she knew it, and she reacted.”
“I’m not sure I understand how all this happened.”
“It’s one complicated mess. They took her hostage, Sean. She’s been through a lot.”
“They? Where’s the other guy?”
“He took off after I shot him.”
“You know what comes next.”
“My own personal interrogation?”
“Yeah. Internal Affairs is all over this. I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”
“Hey, just do me a favor and help keep IA out of Gina’s face. She can’t handle it right now.”
“I’ll do my best. Good luck, Frank.”
When Frank finished giving his statement, he made a beeline for Gina. Sean was sitting on the ground, talking to her softly, until he saw Frank approaching.
“Don’t worry, Frank. The captain was just here, and I talked him into letting Gina make her statement in the morning.” Sean could tell Frank was feeling both grateful and relieved.
Frank knelt down beside her. “Gina, I need to go down to the precinct for further questioning. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He paused before adding, “I can’t let you go home alone with Jimmy still out there. I’m sure you just need to feel safe right now, so you’re staying with me tonight.”
“Uh, Frank,” Sean cut in, “I know you’re concerned about her, but I think it might be a better idea for Gina to stay with me and my family. The captain only agreed to bend the rules if I agreed to take responsibility for her as my partner. Besides, it looks better this way, if you know what I mean. I could get in big trouble for this, but you’re welcome to come over later and see her when you’re done at the precinct.”
“Thanks, Sean. You’re a good friend.”
“Hey, did you get shot?” Sean asked when he finally noticed the hole in Frank’s jacket.
“Yeah, and this new vest was worth every penny. All I got was the wind knocked out of me and a bruise that hurts like hell, now that you mention it.”
“I’d get checked out by a doctor, Frank. Blunt force trauma is nothing to mess with. You remember what happened to me. It can do more harm than a bullet sometimes.”
“I know. I will. I just wanted to make sure Gina was OK first.”
Later that evening, Frank was called into the interrogation room. He didn’t like being on the other side of the table, and he was having a difficult time controlling his nerves. Under any other circumstances, Frank would have been calm, cool, and collected.
“You know how this works, Sergeant. We already have your gun from the scene, but we’ll also need your badge while we conduct our investigation. You and Detective Walker will be placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately. Now, would you care to tell us how Detective Walker ended up shooting a man with your gun?”
Frank took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. This was about to get complicated. He had to be sure not to reveal anything related to the blackmail and Gina’s secret. Now that Carlos was dead, only he and Gina knew anything about it. Then he thought about Gina’s abusive relationship with Carlos. He didn’t want to cause her any further embarrassment, but it might be unavoidable. There was also the matter of Frank’s relationship with Gina. He was bound to be questioned about his involvement with her. He could say she was just a good friend and former partner of his, but then there was the loan shark and the briefcase full of money, his money. Would anyone give $60,000 to someone who was just a friend? These investigators weren’t stupid. They would also wonder what had prompted the showdown between Frank and Carlos. Surely, they would know Frank was hiding something, and lying about it would probably only make things worse. How could things have gotten so out of hand? It seemed only yesterday he and Gina were safe, happy, and content in each other’s arms. So much had happened since then, and none of it good. He could never have predicted the chain reaction of events and dire consequences that would result from their one night of bliss.
Frank did his best to complete the first round of questioning without revealing too much, then rushed to comfort Gina. He arrived at Sean’s house to find her sitting on the bed in the guest room, staring into space.
Sean popped his head in the room. “No change, Frank.”
“Gina? Sweetheart, please talk to me or at least look at me,” Frank begged. He sat down next to her and grabbed her hand, but she remained unresponsive. Her shoulders were slumped forward and she stared down at the ground, withdrawn into her own little world, in spite of his efforts.
“Frank, maybe you should give her a little time and a chance to rest,” Sean suggested.
“He’s right, you know,” Frank said, squeezing Gina’s hand. “You should get some sleep. I’ll go to your apartment and get some of your things.”
“Don’t bother with that,” Sean interrupted. “You probably won’t be allowed in there anyway. I’m sure Jenny has something she can wear tonight. Oh, and you’re welcome to spend the night too, if you think it might help.”
“Yeah, I think I will,” Frank replied. “Thanks, Sean, for everything.”
Sean turned to Gina. “Jenny and I are right down the hall if you need us.” When he walked toward the door, he motioned for Frank to follow him. “Frank, I don’t think you need me to tell you she’s suffered an incredible trauma. Gina had to shoot her own boyfriend twice because she was afraid he would kill you. Then, she watches him jump to his death. I’m sure she’s blaming herself, wondering where things went wrong in the first place and if it all had to come to this. She’ll probably need to talk to a therapist to process and make sense of it all. It’ll happen on her own time, and you need to be patient. You can’t force these things, no more than I could force my own recovery.”
“I know how to be patient, Sean, but these investigators don’t. Tomorrow morning they’re going to come at her so hard that Gina won’t know what hit her. If she can’t even talk to me, there’s no way she’ll be ready for them.”
“I’m sure they’ll take her psychological state into account. Now, what about you? You’ve been through something too. You nearly died tonight. Do you need to talk about it?”
“No. I’m fine, or I will be fine once I know Gina’s alright. It breaks my heart to see her like this.” Frank’s voice broke, and he seemed close to tears. “I love her, Sean, but what if I can’t even reach her? What if no one can?”
“Give her time, Frank. She’ll come around,” Sean reassured him. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I have to stay strong for Gina. She needs me.” Frank took a breath before continuing. “I’d like to say I feel some remorse over what happened today, but I’m not sure I do. A young man lost his life, but that man caused Gina nothing but pain. He slapped her around, treated her like dirt, and put her life in danger, amongst other things I’m sure Gina would like to remain private,” he said, referring to the blackmail. “God only knows what else Carlos and Jimmy did to her tonight. I’m afraid to ask, and I doubt she’d want to tell me.”
“With the way Gina’s acting, I wondered about that myself. But if you’re worried one of them touched her, Frank, you can rest easy. I was with her at the hospital, and from what I heard, they’re not suspecting anything like that. They roughed her up a bit, but she’s alright.”
“That’s a huge relief, to say the least. She’s been through enough.”
“Anyway, I think your feelings are perfectly normal, Frank. You have more than enough good reasons to feel the way you do. Now try to get some rest, and hopefully, get her to rest too.”
Frank entered Gina’s room once more, but they were soon interrupted by Jenny.
“I have a nightgown right here for you, sweetie,” Jenny said and set it down next to Gina. Jenny then pulled Frank aside, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “I feel so bad for her. I thought she might talk to me, you know, woman to woman, but I’m afraid not. Gina and I got pretty close over Sean’s ordeal, and she came around a lot to lend her support. She’s such a sweetheart, and I know this has got to be devastating. At least she’s got you to help her through it.” She patted Frank’s arm and left the room, closing the door behind her.
When Frank turned to look at Gina, he caught sight of a tear sliding down her cheek. It was the first sign of life he’d seen from her. He sat down next to Gina and rested his hand near hers, being careful this time not to touch her or intrude into her space without permission.
“I’m here if you need me, but if you want me to leave so you can be alone, I’ll go,” Frank said softly and waited patiently for a response.
Gina’s hand slowly reached for his. She turned her head in his direction but did not make eye contact. “I need you,” she said finally. “Please don’t go.”
“I won’t leave your side.”
“Hold me tight like you did the night you helped me find Ricky.”
“You know I will.”
“Frank?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve never had to shoot anyone before,” she said, her voice shaking. “But I was afraid if I didn’t shoot him, he’d kill you, and I wasn’t going to lose you.”
“I know that couldn’t have been easy for you, but trust me, Gina, I saw the look in his eyes. You did the right thing.”
Frank saw her bottom lip quiver and a second tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. He remained quiet for a moment so she could continue.
“I watched his body hit the ground, Frank.” More tears pooled in her eyes.
“I know, Gina, but it’s over now. He can’t hurt us anymore.”
“I killed him, Frank!”
“Listen to me!” he said, grabbing both her arms and looking her directly in the eyes. “You didn’t kill him!”
“I shot him, twice! He was bleeding to death because of me!”
“Carlos killed himself, Gina! You know what I’m telling you is the truth. You’re not to blame for this.”
“You must think Carlos was some kind of monster, but I swear he wasn’t all bad, Frank. You didn’t know him like I did, before all this ever happened.”
“No one’s all bad, Gina, even Carlos. If I didn’t believe that, I would have shot him myself when I had the chance. Still, what he put you through will be hard for me to get over.”
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten all the horrible things he said and did to me! I may not have forgiven him for everything, but I never wished him dead!”
“I know, Gina. At one time, you loved him, at least until he started hurting you. You know I would never treat you like that. You’re safe with me.” Frank wrapped his arms around Gina and got her to lie down with him. “Here I set out to save your life, and you end up saving mine.” While he held her in his arms, Gina’s emotions overtook her. She sobbed uncontrollably until finally reaching the point of exhaustion and drifting off to sleep. Only then did Frank give in and allow himself to rest.
