Page 21 of Chula
“I know what I’m doing!” I snap at him. The guys take off chasing after whoever was shooting, but Marco doesn’t. He spins on me, snatching the gun from my hand and shoving me against the wall. I eye him, wondering what the hell is going on in his head. He closes the distance between us until there’s nothing but a breath remaining. Then he raises his gun and lifts my chin with it before pressing it to my temple.
“You ever shot a gun?” he asks me. I huff out a laugh.
“Obviously.”
“You ever killed anyone?” Now I don’t answer him. He presses the gun harder against my temple when I hear sirens in the distance. Tony is yelling that we need to leave, but Marco isn’t moving.
“Answer me, Chula. Have you ever killed anyone?” I shake my head as he begins to laugh. Fuck him. Just because I haven’t killed anyone doesn’t mean I can’t. If it came down to me or them, I’d do it. “You aren’t shit, Chula. Stop acting like you’re crew. Maybe in your crew, you don’t have to step up to the plate, but in this one? You do.” He pulls the gun away and shoves it into the back of his jeans before grabbing my arm and jerking me along.
“Don’t touch me,” I hiss, pulling my arm away from him. He laughs once more as he nods his head.
“Find your way home, Chula. Before the police pick you up,” he says, nodding toward the door. He turns and runs out of the factory, and I do the same, but I have no idea where I am or where the hell to go. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I don’t know where I am. I don’t know where this factory is.
I groan and slide my phone out, looking through my contacts, but none of them are around here except one. And what the hell am I going to tell him? Hey, I know it’s late and all, but I have your change I borrowed.
There’s no one else to call, so I dial his number and listen as it rings.
“Hello?”
“Hey. I … I’m sorry it’s so late, but I need help,” I tell him.
“Late? Baby girl, it’s two in the morning.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. I just … I don’t even know where I am.” I hear him shuffle around on the other end of the phone before he starts talking again.
“What’s around you? Do you see a street sign?” I rattle off what I see to him and wait for him to answer.
“What the hell are you doing over there at two in the morning?”
“I was at a party. The assholes I came with left me,” I tell him truthfully. Marco did leave me, the prick. I should shove his gun up his ass when I get back, if I get back.
“I’m on my way. Don’t speak to anyone.”
“I won’t. And thank you, Damion.”
“You owe me one.” The line goes dead as I huddle into myself on the side of the damn road. I can’t believe that bastard actually got that mad at me over taking his gun. I was down and ready to help.
I flick through my phone as I wait for Damion, checking the area as well for anyone who might be coming my way, but there’s no one.
That’s when I see headlights coming toward me at a fast pace. The car stops in front of me, and I watch as Damion climbs out and jogs around the car.
“You good? You okay?” he asks, his eyes scanning my body.
“I’m fine. No one bothered me.”
“Good. Come on, you’re probably freezing out here,” he says as he ushers me to the car. I know I shouldn’t take rides from people I don’t know, but here I am doing it anyway. The same thing I teach Davey not to do, I’m doing. But what other choices do I have at this point? I don’t really have any. That asshole left me here.
“Where to?” he asks once we’re inside and settled. I chew on my lip, not ready to go home and face Marco yet. I’m still angry at what he did, but I know he’ll be over there as soon as I set foot in the apartment.
“I’m not sure?”
“You’re not sure? You don’t want to go home?” he asks as I turn to face him now and shake my head.
“I don’t want to deal with the issues at home right now.”
“My place? You comfortable with that?”
“I … I don’t know.”
