“Need some company?”
She sighed. “No, I don’t think so, at least not tonight. It’s been a long day … a long couple of days and I really think I need to be alone.”
“I understand. Can I at least walk you to the door?”
Valencia smiled. “Of course, you can.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I meant what I said. Just not tonight.” She kissed him again, on the lips this time to be sure that he understood that she wanted him.
Just not tonight.
When their lips slowly parted Geno leaned back and smiled. “I understand,” he said, and opened his door.
Geno got out of the car and walked around to open the door for Valencia. “Thank you, sir,” she said, and accepted his hand. He shut the door and had taken a few steps toward the house when he saw the car coming fast and then the driver opened fire.
“Get down!” he yelled and pulled Valencia on top of him. As they lay there, the driver fired a couple of shots.
When the shooting stopped and he heard the car speed away, Geno pushed Valencia off him and got to his feet. “Go inside and lock the door!” he yelled and ran to the car. Valencia scrambled to get to her feet, ran to the car and got in.
“I told you to go inside,” Geno shouted, and he started the car as the shooter sped down the street.
“Just drive!” she yelled.
Geno made a U-turn and went after the car.
As Geno closed the distance, he reached over, opened the glove compartment, and took out his gun.
“You ever use one of these?”
“No,” Valencia said, with her eyes wide open in horror as he got a couple of extra clips. Geno laughed as he drove, keeping an eye on the car as it approached an intersection.
“He’s not gonna make it,” Valencia said, and held on.
“He’s gonna make it,” Geno said, gripped the steering wheel tighter and stepped on the gas.
“He’s not gonna make it!” Valencia shouted.
“He made it!” Geno shouted as the car passed through the intersection.
“We’re not gonna make it!” Valencia screamed, and Geno slammed on the brakes, barely stopping in time to avoid a crash. As soon as the intersection was clear, Geno sped off in pursuit.
“Do you see him?” Valencia asked.
“No,” Geno said, looking around as he drove. “I think we lost him.”
In spite of that, Geno kept driving around until Valencia spotted the car. “There he is. Over there on the right.” She pointed.
“He slowed down. He thinks he lost us,” Geno said, and kept his distance.
“What are you doing?” she asked when Geno slowed down.
“I wanna see where he goes.” He looked at Valencia. “Don’t you wanna know who sent him?”
“I already know who sent him,” she said, as the car slowed to make a right turn, and eventually stopped and parked in front of a building.
Geno dimmed his lights and parked the car on the opposite side of the street. When the driver got out, Geno waited until he got close to the building before, he got out. When he did, Valencia did too.
“Where are you going?”
“I wanna know who sent him.”