Taming a Dark Heart - Ch. 12 - Circle of Peace

*****Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry for the delay but I just got back to college and trying to get settled in again. Busy with the musical too...

Writing action into words is actually really hard and I hope you guys are not confused by it!

This is definitely the climax of the story and I really hope you guys like it as much as I am. Even though I'm writing it I never expected the characters to take the story in this direction.

Very emotional chapter.
Please let me know if you like it? Wasn't sure about the last chapter...

Comment and let me know please :)

---Nicole*****

***Gabriele’s point of view***

Candice was standing behind me with a gun to my head. I stood as still as I could. I felt her place something cold on my neck. I couldn’t look down but I knew it was a knife. She really had gone too far this time.

"You could have just left her alone Poonky, then I wouldn’t have to do this to you..." – then I felt her slit into my neck and blood trickled down my neck. She made sure to not cut deep enough to kill me but I was sure the cut was bad enough.
"Let go off me Candice" – I couldn’t say it loud or the blade may have gone deeper in my neck.
"Shut-up Gabriele! After all these years all you had to do was love me, that’s all I asked for!" - She became hysterical and tears flowed down her cheeks. "You fucked with me you idiot! I didn’t want to kill you but you forced me to and now you’re going to -"She began to press down on the trigger. Would she really shoot me? Is this how I was going to die? In the arms of this stupid bitch?

Then I heard the shot. I froze anticipating death. I would drop down any second now.
But I felt nothing. Instead I heard Candice cry out in pain and she slouched to the ground.

I turned around slowly and saw Kara.
Thank God.
But she didn’t look okay.
She was standing with her legs apart and her head was low. She held a gun in her hand but the other arm hung limp. I looked closer and saw the blood oozing out of her bandaged arm.

She was breathing very deeply and I could see her whole body move as she breathed in and out. Her eyes were low beneath her eyelids and her face...anger, sadness, relief. So many different emotions, all in one face.

"You don’t dare touch him again you stupid cow..." – I heard her say in an angry whisper, obviously talking to Candice. She was on the floor at my feet and blood was coming out of her shoulder quite rapidly. Her face was screwed up in pain and she kept yelping.

Then amidst the tension inside the warehouse we all heard shots being fired outside. What was going on?
Mr Adams bodyguards ran into the warehouse. The three of them were heavily armed and aiming their big guns at Danny, Trey and I.
Danny and Trey had already raised their guns ready to shoot.

"Nobody move a muscle!" – I turned around as I heard Mr Adam shout and Kara shriek. I felt anger build in me as he pinned her arms behind her back, leaving her helpless and in a lot of pain.
"Let go of me!" – She shouted and tried wiggling a little.
"Shut-up you stupid girl" - He pulled hard on her injured arm and she screamed in pain.
"Ow! Please don’t do that, I can’t take it..." - she was in pain and I couldn’t stand it.
"Let go of her now Adam. I swear if you hurt her more I will..." - I took a step forward as I threatened but immediately one of the bodyguards knocked me to the ground with his gun. I felt the blow on my injured side and the pain was unbearable.
"No Gabriele... ahhhh!" - I heard her scream even louder.
"Stop it! You’re hurting her!" – Danny shouted but was hit on the back as a result by another guard.

"Tell your friends to stop it or I may rip your whole arm off little girl" - Mr Adam pulled at her arm again. I watched helplessly as tears streamed down her beautiful face from the pain. I attempted to get up but the guard just stood on me and I was stuck.

She was sobbing from the pain and it hurt me more than any physical pain or anything else I had ever felt, to see her being tortured like that. I felt so helpless. My love was in so much pain and I couldn’t do anything. Damn it!

Then there was a loud shot and the guard above me fell to the ground - dead. I lifted my head to the direction of the shot and couldn’t believe my eyes.
James was there. But that wasn’t what surprised me the most. He was dressed in full black with a black trench on. Next to James was none other than agent Paul Keller. I should have known...

"Everyone put your hands in the air, now!" - Paul shouted but no one responded.
I stood up holding my side but did not do as he told. "Shut up Paul, we have bigger problems now".
"You listen to me Lombardi. This is a one time thing. I’m still going to bring your sorry ass in one of these days..."
"Shut up Paul. Shut your fucking mouth now. That is so not worth it right now" - I was stunned to hear James growl at Paul. James had never spoken much, but I guess I didn’t know a lot about him after all.

Paul looked stunned and actually quit his whining.
My attention was turned back to Kara and I began running toward her. I had to stop her pain.
But Mr Adam was too quick. In one swift move he held her arms with one hand and pulled a shiny blade and placed at her neck, just like Candice had done to me.
"Stay back you idiot or Ill end this right now, game over" - I watched as Kara’s tear streaked face turned pale and panicked.

Then out of nowhere, I didn’t see how but Danny, Trey and the two guards were suddenly fighting. Punching, kicking and any other move you can think of were all taking place.
The fight ended up outside somehow with Paul involved too.

I heard the shot; I couldn’t stop them pressing the trigger on their guns. A couple of the metal studs found their way back inside and bounced once along the wall, eventually striking the floor.
My heart sank as I watched the floor ignite. The fire ran along the ground following the path.
The petrol must have been placed in a circle as the fire seemed to sort of run around us.

There was no time to react and it was just us now.
I heard Mr Adam laugh as he pushed Kara to me. She fell against me battling to stand on her feet. I placed her gently on the ground and reached for my gun.
"It’s over now Lombardi - "- I didn’t even think as I fired at him. I watched him drop to the ground as I shot his leg. He tried dragging his leg along the ground to try and stand up. I felt all the anger I had in me well up and explode as I ran to him. Instead I miscalculated my own strength and we both went flying over the wall of fire. I grabbed his neck and shook him then punched him a couple of times not wanting to stop. I wanted him to pay for hurting Kara and I heard his nose crunch under my knuckles. I stopped when I saw the blood begin to spill out his nose.

Then I heard my name being called out and realised Kara was trapped inside the ring of fire. I got up and left him there on the ground. I grabbed a piece of cloth off the ground, took a breath and covered myself running through the fire for her.

I saw her on the ground. As I got closer I saw Kara coughing and looking down. She looked at me and spoke - "Gabe, you’ve gota get her out of here". I looked down and saw Candice. I had forgotten about her. She was lying in her own blood and didn’t look good at all.
"No Kara, I can’t leave you here!" - I shouted as the flames grew larger and parts of the warehouse broke down.
"Yes Gabe, please do it! You can come back for me!" - The flames roared and she tried shouting above them. I shook my head but knew I was wasting time. I couldn’t understand why Kara wanted to help her when all she had done was bring more misery for us.

I bent down, picked up Candice’s still, bloody body and began walking toward to fire again with the cloth covering us.
I turned around with sadness in my eyes. I didn’t want to leave her.
"I'll be right here tiger" - she attempted to smile and I smiled a very small smile back.
I ran back through the fire and handed Candice to James who was at the door. I quickly gave her over only thinking about Kara.
"Be careful Gabriele..." - I nodded to James and went back through.

***James point of view***

I watched him go back for her. I held Candice in my arms. She wasn’t conscious. I walked through the door hearing more of the warehouse disintegrate. I could see how much they loved each other. Being around them anyone would see it. The way he broke down around her, his shell no longer hiding him. How she blushed when he even just looked at her.

I may have been keeping a secret from them but it was no secret how in love they were.

We watched helplessly as the warehouse went up in flames, smoke coming out the shattered windows. The door frame collapsed. Kara and Gabriele were inside and there was nothing we could do. My heart broke and I listened to Danny weep silently.

Then suddenly it began to rain. I heard the sirens from the ambulance and fire brigades and the warehouse crumbled as the rain washed over us.

***Gabriele’s point of view***

I ran through the flames and straight to Kara. She was on the ground choking and coughing.
I sat on the ground and pulled her into my lap holding her as close as I could. She opened her eyes and looked at me, a small smile on her lips. I looked into her eyes as the fire around us increased and for that moment I felt at peace. Even though we were covered in soot and wet with sweat, she looked like an angel to me. My angel. I knew I would never be able to get us out now.

We just sat and looked into each others eyes. Our souls seemed to be talking and it was more than any words could say.
"Ti amerò per sempre" - she whispered with the little energy she had left.
I smiled as a tear rolled down my cheek. Something that hadn’t happened much to me before - "ti amo più Kara..."

She weakly lifted her hand to her lips, kissed her fingertips then placed them on my lips. I kissed her fingers back and she put them on her lips to receive my kiss.

I pulled her even closer to me resting my lips on her forehead as the warehouse crumbled around us.

***Hope you liked it! Hope to get the next one out soon... Near the end....
oh and Zoya, I like Gabe too ;)

Comment and let me know what you thought! *****