Chapter 20

Andy limped upstairs to the apartment, while I followed trying not to laugh too hard. I mean sure everything was insane, but it was really hysterical, even under the circumstances.

I sat down on the couch while Andy got an icepack to put on his crotch. I glanced at Savannah who just giggled silently. Hope was too busy “nursing” my brother’s “wound”.

“Now would someone tell me what exactly you were doing out of the apartment… alone… dressed like whores.” My brother said. I just bit at my lip, trying not to get us into anymore trouble.

“We weren’t trying to be whores. It was just disguises…” Savannah happily responded.

“Well apparently you’re disguises didn’t work because you got followed. You know, Natalia, I would have expected more from you.”

“Oh lighten up, Andy. We just wanted to go out and have a little fun. You can’t expect us to stay locked in this apartment forever.” I crossed my arms across my chest and defiantly stared at my brother. He was really ticked off.

“You’re telling me to lighten up? You got followed by those assholes. You’re so lucky that I decided to come see you guys. By the way there’s something wrong with your phone…”

“MY BAD!” Ricky yelled from the other room. Andrew just looked at me strangely.

“Romance troubles.” I merely responded and pulled the blonde wig off my head. “Listen, we’re fine, so no sweat, okay?”

“You guys aren’t getting it. What if they would have kidnapped you… again. You know there all quite capable of that. You have to think.”

“Carajo. I understand but you cannot expect a group of 19-23 year old girls to stay in a fucking apartment.” I got up to my feet and stared my brother down.

“She’s right, Andy. You can’t expect us to be prisoners.” Hope added and Andrew just sighed.

“I understand that, but I just want you guys to be safe.”

“And we will be.”

“Fine…I won’t worry so much if you guys just stick together and be more careful. This whole situation is going to be solved soon enough anyway. Just stay safe.”

“How is it getting solved?” I asked suspiciously. Andrew just shrugged.

“It’s not important so don’t worry. I need to bail anyway, give me a call if you need anything.” Andrew kissed Hope and then kissed my cheek and ran out the door.

There was definitely something weird going on with him. Something was definitely up.

**

Thursday nights at the bar were always hectic. It seemed that every bar in New York City was packed on Thursday nights. I was strutting my stuff in a short pleated black skirt and a white tank top. My hair fell down in soft waves.

I never really overdid it for work. Especially since I sure as hell didn’t want to date a guy that came to the bar. Usually, the guys were scary.

Anyway, I paraded around with a tray of drinks in hand. I made sure to purposely sway my hips to the sound of the terrible techno remix of “Adidas” by Korn. The swaying usually helped me to get a few extra dollars in tips. Every bit counted, especially since I have a very bad shopping obsession.

I placed the tray of beers down on the table of these jock guys and headed toward another table. I pasted on a fake smile and approached an older looking man who sat alone.

“Hi… I’m Natalia, you’re hostess for the evening, Can I get you anything?”

“Yes, would you start me off with a bottle of your finest champagne…” The man said, his Irish accent automatically made me think of Tommy and I shivered a little. “I have a few guests here and I’d like to celebrate.”

“Yes, Sir. It’ll be right out…” I half smiled at the man before me. He gave me the creeps to be honest.

I jetted to the bar and gave the order to the bartender, a short, chunky guy, who really didn’t talk much.

As the guy got the order ready, I headed over to Savannah who sat boredly on a barstool.

“I need a man.” I said with a sigh.

“Ditto.” She responded. I placed my head on her shoulder and exhaled deeply. “

It’s not fair. What’s wrong with us?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s not our time to find love.” She stated sadly. “Life is unfair I guess.”

I pouted for a second and rested my chin on my hand. Why was it that all the men in my life that I had dated, except Justin, meant nothing to me. Why was it that they were all perfectly normal, but I had chosen to fall for Justin, the psychotic one who had shot my brother?

What was wrong with me?

“Orders up Nat!” The bartender called to me and I lazily got up. I grabbed the bottle of chilled champagne and glasses and headed toward the scary Irish guys table.

This time the table was filled with people. I placed the tray down in front of them and fake smiled.

“If there’s anything else I can get you jus-…”I stopped mid-sentence and stared at the people sitting in front of me. It was the same old Irish man, but added to him was Tommy Ryan, JC and Justin.

My mouth just about fell to the floor and I started to stutter like crazy. I backed up and headed back to the bar and grabbed my cell phone out.

“Andy? Where the hell are you?” I cursed into the receiver when my brother answered the phone. He was somewhere around the bar, most likely with Hope.

“I’m here, chill, what’s wrong?”

“There fucking here. Justin and Tommy and all of them. There fucking here!!!” I practically screamed into the phone.

“Just stay where you are okay? I’ll be right there.”

My brother showed up with Hope on his arm within a millisecond. Just as he arrived, Justin had begun to walk over to us as well. I grabbed onto my brother, while he called someone on the phone and demanded they come down to the bar.

“Natalia… you’re looking more beautiful than ever…” Justin said when he reached me. He grabbed my hand and kissed it. I cringed and quickly pulled it away. “Hope, you’re looking stunning as well. I think Tommy’s over there and I know he’d like to talk to you.”

“Oh does he?” Hope sneered and held on tighter to Andy. “I guess Tommy needs to realize that we don’t always get what we want.”

My brother snapped his flip phone shut and looked straight at Justin.

“So you’re the son of a bitch that shot me and kidnapped my sister?” Andy looked him up and down and scoffed. “You’re just a weak, trigger happy son of a bitch.”

“Dude… I’ve got nothing against you I just wanna talk to your sister…”

“Like hell I’m gonna let you talk to her. If you know better you’re going to get the fuck away from her, Hope and Savannah right now.”

“You need to chill the fuck out man. I just wanna talk to her.”

“AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FUCKING TALK TO HER SO BACK OFF! STOP FUCKING STALKING HER AND COMING AROUND, SHE DOESN’T WANNA BE NEAR YOU!!” Andrew screamed, coming up into Justin’s face. Justin cringed and then angrily shoved my brother back.

“Get outta my face you fucking pussy.”

I just stood there in shock, knowing that something bad was going to happen. I grabbed my brother’s arm and held him back; I knew he was ready to cause a scene.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re calling a pussy? You fucking asshole, the only way you can get a woman is by kidnapping her. You need help you sick fuck!!!”  Andrew was angry; I didn’t know how he was managing to hold himself together.

I thought Justin was ready to walk away, and just leave us alone, when Tommy Ryan walked behind him and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Is there something wrong, Justin?” He asked in his Irish accent. I looked over at Hope and saw that she was just about hyperventilating. She quickly clung to Andrew’s arm and refused to look up at Tommy. She just stared off, never meeting his gaze.

Poor Hope was doing her best to calm herself down. It really wasn’t working, Tommy could easily see how she was affected by him and he smiled. I guess he knew that she still cared about him.

“Yeah there is. I’m just trying to speak to Natalia and this fucker here is in the way.” Justin responded and crossed his arms over his chest.

The great Tommy Ryan was back. He smirked menacingly at Andrew, Hope and I. Chills ran down my spin as flashbacks from the Kidnapping flew back into my mind.