Jimmy sat patiently on the couch in Nic's office as Nic dialed Victoria again. The first time she didn't pick up. Jimmy tossed another pecan in his mouth and wiped his hands. He and his wife were supposed to be going to dinner with the new couple as soon as Victoria got off work. He glanced back over at Nic and waited.
"There you are. What time do you think you'll be here?" Nic asked.
Jimmy watched as Nic's brow furrowed.
"What do you mean, you don't know? I thought you were going to leave early?" he questioned.
Nic slowly sat down, and Jimmy saw a blank expression come across his features. Something Nic was hearing was obviously a problem of some kind. "Victoria...what happened?" Nic asked.
Then Nic's face turned white. Pale white. Jimmy rose and walked over to the desk. What the hell was going on? Nic leaned over the desk and covered his face with his hand as he listened to whatever Victoria was saying.
"Are you okay?" Nic asked Victoria, as he glanced up at Jimmy, who mouthed 'What's wrong?', but Nic didn't answer. He just told Victoria he'd be there in a few minutes and hung up the phone. But now that pasty tint that had covered his features was slowly fading away...or actually turning into a bright scarlet color while his breath quickened.
"Nic, what happened?" Jimmy asked, staring at the unreadable expression on Nic's face. It wasn't often that Jimmy couldn't read his best friend. "Is Victoria okay?"
"Someone shot at her," Nic quietly said, as he grabbed his keys from the desktop. "Someone shot at..." He heard Nic whisper again, but more to himself.
Jimmy watched closely, as Nic stood there for a moment, bracing his knuckles on the desk so hard that all the color was draining from them.
"Nic?" Jimmy softly said, before everything on Nic's desk went flying off to the floor in a loud crash.
"Mother—fuckers!!!" Nic yelled, as he rushed around his desk and out of the office. Jimmy ran after him trying to keep up, as Nic took the steps four at a time.
"Raymond! We have to go!" Jimmy hollered over his shoulder, as Nic tore out of the front door.
Raymond quickly dropped his plate of food and ran out of the kitchen, no questions asked.
Nic couldn't breathe. They shot at her?! Someone actually fucking shot at her?! Tried to kill her?! He was trying his best to keep cool. Half of his brain was telling him to remain calm, get to the restaurant, assess the situation and go from there. The other side of his mind was racking up anyone one who had ever crossed him so he could kill them. Painfully.
Raymond had slipped behind the driver's wheel of the Escalade, while Nic was in the passenger's seat and Jimmy in the back. When they pulled out onto the road, heading toward Calamity's, Jimmy asked, "What are you thinking, Nic?"
Nic didn't answer. His mind was still racing. He had to gain control and get his mind focused.
"Nic, you do realize that place is going to be swarming with cops, right?" Jimmy asked. He sighed when Nic didn't answer. Nic just continued to stare ahead through the windshield.
Raymond slowed down as they pulled up on the opposite side of Calamity's, to an onslaught of black and white police cars. "Nic, I'll go. There's no point in risking it," Jimmy suggested, as he opened up his door.
"No. I'm going," Nic stated, looking around for Victoria.
"Nic, I know you're upset, but—," Jimmy started, before Nic interrupted.
"Upset, huh?" Nic said, as he continued to stare out of his window looking for the object of his affection. "I don't think upset covers what I'm feeling right now, Jimmy." When he finally spotted Victoria, he got out of the car and slammed the door.
"I told you, I'm not sure. I didn't see the car. I dropped my phone and was looking down when I first heard the shots," Victoria recounted for the third time to a different cop. She was exhausted, shaken and just wanted to be with Nic.
"I understand you're tired ma'am, but we need to get this information while it's fresh on your mind. Now can you tell me again what time you were walking out of the restaurant," the police officer asked, while looking down at his notepad.
Victoria sighed. "I think it was—"
"Are you okay?" Nic asked, as he spun her around and glanced over her body as if she needed medical attention. Victoria immediately latched onto him wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head into his chest. Her whole body began to shake and she started sobbing. He pulled his coat open, and encased her inside with him as he kissed the top of her head several times. She knew her tears and makeup were probably ruining his expensive shirt, but she just couldn't let go.
"Nicolas Andretti the fourth...long time, no see," Nic heard a familiar voice say. Fuck. He turned around to see his suspicions confirmed. Detective Marsh was staring at him with that damn smug smile that Nic always wanted to knock right off his face. Marsh had been promoted the day Nic's father died. He remembered seeing him standing in the distance at his father's private funeral. The bastard had been following him closely throughout the years and just never seemed to really go away.
"Marsh," Nic stated dryly.
Victoria sniffled and peeked her head out from under Nic's coat. She wanted to see who this Marsh guy was. He was a skinny man who had blond hair, but was graying. And prematurely from the look of his young face.
"Hi miss...?"
"Her name is Victoria Davis, sir," the police officer who had been questioning her said.
"Miss Davis. How do you know my good friend, Nic?" Marsh asked, smiling down at her.
Victoria didn't know much about what Nic did, but she wasn't about to open her mouth and tell this man anything. But luckily she didn't have to. Nic started guiding her towards his car.
"Hold up a second Nic, we weren't done questioning her," Marsh said.
"Yes you were," Nic said over his shoulder.
"Don't forget who you're talking to, Nic. Wanna take a trip downtown?" Marsh warned.
Nic stopped and turned toward Marsh. "You want to try?" Nic countered, staring the man down.
Victoria wasn't sure what to do. She sure as hell didn't want to get on any cops shit-list, but Nic appeared to be done with the conversation. She glanced back and forth between the two men, while trying to wipe her eyes and nose.
Detective Marsh's smug smile reappeared. "Well, I guess there's no reason to--if you haven't done anything wrong, now is there?" he said.
Nic turned back around and ushered Victoria across the street, towards the Escalade.
"Don't go too far Miss Davis. I'd still like to ask you a few questions regarding the incident today," Victoria heard Detective Marsh ask in the distance.
Jimmy had transferred to the front seat, while Nic opened the door and guided Victoria into the backseat. He held her close to his body, with his arms wrapped protectively around her. But no one said a word. Raymond rarely ever said much of anything. Jimmy wasn't sure what to say. Victoria was too tired to utter another word and Nic was too busy thinking about what his next step was to talk to anyone. So they traveled in silence all the way back to Nic's house.
*****************
