Chapter 42

-James-

**BANG!**

All I heard was the sound of the gun discharging. I thought Vanessa had finally shot me. I turned around and saw Jianna slumped on the hard, cold floor.

"NOOOOO!!! Vanessa!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?" I ran to get to Jianna's body.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Cross." Vanessa sneered at Sebastian and began walking away.

Then she stopped and turned around. "By the way, how's your new girlfriend?" she asked.

"Leave her out of this." Sebastian seethed between gritted teeth.

"Too late." She laughed, turned around, and left.

And just like that, my whole world has just collapsed around me.

I was in shock, staring at Jianna's lifeless body. I couldn't believe what just happened. My mind was racing, trying to piece together the events that led up to this moment.

Vanessa was walking away, and Sebastian was standing there, paralyzed by what had transpired.

As I held Jianna in my arms, the weight of her limp body felt like an anchor sinking in my heart. I couldn't believe Vanessa had done this. Vanessa had taken everything from me. My eyes teared up as I rocked Jianna's body back and forth.

Sebastian would chase after Vanessa but opted to stay with me instead. I couldn't care less about anything right now. All I could focus on was the lifeless body in my arms.

"Bucky, we have to go." he tried to help me up, but I couldn't move.

"I can't leave her here," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sebastian's expression softened as he realized the gravity of the situation. He knelt beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I know, Buck. I know," he murmured. "But we have to go. The police will be here any minute."

"Just give me a minute. Please." I begged.

Sebastian nodded, giving me the space and time to mourn Jianna's death. My mind was racing, filled with thoughts of revenge and despair. Vanessa had taken the only thing that mattered to me, and I wanted nothing more than to make her pay for what she had done.

After a few moments, I finally gathered the strength to stand up. I could hear the sirens in the distance and knew we had to leave. I didn't want to leave Jianna, but knew it was time to go. I gently laid her body back on the ground and stood up. It shattered me, leaving her there.

"I'm sorry, Jianna. I love you. More than you can possibly know." I whispered as I walked away.

Then we turned around and ran to Sebastian's car. I was numb all over. I kept repeating the moment Vanessa shot Jianna in my head over and over again.

"Hey. We'll get her, ok? We'll get that bitch and make sure she pays for what she did." Sebastian started saying. I can hear him, but none of his words registered.

"Are you still giving her the money?" I asked.

"Fuck no! After what she did, she had to be delusional to expect I would give her a cent." he snarled.

I nodded and just buried my face in my hands.

"Did you want to go back to your place? You're welcome to stay at the penthouse or the house if you want." Sebastian posited.

"Where are you staying? Where's Asher and the guys?" I responded.

"At the house," he answered without looking at me.

"Then let's go there," I responded.

Sebastian sped up, and we got to the house in record time. When he was pulling in, one of the guys I knew was new came up the car.

"Hey, Boss. Hey, Buck." he looked at my face, "Whoa! What happened to you?"

"You should see the other guy," I sarcastically responded.

Sebastian was out of the car and called back to me before I was there. "Take your stuff to the guest room. I just have something to take care of."

I nodded and started to go into the house and went to the basement. I like the guest rooms in the basement. It's cold, and no one usually stays down there, so I have the whole floor to myself.

As soon as I picked a room, I closed the door behind me, went directly to the bathroom, and locked the door. I started to shower and let the steam fog up the mirrors. I took my clothes off and stepped into the hot shower. The water instantly hit my wounds, and the pain was intense, but I didn't flinch. That pain was nothing in comparison to the pain of losing Jianna. I watched the water turn red with my blood and then clear. I closed my eyes, remembered the moment my memories came back, and realized that I was with the love of my life this whole time.

"I just got you back, baby." I thought. "I just got you back."

I let my tears and the water flow down my face. I was beyond enraged. I must find Vanessa and take everything she loves away like she took mine from me.

I cleaned all my wounds and got out of the shower. I looked for the first aid kit that Sebastian always kept under all the sinks.

"There you are." I grabbed the kit and tended to my wounds. Some needed minor stitches, and I did them all myself. After having surgery on myself, I got out of my room and went upstairs. I made a beeline to the bar that Sebastian always kept well stocked and grabbed the first whiskey I saw. I poured a double and gulped it. It burned my throat, but it helped with the pain.

I saw Asher going down the grand staircase, and he took one look at me and said, "Damn, Barnes. You look like shit."

"Good to see you too, Ash," I whispered.

"What the hell happened?" he grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink.

"It's a long story, man." I sighed.

I then heard yelling upstairs. I looked at Asher, and he just shrugged and poured another shot.

Then I heard a commotion, someone going down the stairs. I looked up and saw a ghost.

"Jianna?" I got up and rushed to her, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me.

But as I got closer, I realized that it was really her. She was alive. My heart was racing as I reached out to touch her. She was solid. She was real.

"James?" she looked at me, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

My heart was pounding. I approached, grabbed her waist, pulled her to me, and kissed her.

Jianna responded to my kiss with a passion I had never felt before. Her lips were soft and warm, and every fiber of my being filled with relief and joy. Jianna was alive. She was really here, in my arms, and nothing else mattered.

As we kissed, I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I was crying out of happiness, reassurance, and love. Jianna was the missing piece of my heart, and now that she was back, I knew I would never let her go again.

After an eternity, we finally pulled away from each other. Jianna was looking at me with a mix of confusion and concern.

"James, what's going on? Why are you crying?" she asked gently.

"I thought I had lost you, J." I managed to say through my tears. "I thought Vanessa had killed you."

"Vanessa? Who's Vanessa?" Jianna asked, her eyes searching my face for answers. "James. James. What's going on?" she caressed my face and wiped away my tears like she used to. I kissed her again, and she responded in kind.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her, holding her close as if I would never let her go. I buried my face in her hair, breathing in her scent and feeling happy.