Promises
         Chapter 26 
 

Michelle dropped the gun to the floor, still having a hard time grasping the thought that she had actually just shot a gun. She looked up to find the person who was coming towards her was gone. Had she shot them? Had she just killed someone…again? Images of Mick flashed before her eyes…him attacking her…him attacking Drew…then his bloody head where she had hit him. She shook her head, shaking herself back to the present. Frantically, she searched for the light switch on the wall. After several misses, she found the switch and slowly flipped it on. Her eyes searched the room seeing nothing. Then she heard the only voice that mattered.
"Michelle?"
She looked all around trying to find him. Oh my God, she thought. His voice was coming from the floor. "Danny!" she screamed, racing toward him. She found him lying face down on the floor. "What have I done?" she cried.
"Michelle?" he asked again. He suddenly sat up, looking her over, noticing her shaking hands. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Did I shoot you?" her eyes pleaded.
"Did you shoot me?" he asked confused. "No. You were the one with the gun?"
"I thought…" she began as Carlos burst through the door with his gun drawn.
He found Danny and Michelle on the floor at the edge of the living room. "I heard a shot. Are you both okay?"
"Yeah, I think we're fine," Danny said, not taking his eyes off of Michelle.
"I thought I heard someone in the house," Michelle tried to explain.
"I'll check around outside," Carlos said.
"Let me know what you find," Danny said as Carlos closed the door. "Michelle?"
"I'm sorry," tears flowing down her face, her hands reaching for him. "I can't believe I almost shot you."
"I'm okay," he pulled her to him. "I'm just glad you're a lousy shot."
"I heard something down here," she began. "I thought someone was down here."
"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked.
"You needed to rest," she said.
"I don't want you to ever do anything like that again," he demanded, pulling her back to look at him. "Don't ever put yourself in danger."
"I just reacted on reflex," she said.
"Where did you get a gun?" he asked. "You could have hurt yourself."
"It's your gun," she whispered.
"My gun?" he asked. "How did you get it?"
"I found it when the hospital gave me a bag with your clothes in it," she explained. "It was in your coat pocket. When we got home I put it in my nightstand drawer."
"Why?" he questioned. "Baby, you hate guns."
"I know," she cried. "But I wasn't going to let anyone hurt you again. I kept having nightmares that whoever shot you came back and I couldn't let that happen."
Danny sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "I don't know how to tell you this. Michelle, whoever shot me, wasn't after me…they were after you."
"What?" she asked. "Why?"
"Probably the same reason someone poisoned you," he explained. "I wish I knew what that reason was."
"Why were you carrying the gun in the first place?" she asked.
"Come on," he stood up, pulling her with him. "I think we have a lot to talk about."
He led her to the couch as Carlos came in telling them everything outside was clear, but he was going to keep looking.
Danny turned to Michelle and wiped away the few stray tears from her face. "Better?"
"I'm all right," her voice still shaking a little.
"You already know I've been talking with Bernard, trying to get some answers," he began. "I knew I could trust him to help and that's the only reason I approached him. He's been helping me ever since the poisoning happened. I just had to make sure that whoever was responsible was taken care of. I wasn't going to let you get hurt again. A couple of weeks ago, Bernard called me with some information and he told me to watch my back."
"What information did he give you?" she questioned.
"When Frank called me and told me about the drug dealer they arrested who had a vial of the poison on him, I wasn't surprised. Bernard had already found out about this guy and forced him to talk. He found out a name of someone who had been seen with this guy," Danny sighed, not wanting to continue, but knowing Michelle wouldn't rest until he told her everything.
"Who was it?" she demanded.
"Ben Warren," he said.
"What?" she exclaimed. "Ben was the one who wanted me dead."
"No, I don't think he wanted you dead," he shook his head. "He just wanted you sick enough to distract me. I've been having my suspicions about Ben for awhile now. He's been making a lot of waves at Sancorp. I knew he was setting up for a takeover. He wanted me distracted and away from the business. And what better way to distract me than with you. He knew I would be so worried about you that I wouldn't be paying any attention to the business. But what he didn't know is I had a couple of men I trusted enough to turn company matters over to, while I was with you. They knew all about Ben Warren and they were prepared when he tried to set his plan in motion. So needless to say, his takeover attempt was a bust. I confronted him and he admitted to being behind the poisoning."
"So he's the one who had you shot, or tried to shoot me," she said.
"I don't know," he sighed. "When I confronted Ben about the takeover attempt, he said I should be careful because he wasn't the only one I needed to worry about. I thought he was bluffing, trying to make me slip up. But then a few days ago Bernard called me and said that he had heard someone had been hired to kill you. And that's when I started to carry the gun again. If Ben was the one then he could have had more of the poison used to make sure it ki…" he paused, having trouble getting the rest of his sentence out. "I don't know if Ben is the one who hired this guy."
"I don't believe this!" she shouted, standing up. "After all this time I thought we were safe. I thought we were finally going to be free from all of this. And now I find out someone is trying to kill me. When is this ever going to end?"
"I don't know," he started. "But after tonight, I think it's time we do something that I wish we had done in the beginning."
"And what's that?" she stopped pacing and faced him.
"I want you to leave town," he said.
"What?" she exclaimed. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious," he said calmly. "Your father just told us a few days ago that he was going to back in Europe at the end of the week. I think it's a good idea that you go with him."
"Danny, I am not going anywhere," she demanded.
"Just listen to me for a minute," he said. "Carlos can go with you too. Meanwhile I can concentrate on finding this person and it will be a lot easier for me knowing you're safe."
"Have you forgotten that I'm five months pregnant!" she cried. "You want me to have our baby in Europe?"
"I'm hoping that this will all be over before that happens," he said. "But if it takes longer then at least you and the baby will be safe."
"But I need you," her voice full of fear. "You really want to be apart from me right now?"
He jumped up from the couch and pulled her into his arms. "I never want to be apart from you."
"Then don't send me away with my father," she cried. "I can't do this without you."
"Baby you are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for," he sighed. "I always want you here with me and there's nothing I want more than to be right there by your side when our baby is born, but I have to protect both of you."
"But you or Carlos are always with me," she pleaded. "You are keeping us safe."
"No I'm not," he said. "Look at everything that's happened to you since you've known me. Your life has been in danger more times than I care to remember. Please, I'm begging you. If you won't go for my sake, please go for our baby's sake."
"Danny," she looked up into his eyes.
"Please," he begged.
She buried her head against his chest as he pulled her closer. "Okay."