Igrab his wrist and twist, but the crazed look in his eyes tells me he won’t give up. I slam his wrist against the floor once, twice, three times before I’m able to twist the gun out of his fist. I bounce to my feet, raise the gun to his head, and a searing pain rips through me.
I whip around, and Eduardo knocks the gun out of my hand. It slides across the wood floor just as Maxie delivers a roundhouse kick to Eduardo’s head. He staggers but stays on his feet, clutching a bloody knife.
I press my hand to my side and a red stain appears. Fuckin’ bastard sliced me. Benito pushes off the floor, lunges for me, and Marisol launches herself onto his back, pummeling him from behind.
MARTINA
The walls in this dump are paper-thin, and a few minutes later, I hear loud salsa music. I assume it’s some kind of diversion until I hear yelling and bodies slamming into each other.
I barrel through the door, determined not to let anything happen to them because of me. Eduardo’s eyes widen at the sight of me, giving Diesel a chance to deliver a crushing blow to his face. Marisol and Maxie wrangle Benito to the floor, but I can’t take my eyes off the blood seeping out of Diesel’s side.
Two minutes later, the door bangs open, and Smoke storms into the room, followed by Blood.
Benito wriggles out of Maxie’s hold, lunges for the gun on the floor, spins around, points it at my head, and the room stills.
“Get out of here now, or she dies.” Benito’s eyes are wild and darting.
“Let’s all chill.” Smoke side-steps closer.
“Don’t move.” Benito grabs my arm and spins me around.
“Leave now, and no one gets hurt.” He wraps his arm around my waist, using me as a shield.
“You don’t wanna do this,” Diesel warns.
Benito waves the gun at Diesel and Smoke. “I just want her.”
Benito sounds calm, too calm. The kind of calm that happens before a tornado.
“I don’t think so.” Smoke edges around one side of the room while Diesel and Blood inch in the other direction.
He presses the gun to my temple. The cold steel freezes my insides. My heart slows, and the room takes on a surreal feel.
Benito walks backwards with me still in his grasp. “Leave, or I will pull this trigger.”
Benito cocks the gun; my knees weaken. Eduardo yells out, then rushes forward, hurling me out of Benito’s grasp. The gun fires, and a second later, Eduardo staggers forward, clutching his abdomen as he collapses to the floor.
The room erupts in chaos of yelling and screaming. I fall to my knees at Eduardo’s side.
“I’m sorry, sis. I know I’ve been a huge screw-up,” he whispers. “All the shit I put you through.” His eyes flutter, then close.
“Don’t you dare die on me.” I turn to the others. “We have to help him.”
“Fuck him,” Diesel yells. “It’s because of him you’re in this shit.”
“Please,” I beg. “He’s my brother.”
Marisol pulls out her phone and dials 911.
Benito darts for the door. Blood grabs him, but he twists out of his hold and charges out of the apartment.
DIESEL
“Let’s get that bastard,” Smoke shouts.
I lock eyes with Martina, and Smoke yells, “C’mon.”
“Stay with them,” Smoke orders Blood, then Smoke and I charge up the stairs after Benito. He’s got half a flight on us, and myhead is pounding with every step, along with the blood oozing down my side.
