Carlos settled his hand on Vinnie’s shoulder. “You have my sympathies, my friend.”
Vinnie nodded.
“So,” I continued, “Eddie was attacked and shot a couple of weeks ago and then the art gallery was attacked today. They were looking for Eddie. He was hiding in the back.”
I tightened my arms around Lany when he shuddered. The bruises on his cheek were still visible and probably would be for a few days. I gripped Lany’s chin and turned his face toward Carlos and Vinnie.
“They roughed up my husband trying to get his location. Those men have been taken into custody.” My jaw clenched as anger filled me once again. I didn’t like seeing marks on my Lany. “This is not acceptable, gentlemen.”
“No, no,” Carlos said. “Of course you are right.”
“I figured out that this might involve Vinnie and the world you two live in, so I went to see him. It was while I was there that Isabella was killed. After that, Lany sent me a text saying someone was trying to get into the penthouse where he was with Lyn and Eddie.”
I frowned and glanced down at Lany. “Who was it,caro?”
“Oh, it was my mother.”
I was curious as to why the flush on his face deepened, but I’d ask him about that later.
“Vinnie and I were on our way back to the penthouse when were abducted by Vinnie’s driver and taken here, where Jeremy and his friends were waiting for us. They proceeded to beat us until you arrived.”
“I see,” Carlos replied.
“There have been too many attacks for them to be coincidences. These attacks were planned, orchestrated.” I glanced at the plastic little blond fuming at Carlos’s side. “And I think Jeremy is behind all of it.”
Jeremy’s eyes widened when Carlos turned to look at him. They grew a little wild as he glanced around. It was as if the blinders had suddenly come off for everyone and Jeremy knew it. He couldn’t hide behind his cute routine anymore.
“You’re busted, dude.”
“No.” Jeremy shook his head rapidly as he grabbed onto Carlos’s arm. “You don’t understand.” He was almost frantic in his need to get Carlos to believe him. “Vinnie is gay. He’s been after your son forever. If you don’t do something about this, Eddie could be hurt.”
“You mean like when Eddie was hurt when he got shot?” I asked. “Or how Eddie might have been hurt if those guys you sent to the gallery had gotten their hands on him? Hurt like that?”
“They weren’t going to hurt him,” Jeremy shouted. “They were just supposed to—”
Jeremy slapped his hand over his mouth.
Too late, bonehead, you already admitted it.
I grinned. “They were just supposed to what, Jeremy?”
“No, you’re not going to put this on me.”
I tensed when Jeremy started to back up. I had been on enough raids to know a cornered animal when I saw one. I tapped the comm unit on my throat. “Code red.” That should get my guys to come running.
I just didn’t think they were going to get here in time.
I quickly looked around for a place to hide Lany. I spotted a stack of wooden crates off to one side of the room. I saw Jeremy raise his gun just as I pushed Lany toward the crates. I pushed him hard.
I heard him scream as I jumped toward Jeremy. I didn’t have time to make sure he wasn’t hurt. I was too busy crashing into Jeremy. I heard the gun go off and was grateful the bullet hadn’t hit me until I realized it had found a different target.
Jeremy hadn’t been aiming at me at all.
Carlos clutched at his chest as he slowly slid to the ground. It was easy to see the blood saturating his shirt from a hole in his chest.
Damn it.
“Lany, get Carlos. Apply pressure.”
